Circle of fire by S.M. Hall

Maya Brown is 15 years old, intelligent, athletic - and the adopted daughter of Pam, one of the UK's top intelligence agents.  Driven into hiding because of a kidnap threat. Maya and Pam are trying to live normal lives while security agents shadow their every move and try and protect them.  Pam is on a task force to prevent an attack by Muslim extremists, and her work has brought her into conflict with an emerging group that has big plans for the UK and for Europe.  When Pam is kidnapped, Maya feels frustrated and angry that no one is listening to her, so she breaks away from the protection of the security agents and her mothers agency.  Her plan is simple - rescue her mother and stop the bad guys.  Facing danger at every turn, Maya has to act quickly and be willing to take risks, including risking her own life.

This is the first book in a new series that seems to be somewhat daring on the part of the author.  Using Muslims, and extremists in particular, seems a very bold move - one that seems almost designed to inflame people's opinions.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author made no judgements and told a well thought out story, that includes elements of Muslim culture and Muslim extremists, but does not use gratuitous, in-your-face views.  Maya is a believable heroine, and she does not rely on gadgets or the support of adults and secret agents.  The story feels very real, and Maya is easy to relate to and I look forward to reading more books in this series if the author can keep up the pace.

If you like this book then try:

• Deep end by Sam Hutton
• Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
• The recruit by Robert Muchamore

Reviewed by Brilla