Having wrapped up his Wildwood trilogy, Colin Meloy gives us a new book aimed mainly at young readers, which is clearly also going to be the first in a series. The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid is a very pleasing tale of 12-year-old Charlie living in 1960s Marseilles, France, with his diplomat father. His mother has left the family, and Charlie is lonely. He does not go to school but instead has his own private tutor. He lives in a big house with staff to care for all his needs. Carlie has an inquisitive mind and loves telling stories, and so he in intrigued when he meets Amir, a pickpocket working with a group of others children. He is a fish out of water with the Whiz Mob, since he is the son of the Consul General but the gang come from poverty. But Amir teaches Charlie how to pickpocket and work with others to get the valuables from rich people’s pockets.

Meloy introduces the reader to many different worlds: the French town of the 1960s, Carlie’s life of privilege, and the world of pickpocketing. Amir and his friends use “the talk” which is very distinctive, a sort of Cockney slang of thievery , which is very charming. The Whiz Mod is an international crew, although their ethnicities are not prominent characteristics. They add a lot of flavor to the book story. Indeed, the whole style of the book is entertaining and endearing. Charlie starts out with plenty of integrity but not much confidence. As the book unfolds, his morality is thrown into doubt but he becomes much more sure of himself. The question of whether he will ultimately be able to retain his integrity even as he becomes an expert thief.

The performance of the unabridged audiobook by Bronson Pinchot is excellent in its handling of the French accents and the cheerful yet sensitive tone of the narrator.

© 2018 Christian Perring

Christian Perring teaches in NYC.