A brief author’s note explains some spelling and calendar choices, and a warning reminds readers that they shouldn’t be trying anything in here at home. Accurate historical details- the background on the apprentice system, the period take on childhood-add depth, and details such as the recipe for saltpeter involving pigeon droppings and urine will surely be key booktalk features. The protagonist is memorable from the start: an amusing opening scene establishes him as a risk-taker and impulsive kid (a gunpowder experiment results in the apothecary shop’s taxidermized bear being shot) these traits then pay off in later credibility when Christopher flings himself repeatedly into startling danger.

Plot Summary Fourteen-year-old orphan Christopher, the first-person narrator, recognizes his good fortune at being chosen as apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn, a talented apothecary. Christophers homecoming takes a sinister turn when a murderous conspiracy is uncovered in this fifth novel of the award-winning Blackthorn.

He has a keen eye for puzzles, handy as all final clues his master left are coded, and he’s aided by his loyal best friend, Tom, but that’s really not much against a murderous crew, some of whom turn out to be from within the one group Christopher thought he could trust. The Blackthorn Key, his debut novel, is the first book in his award-winning series of the same name. When his master is brutally murdered, a heartbroken Christopher is determined to find the villains and bring them to justice. As an orphan in 1660s London, Christopher is lucky: he managed to find a warm and brilliant apothecary willing to take him on as an apprentice. In his stunning debut novel, Kevin Sands brings readers on a heart-stopping adventure rich with suspense, mystery, and unforgettable characters.

The blackthorn key book 1