Tag Honie Beam

Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged

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Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged
Eve Wersocki-Morris, illustrated by Honie Beam
Little Tiger

This story is set in London in the summer of 1951. Twelve year old Clem Fatale, the city’s youngest crook, and her best friend, Gilbert, eleven, now at an upmarket boarding school, are excited as they’re going to see their favourite singers Betty and Judy Wade in their first UK performance at the London Palladium. But then suddenly the two friends are ‘picked up’ and told that Betty, one of the sisters has gone missing. Clem and Gilbert are hired to find Betty.

This proves to be much more problematic than Clem first thought. It’s almost impossible to know who can be trusted as their investigation sees them encountering the dark side of the theatre scene, crossing paths with some very dodgy actors, visiting all manner of establishments from The Ritz with its ‘cream of London society’ clientele to the decrepit abandoned warehouse building bearing the sign Rumple’s Red Tomato Sauce. Add to that a motorbike chase courtesy of Konrad who is like an older brother to Clem and drives them there.

I don’t know about Clem and Gilbert but my head was spinning by the time I got to that point; however with less than twenty four hours to go before the curtain goes up on the sisters’ show, the two friends are absolutely determined to get to the bottom of what is going on. Can they do so and perform an astonishing rescue before a terrible accident takes place?

With humour aplenty, and a fair sprinkling of dramatic black and white illustrations by Honie Beam, this is a cracking, fast paced tale crammed with action and heart, wherein the bond of friendship between Clem and Gilbert grows even stronger. I can’t wait to see what they get involved in next.

Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed
Eve Wersocki Morris, illustrated by Honie Beam
Little Tiger

This story of gangsters, hoodlums and heists is set in London in the early 1950s. Herein we meet fearless young crook twelve year old Clem Fatale as she embarks on the night’s robbery to be led by her dad at Lord Weatherdale’s North London abode. Things don’t quite go to plan however as said dad, Jimmy Fatale leader of the Spider Gang and notorious jewel thief, seems to have gone missing along with the Fool’s Canary, a rare yellow diamond cut in the shape of the bird. However, Clem and her mates appear to have got themselves a young prisoner.

The outcome is that Clem along with her captive Gilbert, the terribly polite, unadventurous son of Lord Weatherdale for company, follow a trail of clues that take them on hair-raising adventures in greasy spoon cafes, nightclubs, safe houses and through London’s back alleys where rival gang leaders, fences and henchmen all operate. Aided and abetted by the son of Clem’s parents’ Polish cook, Konrad, and Winnie, a cab driver from the West Indies Clem learns that her Dad’s criminal operation has a secret side.

Will she find her father safe and sound or will the most dastardly villain of all prevent her so doing? That is the leading question as the plot turns this way and that. Clem is a great character, determined and resourceful; to her surprise, so too is Gilbert who sticks with her through everything. The dialogue between them is superb. There are lots of other superbly imagined characters including cranky crooks and dizzy dames, some will make you laugh, others hold your breath in horror. Many of these are depicted in Honie Beam’s black and white illustrations

The story’s ending sets the scene for Clem’s next adventure: this reviewer and I have no doubt, countless KS2 readers will await it with bated breath.