Book Review: Treasonous Tycoon (The Adventures of the Flash Gang, 2)

Reviewed by Warren Maxwell

Rich in crooked schemes and youthful hijinks, this noir-tinged sequel returns to a band of memorable depression-era street orphans as they investigate a Nazi plot.

Betrayal, malaise, and the simple exhaustion of being the underdog challenge Lewis and his band of friends as they try to reveal corruption hidden in plain sight. Humor and playful dialogue act as a fun countervailing force to this more emotional second installment of the Flash Gang series.

“It was briskly cold, a silty drizzle falling. At the corner of Bigelow and Brereton, Duck had taken up Pearl’s habit of pacing and was currently circling both her and Lewis while they hunkered down on the curb eating the Ritz crackers that had made up last night’s dinner and this morning’s breakfast.”

Beginning in a damp abandoned factory that serves as the Flash Gang’s hideout, Treasonous Tycoon finds the orphans laying low through the harsh Pittsburgh winter as they try to collect evidence to prove that one of Pittsburgh’s biggest philanthropists is also a rabid Nazi sympathizer. With their stomaches empty, the case running cold, and optimism flagging, a series of uncanny events flush new urgency into their investigation. Rumors about streeter kids going missing are in the air, an arch rival is released from jail, and old family members unexpectedly come knocking. 

“Lewis stared, dumbfounded. It really was Pearl. Pearl, wearing an odd assortment of clothing that was half newly purchased and half old streeter garb. Pearl, carrying a shopping bag that was in danger of disintegrating in the rain. 

Pearl, who’d just called him Lewis.”

This book skillfully avoids the many pitfalls possible in a second installment by setting the stage for new and returning readers alike—a good standalone novel and a satisfying addition. Fans of the first book will find reality sinking in and old friendships complicated by mixed loyalties and the strains of growing up. Those discovering the Flash Gang for the first time will be swept up in a compelling tangle of mysteries and overlapping schemes. Why is a steel baron receiving secret orders for food and building maintenance through a newspaper stand? What does this have to do with his henchmen beating up protestors in the streets? And how can four children and an assortment of their eccentric friends get to the bottom of it?

“Pearl turned her brilliant smile on Lewis and Lewis grinned back. He knew she understood. Since they’d discovered, together, that Lewis’s father was more than just missing, that he’d been murdered at the behest of Pickering, she had al- ways been very respectful of his feelings.”

Rushing between labor protests and newspaper offices, Lewis and Pearl retain the first book’s zest and comedic dialogue while pairing it with a deeper sense of history and emotional need. Downing and Waugh are adept at contrasting the lightheartedness of youth with its extreme need for care and attention. When Pearl’s father makes a sudden appearance, the clash between her duty to the case and the need for parental love threatens the Flash Gang and sends its members spiraling in different directions. Within these conflicts, Lewis’ introspection and emotional turmoil is rendered in organic prose. Stepping into his mind, the book captures a realistic portrait of a twelve-year-old boy finding his place in the world.

“Lewis was awakened by a huge raindrop splatting on the tip of his nose, which he immediately and unfortunately in- haled, and then he had to spend the next minutes alternately sneezing and blowing his nose on the corner of his blanket, as Pearl wasn’t there to produce one of her all-purpose handkerchiefs.”

Like the first in the series, this book achieves a marvelous synthesis of emotional life and riveting storytelling. Characters are alive and vital, humor splashes each page, and the truthful frustrations of being young and overlooked are palpable. 

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Thank you for reading Warren Maxwell’s book review of Treasonous Tycoon (The Adventures of the Flash Gang, 2) by M.M. Downing & S.J. Waugh! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.