The empress's tomb

Next up, THE EMPRESS'S TOMB by Kirsten Miller (Bloomsbury USA, c2007, ISBN 978-1-59990-047-6).
This is the second book in the Kiki Strike series and just as much fun as the first. Again, set in New York City (this time with a lot happening in and around Central Park) the Irregulars (Ananka Fishbein, Kiki Strike, Betty, Dee Dee, Luz, Oona and newly inducted Iris) are back along with some new characters, Kasper and Lester Liu, Oona's father.

In this book, 14-year-olds Ananka, Kiki and the rest of the Irregulars encounter a Chinese mummy, a ghost, trained squirrels and old enemies as they try to stop an art forgery ring and safeguard the secret streets hidden beneath NYC.

The book begins:

The whispers began the day she arrived on horseback at the gates of the Emperor's palace.

My favorite parts of these books are the tricks and tips at the end of the chapters. This book includes hints on how to appear mysterious, how to detect intruders, things to learn by going through the trash and much more. These are not to be missed.

The ending was open to carry on with the story, which excites me, because I truly enjoy my time with Kiki Strike and the rest of the girls. These books make me feel young again and wistful for the days when I might have done some of the same things that these adventurous girls do.