BIG BONA OGLES, BOY!
OCTAVIUS GUY &
THE CASE OF THE MENDACIOUS MEDIUM
‘So we’re going to spy on him?’ he asked in a whine. ‘We’re going to follow the man to where he lives and then grub about in his private life like pigs in the dirt?’
He did not seem as delighted with this prospect as I might have hoped.
‘We’re not spying on him, George; we’re helping him,’ I tried to point out.
‘Helping?’ George’s eyes narrowed.
‘Mr Crabbit has a problem, and it’s our duty to come to his aid. It’s what friends do.’
‘So we’re his “ friends” now?’
Even I thought I’d overstepped the mark with that one.
‘Mr Crabbit has no friends, but we’re his colleagues, George. That’s almost the same as being friends. And, as detectives, we have a professional obligation to help him.’
‘ Hmmm…’
‘What did you just say?’ Had my trainee detective just hmmm-ed at me?
‘Nothing. I didn’t say nothing.’ George stared at me obstinately.
Hmmm...
Christmas is coming, and yet surely Mr Crabbit—yes, he who rules over the petty cash at Mr Bruff’s law practice—cannot be so distracted by its approach that he fails to berate Gooseberry for presenting him with a water-stained receipt. Something is clearly amiss, and the Victorian boy detective vows to find out what.
Join Octavius and his ragtag bunch of friends as they investigate a shadowy spiritualist medium recently arrived from Boston, Massachusetts, only to discover that somebody desperately wants her dead.
Cover design by Negative Negative | Cover photograph by John Thomson
RRP Paperback: US$9.99; UK£7.50 | RRP Kindle ebook: US$3.99; UK£3.10 | RRP ePub ebook: US$3.99; UK£3.99
Published by Seventh Rainbow Publishing, London
Follow young Gooseberry on Twitter @sendforOctavius
Praise for Big Bona Ogles, Boy!
“This is an absolute gem of a series and quite the most enjoyable set of books I have read in a very long time.”
—Anita Dow, Goodreads Reviewer
“My favorite Victorian boy investigator sets off to solve a new mystery…Words cannot describe just how much I enjoy Octavius.”
—Bethany Swafford (The Quiet Reader), Goodreads Reviewer
“In a locked room, everyone is a suspect...Once again Michael Gallagher creates a vivid, almost tangible reality in Victorian England. That, with his rich character development, and engaging plot makes this book incredibly enjoyable and downright fun!”
—Devon Lewis (The Pinkaholic), Goodreads Reviewer
“Michael Gallagher has done it again. I loved this book. I laughed out loud and nearly cried...Just as soon as you think you have it right, he throws you for a loop.”
—Brittney L. Divine author, Smashwords Reviewer
“Thank you so much for writing these books, and for bringing these characters to life. I have a feeling they'll always be lurking around in my head. Excellent, excellent, excellent!”
—Laura Brook, LibraryThing Early Reviewer
“Michael Gallagher is a marvellous writer and storyteller. This, the third in his Octavius Guy series, is so enjoyable: witty, warm, full of wonderful descriptions, dialogue and characters. Doesn't sound like a murder mystery? It certainly is.”
—Alasdair Muckersie, Goodreads Reviewer
“[Gooseberry's] a pleasure to read about, and his world is filled with such detail that it's easy to imagine it all in your head. Heartwarming and humorous, with lots of suspense, it kept me guessing right through to the end.”
—Suzy Schettler, Goodreads Reviewer
“[Gooseberry] sets out to solve one mystery and swiftly finds himself faced with another mystery and then another. How he solves them all is a joy to read. I am now looking for the first two books in the series because Octavius Guy is a detective definitely worth following!”
—flusteredduck, LibraryThing Early Reviewer