The Dangerous Business of Being Trilby Moffat

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       October 4, 2022

 

Author  Kate Temple

Distributor:      Hachette Australia
ISBN:                 9780734420909
Publisher:         Hachette Australia. Imprint Lothian Children's Books.
Release Date:   October 2022  

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Now, you would have to ask yourself why would it be a dangerous thing to be Trilby Moffat, a rather intelligent little girl who likes school, loves doing crossword puzzles and is simply trying to cope with a life that has suddenly gone a bit, well for want of a better word, mad.

Trilby’s room is on fire; yes, really, which is not at all fair as she was having some wonderful dreams at the time when she realized something was badly wrong; like her room was on fire. Not only that but there appeared to be a rather tall man in a top hat there as well who was trying to murder her!

How could things possibly get worse, but they do indeed. Her mother, like so many others is suffering from the Dream Sickness, which not only makes people go to sleep and perhaps not wake up for many years, but talk in ancient languages, try and create seriously disgusting food to eat and more.

Her mother comes awake long enough to take Trilby away from their home, via a long train journey, to a town where she meets a tiny little lady called Thumbelina, who lives in the most amazing antique shop ever. She also notices a strange stripped creature who is in the window, whom as it turns out, is a legal expert and narrates the story, or buts in from time to time with sage advice, as extinct Thylacinus are wont to do! He actually considers this book as a LEGAL document!

The Dangerous Business of Being Trilby Moffat turns out to be all about time; time that has become dangerously unstable and needs to be stabilized to undo all the very sad and strange things that have been going on in the world.

But it is not that simple as the very tall man in the top hat, Mr Collin is out to definitely murder Trilby, who with the help of Xipil and Koji, very special keepers of the secret, have the most dangerous adventure, before they can all set things to rights, which makes you think there is a happy ever after ending, but may not.

Fabulously intriguing and a completely zany read for that particular age group who love completely mad books, The Dangerous Business of Being Trilby Moffat certainly fits nicely into the left of center category. One more thing, each of the chapter titles is a crossword clue for you to try and guess or better still work out the answer. See how you go as you join Tribly Moffat in her definitely dangerous adventure.