Miss Jane Oakley, Jenny Blackwood, and Alice Cardew are young women with fiery red hair, razor-sharp minds, lightning reflexes and a penchant for violence. They also happen to be the same person – Scarlett McCain.

Scarlett is a bank robber, a thief, a murderer (if she feels she must), and a highwayman, which has put her in a bit of trouble. She’s stolen on someone elses’ patch, and now owes a large debt. The Brothers of The Hand have given her a chance to pay them back, so there is nothing for it but to rob another bank.

Being as clever, badass, and nimble up a wall as a monkey up a tree, this is child’s play and she flees with a tidy sum indeed – enough to pay her debts and have some fun.

If only she hadn’t stopped to check out a carriage accident. Instead of scoring more goodies to add to her haul, she finds a pale, gangly, and altogether strange boy called Alfred.

To Scarlett’s consternation, Alfred seems incredibly naive, and far too enraptured by the world around him. She’s trying to flee a posse sent by an angry bank manager, and Alfred is slowing her down. Not to mention that this posse seems particularly hell bent on their pursuit. Normally, they would’ve turned back before dark – no-one wants to be in the forest at night.

Darkness brings out all manner of beasts, all keen to strip a human’s flesh off their bones in seconds. The Tainted are the most feared of all, with the remaining towns of England well guarded, armed and protected after nightfall.

Alfred is in awe of Scarlett and does his best to keep up. Unbeknown to Scarlett, Alfred isn’t the pathetic waif he seems to be. He’s been in a unique prison his entire life, and is hiding a most terrible secret.

All is revealed as Scarlett McCain and Alfred Browne flee across an England that is part Wild West, part Dystopian and part Fantasy.

Being a huge fan of The Lockwood Series, The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne is a must read for me. I was hooked from the very first sentence

That morning, with the dawn hanging wet and pale over the levees, Scarlett McCain woke up beside four dead men.

The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne is part quest, part road-trip, part Wild West, and part Dystopian. Britain is now broken up into Seven Kingdoms, towns peppered across them with their own laws and customs. These laws must be followed if you don’t want to be staked on the outskirts at dusk – to be eaten by whichever beast lurks out of the surrounding wilderness first, hung in a cage in the town square to starve to death, or any other manner of horrors.

Overflowing with action, rich description and simile, Jonathan’s Stroud’s new novel is riveting, and often funny too. After reading this first book in a new series, I’m looking forward to more escapades of Scarlett & Browne.

Author – Jonathan Stroud

Age – 10+

Q & A with Jonathan Stroud about The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne here

(2021, Action, England, Britain, Dystopian, Humour, Murder, Gunfights, Hand to hand fighting, Crime, Bank robbers, Robbery, Series, Daring, Cunning, Secrets, Debts, Experiments, Torture, Prisoner, Adventure, Courage, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery)