The more that I read this series the more that I love how reliably good it is. I don't have to worry when I pick up a new book in this series because I know that I'll be swept away with Ivy into the theater and her latest murder mystery.

 

I really love following Ivy. She is very likeable and you can't help but root for her whenever she helps her uncle out with his private investigator business. This time they find themselves on a cruise ship investigating and string of thefts on the cruise line. Ivy is working undercover in the ships musical adaptation of Oliver. 

 

I didn't think that the mystery behind the thefts was very hard to figure out but they were some other mysteries that were difficult to figure out (just a death or two). You really didn't know who Ivy could trust as everyone seemed a bit sketchy. As if that wasn't enough Ivy also had to worry about her brother after he ran away from his group home to find his missing friend Stu.

 

I really look forward to reading more of this series and especially to seeing what happens between Ivy and Matt. Thanks to Netgalley and Henery Press for the galley.

Oliver Twisted introduces us to an Oliver not quite like any we've seen before. He's still an orphan growing up in an orphanage but this is a world where vampyres snack on the children! After making the decision to go to London Oliver barely survives a woe-begotten (zombie) attack on the journey, it is only thanks to the help of Dodger that he arrives in one piece. But that is just the start of his troubles and if you thought the Bill Sykes and Fagin you've read about before were evil you haven't seen anything yet - Oliver Twisted is even darker than the original tale!

You think you know Oliver's story but JD Sharpe has managed to include some fabulous twists in the characters we love (or in some cases love to hate!). So while she has managed to keep the essence of the story she has also managed to make it her own and put a fresh spin on a much loved tale.

Oliver Twisted is a great debut and one that I'm sure will appeal to both boys and girls. It is a very dark and gory read so not one I would have wanted to read just before bed (but then I'm a well known wuss when it comes to horror!) but I found myself enjoying the gruesome details much more than I expected to. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes seeing a new twist on classic stories, especially if they also happen to be a horror fan. I'm looking forward to seeing what JD Sharpe comes up with next.