Operation Red Jericho (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Operation Red Jericho Loretta Gaffney Mowll, Joshua Operation Red Jericho. Candlewick, 2005 [288p] ISBN 0-7636-2634-1$15.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 7-10 The Da Vinci Code meets Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series (Stormbreaker, BCCB 9/01) in this adventure story of secret societies, scientific discoveries, and Chinese pirates. In 1920, Becca and her younger brother, Douglas, are left aboard ship in the care of their uncle, Captain MacKenzie, who is combing the South China Sea for a mysterious chemical substance known as Daughter of the Sun. Unfortunately, Sheng-Fat—a pirate with a taste for finger-bone necklaces and the screams of his victims—covets the same substance to fuel his weaponry. After discovering that a secret scientific society may hold the key to their parents' whereabouts (as well as those of the powerful chemical), Becca and Douglas embark upon an adventure that will take them from the streets of Shanghai to the gruesome island fortress of Sheng-Fat himself. The novel's archival conceit (the book is framed as papers and material inherited by Mowll from his aunt Becca) allows Mowll's prowess as a graphic artist free rein—intricate foldout diagrams of sea-craft and weaponry, along with a plethora of "primary source" material in the form of newspaper clippings, maps, and vintage photographs compete with the text for attention and usually win. The graphics are the real attraction here—the circuitous, sometimes confusing plot built around mistaken identity and misunderstanding would likely flounder without them. Though the stereotypical view of the Asian bad guys may be true to the conventions of the genre, it wears a little thin, and there's a whole lot of elaborate torture even for this kind of adventure. However, the ship, weapon, and map buff will find much fascinating material here, and those who enjoy science-flavored conspiracy will look forward to the rest of the planned trilogy. A series of fictional appendices, including a bibliography of books that mostly or entirely exist in the author's imagination, is included. Copyright © 2005 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois