Darkus Cuttle, 13, has been told that his scientist father, still grief-stricken by his wife's death five years earlier, has finally lost it and run away. Darkus knows this is not true, but the police won't listen. He is sent to live with his bachelor uncle, Max, and the two hatch a plan to find Darkus' missing dad. Along the way, they run afoul of Madame Cutter, a former geneticist turned fashion magnate, who harbors an unhealthy interest in beetles, and two bumbling neighbors, who happen to be housing a beetle infestation. And these are no ordinary beetles, but highly advanced insects who can understand human speech and develop doglike attachments to Darkus and his friends. With plucky kids, an over-the-top maniacal villain, and the obligatory dead mother, this debut fantasy has a traditional feel despite the modern-day setting. The danger, while frequently imminent, is not frightening. Darkus' loneliness is quickly alleviated as newfound friends rally to his side. Fans of madcap adventures and anthropomorphised sidekicks will enjoy this fast-paced series opener.

When Dr. Bartholomew Cuttle mysteriously disappears from a windowless vault that contains a rare beetle collection belonging to famous fashion designer Lucretia Cutter, it's up to his 12-year-old son, Darkus, to figure out what happened. The police believe that Dr. Cuttle simple left town, but Darkus knows his father would never abandon him. Living with his eccentric archaeologist Uncle Max, Darkus uncovers clues to his father's dark past with Lucretia, a former geneticist. Darkus develops an unexpected friendship with a rhinoceros beetle he names Baxter, and he eventually learns that Baxter and the other rare beetles understand humans and can work together. It's a skill that Darkus and his best friends, Bertolt and Virginia, take advantage of as they prepare to take on Lucretia and her henchmen. In this first book in a planned trilogy, debut novelist Leonard gives readers a rare glimpse into the world of insects, mixing adventure, mystery, and science and to create a story that's much more than just a novel about bugs. Even the most squeamish will be charmed. Ages 8-12. Agent: Kirsty McLachlan, David Godwin Associates. (Feb.)

Gr 5-8 An engaging story aimed at upper middle grade readers who enjoy mysteries but who might not be ready for more mature young adult plotlines. When Dr. Bartholomew Cuttle, a renowned entomologist at the National History Museum in London, suddenly disappears from his research vault without a trace, no one is more surprised than his son, Darkus. The boy can't believe his father would just vanish and leave him alone in the world. During his first week at Uncle Max's flat (his father's brother, also a researcher, who returns from Egypt to care for Darkus), a rhinoceros beetle appears out of nowhere. And it's no ordinary beetle. Atypically large, it seems to have the uncanny ability to understand what Darkus says. Feeling an immediate connection to his father, Darkus adopts the beetle, names him Baxter, and vows to find his father. Along with his new friends Virginia and Bertolt, Darkus discovers even more interesting beetles in the next-door neighbor's flat inhabited by warring cousins Pickering and Humphrey. When another famous researcher, Lucretia Cutter, discovers the beetles and wants to buy all of them (think Cruella de Vil), the sharp-minded threesome ponder the connection to Darkus's father and develop a plan to save the beetles and find Dr. Cuttle. The story moves quickly, and the characters are both wacky and entertaining. VERDICT Educators looking for fiction that connects to and supports science curricula may find a new favorite in this. Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State University, NH