The clockwork ghost

Laura Ruby

Book - 2019

It was only a few weeks ago that the Biedermann twins, Tess and Theo, along with their friend Jaime Cruz, followed the secrets of the Morningstarrs' cipher further than anyone had in its century-and-a-half history -- and destroyed their beloved home in the process. But the Old York Cipher still isn't solved. The demolition of 354 W. 73rd Street only revealed the next clue in the greatest mystery of the modern world, and if Tess, Theo, and Jaime want to discover what lies at the end of the puzzle laid into the buildings of New York by its brilliant, enigmatic architects, they will need to press on. But doing so could prove even more dangerous than they know. It is clear that the Morningstarr twins marshaled all the strange technolo...gy they had spent their lives creating in the construction of the Cipher, and that technology has its own plans for those who pursue it. It's also clear that Tess, Theo, and Jaime are not the only ones on the trail of the treasure. As enemies both known and unknown close in on them from all sides and the very foundations of the city seem to crumble around them, they will have to ask themselves how far they will go to change the unchangeable -- and whether the price of knowing the secrets of the Morningstarrs is one they are willing to pay.

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Subjects
Genres
Detective and mystery fiction
Action and adventure fiction
Published
New York, NY : Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers [2019]
Language
English
Main Author
Laura Ruby (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
446 pages : map ; 22 cm
Audience
Age 9-11.
Grade 4-6.
ISBN
9780062306968
9780062937551
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Tess, Theo, and Jaime are struggling to settle into new homes after the suspicious destruction of their beloved apartment building, and, while they're still on the case of the infamous New York Cipher, they're not as gung ho ­after all, the last time they solved a puzzle, their building collapsed into rubble. But when Tess' beloved cat, Nine, is framed for an attack, they hunt even harder for clues and find a conspiracy bigger than they bargained for. Ruby takes a classic puzzle mystery and compellingly draws it out, both in the time the puzzles take and by giving the characters room to contemplate their feelings. That emotional depth is not typical for this kind of plot, and kids who crave meaty character development will appreciate it. Meanwhile, the intricate puzzles, fantastical gadgets, and rich grasp of the hidden history of New York City mean there's something fascinating to explore on nearly every page. A mystifying cliff-hanger raises even more questions and should leave series fans desperate for the forthcoming trilogy-ender.--Sarah Hunter Copyright 2019 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review

Despite the destruction of their beloved apartment building at the end of the previous book (York: The Shadow Cipher, rev. 5/17), codebreaking twins Theo and Tess Biedermann, along with artistic puzzle-solver Jaime Cruz, are more committed to solving the impossible-seeming Morningstarr Cipher than ever. Following a complicated trail of clues, which stitches the technologically advanced present to an enigmatic past (both their own and that of the books alternate New York City setting), the tweens solve puzzlesbringing stone eagles to life, digging up graves, and uncovering less-than-savory genetic experiments as they go. But these three are not the only ones pursuing the treasure that supposedly awaits at the end of the Cipher, and danger is rapidly closing in. A few narrative contrivances aside, this second installment in Rubys steampunk mystery series should delight and enthrall fans. anastasia m. collins September/October 2019 p.99(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Following opener The Shadow Cipher (2017), Ruby's York trilogy continues.Ruby returns to her fascinatingly similar-but-different New York City (the Liberty Statue and the Underway replace the Statue of Liberty and the subway; machines such as an animate suit of armor that makes pancakes are not out of the ordinarybut gentrification and the PATH line remain the same). Picking up shortly after the destruction of their building by developer Darnell Slant, Jewish twins Tess and Theo Biederman and their best friend, Trinidadian-Cuban Jaime Cruz, are still on the trail of the treasure promised by the Morningstarr Cipher. This time around the mystery is more complex, and some of the madcap fun has been replaced by a sense of deeper malice; "fixer" Duke Goodson and his "ladies" (all white, as all the villains here seem to be) are crafty foes who even manage to kidnap Tess' preternaturally intelligent service animal. Meanwhile the "brown-skinned" female superhero from Jaime's sketchbooks seems to have come to life, and the revelations she drops about the mysterious Morningstarr twins, who transformed the city after arriving there in 1798, move the series from mostly mystery to possibly science fiction but maybe fantasy, in the best way possible, all supported by overt discussion of inclusion, diversity, and social justice.Woke magical mystery for preteens? Bring on Volume 3, STAT. (Mystery/fantasy. 10-15) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.