The Great British seaside resort is a national institution and with its glorious sandy beach, traditional amusements and – of course – its iconic tower, Blackpool must surely be top of many people’s lists of examples. Although I’ve never been, it’s one of those places that I feel as though I must have done at some point, so familiar is it to me from its regular appearances on the TV, whether it be Strictly’s annual visit to the world-famous ballroom or any of a multitude of news reports or travel shows.
In this beautiful new middle grade, the third in the popular Gracie Fairshaw series, I have found myself transported back in time to the town a few years before the outbreak of WWII, to join our young heroine as she finds herself investigating the curious case of a missing film reel in a gentle mystery perfect for fans of Robin Stevens’s Murder Most Unladylike books.
There is a huge buzz in the newsroom at The Gazette when we meet trainee reporter Gracie and her colleagues following the exciting announcement that Fylde Films will be filming some of their latest movie, starring glamorous actress Sally Sunshine, in the Lancashire town. Expecting her more experienced, male, colleagues to cover the story, Gracie is astonished when she is given the task of interviewing Miss Sunshine by boss Mr Grime, who hopes that the artist will open up more readily to another young woman.
Returning home to the Majestic Boarding House, run by her mother, Gracie shares her news and prepares for her interview by poring over some film magazines that she has been given. Heading to the Winter Gardens the following day to carry out her job, Gracie meets Sally Sunshine and director Herb Deacon and soon warms to the down-to-earth actress, making notes on the details of the film that are shared with her. All appears to be going well until, at the end of the interview, the film’s editor Dahlia Banks arrives with the shocking news that the previous day’s film reel has gone missing.
Sensing the possibility of an exclusive, Gracie starts to investigate what is going on on the film set and when one of the stars is viciously attacked, realises that there is more to the missing reel than anyone involved in the filming is prepared to say. Roping in friends Tom and Violet and clapper boy Stanley to help her search for clues, can our trainee reporter solve the case to get her story, or will her inexperience stop her getting the scoop she so desperately wants?
Gracie is an absolute sweetheart – kind, considerate and keen to make a financial contribution to help support her hardworking mother and younger brother and young readers will be crossing their fingers throughout for her as she tries to juggle her blossoming career with detecting and a budding romance. Set in a time when girls and women were limited in the roles they could take on by their gender, Gracie tries her hardest to balance meeting society’s expectations of her against her need for independence and to use her keen intelligence, making this a fascinating and thought-provoking read for the story’s modern audience.
The third in the series, this is my first encounter with Gracie and I’m hoping it won’t be the last. This works perfectly well as a standalone read and is a story that confident readers in Year 4 upwards will really enjoy. My enormous thanks go to publicist Antonia Wilkinson and to UCLan Publishing for my gifted review copy. Gracie Fairshaw and the Missing Reel publishes 7th March.
Mrs Sydney's Famous World's Smallest Library 