Deadlock (Darcie Lock series) (Volume 3) by Julia Golding

Darcie Lock: Girl on the Run #3

by Julia Golding

This is the perfect action thriller for girls who don't want to let boys have all the fun. What if the right man for the job is actually a girl? Meet MI6's new recruit. Darcie Lock is on the run once again - and this time it's personal. Britain's most unlikely secret agent continues to evade the clutches of terrorists, governments and a typical teenage upbringing. In this her third adventure, Darcie Lock finds herself facing the dangers of a political summit. Amidst a host of world leaders Darcie is in for a nasty shock as she comes face to face with her arch-enemy Hugo - who has been recruited by MI6! Will she be able to fight shoulder to shoulder with the secret services, or will she have her to fight her corner yet again? The story is as thrilling as always, with some new faces and some old favourites too.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction, Espionage, Action

Paperback

First published October 6, 2011

About the author

My journey to becoming an author has been a roundabout one, taking in many other careers. I grew up on the edge of Epping Forest and was that dreamy kind of child who was always writing stories. After reading English at Cambridge, I decided to find out as much as I could about the wider world so joined the Foreign Office and served in Poland. My work as a diplomat took me from the high point of town twinning in the Tatra Mountains to the low of inspecting the bottom of a Silesian coal mine.

On leaving Poland, I exchanged diplomacy for academia and took a doctorate in the literature of the English Romantic Period at Oxford. I then joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the UN and with governments to lessen the impact of conflict on civilians living in war zones - a cause about which I still feel very passionate.

Married with three children, I now live in Oxford between two rivers, surrounded by gargoyles, beautiful sandstone buildings and ancient trees.

My first novel, 'The Diamond of Drury Lane', won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2006 and the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006 (formerly known as the Smarties Prize). I was also chosen by Waterstone's in 2007 as one of their 'Twenty-five authors for the future'. In the US, 'Secret of the Sirens' won the honor book medal of the Green Earth Book Award.

My latest series, which starts with Mel Foster and the Demon Butler, about an intrepid Victorian orphan who lives in a household of monsters, won Bronze in the Primary Teacher awards in 2015. The next part, Mel Foster and the Time Machine, has set the time-dial to arrive in 2016.

Reviews

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

That cliff hanger....
I mean, partly upset by how this ends, because Darcie deserves a happy, steady life. But then, who's anyone kidding? We know that it's Darcie, and she'd walk into other situations unwillingly or unknowingly, so it just ended with another situation that she would eventually make it out of. Hopefully. I mean, it's Darcie. And there's Stingo, her parents, her grandfather, who would not let her go without a fight. Her repeated fake deaths I thought were hilarious. She's just that kind of character, like a cat, always ending up on her feet.

[Kitkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

After waiting for what seemed like ever Darcie Lock is back and better than ever. I absolutely loved this book. The characters were, as always, fantastic. The dialogue was great. The action never stopped. And as the final cherry topper, toward the end there was an excellent Doctor Who reference. Whenever you see Julia Golding's name on a book you know you're in for a good time and Deadlock won't disappoint. Once again she's crafted a tale filled with fun, adventure and enticingly exotic locales. If you loved Ringmaster and Empty Quarter, you'll want to see how Darcie handles her newest mission. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes The Gallagher Girls, Alex Rider or spy stories in general, just make sure you set aside a good chunk of time before you start reading, because you won't want to stop.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, as were the previous 2 books in the series. However, I'm VERY disappointed this ended on a cliffhanger with no sign of any sequels. What happened???

[Kaylee Ding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading spy stories about teenagers because there's just something so fun and thrilling about them. I thoroughly enjoyed Ringmaster, was satisfied with Empty Quarter, but kind of just waded through Deadlock. It might have to do with the fact that I'm reading this book years after I started the series and now read with a more mature and critical eye but everything felt quite unrealistic. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it-I did. Darcie is a resourceful, mature, and realistic character. However, the plot was a little bit crazy, what with a hostage situation, multiple fake-out deaths, nuclear warheads, etc. If you suspend your disbelief, this is a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. I only wish we had more character development regarding Hugo and his relationship with Darcie. Since I read Ringmaster many years ago, I completely forgot about his character so I was going off everything about him in this book. I would have appreciated more interaction between him and Darcie or a deeper exploration of his past as well as his mental health since I think he might be suffering from a mental illness??? I'm not sure and I would have liked seeing more of him as well as more interaction between Hugo and Darcie and them coming to terms with their past. Finally, this book left off on such a huge cliffhanger??? Is there going to be a next book??? Even though I feel I may have outgrown this series, I still remember the first book very fondly and would love to read what happens next.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cliff hanger!

Omg where is the next book? I have to find out where this plane is landing! Will Darcie ever get a break? This book had my full attention. I read it in under 48 hours in between things.

[Iona · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at page 76.

I remember really enjoying the first 2 in the series, but this just isn’t working for me

[Raz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complete review available: Deadlock

This was another great work in the Darcie Lock series (and in spite of the ending, seemingly the last). The plot offers the usual high-calibre stakes, drama and plot twists that we’ve seen throughout the prequels, and the cliff-hanger is top notch. I do have to admit, however, that the ending felt a little unnecessarily long and it wasn’t alone in feeling a little too slow on the momentum front.

To date, there is no book four (and it’s been over 10 years with Golding publishing other, unrelated works). In such a regard, the ending is very unsatisfactory, and actually Empty Quarter (book 2) rounds the universe off a lot neater. Given that, is it worth reading Deadlock? I’m rather on the fence – it is a cracking story, but now everything’s unresolved and I’m not sure it was enough to justify the lack of a resolution I now face. I wouldn’t flat out say “don’t read”, but until there’s a book four, I’d say “be prepared”.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Julia Golding. This book was more about Darcie and facing her past and surviving the present. We get a better idea of what Darcie is feeling as she goes through yet another adventure. and i really hope the next book comes reallllly soooon.

[Sienna Logan (Lost to Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took forever for this book to be released and now I have read it, there is going to be another long wait to see if the series continues! I love Darcie and her adventure so I hope it does. THis was another great follow up.

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of the Darcie Lock series but found this third book a little bit too predictable. Nevertheless, an action-packed adventure and page-turner I enjoyed reading.

[Auburn Waves · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent addition to the series, but there are only so many times I can believe a character has died and that was the thing that bothered me about this book in particular.

[CHAOS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend good book