Product Description

The first time Laurie and her dad see the white rider, watching them from the deep, cool shadows of the trees, he is alone. Laurie is convinced that his appearance has a meaning that somehow he is trying to tell them something - something her dad needs to pay attention to. Is the rider somehow linked to the genetic research into squirrels that Laurie is helping her dad with in the lab? When a second rider with a bloody sword appears alongside the first, and then a third and a fourth, Laurie knows she must try to understand who they are and what they represent. With the help of her brother and his best friend, she discovers what the riders mean, but will it be too late to stop the inevitable chain of events that has been set in motion?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #780817 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

From the Inside Flap
The white rider had returned. And this time he wasn’t alone.

Should you believe what you see with your own eyes, even if it can’t be explained?

When Laurie is arrested for setting fire to her father’s research lab she’s unsure what to say in her defence. Should she say that she’s an animal rights activist? Or should she tell the whole story, about the mysterious horsemen that she saw in the woods, and the terrifying truth which lay behind their appearance? In the eyes of the police she is a criminal. But Laurie knows that she’s a hero.

From the Back Cover
The white rider had returned.
And this time he wasn't alone.

Should you believe what you see with your own eyes, even if it can't be explained?

When Laurie is arrested for setting fire to her father’s research lab she’s unsure what to say in her defence. Should she say that she’s an animal rights activist? Or should she tell the whole story, about the mysterious horsemen that she saw in the woods, and the terrifying truth which lay behind their appearance? In the eyes of the police she is a criminal. But Laurie knows that she’s a hero.

Ahaunting story about modern science, religious fundamentalism and the human thrist for power from multi award-winning author Kate Thompson.

'Athought-provoking and timely novel'
CHILDREN'S BOOKSELLER

About the Author
Kate Thompson is one of the most exciting authors writing for young people today for she is a born storyteller, is highly original and thought-provoking in her ideas. She has travelled widely in the USA and India and studied law in London. After living in County Clare, she moved to Kinvara in County Galway and there, three years ago, she discovered her passion for playing the fiddle. She is now an accomplished player and also has a great interest in restoring instruments. Kate Thompson has won the Children's Books Ireland Bisto Book of the Year award three times - in 2002 for The Beguilers, in 2003 for The Alchemist's Apprentice and in 2004 for Annan Water. The New Policeman won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Whitbread Book Award Children's category in 2005.

Customer Reviews

Absorbing and well paced
I thought that this was a thought provoking book that mixes fantasy with two topics all too pertinent to modern life (namely genetic experimentation and the western approach to fundamentalism and terrorism).

The book starts off with Laurie, her brother Alex and her brother's friend Javed being arrested for burning down the laboratory belonging to Laurie's father. Through flashbacks, we see how the three of them get to that point and just why they driven to take such drastic action.

I particularly admired the way Thompson doesn't patronise her readers with the material - you're shown the kind of things that happen in a scientific laboratory and I felt that the reactions of both Laurie and her father to the testing being done on squirrels was believable. When the first horseman appears, it's a genuinely chilling moment, more so for the reaction of Laurie's father and you can easily buy into Laurie's frustration as her father refuses to accept what's happening whilst at the same time recognising his reasons for doing so.

My biggest criticism related to the cricket element of the story and that's more because I am not a particular fan of the game and so did not find myself easily able to relate to the main character's enjoyment. However, this is purely a personal thing more than anything the author has done and whilst I think Thompson over-eggs the idea of sport bringing people together, there is some truth to the message. I also think that the main characters were a little too slow in realising the relevance of the four horseman and I'd have liked to see them pick up on the obvious symbolism earlier on than they do so that the apocalyptic significance is stronger.

That said, it's a tightly paced book that makes you want to read on to see what happens next (even though you know what they're ultimately moving to) and I felt that the main characters were believable. Definitely a book that deserves a look.

Gripper
From the time yopu get through the first Chapter you (well I) was gripped by the mystery of the tale. It is all assembled in a way which makes you keep reading. A great edition to Kate Thompsons Books