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The Firebird Mystery

(A Jack Mason Adventure #1)

Darrell Pitt (Goodreads Author)

3.84 · Rating details · 136 ratings · 36 reviews

Jack Mason has grown up as an acrobat in a circus. Now, after the tragic death of his parents, he must live inside the gloomy walls of Sunnyside Orphanage in London, a city of fog and snow, filled with airships, steam cars and metrotowers that stretch into space.

Luckily for Jack, he’s taken under the wing of the brilliant and eccentric detective Ignatius Doyle. Little does ...more

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Paperback, 350 pages

Published February 26th 2014 by Text Publishing Australia (first published July 21st 2011)

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Lists with This Book

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· 136 ratings · 36 reviews

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Start your review of The Firebird Mystery (A Jack Mason Adventure, #1)

Apr 22, 2015 ❀Aimee❀ Just one more page... rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, series, detective-pi-on-the-case, middle-grade, action-adventure, alternate-reality, steampunk, racing-the-clock, sherlockian-sherlockesque, villains

I'm a little in love with anything Sherlock right now. So when I saw that this was a steampunk Sherlockesque book, I had to grab it.
over the city

We meet the MC, Jack Mason running from bullies in the streets. Ever since his parents died in a tragic acrobatic accident, he has been living the depraved life of an orphanage. He gets the opportunity to live with eccentric detective, Ignatius Doyle of 221 Bee Street.

Soon Jack is swept into adventure, mystery, and life and death matters in Steampunk London: Nazi ...more

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Feb 10, 2014 Chiara rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, children, physical-review-copies, aussie-nz-author, steampunk

A copy of this novel was provided by Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

The Firebird Mystery is the perfect middle grade book for a young boy (or girl) who is a fan of Doctor Who, steampunk, and/or Sherlock Holmes. In all reality, if my brother was still 14, and not 24 I would be thrusting this book into his hands. He would have been OBSESSED with Jack Mason.

Even though The Firebird Mystery is quite a long book for such a young audience, I don’t think the reader would actually noti A copy of this novel was provided by Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

The Firebird Mystery is the perfect middle grade book for a young boy (or girl) who is a fan of Doctor Who, steampunk, and/or Sherlock Holmes. In all reality, if my brother was still 14, and not 24 I would be thrusting this book into his hands. He would have been OBSESSED with Jack Mason.

Even though The Firebird Mystery is quite a long book for such a young audience, I don’t think the reader would actually notice how long it was. I certainly didn’t. Why? Because every chapter is filled with adventure, and daring, and mystery. It’s fantastic! I read this book five chapters at a time, and it was as if each of those cluster of chapters was its own little novel. And I think this would definitely appeal to its target audience.

Just as I am not known to cry over books, it takes a lot to get me to laugh – even just those ‘huh’ laughs which aren’t really laughs at all. But The Firebird Mystery actually made me laugh (and not the ‘huh’ laughs). I think it’s pretty great that a book about someone a lot younger than myself can make me laugh.

And I also think it’s great that I wasn’t bored for a second. I was right there along with Jack wondering who was the mysterious M and who would die next (there are a lot of dead people in this novel, be warned – but it’s not graphic).

One thing that was a little irksome was that there was a lot of telling, and little showing. Sometimes something would be shown to us really well, but the majority of the book involved telling. There was such great opportunity to show us this amazing world that Pitt has created, but I felt like it wasn’t really exploited. Whilst the telling really emphasised on what everything looked like, it was in a way that felt like looking at a 2-D version of the world, rather than being pulled into it and made to feel as if you were there.

I liked the characters, and thought that they were fleshed out nicely. Ignatius was fantastic – an eccentric twist on Sherlock Holmes if I’ve ever read one. Scarlet is a young suffragette who is quite a heroine in her own right. And Jack who is at once naïve and brave – I liked him very much.

If someone you know wants their geeky son (and I say this with love because I had a geeky brother and I am a geek myself) to get into the wonderful world of reading, or know a geeky boy who wants to find themselves a series to sink their teeth into: I suggest you give them The Firebird Mystery.

© 2014, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved. ...more

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Aug 14, 2014 GSGS rated it really liked it

My general reaction to this book:
description

It was a bit silly, there were a few stylistic things I just wanted to get in there and fix, the protagonist could've had a stronger voice, but YOU KNOW WHAT?

Who cares?

There was Sherlock Holmes (Mr Doyle), living at 221 Bee St, there was feminism, there was steampunk glory, there was modern history, there were mutations, there were bombs, there was action, there were hidden clues, a cool backstory, da Vinci references - *and* there was a mystery (which sadly I ...more

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Feb 17, 2014 Mime D rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, middle-grade, steampunk

Steampunk, atomic bombs, detectives and some clever Sherlock Holmes references? A recipe for an excellent Middle Grade novel, right? Kind of.

I liked this book. It was clever. It was strong. It was pretty concise, and it had interesting (if seen-it-before) characters. It just wasn't stand-out-from-the-shelf-and-love-it.

I believe that a Middle Grade book should still be kind of fun for teens, too. I read Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins earlier this year and really liked it. It was MG, w ...more

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Dec 18, 2014 Alysa H. rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

An action-packed adventure tale that doesn't talk down to kids, this is the kind of book that one could give to reluctant boys to get them excited about reading. It's clearly and playfully influenced by Conan Doyle, Verne, Wells, and other late-Victorian writers, but owes as much to Indiana Jones and actually takes place in a re-imagined version of the 1930s and deals with atomic bombs and the outbreak of WWII, and features real life figures such as Churchill as secondary characters.

This is stil An action-packed adventure tale that doesn't talk down to kids, this is the kind of book that one could give to reluctant boys to get them excited about reading. It's clearly and playfully influenced by Conan Doyle, Verne, Wells, and other late-Victorian writers, but owes as much to Indiana Jones and actually takes place in a re-imagined version of the 1930s and deals with atomic bombs and the outbreak of WWII, and features real life figures such as Churchill as secondary characters.

This is still very much a Steampunk world, but the 1930s setting does make the book's official description of "spellbinding homage to the world of Victorian literature" quite misleading. It was strange to read the fist chunk picturing the 1890s and then all of a sudden realize it was the 1930s all along. And not in an intentional "sudden reveal" kind of way, but just in a bit of a muddle.

I also think it's a little too long for its target audience. I found myself losing interest somewhere along the way, as the plot became too bloated and grand, largely dropping the "Sherlock Holmes' teen assistant" thing and moving more towards elaborate, global-scale conspiracy stuff.

I'd also be cautious about giving young readers, especially the aforementioned boys, a book that pays so much lip-service to gender equality without really depicting any. Of the two major (only?) female characters, one -- the teenage Scarlet Bell, the object of protagonist Jack Mason's huge crush (and just from her name, one suspects there's going to be a problem) -- is constantly talking about women's rights and is supposed to be this capable, independent girl/woman (the book is not sure), but doesn't seem to do much of anything except tag along everywhere, ostensibly "prattling on" about women's rights. Better than nothing, I suppose, but why could the author not follow the "Show, don't tell" edict?

The other female character -- Lucy Harker, clearly evoking Stoker -- is a welcome addition at first, but turns out to be a nonsensical caricature. I'll just say: plot twists in this kind of novel are great, but not when they don't make much sense and/or happen at the expense of any decent depictions of women.

** I received a Review Copy of this book via NetGalley **
(May 2015 Text Publishing edition) ...more

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Jan 01, 2015 Melina rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, childrens, adventure, mystery, 2015, review-copy, steam-punk

This was a very fast-moving book, but I felt that it actually moved too fast and had too many elements. There are references to Sherlock Holmes, to steam punk elements, to the First World War, to suffragettes, to Nazism and to the development of inventions including the atomic bomb. As an adult, it’s a little exhausting. I also wonder how many child readers would ‘get’ all the references (there were some I vaguely got, but couldn’t explain) and if they’re not accessible to the core readership, a This was a very fast-moving book, but I felt that it actually moved too fast and had too many elements. There are references to Sherlock Holmes, to steam punk elements, to the First World War, to suffragettes, to Nazism and to the development of inventions including the atomic bomb. As an adult, it’s a little exhausting. I also wonder how many child readers would ‘get’ all the references (there were some I vaguely got, but couldn’t explain) and if they’re not accessible to the core readership, are they all necessary?

Another consequence of the fast pace was that the book felt a little too unreal. I was reminded of the Mary Russell, the CHERUB and the Ranger’s Apprentice books when I read The Firebird Mystery, and the way the main characters had to go through a period of training before getting involved in mysteries or adventures. The longer training time also gave the characters time to develop relationships with their mentors (or in CHERUB, with their follow CHERUB agents and handlers). All of that felt lacking in The Firebird Mystery, so it felt a little unreal when Jack talked about the relationship with his mentor, when we’d barely seen them spending any time together.

Putting aside the crowded feeling of the book, it is a really well written mystery – I definitely didn’t pick who-dunnit before it was revealed. The writing was engaging and I was hooked to keep reading until the end. There are definitely young readers who would be hooked by the book, and those who understood the references would probably be amused by them.

All in all, though, I wished that the different elements of the story had been pared down. It felt a little like I was reading two or three stories in one – spreading them out over two or three books would have given space for the characters to breath and the good writing to shine. I feel like this is an author who can write a really, really good adventure book – but I don’t feel like this is the book.

Originally reviewed at Subversive Reader ...more

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Mar 13, 2015 Kate rated it really liked it

This is a great little book - a kids read plus a Melbourne author, who could ask for more.
My son recommended I read this so we could share 'book talk' and it is a fine read. A steampunk children's novel where the main protagonist, Jack, an orphan, gets sent to work for older Detective Ignatius Doyle. And yes, you guessed it, there are lots of Sherlock allusions here, direct quotes and some nice nods that as an adult, you will get but are probably missed by children. Though sometimes the derivati ...more

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Sep 24, 2020 Margaret rated it it was amazing

Finn loved it and I did too.

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Jan 23, 2017 Text Publishing rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, ya, fiction, humour, kid-and-teens, mystery, australian, steampunk, series

‘A fun story, easy to read and full of action. The action, by the way, is excellently written…Bonus points for being the first kids’ book of its kind I’ve come across that gives mention to the suffragettes!’
Books+Publishing

‘Lots of mechanical mayhem and derring-do—breathless stuff.’
Michael Pryor

‘Non-stop action, non-stop adventure, non-stop fun!’
Richard Harland

‘Set in a fantastical London, filled with airships, steam cars and metrotowers stretching into space, this fast paced adventure and homag ...more

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Mar 29, 2014 Kate rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, young-adult, first-in-series, steampunk

What do you get when you combine a consulting detective, an orphaned young acrobat, airships, and a mystery which left unsolved might be the end of the world as we know it? You get The Firebird Mystery, the first novel in a steampunk Sherlock Holmes-esque series featuring Jack Mason.

Jack gets the chance to leave one of the most dreary places in London, Sunnyside Orphanage, to work with Ignatius Doyle – a perceptive detective who has solved some of the world’s most baffling mysteries. Jack hits t What do you get when you combine a consulting detective, an orphaned young acrobat, airships, and a mystery which left unsolved might be the end of the world as we know it? You get The Firebird Mystery, the first novel in a steampunk Sherlock Holmes-esque series featuring Jack Mason.

Jack gets the chance to leave one of the most dreary places in London, Sunnyside Orphanage, to work with Ignatius Doyle – a perceptive detective who has solved some of the world’s most baffling mysteries. Jack hits the ground running – within hours of arriving at his new life, Scarlet Bell employs Mr Doyle to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance. What they find once they start investigating is baffling – and Jack will need all of his agility and acrobatic skills, lucky compass and whatever tricks Mr Doyle has in his pockets to save the world from those who are threatening it.

It’s clear from the writing that Darrell Pitt is a Sherlock Holmes fan and whatever similarities between his Mr Doyle and the famous Holmes are intentional. From the address (221B) to Doyle’s not so fond recollection of The Reichenbach Falls – it’s clear that Pitt is a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle’s hero and whilst I’m not so familiar with the classic detective, I enjoyed the references that I caught as I read this novel. This is not an imitation or a copy. Ignatius is a formidable character in his own right but the allusions to Sherlock Holmes are a nice homage.

This is a great introduction to Jack Mason’s world. Entertaining for younger and older readers alike, The Firebird Mystery is charming, full of action and adventure with characters who are easy and fun to read. All of the character have their own eccentricities (I love Mr Doyle’s penchant for leaving odd items around his assistant’s room as a test for observation) and are memorable in their own ways. Scarlet is a modern woman for the time and Jack is a boy strong and wise beyond his years. The plot has unexpected twists and the writing is both witty and intelligent. ...more

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Jan 11, 2015 M.M. Hudson rated it it was amazing

In the last year I have really started liking the whole steampunk genre and everything about steampunk that goes along with it. That is why when I was introduced to this book, I had to read it.

What makes this book even more fantastic for me is that the book is steampunk meets Sherlock Holmes, although the character is not called Sherlock. In fact, in a fun play on words, the character admits that he is cousin to a famous detective but never mentions who. Although, we readers know!
The book is fil ...more

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Feb 25, 2015 Yvette rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Without a doubt, this is one of the most action-packed and relentlessly fast paced middle grade book I have ever read. And I have read more than a few.

This is steampunk adventure at breakneck speed, with a 12 year old orphan named Jack becoming an assistant to a consulting detective inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes after having used his acrobatic skills to escape the resident bullies of the orphanage. Escapades, escapes and close calls ensue in rapid fire fashion, with a g ...more

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Jan 24, 2014 Kelly (Diva Booknerd) rated it really liked it

Shelves: loveozya, middle-grade, text

3.5 Stars
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/03/t...
The Firebird Mystery was charming, witty and intelligently written. I haven't read many steampunk novels, but this middle grade addition to the genre was incredibly enchanting and entertaining. The book follows orphan Jack, plucked from a questionable children's home and thrown into the world of crime solving. Mister Doyle has faith in Jack's abilities and provides the emotional stability that Jack desperately needs.

But Mister Doyle is the clear ...more

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Apr 26, 2015 Sibil rated it liked it

Shelves: reading-challenge-2015

provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you

This one was an enjoyable reading. The setting is good and intersting, the characters are ok, I loved the main character, Jack, and Ignatius Doyle, in particular, and the story is good.
I loved the references to Sherlock Holmes and I'd loved to know more aboute the old investigations of Ignatius (they seem hilarious!).
I have not fallen in love with this one but I enjoy the reading. It was funny and intersting.

Come sempre spero di no ...more

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May 03, 2015 Susan rated it it was amazing

Jack Mason is an orphan. To him, life doesn't seem to have any future for him. That is, until Mr. Doyle takes Jack on as an assistant to him. Mr. Doyle is a rather unusual detective, but is very successful in solving his cases. Jack goes on a baffling case with Mr. Doyle. The case is a young girl looking for her father as he seems to have to disappear. Will they be able to sove the mystery? Somehow the mystery of the father's disappearance may also have to do with a plot that could threaten the ...more

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Feb 09, 2015 Linda rated it liked it

I read this because my 9 year old grandson liked it so much. This is a steam punk Sherlock Holmes mashup set in London at the beginning of the twentieth century. Jack Mason is a teenage orphan who misses his circus acrobat parents dreadfully. He is dispatched from the orphanage to take up an apprenticeship with consulting detective Ignatius Doyle. They are soon involved in a rollicking fast paced mystery full of fascinating machines and many historical references. Along the way they pick up Scar ...more

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Jun 27, 2014 Celena rated it really liked it

Loved this fast paced super cool steampunk fiction. I would have adored Jack Mason and Scarlett Bell when I was ten years old and been relieved to know more adventures of these two, (and the Sherlock Holmesesque figure of Ignatius Doyle), were on the way. Full of action, invention and imagination it deserves four stars - I'm taking off one star because I felt there was a little too much exposition at times and I also would have liked the suspenseful moments to be held a little longer. Recommend ...more

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Jan 22, 2015 Gena DeBardelaben rated it liked it

ARC: Netgalley

A steampunk adventure that plays off Sherlock Holmes. The references range from the world famous detective Ignatius Doyle (as in Sir Arthur Conan) down to the Mr. M (Professor Moriarty) nemesis, but with a little H. G. Wells thrown in for good measure (think The Island of Dr. Moreau).

Interesting story, but it seemed a little long for the age bracket it's aimed at. Also, it felt like the story could have used a tighter focus. It had too much going on and too many characters. ...more

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May 20, 2015 James rated it liked it

This is a poorly written attempt at a Sherlock Holmes knock off. Not only was writing poor, but the story-line needs work. I should have put the book down after reading the first chapter, where a fourteen-year-old boy is described doing super human feats (even if he grew up around a circus). I realize this is a work of fiction, but still, some of the story telling is a bit too much. I don’t know if the series gets any better, but I stopped after this book.

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me ...more

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Sep 24, 2015 Jacob rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It was meh. The main character tried to be too funny at times, but the story was ok.

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Apr 06, 2014 Linda Sands rated it it was amazing

I loved this book!

Such a fun & easy read - I couldn't put it down. Not just a book for kids!

I've started asking myself in my everyday… "What would Jack do in this situation?"

Can we please have Jack Mason, Scarlett Bell & Ignatius Doyle action figures?!

I'm looking forward to the release of Book 2!

...more

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Nov 06, 2014 Lizzieh rated it it was amazing

It was really good. Lots of references to Sherlock Holmes. Can sometimes get a bit hard to follow. Especially when you are reading 50 million books at once but over all GREAT and a ABSOLUTE MUST for mystery fans.

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Jan 21, 2015 Kerryn Whiteside rated it it was ok

Shelves: junior-fiction

Not enjoying this as much as I would like to - the novel has good elements; steam punk mash up is quirky and interesting, characters likeable and plot very busy and engaging. The writing itself though is somewhat wooden with a tendency to exposition (telling) rather than revealing (showing).

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Apr 21, 2015 Vicky rated it did not like it

Shelves: did-not-finish

I wanted to enjoy this, but couldn't get past the first few pages. Poor editing, dangling participles, and way too much telling (vs. showing). I was so distracted by poor writing that I couldn't get into it. (But thank you, Net galley, for the chance to try.) ...more

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Apr 08, 2014 Adam Wallace rated it really liked it

This was a really fun read. The action was easily visualised, and I really enjoyed Ignatius Doyle's references back to previous cases. Good one! ...more

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May 19, 2014 Nella rated it liked it

Shelves: children-s, mystery, cross-genre

Steampunk detective story with a young orphan and a feisty redhead as the main characters. Fun and fast paced

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Feb 03, 2015 Sharon Albanese rated it really liked it

Past meets future meets present, this book is loads of fun with plenty of twists and turns, great characters and pop culture references. My 12 year old and I both loved it!

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Feb 14, 2015 Rachael rated it it was amazing

My daughter loved this book. She thought it was funny and exciting and especially love Ignatius Doyle. She can't wait to read more in the series. ...more

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Feb 19, 2015 Sharon Albanese rated it really liked it

A fun adventure full of twists and turns. Probably aimed at young teens, my 12 year old and I both thoroughly enjoyed it!

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Mar 19, 2015 TJ marked it as never-finished

I just couldn't get into this book so it's a DNF ...more

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About Darrell Pitt

Darrell Pitt

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Darrell Pitt is a long-time fan of comics, science-fiction, and anything that would make the 'cool kids' cringe. Seriously, he remembers literally sprinting home from school one day to watch the next episode of Doctor Who because the previous episode ended on a cliffhanger (although, didn't they all?).
He has a lifelong interest in superheroes, monsters, science fiction and anything involving space ...more