The Amber Pendant

The Rose Muddle Mysteries #1

by Imogen White

When Rose Muddle is plucked from the workhouse to become a maid in a grand mansion, she discovers that her new mistress has secret plans for her – plans which involve a strange amber pendant with extraordinary powers.

But fearsome enemies lurk in the shadows, intent on finding the mysterious pendant. As the shadows begin to close in, can Rose uncover the truth of her own destiny to stop these forces of evil?

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Childrens, History

320 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2017

About the author

Imogen writes Edwardian Mysteries packed full of myths and dark magic, for ages 9+. Imogen loves local history, and children’s stories that aren’t limited to beautiful countryside locations or secluded seaside coves. She spent much of her childhood gallivanting around her 1970s Croydon housing estate in search of buried Roman treasure, mystery and trouble. In her own words: “magical tales exist in our towns and cities too: they are on everyone’s doorstep, if you just dig deep enough to discover them.” She now lives in St Leonards-on-Sea with her husband and children.

Reviews

[Becky Hodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always feel that YA novels are aimed at young adults who are a similar age to the main protagonist; in this particular book, Rose Muddle is 12 years old and has recently left the workhouse after gaining a position as a scullery maid. I love that Imogen White hasn't written this book with everything all fluffy kittens and roses or completely dark, but rather manages to give the book a good balance between the two. That gives the characters and background of the book a more realistic feel. I don't want to go into detail about the story if I can help it, because I don't want to give too much away.

The novel is set in Hove during the early Edwardian era. The author has done her research of the area well - she lives there - and has successfully blended fact with fiction to create what I think is a cracking book. I particularly enjoyed the character of Rose, whom I felt was probably the best written character, with the most depth to her. However I did enjoy the way all characters were written - even the bad guys. And believe me the bad guys in this book are BAD. Murder, magic and monkeys would make a great tag for this one.

There are a lot of things that I like in this book and one of those is the way that death is dealt with; both the death itself and the ways that different people grieve. Rose was overjoyed at being away from the workhouse (I don't blame her!) and having a real job, then terrified when she is told by the Butler - who dislikes her - that the Mistress of the house wishes to see her after the last visitor has left.

She soon forgets her fear when Miss T gives her the pendant to hold and she finds herself viewing the world through another's eyes. Both afraid and intensely curious, the tale she is told is a little hard to believe, even after the experience she has had. To her surprise she becomes the next person in line to be the guardian of the pendant and protect it from the Brotherhood of the Black Sun who wish to use it to free an immortal being with a serious hate form humanity. I think its safe to assume that would be a bad idea.

Rose is joined by Rui, nephew to the Maharaja, who arrives at the house with his tutor, Mr Gupta an eminent archaeologist attached to the Jaipur Museum. They are also joined by Enna Lee, a gypsy who tells fortunes near the town's springs who is immortal.

There were a couple of bits that I thought were a little predictable, but then in order for us to really relate to something there has to be an element of the familiar to it, so I'm not criticising when I say that. I would have no hesitation in recommending this book - I would say it's definitely going to appeal more to girls than boys.

**I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. This in no way affected my opinion of the novel**

[Laura Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow ok, this book was great. At the beginning, I thought the plot was cool but didn’t think it would be my sort of book. I wasn’t really into it . But then I read on and the plot made lots of sense and I loved it.

MINOR TINY TINY SPOILER BELOW BUT IT WON’T RUIN THE BOOK AT ALL !!!


I love Rose and Rui(and Bahula’s!) friendship. It’s adorable and they are so close . I love the plot and all of the twists, especially near the end. Would recommend . Definitely going to read book 2: thanks for reading this review xxx

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose has found her heritage. Now all she's got to do is save the world.

I love Rose. Feisty, gobby and forgiving, she’s got a big mouth and an even bigger heart. Having spent the first twelve years of her life in the workhouse, Rose wants more than anything somewhere to belong. It is this which drives her to protect the pendant. She sees it as more than a magical object. It is a symbol of her heritage. The other character I loved was Enna Lee. A Puck-like figure, an ageless spirit who protects the city of Hove, she represents the stories which lie in any landscape. I hope to see more of Enna in future stories.

There are three stories at play – Rose’s own story, the story of the pendant’s origin, and the events of 40 years ago. Rose’s story is not overwhelmed by prior events. They add layers to the mystery, and give Rose more to discover. I love the folksy element of Verrulf’s story. It reminds me a little of The Box of Delights, with characters and objects in the present day dating back to the dawn of time. The Amber Cup is inspired by a real object in Hove. White weaves in some local history and geography in a way which would inspire any young reader to go on a trail through the story’s streets.

The deliciously creepy Brotherhood of the Black Sun are up there with VFD and the Baron’s gang in the Sinclar’s Mysteries. A cult-like organisation, with an evil objective, a secret meeting place and a dark insignia? Bring it on! The secretive nature of the Brotherhood brings the magical story to life. I love the idea that magic had gone from being commonly recognised, to acknowledged only by a small number of people.

1907 is brought to life with language of the time. The link between Hove and Jaipur brings to life the time of empire. Although this is not explored in any political detail, it is shown how people over a hundred years ago might have links to more than one country. With the next story set in Jaipur, I hope we learn more about Rui’s background.

The story is pacy – I was hooked and rehooked. There is a new discovery in every chapter, and always something to read on for. With a sequel due in 2018, this looks to be the start to a promising mystery series.

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Rose Muddle, a girl who leaves the workhouse to go into service and soon becomes embroiled in a murky mystery surrounding an amber pendant, which she is now the guardian of. The book is a good mystery with some fantasy elements, and I didn`t guess every outcome. It`s super fast paced, to the point I lost track of what was going on sometimes but it kept me wanting to get through the book and unfold more of the plot. I found the exploration of Rose`s adjustment to life outside the workhouse fascinating. The best part of this book for me though, had to be Rose`s partnership with Rui as they worked so well as a detective duo and I just loved their rapport with one another (and I also loved Bahula, the cheeky monkey companion!). I`m already looking forward to the 2nd book in the series, especially as it`s going to be set in India!

[Kerry Mintern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder, mystery and mayhem!
A wonderfully satisfying story. I’m diving straight into the next adventure with Rose, Rui and Bahula!
The Secret Ruby, here I come!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Ben Peyton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic debut novel.
Our story starts with a workhouse girl, Rose Muddle, stumbling into a relentless battle between good and evil where a couple of magical Amber pendants can be used to shape the world for better or worse.
Rose is chosen as one of the pendant's guardians and is reluctantly paired up with Rui, a mysterious Indian prince with a penchant for Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes, to prevent the uprising of an ancient foe hellbent on taking over the world with his Creeplings (a bit like Dementors).
Imogen White has crafted this story with charm, wit and a clear passion for its locations and has created a superb read. Perfect for young adults and young at heart adults. (I'm 40).
Blistering pace and exciting set pieces explode off the page and I eagerly await the sequel in 2018.

[Laura Noakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love me some Edwardian era middle grade, and this one did not disappoint. Our heroine, Rose, is feisty and brave, I LOVED Rui, her Sherlock obsessed partner-in-crime, and the mystery was well plotted and fast paced. The world of Hove in 1907 was fantastic--it read like it had been written completely effortlessly, and I really adored reading about a location that wasn't London. I was hooked from the get go, and read it in one sitting--I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

[Raven Hurste · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The tension and excitement created in the first few chapters builds and grows with fantastic, page turning pace. I found the portrayal of Rose's loneliness, isolation and lack of identity very moving and loved her feisty spirit and strength of character. The deep friendship she forms with Rui that quickly means everything to her and the identity she gains through her bond with the pendant are a wonderful insight into a personal journey of growth that is interwoven with a plot that is full of magic, mystery and murder. I felt anxious and excited every step of the way and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great debut novel by Imogen White.
This novel gave me a warm reminiscence of reading The Little Princess when I was younger. Maybe it was the presence of the Monkey or the underlying tone of a child feeling alone in the world and facing very serious challenges, not to mention mystery and danger.
The characters were well developed and the reader got a good grasp on who was who and what was what. The plot reveal and development of the story moved at a great pace, slow and steady in the beginning and speeding up and urging the page turns as the story evolved.
I look forward to reading the next novel in the series.

[Claire Fayers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a deliciously dark and twisty mystery featuring a courageous young heroine and a charming Sherlock Holmes wannabe sidekick. A magical pendant, a generations-old curse and sinister otherworldly creatures make for a fine tale and the start of a great new series.

[P Humphreys · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping read that will delight young readers. A real page turner.

[Juliet Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A totally gripping read. Perfect for 9+ full of magic, mystery, murder and monkeys!

[Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8 year old daughter loved this! Despite my concerns about it being a bit scary and dark, she really enjoyed it. It may not be suitable for 8 year olds in general though...

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleased to be sent this book by Goodreads for review as it is set in Edwardian Hove and I used to work in Brighton and Hove and thus am familiar with the area plus the Amber Cup which features in this book is based on a real object in Hove. The main protagonist is a 12-year-old girl called Rose Muddle whose life gets off to an inauspicious start with a long spell in a Workhouse. That changes when a wealthy lady chooses her to become a maid in her household but this lady, Miss Templeforth, has a mysterious amber pendant with magical powers which needs to have someone to guard and protect it. Thus follows a battle between good, (Rose and Rui, nephew to a Maharajah, who arrives at the house with his tutor Mr Gupta plus a monkey, Bahula) and evil, (Verrulf, the Creeplings and the Brotherhood of the Black Sun) with murder, mystery and magic abounding. I considered that the pacy storyline was excellent, although some more sensitive young readers might find it plays upon their imaginations a little too much, but I was rather perplexed as to why Rose appears to have been given an accent reminiscent of one typically associated with those from the East End of London at the time. I felt that the prevalence of “dropped haitches” e.g. ‘ere and words such as “ain’t” was unnecessary. In particular I disliked reading poor English in the form of quoted speech such as, “…it don’t make no sense …”; “I don’t need no Sherlock”; “Them shifty travelling companions of yours have been up here already”; and “Them waters outside?” was a poor example to set to the impressionable target audience. Likewise, spelling errors such as “TRESSPASSERS BEWARE” (sic) I believe are unacceptable for children’s novels. However, aside from these issues, I think the courageous heroine makes for a good role model in a gripping and mysterious tale.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had my niece and I hooked from the first chapter, and we read the whole book very quickly. Great story full of plucky and likeable characters, mystery, detecting, magic and Monkeys! The plot gallops along quickly, has suspense and danger, and we see several different settings to enjoy and talk about. I can't wait till the next one!

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose Muddle is taken from the Workhouse to come and work at 13 Sackville Rd, Hove, and a series of strange things start happening revolving around an amber pendant worn by the house's owner.

Joined by Rui, the nephew of a Maharaja and his monkey Bahula the trio begin to have adventures through Victorian era Hove, England.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars really. It's well written, a unique story. Worth reading. But it just didn't grab me with that "I have to read more" feeling.

Probably good for kids who read a bit and come back to it later, rather than binge reading (like I do).

[anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Janette Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book lots going on full of action

[Tamsin Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly heart-stopping read. The main character, Rose Muddle, is as charming as she is brave and adventurous, and her friendship with the hilarious and clever Rui is absolutely wonderful to read. The mystery is so well told and the secrets of the amber pendant so brilliantly unravelled that I had goose bumps while I was reading. It is one of the best children's historical fictions I have read, and one of the best adventure stories too. The writing is compelling, thrilling and hilarious too. I am eagerly anticipating the sequel!

[Roaffie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a little bit of magic, a monkey and a mystery Imogen White creates a confusing but enticing mystery for the readers.

[Ian O'Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly written adventure, packed from start to finish with scary gripping suspense which unravels logically at a remarkable pace throughout. The book has received the very highest accolades simply because it makes such compelling reading. In the fullness of time it is destined to become a standard all time classic.