Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Rascal’s Revenge

Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Rascal’s Revengetakes place on Cooper Island, a map of which is provided by Tom Morgan-Jones, whose b/w illustrations both complement the text and hint at imminent plot developments. Fans of the series will know the background to the storyline, but for someone new to Wilma Tenderfoot the first third of the book could be confusing as a lot of back-plot is compressed into dialogue.

Kennedy likes alliteration, which, combined with her fondness for long sentences, means that some passages have to be re-read to get their full sense. The recommended reading age is 9+, but two thirds of the way in, in the middle of what has so far been a rollicking adventure peopled by slapstick characters, the story takes a dark turn which continues to the end of the book. The disparity between style and subject matter suggests that Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Rascal’s Revenge is unsure of its target audience.

There is a rather obtrusive narrative comment at the end of each chapter, which often refers to the book being read aloud, yet the subject matter is for a much older audience. It may be that Kennedy has grown out of Wilma Tenderfoot herself and is heading into fiction for young teens.