Highway Robbery

By: Kate Thompson

Narrated by: Jilly Bond

It's more money than the street urchin has ever dreamt of. But who is the rider, and why is there so much interest in his big black horse? And will the boy ever see the money he has been promised? There's highway robbery in the air, but it isn't entirely clear just who is trying to rob who...©2008 Kate Thompson (P)2009 WF Howes Ltd

wonderfully narrated, entirely clever, and mildly infuriating

i still can't decide whether i loved or was frustrated by this story. up until the end it seemed to defy my expectations in every happy way, and the ending still managed to do so, but in a turn so ironic, so devastating, yet so appropriate to the title that i can't help but feel like a chump, cheated out of a satisfying end to a great story all for the sake of landing the punchline on an elaborate joke. this story is a prank on the reader (hint is in the title). thompson's commitment to the concept of highway robbery in the literal and figurative senses of the word is remarkable. i don't know whether to applaud or grumble, so i shall stand here blinking and gaping like someone who realized too late they've been swindled by a master con artist. also the narrator is a stellar talent.