Book excerpt: Commended, The Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for Younger Readers, 2015. Welcome to London. A city of fog and snow, filled with airships, steamcars and metrotowers soaring into space. Before his parents died Jack Mason was an acrobat, travelling around England in the circus. But when the world-famous detective Ignatius Doyle comes looking for a young assistant, Jack's new training begins. And when Scarlet Bell's father disappears, they are all plunged into a mystery so baffling that the future of the whole world may be at stake. The Firebird Mystery, inspired by the great works of Victorian literature, is an action-adventure for readers of all ages. Darrell Pitt began his lifelong appreciation of Victorian literature when he read the Sherlock Holmes stories as a child, quickly moving on to H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. This early reading led to a love of comics, science fiction and all things geeky. Darrell is now married with one daughter. He lives in Melbourne. 'A fun story, easy to read and full of action. The action, by the way, is excellently written...Bonus points for being the first kids' book of its kind I've come across that gives mention to the suffragettes!' Books+Publishing 'Lots of mechanical mayhem and derring-do - breathless stuff.' Michael Pryor 'Non-stop action, non-stop adventure, non-stop fun!' Richard Harland 'Thank heavens for The Firebird Mystery...a steampunk novel featuring fantastic airships, steamcars, chases and a detective whose deductive prowess owes more than a little to Sherlock Holmes.' Independent UK 'Set in a fantastical London, filled with airships, steam cars and metrotowers stretching into space, this fast paced adventure and homage to the world of Victoria literature and Conan Doyle offers an enjoyable roller-coaster read for fans of Artemis Fowl and the Lemony Snicket series...[a] rollicking who-dunnit that will keep young Sherlocks guessing to the very end.' Magpies 'Charming, witty and intelligently written...This series no doubt will be a huge hit for early teens, the writing is intelligent and Darrell Pitt has created characters that challenge and provoke readers to invest in the storyline.' Diva Booknerd ‘The Firebird Mystery has everything to recommend itself – a boy’s own adventure that girls will enjoy too, with never a dull or predictable moment, twists and turns that both satisfy and enthral.’ Melbourne Review of Books