John Doe and his infant daughter, Jane, appeared on the steps of the Manor the night the earthquakes started and the gateway to the Otherworlds closed. The people on the remote island of Bluehaven have despised them ever since, blaming Jane and her father for their exile. Fourteen years after that night, the largest earthquake yet strikes. The Manor awakens, dragging John into its labyrinth. Accompanied by a pyromaniac named Violet and a trickster named Hickory, Jane must rescue her father and defeat an immortal villain who is trying to harness the mythical power of the Manor. Gr 4 Up—"Cursed" Jane Doe exists to take care of her nonresponsive father and avoid the slurs of the "good people" of Bluehaven who view her infant arrival from the world portal known as the Manor as apocalyptic. Calamity strikes again when Jane is 14 and the Manor reopens. Intrepid adventurer Winifred Robin insists Jane must reenter the Manor to save the world and rescue her father. Once there, Jane finds a violent world ruled by Roth, who wishes to conquer all the Manor and all the gateway worlds by collecting three keys, one of which Jane possesses. Jane teams up with an ancient Manor resident Hickory to seek more keys in the Manor's hostile realms. Jane and her companions, Violet and Hickory, are distinct, likeable characters. Jane has a wry humor paired with intense vulnerability over her near-orphan status. Hickory is an unknown quantity—he acts in his own interest, and perhaps sequels will reveal his true motivation. Violet's preference for fire and explosions as diversions is highly amusing. Their quirky personalities will help readers persist with a complicated backstory referencing gods and the creation of the Manor. Fast-paced adventure and numerous escapes move forward an abundance of episodes and shifting narratives. Mild swearing and a brief discussion of Jane's romantic interest point toward a middle school audience, along with other complex story elements. VERDICT Relatable characters balance the dense setting and plotting. Purchase where adventure is in strong demand.—Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT "[R]eads like a dramatized Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider video game. . . . [T]he quick pace and witty voice make this a good fit for adventure fans."― Booklist "Purchase where adventure is in strong demand."― School Library Journal "[A] breathless, fun crawl through a maze of twisty passages."― Kirkus Reviews Bookseller Jeremy Lachlan has always been obsessed with big epic adventures in books and film―Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia, Jurassic Park . He was inspired to write The Jane Doe Chronicles while lost in the Cairo Museum. Jeremy lives in Sydney, Australia.