Conspiracy 365: January

Australian crime novelist Lord launches a gripping new series that should have clear appeal for thriller fans. Australian teenager Cal is approached by a strange man who warns him that he has 365 days to survive and suggests that the recent death of Cal's father wasn't a strange illness, but murder. Soon enough, strange events—a boating accident that appears to be sabotage, a break-in, and a mysterious call from a nurse who cared for Cal's dad—raise his suspicions even more. When he investigates a package his uncle Rafe has hidden away, he quickly gets drawn into a conspiracy involving his family, mysterious drawings, and violent kidnappers, and finds himself on the run from the police. Lord creates a tense environment, and although the action can occasionally get over-the-top, the villains are suitably vile and entertaining, and Cal makes for an affable hero. Readers should be warned that, true to the nature of the planned series (11 subsequent books will follow throughout 2010), the book ends very much on a cliffhanger. Ages 10–up. (Jan.)