From the New York Times bestselling author P. B. Kerr, comes the third volume in this exceptional, imaginative adventure series about a twin boy and girl who discover they are djinns. In the third book of the bestselling Children of the Lamp series, djinn twins, John and Philippa Gaunt, are on the trail of another magical mystery. As they travel from New York to London to Nepal and India on a whirlwind adventure, the twins try to help their friend and fellow djinn, Buck, find out who murdered his friend using the venomous snakebite of the king cobra. All too soon, John and Philippa find themselves caught up in the lethal world of the Cult of the Nine Cobras, only to discover that they themselves are a target of the creepy cobra cult. Grade 4–8—This third installment in the series finds 12-year-old djinn twins Philippa and John embarking on a harrowing journey to Northern India and Nepal in search of the long-lost and powerful talisman, the Cobra King of Kathmandu. The twins believe that it holds the answers to certain mysterious deaths and hope to find it before it falls into the hands of the malevolent cult of the Nine Cobras, led by the egomaniacal Guru Masamjhasara, who seeks to profit from controlling and selling djinn power. However, the siblings soon find themselves imprisoned by the deadly cult and must rely upon their wits and a generous helping of good fortune to survive. This fast-paced, plot-driven fantasy adventure plunges readers into the curious world of djinn society and explores the many intriguing facets of its lore. The suspenseful plot twists, coupled with a liberal dosing of humor, make this a fun page-turner. Harry Potter fans will enjoy this foray into a different type of magical subculture.— Debbie Lewis O'Donnell, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Praise for the Children of the Lamp series: "Kerr puts an ingenious spin on the enchanted-lamp theme in his first novel for children. . . ." --BOOKLIST "A breakneck-paced, Indiana Jones-style adventure. . . . Kerr keeps the emphasis on fun...." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "[T]he humor is just right, the captivating world of the djinn is faultlessly depicted and expanded, and Kerr balances the resolution with enough uncertainties to draw readers back for the next installment. This work is likely to win new fans as well as please those who enjoyed the previous book." --VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES "Kerr brings a wealth of invention and a solid grounding of research into djinn legends to his creation, giving the story and its deftly varied episodes a rich texture. . . . Capable writing and a well-shaped plot will reward fans returning to this series." --THE HORN BOOK P. B. Kerr was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he developed a lifelong love of reading. Although the Children of the Lamp books are P. B. Kerr's first for children, he's well known as the thriller writer Philip Kerr, author of the Berlin Noir series, including, most recently, A QUIET FLAME; IF THE DEAD RISE NOT; A PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATION; GRIDIRON; THE SHOT; and many other acclaimed novels. Mr. Kerr lives in London with his family.