Friday Barnes is Europe’s most wanted in the 12th book in the bestselling detective series, Collision Course by R A Spratt.
Good Reading for Kids spoke with R A Spratt to find out what happens next.
We’re reunited with Friday Barnes again – what’s new for her since the last book?
On the last page of the last book, Friday had just been arrested by terrorism investigators. So the action in this book explodes from there. Friday’s got to escape, she got to sneak across the border into Switzerland and she’s got to solve a smuggling ring set up by some of the greatest minds in Europe.
What sparked the idea for Collision Course and its mysteries?
I wanted to take Friday back to her dysfunctional family. Her mother, her brother and her sister all work at the Hadron Super Collider in CERN, Switzerland and I thought that would be a really awesome place to set a book. It’s got everything – the Swiss alps, art smuggling and a massive underground science experiment where dangerous tiny particles are fired around a massive circular tunnel at inconceivably high speeds. There was so much danger and potential for drama, I knew it would make a great story.
What challenges will Friday and her mum face in this book?
Mum is probably Friday’s biggest challenge in this book. Trying to stop Mum from ruining her own career and ending up in jail, is a full time job for Friday and Melanie. And then of course there’s Ian, figuring on what’s going on with him is always a challenge.
Who is your favourite character and why?
I don’t have favourites. I wouldn’t want the other characters to get angry with me. Especially not the characters in this book. There are too many brilliant scientists with access to seriously dangerous equipment that could potentially destroy the whole planet, and could definitely destroy me.
What are some of the most important lessons Friday learns in this book?
Your family are unlikely to change. You have to find a way of loving them as they are.
Can you describe this book in three words?
Physicists behaving badly
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The first book in the ‘Friday Barnes’ series
R A Spratt is a bestselling author, television writer and podcast host. She is known for the Shockingly Good Stories, Friday Barnes, The Peski Kids and Nanny Piggins series of books. As well as her popular podcast Bedtime Stories with R A Spratt.
She has written for dozens of different television shows. In recent years she has specialised mainly in children’s animation, but she has also had extensive experience writing jokes, sketch comedy and political satire.
R A Spratt lives in Bowral, Australia with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys gardening and napping, but rarely gets the time to do either. She is currently obsessed with CrossFit and espaliering fruit trees.
She has three chickens, two goldfish, and a desperately needy dog.
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