Synopses & Reviews
At 14 years old, Ryan Waite is not a bad actor -- in fact he’s quite a good one. Good enough to have had several years’ experience on various stages of Toronto, where he lives with his mother. When Ryan messes up an audition for a part in Les Miz, he makes contact with a bulky character named Burton who launches the boy into the most challenging role of his lifetime. Burton turns out to be a private investigator who’s out to make some big money through arranging for Ryan to impersonate a boy who is the long-lost son of a millionaire desperate to re-establish the relationship with his son before he dies. Suddenly Ryan finds himself performing a part considerably beyond his depth, having to improvise emotions and understandings and make up complicated lies just in order to stay ahead of the game.Ryan knows discovery is inevitable and when the moment arrives, he has to dig deep to find the most graceful and honourable way of making his exit.
Review
Praise for The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood
"...a delightful and heartwarming romp through Elizabethan England."-Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Around the World in 100 Days by Gary Blackwood
"Blackwood's steampunkish romp has a touch of humor and a great deal of heart, which brings readers fully on board as they feverishly turn pages in this race against the plot."
-School Library Journal
Synopsis
A new young adult mystery/adventure from critically acclaimed author Gary Blackwood.
At 14 years old, Ryan Waite is not a bad actor -- in fact he's quite a good one. But when he messes up an audition for a part in Les Mis, he comes into contact with a character named Burton who launches the boy into the most challenging role of his life. You see, Burton is a private investigator out to make some big money the shady way. And he wants Ryan to impersonate the long lost son of a millionaire who is desperate to reconnect with his son before he dies.
Suddenly, Ryan finds himself performing a part considerably beyond his depth, having to improvise complicated lies just in order to stay ahead of the game. Ryan knows discovery is inevitable and when the moment arrives, he has to dig deep to find the most graceful and honourable way of making his exit.
About the Author
Gary Blackwood, born on October 23, 1945 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, is an American author of popular books for young readers including The Shakespeare Stealer, Shakespeare's Scribe, and Shakespeare's Spy.