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Kensy and Max 8: High Voltage: The bestselling spy series
What happens when you know that family must come first but there are others in desperate need of help? When danger lurks around every corner?
After a tumultuous school term, a family holiday with sunshine, sleep-ins and Portuguese tarts is just what Kensy and Max need. And Granny Cordelia is adamant: there are to be no investigations while on vacation. But when strange incidents start piling up, the twins are torn between their loyalty and their nose for adventure.
As all leads point to the annual E-Prix championship, Kensy and Max find themselves drawn into the middle of a menacing plot. High-powered sports cars are not the only dangers on the streets of Sintra. Someone wants Wolf Motors and the Formula E car race to go up in smoke, and they won’t let anything – or anyone – get in their way.
After a tumultuous school term, a family holiday with sunshine, sleep-ins and Portuguese tarts is just what Kensy and Max need. And Granny Cordelia is adamant: there are to be no investigations while on vacation. But when strange incidents start piling up, the twins are torn between their loyalty and their nose for adventure.
As all leads point to the annual E-Prix championship, Kensy and Max find themselves drawn into the middle of a menacing plot. High-powered sports cars are not the only dangers on the streets of Sintra. Someone wants Wolf Motors and the Formula E car race to go up in smoke, and they won’t let anything – or anyone – get in their way.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2021
4 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Harvey
133 books308 followersJacqueline Harvey has combined a successful career in education with her love of a good story. She is the author of many novels for younger readers and a picture book, THE SOUND OF THE SEA, which was awarded Honour Book in the 2006 Australian Children’s Book Council Awards.
Jacqueline taught in Infants and Primary schools and was Deputy Head of Abbotsleigh Junior School (an independent day and boarding school for girls) in Sydney Australia for seven and a half years before taking up the position of Director of Development at Abbotsleigh in 2010. In October 2012 she resigned to become a full time writer and speaker.
Jacqueline’s bestselling Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series’ centre on the adventures of two young girls.
Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones is a perpetually positive and determined seven year old who takes herself off to boarding school because it appeals to her sense of adventure.
Clementine Rose is a sweet little girl, who brings much joy to her family and the friends she makes along the way in her journeys through the first five books of the series. A star of the show is Clementine Rose’s pet, an adorable teacup pig called Lavender.
Her newest series is called Kensy and Max about twins who learn that their grandmother is head of the world's most important spy organisation, Pharos.
Current Books in the Series’
Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape April 1, 2014 Shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) 2015
Alice-Miranda In Japan March 1, 2014 Shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) 2015
Alice-Miranda Shines Bright September 1, 2013
Selected for the 2013 Get Reading Program (50 Books You Can’t Put down)
Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present May 1, 2013
Clementine Rose and the Farm Fiasco August 1, 2013
Alice-Miranda In Paris March 1, 2013
Shortlisted 2014 Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year 8-14 years category
Shortlisted 2014 REAL awards which are the Children’s’ Choice awards KOALA’s in NSW, YABBA’s in Victoria and COOL in the ACT.
Clementine Rose and the Pet Day Disaster January 1, 2012
Alice-Miranda in New York February 1, 2012
Winner Random House Australia Children’s Book of the Year
Clementine Rose and the Surprise Visitor September 1, 2012
Selected for the 2012 Get Reading Program (50 Books You Can't Put Down)
Voted #50 Dymocks Top 51 Kid’s Books 2013
Alice-Miranda Shows the Way August 1, 2012
Shortlisted for 2013 REAL awards which are the Children’s’ Choice awards KOALA’s in NSW, YABBA’s in Victoria and COOL in the ACT
Awarded Honour Book KOALA awards
Alice-Miranda At Sea August 1, 2012
Longlisted for DAVITT awards (Crime fiction in Junior Category) 2012
Alice-Miranda Takes the Lead February 1, 2011
Named Australian Children's Book of the Year 2011 as voted by the members of the NSW Independent Booksellers Group.
Alice-Miranda On Holiday August 1, 2010
Alice-Miranda at School February 1, 2010
Voted #9 Dymocks Top 51 Books for Kids 2013
Winner 2012 YABBA (Young Australian's Best Book Award in Victoria)
Awarded Honour Book KOALAs
Shortlisted for 2012 REAL awards which are the Children’s Choice Awards – KOALA’s in NSW, YABBA’s in Victoria, WAYRBA in Western Australia and COOL in the ACT
Shortlisted for the 2011 Australian Peace Award.
Kensy and Max: Breaking News March 2018 Shortlisted for Red Dot Book Awards Singapore 2020, YABBA, KOALA and KROC Children's Choice Awards Victoria, NSW and NT 202, Shortlisted West Australian Young Readers' Book Awards 2020
Jacqueline taught in Infants and Primary schools and was Deputy Head of Abbotsleigh Junior School (an independent day and boarding school for girls) in Sydney Australia for seven and a half years before taking up the position of Director of Development at Abbotsleigh in 2010. In October 2012 she resigned to become a full time writer and speaker.
Jacqueline’s bestselling Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series’ centre on the adventures of two young girls.
Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones is a perpetually positive and determined seven year old who takes herself off to boarding school because it appeals to her sense of adventure.
Clementine Rose is a sweet little girl, who brings much joy to her family and the friends she makes along the way in her journeys through the first five books of the series. A star of the show is Clementine Rose’s pet, an adorable teacup pig called Lavender.
Her newest series is called Kensy and Max about twins who learn that their grandmother is head of the world's most important spy organisation, Pharos.
Current Books in the Series’
Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape April 1, 2014 Shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) 2015
Alice-Miranda In Japan March 1, 2014 Shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) 2015
Alice-Miranda Shines Bright September 1, 2013
Selected for the 2013 Get Reading Program (50 Books You Can’t Put down)
Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present May 1, 2013
Clementine Rose and the Farm Fiasco August 1, 2013
Alice-Miranda In Paris March 1, 2013
Shortlisted 2014 Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year 8-14 years category
Shortlisted 2014 REAL awards which are the Children’s’ Choice awards KOALA’s in NSW, YABBA’s in Victoria and COOL in the ACT.
Clementine Rose and the Pet Day Disaster January 1, 2012
Alice-Miranda in New York February 1, 2012
Winner Random House Australia Children’s Book of the Year
Clementine Rose and the Surprise Visitor September 1, 2012
Selected for the 2012 Get Reading Program (50 Books You Can't Put Down)
Voted #50 Dymocks Top 51 Kid’s Books 2013
Alice-Miranda Shows the Way August 1, 2012
Shortlisted for 2013 REAL awards which are the Children’s’ Choice awards KOALA’s in NSW, YABBA’s in Victoria and COOL in the ACT
Awarded Honour Book KOALA awards
Alice-Miranda At Sea August 1, 2012
Longlisted for DAVITT awards (Crime fiction in Junior Category) 2012
Alice-Miranda Takes the Lead February 1, 2011
Named Australian Children's Book of the Year 2011 as voted by the members of the NSW Independent Booksellers Group.
Alice-Miranda On Holiday August 1, 2010
Alice-Miranda at School February 1, 2010
Voted #9 Dymocks Top 51 Books for Kids 2013
Winner 2012 YABBA (Young Australian's Best Book Award in Victoria)
Awarded Honour Book KOALAs
Shortlisted for 2012 REAL awards which are the Children’s Choice Awards – KOALA’s in NSW, YABBA’s in Victoria, WAYRBA in Western Australia and COOL in the ACT
Shortlisted for the 2011 Australian Peace Award.
Kensy and Max: Breaking News March 2018 Shortlisted for Red Dot Book Awards Singapore 2020, YABBA, KOALA and KROC Children's Choice Awards Victoria, NSW and NT 202, Shortlisted West Australian Young Readers' Book Awards 2020
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 27, 2022
THINGS I LIKED:
- I enjoyed (once more) Anna's tossing up about whether she wants to rejoin Pharos
- Is there a possibility that I am wayyy too invested in Max and Autumn? Yes. Will that stop me from shipping them? Absolutely not. (Idk how to feel about Curtis and Kensy though...we'll see. Kensy is still at the age where she thinks romance is gross, and I did enjoy her 'you'll have to tell me what being in love is like, because i'll be too busy,' line, so there would be something fun about Kensy developing a crush, and Curtis is definitely better than Van or Soren.)
- Irene can drive huge trucks because of course she can. The women in this series are awesome.
- I'm sorry, but the line 'Can I speak to Mr. Li? Which one? Any of them, Song Li, Sidney Li or Fletcher Lee. We're all friends." made me so irrationally happy. Anna Spencer is soo cool
THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE AS MUCH:
- The spy plot rotated around cars a lot, and it made it hard to follow (more so than usual). But then, I ask for these problems by reading books from genres that I don't usually like for no reason other than love for the author and characters.
- The James/Mim thing. Like...surely there was a reason you divorced in the first place? Nvm
- At first, I was frustrated that Max asked Curtis to come with them, instead of Carlos. And then I realised that Kensy bringing Autumn does double-duty, because not only is Autumn Kensy's best friend, but Kensy is also busy trying to set her up with Max, so obviously Max needed to to retailiate by bringing along Kensy's prospective love interest. Wow, that was longwinded. I barely remembered where I was going with that.
- I enjoyed (once more) Anna's tossing up about whether she wants to rejoin Pharos
- Is there a possibility that I am wayyy too invested in Max and Autumn? Yes. Will that stop me from shipping them? Absolutely not. (Idk how to feel about Curtis and Kensy though...we'll see. Kensy is still at the age where she thinks romance is gross, and I did enjoy her 'you'll have to tell me what being in love is like, because i'll be too busy,' line, so there would be something fun about Kensy developing a crush, and Curtis is definitely better than Van or Soren.)
- Irene can drive huge trucks because of course she can. The women in this series are awesome.
- I'm sorry, but the line 'Can I speak to Mr. Li? Which one? Any of them, Song Li, Sidney Li or Fletcher Lee. We're all friends." made me so irrationally happy. Anna Spencer is soo cool
THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE AS MUCH:
- The spy plot rotated around cars a lot, and it made it hard to follow (more so than usual). But then, I ask for these problems by reading books from genres that I don't usually like for no reason other than love for the author and characters.
- The James/Mim thing. Like...surely there was a reason you divorced in the first place? Nvm
- At first, I was frustrated that Max asked Curtis to come with them, instead of Carlos. And then I realised that Kensy bringing Autumn does double-duty, because not only is Autumn Kensy's best friend, but Kensy is also busy trying to set her up with Max, so obviously Max needed to to retailiate by bringing along Kensy's prospective love interest. Wow, that was longwinded. I barely remembered where I was going with that.
January 28, 2022
Really fun, as usual. I don't know why but this was my favourite from the last few books. Maybe because I still miss Sintra, and also because I was invested in the James/Mim thing. Yes, I'm an adult, and yes, I still find kids books enjoyable.
September 18, 2022
Loved this book. One minute I’m enjoying a beautiful holiday with the Spencers and the next thrown into some fast paced spy action by the race track. Pulled together with sweet Grandma moments and a well thought out final plan to take down the enemy, it was a delight to read.
November 5, 2023
Overall like this book but it did have a bit of a slow build up in getting to the point, but then when you get to the end the final plot seems so abruptly finished.
Don’t think i’m going to continue with the rest of the series.
Don’t think i’m going to continue with the rest of the series.
August 4, 2025
As an individual book this is a good story. However, the repetition in the plot in each book is becoming tiresome. An adjustment or unpredictable twist in the way the story is presented may have me as a reader wanting more.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews