The Search by Dave Hartley and Scott Prince
Deadly D and Justice Jones bk 3. Magabala Books, 2015. ISBN
9781925360011
(Age: 8+) The third adventure of Deadly D and Justice Jones will be
much awaited by young fans of Brisbane Bronco, or NRL fans. Whilst
this book is more concerned with a strange circus and believing in
your own ability, I'm sure that the take up rate for the series will
be much, much higher in Rugby loving states.
Dylan is an aboriginal boy who has moved with his mother to Brisbane
from Mt Isa and is secretly Deadly D the latest rugby superstar.
Justice is his Kiwi friend and the only one who knows Dylan's
secret.
In this episode Dylan, aka Deadly D, decides it is time to confess
to his mother that he is not in fact a ball boy for the Brisbane
Broncos as she believes but is really their star player, who has
disappeared from public life. He believes he has given his super
powers to his girlfriend so that she and her alien family could
return to their own planet.
After a strange attempted kidnapping by a pair of clowns, Socks and
Jocks, looking for Dylan to join the BIGTOP circus run by the
Ringmaster, which is really a front for an organisation looking to
harvest Dylan's DNA and clone him for his superpowers, Dylan is
confronted by his mother. She is extremely disappointed that he has
lied to her and immediately sends him home to his Nanna in Mt Isa.
The circus of course follows him to Mt Isa, whilst the media
continues to report the disappearance of Deadly D and the desperate
search by the Broncos and coach Bennett. Justice Jones is enlisted
to help find the star player whilst other school students are
protesting in an effort to get their favourite player to return to
the field.
A trip to the circus arranged innocently by Nanna results in Dylan
having to rescue not only himself but also coach Bennett and Justice
from a deadly stunt arranged by the Ringmaster.
The main message of the story is revealed when Nanna gives Dylan
several pieces of advice which are reiterated by his mother,
'Inspire our people' and 'Remember who you are and where you come
from.'
Sue Keane