Author - Dave Buchanan
(our Panto dame)
Target readership - Young Adult
Genre - Mystery Thriller
The Newgate Break-in is about a daring attempt to break in to the notorious Newgate Prison in London. The break-in is orchestrated by Sean Barrett, a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood or IRB, whose aim is to secure the release of their leader, Seamus Flynn, who is also Barrett's friend and mentor. We follow him on his journey to London, and during and after the break-in.
The other main character is Alice Benfield, a 16 year-old girl from Southwark who works as a shop assistant on the Old Kent Road and has ambitions to become a newspaper reporter. She is also a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, who are brought in by Sherlock Holmes to assist the police when the bomber arrives in London. When the group are on the lookout for Barrett in King's Cross Station, Alice's eight year-old half-sister Maggie is kidnapped. When Alice stumbles over Barrett's trail after the break-in, her fate and Barrett's are inextricably linked.
