Kidnap in the Caribbean

Laura Marlin Mysteries #2

by Lauren St. John

Laura cannot contain her excitement when she wins a trip to the Caribbean for herself and her uncle, Calvin Redfern, especially when her best friend, Tariq, and her three-legged husky, Skye, accidentally find themselves on board too. But when they dock at Antigua, they discover that Calvin Redfern has vanished, and Laura and Tariq are about to be kidnapped by the fearsome Straight A gang. Dramatic escapes, an erupting volcano and a race against time to stop the deadly undercover 'Marine Concern' make Laura's second adventure every bit as exciting as the first.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Crime, Travel

217 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2011

About the author

Lauren St John grew up on a farm and game reserve in Africa, the inspiration for her acclaimed memoir, Rainbow's End, and her award-winning White Giraffe series for children. Dead Man's Cove, the first in her Laura Marlin mystery series, won the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award in 2011. Her bestselling One Dollar Horse trilogy for teenagers was followed by The Glory, a breathtaking YA adventure and romance about a long distance horse race across the American West. Formerly a sports and music journalist, Lauren is the author of Seve and Hardcore Troubador: the Life & Near Death of Steve Earle, a superb, gripping biography of an Americana legend. The Obituary Writer, her first adult novel, was published in 2014 and she is currently at work on her second. Both The White Giraffe and The Glory have been optioned for film.

Reviews

[Kylie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun children's book that sees adventurous wanna-be detective Laura, her best friend Tariq, husky Skye and her Uncle Calvin on a cruise to the Caribbean, but all goes wrong when Uncle Calvin is kidnapped. As the children and dog race across Antigua and Montserrat in search of him, and trying to avoid the kidnappers themselves, they come across an accident-prone boy, a reclusive volcano scientist, and lots of deadly sea creatures. Will Laura and her friends survive, find her uncle, and catch the bad guys? Read this book to find out!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why does the author duck out of writing a proper ending to her books? One minute the protagonists are in dire straits and the next thing you know, the action is all over and they are talking back over their experience and filling in the blanks for us. I give up on this series.

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a little bit of a problem. I think I'm in love with this series. I thought Dead Man's Cove was brilliant I'm genuinely pleased to report that Kidnap in the Caribbean is of a similar standard. And, before I get into this, I need to congratulate whoever is designing this series. The dustjacket for Kidnap in the Caribbean is utterly lovely.

The second in the series of Laura Marlin adventures, Kidnap in the Caribbean is a fabulous read. You know it's good when you just stop everything and just sit down and read solidly because you need to know what happens next. I love Laura, I really do. She's making me remember the first few days I discovered Buffy. She's a smart, intelligent heroine that you have no choice to root for because she's such a brilliant character. She stands, and she fights for what she believes in and that's a pleasure to read.

I know I'm gushing a little (to be honest, following my Dead Man's Cove review you should just be relieved I've found a synonym for brilliant)but you need to understand how rare this sort of book is. I have a female character that is a) not defined solely by her relationship to a boy and b)is independent, smart and brave. Add to that a James Bond-esque location, an awesome huskey sidekick and some heart-in-the-mouth moments, and you've got yourself one heck of a book.

Kidnap in the Caribbean is brilliant.

Ah.

I was doing so well.

[Vika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книгата е много интересна и мистериозна!Не спрях да чета докато не разбера какво ще стане!

[Samuel Shepherd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book, but I found that the one thing that let it down was the ending. In the midst of the action, the final chapter suddenly starts later as what happened is explained to you. Then you feel like the final chapter isn't worth reading because you know the ones in danger are relaxing and completely safe, despite the chapter before finishes on a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, this book has the same problem.

While the rest of the book was really good, and the characters developed well, Jimmy Gannett wasn't particularly interesting (not to mention slightly annoying) and the ending seemed a bit rushed, with one too many villains.

Overall I would say that up until the ending, this book moves along at a good pace and gets you on the edge of your seat, but I think that until I know the style of the endings change, I'll give the other books a miss.

[Kyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Scorchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!

[Estelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I though Kidnap in the Caribbean was a very entertaining and built a lot of suspense. It was very descriptive and I didn't want to put the book down.

[larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Pippa Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Laura Marlin series is probably one of the best series out there for young readers who actually want to like reading. The stories are simple, but with enough depth to have some young readers guessing, older readers (myself at almost 40 cough, cough and Dan Jon at almost 11) find themselves almost always knowing where the story is heading from the crumbs of clues earlier in the story.

This story did bring to light the real difference in how people view the destruction of our oceans, opened a dialogue with my son and I AND actually gave some good advice about what to do. I do think that had this been written last year (2018) that there would have been a bit more about using reusable straws etc, but it was a good tale.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is now the fourth Lauren St. John book I have read to my nine year old granddaughter and like the others we both enjoyed it a lot. She pronounced this one as "a very good book". I think it was a bit less believable than the first in this series, but it still gripped us, building up tension to a climax, but then suddenly letting it go, leaving the denouement to be resolved in gradual revelations. I though that this was clever. As always the writer brings in serious issues, this time, the destruction of marine species, and gives a lot of background information, which is not, however, allowed to get in the way of excellent storytelling"

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were eagerly waiting for the sequel to the first Laura Marlin mystery, you won't be disappointed. This book covers similar valuable lessons to the first one - loyalty, friendship, as well as the importance of not judging a book by its cover (no pun intended). The sole reason I am not giving it 5 stars is because to me the ending was a bit far-fetched and implausible.

[Connie Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kidnap in the Caribbean is a really good book that I immensely enjoyed. It’s part of the Laura Marlin mystery collection and know I think I need to get the rest of them.

There’s some ingenious ideas and the way that bad situations pile upon one another make it even more gripping.

I loved this book so much and recommend it to anyone who likes detective stories.

[Amberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started and finished date - 11.11.24 to 12.11.24.
My rating - Three Stars.
I did enjoyed this book but I didn't love. The atmosphere was fine and the paced of plot was bit rush also the writing was okay. the paced of plot was bit slow for my liking and I mix feeling about the characters was also they needed to be flash out bit more.

[LudmilaM · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. I love good detective stories, and the Laura Marlin Mysteries are well plotted, well written, with great characters and charm. This one has an exotic backround of a cruise ship & Caribbean Islands. It was lots of fun.

[Lawrence Hankerly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro es bastante interesante, ya que aparte de que cuenta una simple historia, explica como se puede ayudar a los animales marinos que están en el borde de la extinción. Aunque la historia se va desarrollando lentamente.

Se lo recomendaría a la gente que le gusta el misterio por qué tiene una historia bastante bien desarrollada aunque bastante lenta en el desarrollo de la historia (mi opinión)

- Lawrence 😄👍

[Wareesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

was a goo book

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect bedtime read

My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book together and can't wait for the next one. Perfect for her age of 9-10 years.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Laura wins a ticket to the Carribean of Antigoua, it seems too good to be true and soon they uncover a dastardly plot by the Straight A's.

[Talula Hepburn · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Maria Kavulski · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Vivienne Jones]

I listened to this book when I went on a road trip as an audiobook.

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars (6/10 hearts). This story was even more exiting than book 1! I didn’t love it quite as much as Une bouteille à la mer because of how intense it was, but I think upon reread I’ll enjoy it more.

I was thrilled that Uncle Calvin, Laura, and Tariq were perfectly themselves and still had excellent relationships. As for the new characters—no one could love Rita & Bob but Jimmy grew on you despite everything, poor kid; and I liked the Canadian fellow (!!!) and the former Special Ops. And the new villains were much worse than the first ones—downright terrifying.

The plot, as I mentioned, was a lot more fast-paced than book 1. Of course I enjoyed the cruise part a lot (I have ALWAYS wanted a cruise). I was not quite such a fan of the fugitive portion of the book… it’s scary and I hate all the lies and half-truths the kids have to recourse to… plus it feels a teeny bit unrealistic. However, it was certainly gripping, the kids did have good reasons for what they did, and they did own up quickly and honestly when they could. Also, I liked how everything fit together and the marine preservation was worked in, also the deep themes of courage and friendship and self-confidence.

I had to read this very fast to return it to the library, plus I found it rather heavy on the emotions/exhausting the first time I read it, so expect a better review upon reread.

// 2025 REREAD //
As I predicted, I enjoyed more than the first time around because I wasn't so anxious!

[Laila Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was quite charming. In many ways it reminded me of an Endi Blyton book, without the lashings of ginger beer.

The plot revolves around girl detective Laura Marlin winning a dream holiday to the Caribbean which is quite obviously as shady as anything. Her uncle is kidnapped and Laura, her friend Tariq, and faithful dog Skye have to get him back.

The story stretched credibility at times, not least because the gulliable adults around them believed everything they said and allowed two unsupervised children to play on volcanoes and stuff like that. I know that was what Enid Blyton books were like but it would have been nice to read something a little more realistic about the way adults carefully moniter children these days. The lack of any form of modern technology was also quite odd - Laura Marlin must be the only kid in Britain without a mobile phone/iPod/Ipad etc. Little things like this made the story seem very old fashioned, but it was nice to read something light and wholesome.

[Symone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it was a school class reader, and we did about one or two chapters a week, and it was also near the end of the year. We had finished at the end of the chapter where at the end of it, Laura, Tariq and Rupert see the black SUV at the hotel that Rupert was going to drop off Laura and Tariq at. Also, for the date that said when you've started the book, I just put that in because I don't know when we started it.

[Olivia F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kidnap in the caribbean is a wonderful mystery it is about a girl named Laura who boards what looks like a luxury cruise but she ends up being trapped in a mystery. When her Uncle disappears her and her husky and best friend must work together to defeat the enemies. I recommend this book to people who like a mystery.

[Emily Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit slow in the beginning because there wasn't a lot of adventure. But by the middle, it started to heat up. By the end, I could not put the book down. I do like a good mystery book, ans this one was good.

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Animal Healer series as well as the first book in the Laura Marlin series - but wasn't too enthusiastic about this book. It was a fair read though, in style reminding me of Enid Blyton's mysteries and I am convinced it will find many excited young readers.