THE ADVENTURES OF THE FLASH GANG

In Downing and Waugh’s latest middle-grade series entry, an American boy attempts to rescue his father, who is being held by the Nazis in 1930s Germany.

This ever-expanding, wild odyssey of suspense is deftly grounded in early-20th-century American history and a well-calibrated orphan-in-peril vibe. Exploding Experiment (2023) introduced Lewis Carter, a bespectacled, asthmatic, then-11-year-old boy, left homeless in 1930s Pittsburgh after his chemist father’s mysterious apparent death. Using his dad’s secret “recipe” for an explosive but harmless substance, he survived by stealing food for himself and ragtag fellow street kids. Newspapers and police called them “The Flash Gang,” and assumed they were adults; then, real evildoers came after them. In Treasonous Tycoon (2024), Lewis and his best friend, brave Pearl, experience Pittsburgh’s deadly flood of 1936, and fight mobsters, corrupt moguls, and Nazi sympathizers. Now, in this third entry, Lewis’ father is apparently imprisoned in Adolf Hitler’s Berlin (before the start of World War II), and Lewis and Pearl embark on a rescue mission. Thanks to an attaché working for Pearl’s despised but rich absentee father, the pair cross the Atlantic, going first-class on an ocean liner with everything necessary to get in and out of Berlin. However, they wonder why the attaché is so helpful, and they also later puzzle over why a particular doddering old lady won’t leave them alone. Is the American singer (with a French stage name) they meet as nice as he appears? And is it a coincidence that a suspect watch repairman is on the ship, too?

Readers who are familiar with the series will correctly surmise that things don’t go smoothly for Lewis and Pearl once they reach Nazi-controlled Berlin. However, just how completely and  quickly their luck changes darkens the plot with a notable and palpable sense of unease—one that is only heightened by the pervasive menace of Hitler’s brownshirts and SS officers. At one point, Lewis has a vicious encounter with some members of the Hitler Youth. Such chaos and hate seem to contradict the outwardly orderly world that the pair must navigate: “I don’t understand why nobody cares!” Lewis says. “Violence seems to be committed so…so casually. Nobody does anything.” Without ever feeling exploitative, the story takes care to portray the very real dangers of the time in a direct manner. The different ways that anxious Lewis and intrepid Pearl react to the various, profound plot twists throughout the story ring true—because this book, like the two series entries that precede it, is about fathers and what it means for children when adults make sacrifices for the greater good. Although the title of one of the last chapters here is “The End of the Adventures,” the epilogue makes clear there are still some loose ends to tie up and challenges for Lewis and Pearl to pursue. With its multiple plot twists and vivid sense of danger, this book doesn’t disappoint. Here’s hoping that this terrific first-rate middle-grade series continues.

A third series installment that offers compelling storytelling with emotional depth and chilling suspense.