The Egyptian Jukebox: A Conundrum Created by Nick Bantock

Albert Stray is librarian and manager of the Streetsville Public
Library.

Hamilton Hasp, an eccentric American millionaire, is missing. But he has
left behind his creation, the Egyptian Jukebox, which consists of 10
drawers. Each drawer contains artifacts from his life and world travels.
This book has been commissioned by the missing man’s daughter, Tanis,
in the hope that someone will be able to unravel this conundrum and
discover Hasp’s whereabouts.

Nick Bantock, the bestselling author/illustrator of the Griffin and
Sabine trilogy, has produced another artistic gem. The illustrations of
the drawers and their contents have a photographic quality. Each
double-page spread is followed by a schematic of the drawer and a
cryptic riddle. Each detailed drawing is preceded by a story about a
specific geographic location associated with the artifacts in that
particular drawer. Buried in the stories are clues.

The novel has a strong sense of place. Among its settings are Egypt,
Paris, the Orient, the South Pacific, London, colonial India, Colombia,
Florence, and New Orleans. The imagery in this picture book for adults
is superb.

Readers can play fair and follow the clues. If the task proves
daunting, the solution is hidden under a flap on the last page.