The Adventures of the Flash Gang: Episode Two: Treasonous Tycoon

by S.J. Waugh, M.M. Downing

Overview

Where is the Flash Gang? Pittsburgh’s most notorious thieves haven’ t struck for a year, not since a devastating fire resulted in the supposed death of two streeters. Pearl and Lewis— along with their pals, Duck and Mac— are alive and well, just in hiding. But now, their hideout is crumbling under the relentless rain. It’s been a winter of bitter winds and slim pickings, and their friendship is starting to fray. To make matters worse, streeters are disappearing. Are they skipping town or is something more nefarious afoot? When one of their own vanishes, the gang goes all out to unravel the mystery, which once again points to enemy #1: the steel tycoon who had Lewis’s father killed. But Pittsburgh is flooding and the tycoon’s plans are in motion. If they want to save their friends, they’ re running out of time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646034031
Publisher:	Regal House Publishing
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Series:	The Adventures of the Flash Gang
Pages:	218
Sales rank:	1,063,871
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

M.M. Downing & S. J. Waugh joined forces to write the sort of stories they loved reading when they were ten. They also write books for teens and grown-ups, but that’s for another day. You can learn more about them and The Adventures of the Flash Gang at www.downingwaugh.com. M.M. Downing & S. J. Waugh joined forces to write the sort of stories they loved reading when they were ten. They also write books for teens and grown-ups, but that’s for another day. You can learn more about them and The Adventures of the Flash Gang at www.downingwaugh.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Set amid Dickensian realities of poverty and injustice in Depression-era Pittsburgh, it was an impressive debut, offering a smart mix of action and suspense with relatable young characters going up against ruthless moguls, murderers, kidnappers, mobsters, and Nazi sympathizers. In this satisfying sequel, the plot expands and deepens as the stakes are raised even higher for Lewis, who’s now hunkered down in his derelict factory hideout with his kid crew: Duck, Mac, and his best friend, Pearl Alice Clavell, who’s still emulating Lola Lavender, the intrepid hero of her favorite radio show."
- Kirkus Reviews - STARRED (for The Adventures of the Flash Gang, Episode Two)

“A tale with plenty of humor and suspense, memorable characters, and a plot that’s vividly informed by a challenging time in U.S. history.”
- Kirkus Reviews - STARRED (for The Adventures of the Flash Gang, Episode One)

“Packed with clever twists and ever-rising stakes, The Adventures of the Flash Gang is a bright flare of fun, a throwback gangster caper with irresistible kid sleuths and loads of page-turning action.”
—Ben Guterson, author of the award-winning Winterhouse series and The Einsteins of Vista Point

“Delightfully Dickensian in spirit. Period events are woven seamlessly into this rollicking tale of friendship and fortitude. I challenge any reader not to fall in love with the histrionics and devil-may-care verve of Pearl Alice Clavell and her grease-smeared partner in crime, Lewis Carter.”
—J.R. Potter, author of Thomas Creeper and the Gloomsbury Secret

“Clever, catchy dialogue and non-stop action catapult the reader from page to page till we land breathless, intrigued, and anxiously awaiting the Flash Gang’s next adventures.”
—Kimberly Behre Kenna, author of Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade

From the Publisher

★ 2024-02-09
An orphaned boy in 1930s Pittsburgh faces new dangers and challenges in a continuing series.

Street kid Lewis “Brain” Carter, age 12, and his ragtag Flash Gang first appeared in the launch of Downing and Waugh’s middle-grade fiction series, The Adventures of the Flash Gang: Episode One: Exploding Experiment (2023). Set amid Dickensian realities of poverty and injustice in Depression-era Pittsburgh, it was an impressive debut, offering a smart mix of action and suspense with relatable young characters going up against ruthless moguls, murderers, kidnappers, mobsters, and Nazi sympathizers. In this satisfying sequel, the plot expands and deepens as the stakes are raised even higher for Lewis, who’s now hunkered down in his derelict factory hideout with his kid crew: Duck, Mac, and his best friend, Pearl Alice Clavell, who’s still emulating Lola Lavender, the intrepid hero of her favorite radio show. They’re presumed dead, but their hope that they’ll be able avoid their powerful enemies—including corrupt millionaire Pickering, his murderous henchman Scrugg, and Pearl’s cruel, scheming Aunt Gimlick—is quickly dashed. The malevolent trio have stopped at nothing in their quest to obtain the recipe for a flash-bang explosive that Lewis used as a harmless distraction to steal food for survival. Now, Lewis can’t risk using the flash-bangs that “had made him, only a year before, the most notorious and mysterious food thief in all of Pittsburgh”; as a result, he’s less able to feed himself and others. After Scrugg is released from prison swearing vengeance, questions of loyalty and betrayal threaten the Flash Gang’s solidarity. Also, orphaned street kids are disappearing for a chilling reason, Pearl’s famous, long-absent father returns, and Lewis’ plan to expose criminal behavior in high places, even with the help of a sympathetic reporter, may be impossible.

The authors once again portray Lewis’ world with historical authenticity; they turn real events into compelling plot points as protesting steel workers clash with company thugs, Pittsburgh’s devastating St. Patrick’s Day flood of 1936 is unleashed, and Nazi Germany–inspired fascist groups take root in 1930s America. But these real-life elements don’t compromise the inventive, fictional flow or readers’ ability to relate to the main characters, who act and react according to their own believable personal quirks, strengths, and vulnerabilities. Peripheral players, too, take on more dimension this time around; for example, hard-nosed 15-year-old Dwight, who manages “a battalion of streeters,” proves that he’s more than just a shill for mob boss Fat Joe when he plays a key role in a daring rescue effort. The desire by many of the seemingly self-sufficient, impoverished youth to be cared for by a real family—even as they form found families of their own—is a poignant undercurrent. The book ends, as the first one did, with a suspenseful preview of what’s to come, and it’s a jaw-dropper, with a shocking revelation that will send Lewis and Pearl on a voyage to a deadly destination that neither of them could have imagined.

This newest entry in a dynamic, character-rich middle-grade fiction series doesn’t disappoint.

Kirkus Reviews