R.A Spratt, Last Chance (Friday Barnes #11), Penguin, January 2023, 288 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780143779247
After her last thrilling adventure in Undercover, teenage detective Friday Barnes is ready to solve a new mystery within the depths of the Parisian art world. Specifically, the controversy surrounding the Mona Lisa and its authenticity. Friday, with her detective best friends, is sent to Paris undercover as art students to take a closer look. Is the Mona Lisa fake? If so, then where is it hiding…
Last Chance provides an excellent instalment in the Friday Barnes series, more than worthy enough to continue to attract readers for an entertainingly light yet mysterious read. Friday’s character is intriguingly compelling, with her obvious strengths and flaws creating more depth to her personality, whilst also communicating to readers that you don’t have to be amazing at everything to achieve success. Considering that Friday Barnes is 11 years old in the first book, I would recommend the series as a whole to ages 11 and up, they provide a great introduction to mystery and detective-like novels. Many factors throughout the novel appeal to the target audience, such as the different relationships and friendships being formed between characters.
Reviewed by Emily Woolnough
