Double You

Adam #2

by Shane Peacock

When Adam Murphy learns that his late, revered grandfather, David McLean, hid a huge stash of foreign cash and fake passports in the family’s cottage, he is stunned. Was Grandpa really a traitor, as some of the evidence suggests? And why was a loaded Walther PPK pistol hidden at the cottage? Determined to prove his grandfather’s innocence, Adam takes the famous James Bond gun and follows the clues to Bermuda, where he encounters danger, evidence of espionage, and an unusual girl named Angel Dahl. Desperate and on the run with Angel, pursued by a deadly operative, Adam races to other exotic locations, unsure if Angel is friend or foe, or if his grandfather was a hero or a villain. Three clues hold the dark secret of David McLean’s past―the letter W, a glass eye with a golden iris, and the haunting words of someone named Mr. Know.

Double You is the sequel to both Separated , part of The Seven Prequels and Last Message , part of Seven (The Series).

Genres: Young Adult, Teen, Adventure

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Shane Peacock was born in 1957 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, one of four brothers. He attended school in the northern town of Kapuskasing, Ontario, before attending university, where he studied History and English literature. A biographer, journalist, and screenwriter, he is also the author of eighteen novels, a picture book and three plays, and has been won and/or been nominated for numerous awards including two Arthur Ellis Awards for crime fiction, the Geoffrey Bilson Award for historical fiction, the Violet Downey Award, the Libris Award, seven times honored with Junior Library Guild of America selections, and has been on three shortlists for the Canadian Children's Literature Award, and one for the Governor-General's Award. His books have been published in 20 languages in 18 countries. He and his wife, journalist Sophie Kneisel live in Cobourg, Ontario and have two daughters and a son.

Series:
* The Dylan Maples Adventures
* The Boy Sherlock Holmes
The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim
The Seven Series

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2008): Eye of the Crow
The Arthur Ellis (2013)
The Violet Downey Award
The Libris Award
The Geoffrey Bilson Award
The Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Award
Anne Izard Storyteller Choice Award
Junior Library Guild of America Selection (7 times)
Governor-General's Award (shortlist)
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (shortlist)

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Double You” the exciting sequel to “The Last Message” opens with a meeting of seven of David McLean’s grandsons in his northern Ontario cottage where a hole in the wall behind the fireplace reveals a leather bag, gun, bag of golf balls with strange lettering, fake passports and a stash of foreign cash. Fascinated by the Walther PPK pistol, an envelope with a Bermuda address and a cryptic message that suggests David McLean was a traitor who deserved to die, Adam Murphy sets out to prove his grandfather’s innocence.

Travelling from Buffalo to Bermuda he quickly becomes entangled in a spy mystery like one in a James Bond novel after meeting Mr. Know who looks exactly like his grandfather and tries to kill him. Joining forces with Angel Dahl Mr. Know’s ward their investigation into uncovering the dark secret in David McLean’s past takes them from New York to Jamaica tangling with a rogue undercover agent and following clues like a glass eye with a golden iris, the letter W and a connection to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Fast-paced and action-packed, intensity and suspense escalate as they’re chased by Mr. Know’s bodyguard in New York escaping with Angel’s trickery, only to spike when they follow the trail to Ian Fleming’s home in Goldeneye, Jamaica. Short in length the adventure will appeal to teens and those following the “7 Sequels”. Well-developed and intriguing as events unfold the plot quickly and smoothly moves to an ending with some interesting twists.

Shane Peacock breathes life into this story with unforgettable and compelling characters like athletic and handsome Adam Murphy who has been taking self-defense lessons, reading more and getting better grades after his last adventure. A clever, resourceful seventeen-year-old who often contends with what he calls his alter ego “bad Adam", he’s determined to uncover a dark secret his grandfather hid from his family. Committed to his girlfriend he is drawn throughout the story to eighteen-year-old Angel Dahl, the ward of Mr. Know who was adopted at birth after being abandoned. She’s inhibited, strange but caring, smart and adventurous. But its paranoid and eccentric Mr. Know with his uncanny resemblance to David McLean that lends a chilling mystery to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed “Double You” and won’t hesitate to look for other books authored by Shane Peacock for the teens in my library.

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read for me. I did enjoy it but it was heavily inspired by James Bond. I didn't mind it being inspired by James Bond because I never read about like this. This book wasn't my favorite but what did make it better was one of the main characters, Angel Dahl. She was just so funny and I would love to see her and Adam go on more adventures !

[Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020 Review:

The last book of the Seven Sequel Series (although it doesn’t matter what order you read them in). This one focused on Adam, the American cousin. After finding secret things in his deceased grandfather’s cabin, Adam goes from Buffalo to Bermuda to New York to Jamaica over the course of a week.

The pacing of the book was it’s biggest downfall. Going to all of those places in such a short time, especially while carrying a gun, seems too far-fetched. It just wouldn’t happen. The story would have been much stronger had even one of those locations been removed. Plus how did the character of John continually find them? It just didn’t make sense.

Although I don’t believe any future stories are planned, I would like to read a book about Adam’s future journeys with Angel.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young adult spy drama, Adam and Angel make a good team
Seven books by seven authors. Apparently, this one by Shane Peacock is the 7th book and the only one I have read. That said, it does well as a stand-alone and that is how I will review it. Seven cousins, minus two who are too far away, have gathered in the family McLean cottage in Ontario one wintry day in late December when something completely unexpected comes to light. Their Grandfather was no longer living. In the process of preparing the fireplace with logs set nearby to heat the cabin, the final log appeared to be stuck to the floor and with a sudden heave, up came the floorboard exposing a secret hidey-hole. What is this all about? Obviously, their grandfather had something to hide. This book mostly follows grandson Adam and the rest of the story features mostly grandfather and grandson...or is it.

Wait, secret compartment? backpack? gun? 007? money? Who and what was their grandfather? Following clues included within, Adam takes on the task of trying to fit the pieces together. After all, he is the Bond fan, the one who read all the super spy books. Who better to check out where the clues will lead? Too bad his alter ego, Bad Adam, tags along. He has fought with Bad Adam for years and now seems to be mostly in control of him. Strange things happen in this book. Armed with his grandfather's gun, a Walther PPK like James Bond uses, his share of the money found (as well as many passports with different names) Adam goes in search of his grandfather David McLean's history, his first stop Bermuda where things get off to a bad and crazy start.

Sometimes I felt like I was reading a James Bond story and others that I was in a very confusing nightmare as Adam's grandfather who was dead turns out to be alive and ready to kill his grandson. Bring on a bizarre rescue by Angel Dahl, an orphan who was raised here. This story gets pretty weird at times, but humorous in its weirdness. A spy or not a spy? A double agent or not a double agent? That appears to be the question. But if the man Adam believes to be his grandfather isn't, is he Angel Dahl's adoptive father? There are complications to every step or flight they take, but the very end will surprise you. As a young adult book, young people will certainly enjoy it. The protaganist is 17 and with Angel, who is 18, they make a good team.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is part of “The Seven Sequels” series which features the sequels to the seven first adventures of seven grandsons who each had to previously perform some special, yet dangerous, task for their grandfather who had recently died and left them the missions in his will.

Just like the first books, these sequels can also be read in any order. Each of the seven books is written by a different author, with each author returning for the sequels. The premise for the sequels is that 12 passports were found with their grandfather’s picture on them, but different names.

Each passport is for a different country and corresponds to a notebook full of cryptic notes about each country. The grandsons decide to divide up the clues and countries in order to learn more about their mysterious grandfather.

In this action-packed adventure, teen Adam journeys to Bermuda as he follows his clues of a Walther PPK pistol and a note accusing his grandfather of being a traitor and deserving to die. Just knowing his grandfather had the same gun as James Bond, gets Adam pondering the possibilities that his grandfather was a spy. Along the way, he not only experiences plenty of near-death mishaps, he also ends up with his own ‘Bond girl’ named Angel that shows him just how complicated relationships can be.

This whole series will appeal to reluctant readers, especially guys, who will relish the fast-pace and want to keep reading to find out what was really going on with the grandfather. These are great choices for readers ready for something meatier than the typical Orca Soundings or Currents books.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Double You is one of the seven books in the Seven Sequels series. All seven of the main characters in the series (one book devoted to each boy) are cousins who share a grandfather, David McLean. Their grandfather was a spy and has recently passed away. All seven of his grandsons end up going on various adventures. The main character of this story, Adam, sets out to prove his grandfather’s innocence and clear his good name after he finds evidence of treason. He travels to Bermuda where he meets Angel Dahl, a new love interest.

I usually do not have high expectations for Orca books, and this one was no exception. The plot and writing were pretty on par with most of the other Orca books I have read. The plot is basic, the characters are constrained to stereotypical gender roles, and the action falls flat. I am also pretty sure James Bond and Walther PPK were mentioned on every single page. Adam is like Bond, we get it. Enough already. I would only recommend this title to low/high readers who are interested in espionage.


Grade Range: 9-12
Genre: Mystery
Literary Merit: Mediocre
Characterization: Poor
Recommendation: Recommended as optional purchase

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed "The Seven Series" and this is my first book in the follow up "Sequel" series. Shane Peacock is one of my favourite Canadian YA authors and this book was no exception. I enjoyed it even more than the first book, "The Last Message". Shane writes a lot of mysteries and this is his first spy thriller in which he has excelled. This book concerns the one American cousin of the seven boys. He was the black sheep in the first book but now he's discovered his true self since those events. This is an action-packed spy story with a James Bond theme and centres around the famous British literary spies Fleming, Greene, Le Carre, etc. It also features the story of the famous Canadian spy, The Man They Called Intrepid, William Stephenson. A roller coaster ride of a book that even includes a Bond girl, Angel Dahl.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of James Bond movies and William Stephenson will enjoy Double You, a fast paced thriller. Adam Murphy find his deceased Grandfather's Walther PPK gun, the same one used in the Bond films and instantly becomes obsessed with it. Little does he know it will lead him into a dangerous mystery full of intrigue and spies. Recommended for teens and followers of 7 the series.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for its Princess Hotel references. I'm sorry. I also really liked the way that things turned out, and that Adam grew up.