The Billionaire's Curse (Archer Legacy (Quality))

It was a hard book to put down at night. I wanted to know what would happen next. There were a lot of obstacles between them and solving the mystery. Perfect for late elementary or middle school readers.

Loved this book- it has action adventure mystery and an unpredictable plot.The characters are well-developed. Plenty of humor too.

Had a good amount of adventure but kept u in suspense. I really liked it and want to read the rest of the series

it was one of those books about a bratty kid who has a boring life and then goes on crazy adventures with his new friends who are almost ALWAYS twins!!! It was ok at first. got worse later into the book. I couldn't finish it.

4.5 starsAn exciting read with a who done it, The Billionaire's Curse will engage young readers who love a fun, thrilling adventure. Thirteen year old Gerald Wilkins's world is turned upside down when he's jetted off from his home in Australia to attend the funeral of his late great aunt in England, a billionaire who's left her fortune to him. To make matters worse Gerald's greedy parents up and leave him for a get away in the tropics, he's started to receive death threats and he receives a letter from his late Great Aunt saying she's been murdered. With no one to trust and a mystery to solve, Gerald sets off on an adventure of a life time.Gerald is a down to earth character who befriends Sam and Rudy, two kids who save him from one of many bad guys who are after him. Together the three are determined to solve the mystery behind his Great Aunt's death, and the ties to the stolen diamond and uncover his Great Aunt's secrets. What I loved about the adventure were the settings, which included the English country side, the British Museum, distinguished British mansion and some elite social clubs. Each place held more twists and clues, and the most surprising place was the secret under ground crypt who's clues will lead the young heros on their next adventure.Gerald, Sam and Rudy are character's kids will love reading about and will be able to relate to them on some level. This is a story full of heart pounding action, a lot of mystery and a story about friendship. There are a couple brief action scenes that may be a little graphic for young readers. I think this is a book that readers 9 years old and older will really enjoy. I'm looking forward to finding out what's in store for Gerald and his friends in the sequel, The Emerald Casket.

Gerald Wilkins's parents drag him away from a planned ski trip with a friend during the winter break in his home in Australia to his Great-aunt Geraldine's funeral in England. The lady was a billionaire, and now the Roald Dahl-type family members are circling the coffin, eager to hear the reading of the will. And Gerald has been given a secret letter, which just might have something to do with the giant diamond stolen from the British Museum in the prologue.Then the will is read, and everyone goes nuts. Because Geraldine has left her entire fortune to twelve-year-old Gerald. What the others don't know is that she has also asked him to find and punish whoever it was who murdered her.Gerald's mother quickly sees that she and her husband will be able to control the money till Gerald is of age, so she dumps him in the care of a surly butler and goes off with Gerald's father to explore the old woman's holdings, which include a yacht and a Caribbean island.Thanks to the paparazzi and his great-aunt's prissy lawyer, Gerald is essentially trapped inside his new mansion. But he soon finds a way out and goes to the British Museum, where he begins to investigate the theft of the diamond and his aunt's murder. Best of all, he meets a couple of kids who are in London on vacation and are happy to help him with his quest--Sam and Ruby.Danger threatens our young heroes, of course, most notably in the form of a spider-like man, a thin, black-clad villain who is sure Gerald has information relating to the missing diamond. As Gerald and his friends close in on the answers, the author throws in magical elements. It turns out the diamond is more than just a giant gem. In its proper setting, it leads to a supernatural treasure.This book is a lot of fun, so I can see why it won a publisher's writing contest. The Billionaire's Curse begins with just about any child's daydream of a premise and moves fairly quickly, interspersed with humor. It has a few shortcomings, though, namely an overreliance on coincidence and the occasional cliché, not to mention a glaring example of our main character trusting exactly the wrong person (after Gerald and Co. have been relatively cagey for chapters on end).Newsome's first novel is clearly the start of a series. I have to say, I keep wondering if he's going to have Gerald's horrible parents die in a boating accident. Watch for that in Book 2... And watch for this to be turned into a movie. It would make a good one.