Quite joyously, this starts with not just a cliffhanger, but the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers – a vehicle, perched on the edge of a cliff, with a load of stolen gold in the back and the engine the other end acting as counterbalance. Even more joyously, there is a dog – and even some birds, we learn – to factor in too. Flippin' annoyingly, we're reminded of this status every five pages of the mahoosive flashback that leads us to that point. There is repetitive, and there is repetitive – and there are these pages.

What the flashback concerns is the wacky motorcar race across Europe, where Evie stows away in the boot until her dad and the car are across the Channel and there's no turning back. Evie is a young lass determined to help her slightly hapless dad win the thing for once, despite – and of course because of – her parents' cushioning of her from all things slightly risky. You see, her older brother died at a young age, the race always coincides with the anniversary of his loss, and the dad is forever deflecting from that and geeing himself up for the race – while clearly proving to Evie that that is more important than her.

That is an aspect of the story that is done rather well – if, er, repetitively. The rest of the drama is more of a one-note pell-mell adventure, slightly wacky, slightly quirky, and full of the ins and outs of the race and its nefarious contestants. Dad and Evie encounter no end of dodgy tricks – with them often the target, despite the risk to the young lass. And we're forever never more than a page or two away from some foreshadowing about the next disaster, or the ultimate one with the cliff and the gold and the repetition.

And that might be fine, if it had been at all limited. I mean, this is a narrator who says "I don't know why people do that – focus on the bad things", before focusing on all the bad things for the entire book as she tries to solve the case of the gold – and remind us of where we are as if we have the attention span of a lobotomised leek. Her foreshadowing is off the charts, despite her also saying "Although I shouldn't get ahead of myself…".

Some of it you can't make up. The trivia factoids that launch most chapters you can't make up, but you can't ignore how intrusive they are, either. Oh, and why does she suddenly start using the word "Knickers" as a curse at a certain point, long, long after it became appropriate? No, this is inventive and fun, but very poorly produced and exceedingly rum, all told. Oh, and did I say it repeated itself?

I always enjoy Jenny Pearson's books so I knew I'd be in for a treat with this fun chase across Europe. The colourful cast of characters are great and the growing bond between father and daughter in the wake of their past family tragedy adds a nice, poignant touch too.

An hilarious, action-packed race across Europe, Speedwheels 3000: The Race Against Crime, is guaranteed to win first podium place in the hearts of readers as they join Evie and her dad on an unforgettable, zany adventure.

Evie Clutterbank is determined to have some father-daughter bonding time, but her dad’s attention has not been on his daughter for a long time. Instead, his energy and time is taken with his single-minded determination to win the world’s most famous – and most definitely, craziest – race: The Speedwheels 3000 which races through seven European countries. Can she convince her Dad to take her along as his co-pilot? Of course not! But, Evie has a plan …

Whilst her mum is fully immersed in her efforts to save the slow-worms (yes – seriously!), Evie makes a quick getaway by stashing herself in the boot of her Dad’s car, Toots, after creating a little more room by throwing out his suitcase. If only, she’d known about the lucky pants she’d unceremoniously dumped on the roadside, maybe she wouldn’t be dangling from a cliff with a boot full of stolen gold, and the police on their trail …
And how exactly did she and her Dad end up in this precarious situation? Well, Evie is the perfect person to tell her us about her racing adventures as she allows her brain time to think of a way out of her current unintended death-defying situation …

And what a tale she has to tell! All she wanted was some bonding time with her dad as they share his love of racing through Europe, but what she gets is the high-octane adventure of her life! I mean, yes, there’s incredible danger, car chases, disasters galore and the chance that her dad might go to prison, but there’s also wild camping, a bison traffic jam and a mystery to solve. Can Evie solve the mystery of who wants to frame them as gold thieves? Could it be one of the other competitors? And, is there even the teeniest chance that they could become the Speedwheel 3000 champions?

Oh wow! This is another absolute winner that had me giggling and, at times, sniffling- and not with the cold! As always with Jenny’s books, I loved the blend of humour and heart, the authentic relationships and the action-packed, brilliantly ridiculous situations that arise that guarantee laugh-out-loud moments blended with heart-warming interactions that bring both smiles and tears.

Evie is the most incredible 11¾ year old girl who I absolutely adored as she faces every situation and challenge with such positivity – even that of getting her dad to realise that he can still look for happiness even when something unbearable has happened. The relationship between Evie and her dad is beautifully and authentically portrayed as they find heart-warming moments of connection amidst the zaniness and danger of their race across Europe. I loved Evie’s cheeky, quick-witted, impetuous and confident manner which makes her incredibly likeable, but I can also understand her dad’s frustration with her! I also loved her loyalty to her dad as she stands up for him – even if it sometimes leads to disastrous situations for her had – but hilarious ones for the reader!

The illustrations throughout are absolutely wonderful – full of energy, expression and humour – and complement this brilliant story perfectly.
Race to the finish line with a story that it’d be a crime not to read – a perfect blend of humour and heart wrapped up in race like no other.

Another rip roaring adventure (with a big dollop of mystery!) from Jenny Pearson! I know the children are going to love Speedwheels 3000: The Race Against Crime.

Plenty to keep the pages turning, with brilliant characters, first person narrative and lots of laughs. As with all Jenny's books there's a touch of seriousness under the hilarity. I loved seeing Evie and her dad build bridges in their relationship.

A fast-paced, laugh out loud car race around Europe with a mystery to solve along the way! Tony Clutterbuck is a regular competitor in the Speedwheels competitions but is yet to win the title. His daughter, Evie, longs to go with him, but he won’t let her - dad says she’s too young and will only cause trouble. Evie just wants to spend time with her dad though. She feels like he doesn’t talk to her very much and both her mum and dad are very sad about Evie’s older brother dying before she was born. Evie finds a way to accompany her dad in the latest competition and right from the start of the book, we are aware they end up in a rather precarious situation!
I love the fact cards that introduce the racers and all the information about them. I also like the fun facts and illustrations that appear in each chapter. A great read for children in Year 4 and up, this will keep them entertained with plenty of jokes as well as the mystery of the stolen gold to work out, along with Evie. This was also a really heartwarming story and I enjoyed how Evie’s relationship with her dad changed as the story progressed.

Speedwheels 3000: The Race Against Crime is another book by Jenny Pearson that really captures her funny but warm writing.

Evie’s Dad loves racing and every year takes part in the Speedwheels 3000 race across Europe. She desperately wants to be his co-driver but he just won’t let her, shutting her out as they all mourn the death of her brother, so she takes matters into her own hands and stows away.

It’s a really fun adventure story with so many scrapes and challenges - the humour was perfectly pitched without being silly and the characters were really complex and interesting. The added mystery of a gold thief being amongst the competitors made it a real page turner. A great read together book for younger readers or one to be read independently by a more confident reader. Lots of links to geography and places in Europe here too!

Thank you NetGalley and Usborne Publishing for this eCopy to review

"Speedwheels 3000: The Race Against Crime" by Jenny Pearson, is an absolute thrill from start to finish. The novel follows the high-speed, family-bonding adventure of Evie Clutterbuck and her dad as they participate in the Speedwheels 3000, the most exciting and bonkers car race in the world.

Evie, who sneaks into the car boot to join her dad, finds herself in the midst of a wild ride through seven countries. The stakes are high as they are accused of stealing £4 million worth of gold, and their car, Toots, is precariously dangling off the edge of a cliff. The plot is packed with action, mystery, and heart warming moments that kept me hooked throughout.

What I loved most about this book was the dynamic between Evie and her dad. Their relationship is beautifully portrayed, full of love and humour. Evie's determination to solve the mystery of the gold robbery and clear their names adds an exciting layer to the story. The challenges and adventures they face during the race are imaginative and fun, keeping me on my toes.

It's a fantastic read for anyone who loves adventure, mystery, and heart warming family stories. If you're looking for a book that will keep you entertained and leave you with a smile, this one is definitely worth picking up.

This was a throughly enjoyable read about a young girl called Evie. Evie wants to go with her dad on his race around Europe, but she’s not allowed. She sneaks into the boot of the car and she’s off on a fun filled adventure. This story will be great for the adventure seeking kids, it’s funny and full of lovely illustrations. Evie is a likeable character and she will relate to many children. I liked the outcome of the story and family spending time together. A daring adventurous 5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Evie Clutterbuck wants to join her Dad on the Speedwheels 3000 race. He does it every year. It's held at the same time as her older brother Timmy, who she never met, died after getting sick. It seems to Evie it gives Dad the opportunity to avoid talking about it. Although Mum's not much better she is currently campaigning for slowworms in the local field!
Speedwheels 3000 is a race over 3000 miles, with challenges at checkpoints. Evie's dad Tony has never won. Evie tells us all about the other drivers and their skills.
Evie asks them both and the answer is no. She's too young, she's 11. It's too dangerous. He does it on his own with his car, Toots. But Evie has a plan, Mum isn't go to see him off so she can go to the start and his away in the boot until they get to France! It'll be too late when she's there.
Dad is not pleased when at a checkpoint Evie is found in the boot!
But she gets to stay - although he 's even more annoyed she threw his suitcase out in order to fit in! He has the pants and race suit he's wearing nothing else!
So their journey begins, the first challenge isn't bad.
But they are very late getting to the checkpoint in Zurich and the challenge is difficult, although they get there in the end but have a calamity with it! However, in Switzerland there is a gold robbery from a bank and the perpetrator is seen heading towards the hotel used by the Speedwheels hotel. From that day Toots is very sluggish...
There is a wildlife hold up on the main road to Prague! But the Prague challenge...oh no!
Evie continues collecting notes about who among the Speedwheels drivers could be responsible for the theft. But it's confusing. In the hotel,
The next challenge is to transport a massive statue in a trailer. Dad says Toots won't even be able to pull it! The Viking has only got flowers and Caroline has a dog.
But that day... they are followed by a blacked out 4x4. They go cross country and literally hide in a bush! Evie is so happy they can go wild camping now! When they go to get Dad's protein packs out of the boot....
Hilarity continues as they try to make it to Monaco. Can Dad win? Will they make it? Who is the gold thief?

The story is very Jenny Pearson! It has some serious moments concerning Evie and her parents feelings amid the hilarity of a race across Europe. I loved it! The cover illustration by Katie Kear and the inside illustrations (super funny) by Nick East add to the fun in this book. I recently read The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates and this is easily as much fun.
Thanks to Jessica at Usborne for the ecopy.

Having read Jenny's other books, I had high hopes for this one and I was not disappointed. It was a car-tastic crazy adventure and a journey of personal discovery all wrapped into one. Filled with adrenaline-racing highs and comedic capers, I had to accelerate through this in order to get to the highly satisfing conclusion and solve the additional mystery. Highly recommeded and one I can't wait to share with my class.

Speedwheels 3000 - The race against crime
By Jenny Pearson
Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd

Oh my goodness!! Another brilliant, young reader chapter book from the author of Shipwrecked.
This daughter-father team take part in the world's most famous car race, Speedwheels 3000 and Evie Clutterbuck is joining her dad this year - No matter what!

So what is Speedwheels 3000 I hear you ask?
It is the most famous, exciting and unbelievably crazy car race in the whole world, not only driving but competing in silly challenges too.
But can their trusty car, Toots.pull it off?
Because there are a few problems ahead!

Evie's not supposed to be racing - she is a child!
The theft of £4 million pounds worth of gold is a crime to be solved.
And everyone is a suspect in the enquiry!
Can Evie solve the mystery of the gold robbery, get the race back on track and bond with her father?
And who will be the Ultimate Speedwheels Racing Champions?

Pearson does it again, combining a family dilemma with a racing adventure.
Buckle up for a high speed drama, an adventure across Europe and a golden heist. This is a pager turning race to the end!

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
#Netgalley

Jenny Pearson’s stories are always an absolute delight with true-to-life characters dealing with issues in unique, laugh-out-loud ways.

Speedwheels 3000: The Race Against Crime will be a must-read for 2025. Hold on tight for this high-octane race across Europe! Fun facts about European countries, roads and racing add extra interest to a brilliantly geographical mystery.

Evie Clutterbuck is determined to join her dad as he sets off on the legendary motor race, Speedwheels 3000. He’s competed every year since Evie’s older brother Timmy passed away – his way of trying to cope with his grief. This year it’s even more significant as Timmy would have been 17 and able to drive with his dad.

Evie is sure she’d be a fantastic race navigator but Dad always says “no”. Evie’s answer – to stow away in the boot of the car so he has no choice but to take her along. Once Dad gets over the shock, they undertake the adventure of a lifetime. Stolen gold, robbery suspects, car sabotage and mysterious competitors keep Evie on edge and collecting investigation notes at each stop of their European race. Her incessant chatter, eternal optimism and impulsive actions push Dad to the edge of his patience but also pulls them closer than ever. Evie really is the race navigator he needs as she shows Dad the way to healing and happiness, as well as the end of the race.

Evie’s enthusiastic, innocent point of view reveals the good and bad in each suspect. Readers are kept guessing right to the very end as they try to solve the mystery of the gold thief right along with Evie. This brilliant back seat driver is sure to save the day and prove what a great team she and her dad can be.

Jenny Pearson’s heart-felt, hilarious style emanates from each page creating an unputdownable race for ultimate glory and the loveliest father-daughter relationship.

This was another fun adventure from Jenny Pearson, full of heart, humour and action as Evue and her dad compete at the speed wheels 3000 tournament.
Evie isn't supposed to be there and chaos ensues as she spends time with her dad and learns about his grief and love.
Thoroughly enjoyable.

Jenny Pearson writes such great books to read together with the family and this one was no exception. We all enjoyed the excitement of this journey and the myriad of funny situations they found themselves in. Loved it !

This was a proper rip-roaring adventure around Europe. Car racing, a mystery to be solved and a gorgeous father-daughter relationship. This actually made me laugh out loud a NUMBER of times. Jenny Pearson is just brilliant!

Anytime I see an announcement for a new Jenny Pearson title, I immediately check Netgalley, harass Usborne and stalk X for more details. Luckily, Usborne emailed about this title and then it appeared on Netgalley. I may have wrenched my finger by pressing Request too quickly.

Jenny writes with heart and humour, equally balanced with chaos and brilliant characters. In this tale, we begin in the middle of the story with Evie and her Dad dangling from a cliff edge in their race car, Toots. Evie then shares the details of the current predicament from the beginning.

It’s clear that she is desperate to spend time with her dad and bond properly so she takes it upon herself to hide out in the car as her dad begins the Speedwheels 3000 race through Europe. Surprising him is the key and she just knows how happy he will be to have her there…the reality stings a bit for Evie.

However, Tony has a desperate need to win this race and so cannot take Evie back home. They must figure out a way to use Evie’s endless positivity and Tony’s determination to stay in the race and be considered actual contenders.

As with many of Jenny’s stories, there are endless and hilarious situations- like Tony’s suitcase being flung out of the boot so Evie could hide, knocking an important statue into a lake and discovering gold bullion hidden in the boot. To discover how these all link, then make sure to set an alarm for the 13th of February to get your copy.

An absolutely cracking adventure that had me laughing out loud and then crying. Oh, what a delightful storyteller Jenny is!

I love a Jenny Pearson book and they always have me laughing out loud. I am so pleased to say that this was no different. Tony Clutterbuck always races in the Speedwheels 3000 race across Europe, but never does very well. Evie, his daughter, wants to spend some father daughter bonding time with him and so hatched a plan to stowaway in his car and become his race navigator. To say it doesn't go to plan is an understatement. This is a rip roaring adventure all across Europe with larger than life race competitors, hilarious antics from Evie and her dad (accidentally of course) and a gold bullion heist. The stolen gold bullion just happens to have been stashed in Evie and Tony's car boot and so it is not only a race to the finish line, but also a race to find out who stole it before Tony is caught and arrested.
This is a great, fun read and will definitely appeal to Year 4 children upwards.

Evie feels that her dad doesn't have time for her and that he spends his life preparing for or taking part in the Speedhweels 3000, a car race across several European countries that is guaranteed to test your nerves. It's not for the faint hearted but this year, Evie has a plan: she's going to stow away in the boot of her dad's car so she can finally spend some quality time with him. However, things don't quite go according to plan and they find themselves in their car, dangling over the edge of a cliff with £4 million worth of gold in their boot! Can Evie get them out of trouble and back in the race so they can be crowned champions.
Jenny is a wonderful writer and regular readers of my blog will know that she has the ability to make me laugh out loud and cry simultaneously! She visited school last December and was a huge hit with the school and, unsurprisingly, her books are hugely popular there too.

I was part of a group of bloggers lucky enough to be able to reveal the cover for Jenny's new book, Speedwheels 300: A Race Against Crime, recently and also hugely privileged to be able to read the book months before its release. I sat down this morning to begin reading with my mug of hot chocolate and I have to say that I barely moved until dinner time, gobbling the entire thing in one delicious sitting!

Evie is desperate for her dad's attention and is prepared to do almost anything to get it. You see her parents lost their son, Timmy, before Evie was born and whilst her mum has thrown herself into campaigning for animal rights, her dad has devoted himself to Speedwheels and Toots, his car. Evie is an incredibly persuasive character and has her arguments ready as to why she should join her dad, but when all else fails, she feels the only option left to her is to hide in the boot until they reach France and then jump out and be the best navigator ever. From the beginning of the book, you know that things go awry, with them dangling off a cliff in Italy with a boot full of gold bullion, and the book slowly reveals exactly how that happened in an unputdownable way.
Oh My Knickers, this is a brilliantly funny and emotional rollercoaster of a book. I genuinely hadn't intended to read the entire book in one sitting but I just couldn't put it down! A 3000 mile race across several European countries with wacky tasks to do at the checkpoints (think paddling pools and table cloths!), but the contestants are ruthless and will stop at nothing to get ahead of the competition. The book is a wonderful blend of adventure, daring-do, humour and peril, with serious messages about parental grief and how families cope with the death of a child woven in superbly. It brought a tear my eye seeing the relationship between Evie and her dad develop as the book progresses and there's one particular moment as the car is perched on the cliff that brought a real lump to my throat.

With a wonderful map, top trump style cards to introduce the main racers and the rules of the race explained at the beginning of the book, readers will be gripped even before they start reading! I know there is going to be huge amounts of excitement when I tell my class about this book tomorrow morning, and equal measures of frustration when they realise that I read an electronic copy so they can't borrow it yet!

Publishing 13th February, Speedwheels 3000: A Race Against Crime is Wacky Races meets The Cannonball Run. Guaranteed to fill your heart with joy and put the biggest smile on your face, this is a book you absolutely need to pre-order.

Speedwheels 3000 The Race Against Crime is classic Jennifer Pearson oozing with her trademark humour and little snippets of facts. I loved that for me this reminded me of the cartoon show Penelope Pitstop This was such a joyous read but also managed to deal with the loss of a loved one - Evie's older brother Timmy. This loss is touched on sensitively throughout the story. It is a delight ful read and a welcome bit of escapism.

What an adventure! Evie and her dad enter the Speedwheels 3000 and anything that could happen, does! There's racing with paddling pools of water on the roof, car chases, mishaps with statues and so much more! I laughed out loud in places and also had a tear in my eye. The best bit of the story was seeing the realtionship between Evie and her dad grow. There have been some challenges in the past and they eventually talk about them and build their relationship. This is a fabulous story and I'm definitely buying it for school when it's out.