Conspiracy 365 August - Gabrielle Lord

Conspiracy 365 August
Gabrielle Lord
Scholastic
ISBN 9781443104753

Scholastic Australia

eISBN 9781921988608

ASIN B00BFV1GQ0

The story just continues to get better and better, each offering is more intense than the previous. I read the first two volumes in this series back in 2011; I had planned on reading them one a month as they were released. But that did not happen. My son started reading them in 2026 and he is in his late teens so I decided to pick them back up and finish the series. I have read one a month over the last several.

When I read the first 2 it was a new series from Scholastic, Conspiracy 365, is another unique approach to books that will draw readers in and keep them addicted. Much like the 39 Clues or Skeleton Creek books, it approaches storytelling in a new and different way that with draw an addicted following of readers. The story is about the life of Callum (Cal) Ormond. Almost like a year-long version of the TV series 24. The story was originally told over 12 books, one released each month for a year. And we now know the story continued with a shorter follow up series.

The description of this volume states:

“Now I was completely alone. There was nothing but silence and the ghosts of the dead. Cal Ormond has escaped death several times and deceived enemies in the most unlikely situations. All this to discover what the Ormond Singularity is, a secret that transformed the young man's routine and that can change history as we know it. However, an unexpected event ended Cal's search and he ended up in the hands of the police. Now he risks spending the rest of his life in prison. But something gave him a good reason not to give up on his plans and prove he was not a criminal: the kidnapping of one of his family members. Cal needed to return to the streets to propose a rescue: to exchange everything he had gathered about the riddle for that person's life - and even offer himself, if necessary.”

The Australian description states:

“Buried alive in a coffin, Cal's chances of survival are running out as fast as the air around him. Thanks to his unknown attackers, he's lost the Jewel and the Riddle, and now his life hangs in the balance. Six feet under. Boges and Winter are frantically trying to find him before it's too late. Meanwhile, Gabbi-Cal's comatose little sister-has been kidnapped, and he is the prime suspect! Some seriously daring and dangerous tactics are needed to save her this time...”

About the author we are informed:

“Gabrielle Lord is one of Australia's bestselling crime writers for adults. Following the Conspiracy 365 series, she already has plans for another three adult novels and two more young adult books. Research is everything, Gabrielle says. 'Out of my contacts with experts (who are always far too modest to describe themselves that way) I get not only the fine-tuning necessary for today's savvy readers, but also wonderful incidents and images that enrich and enlarge my books.”

The Australian description gives a lot more away about events in this volume in the series than the Canadian one. This eighth instalment keeps up the intense plot. This one starts with:

“Thud … 

The thudding was becoming duller, more distant.

Thud … 

The grave was being filled in, fast. The earth raining down on the lid of the coffin was building up an unbreakable barrier between me and the world of the living above. 

I broke out in a cold sweat. I was being buried alive!

Thud … 

I strained and struggled, terror and panic finally starting to overcome the effects of the drug they’d used to immobilise me. I tried to scream and kick and claw at the wooden walls, but it was useless. Fear destroyed all rationality, as I kept on thrashing–smashing my knees, elbows, fingers and head against the unyielding tomb. 

Think, Cal, think.”

Soon Cal is back in cuffs and in the hospital. Though this time what he is told surprises him even more than he ever expected. The stakes are higher, the risks more dangerous, and only luck and a bit of grace might get him through.

To find out, read this and the other instalments in this great series!

These books were originally published in Australia and North America by Scholastic, unfortunately it appears eBook editions were never released in Canada. This is another great instalment in a thrilling series.

These books have a few cool features. In each book, the page numbers start at the highest and count down. The chapter and section headings are Dates and Time. This was an excellent eighth instalment in the series. Give them a try you will not be disappointed.

Books by Gabrielle Lord:
Conspiracy 365:
Series Overview
January (2011)
February (2011)

March (2011)
April (2011)
May (2011)
June (2011)
July (2011)
August (2011)
September (2011)
October (2011)
November (2011)
December (2011)

…

Conspiracy 365 Black Ops:

Missing (2013)

Hunted (2013)

Endgame (2013)

…

48 Hours Series:

The Vanishing (2017)

The Medusa Curse (2017)

…

Gemma Lincoln:

Feeding the Demons (1999)

Baby Did a Bad Thing (2002)

Spiking the Girl (2004)

Shattered (2007)

Death by Beauty (2012)

…

Jack McCain:

Death Delights (2001)

Lethal Factor (2003)

Dirty Weekend (2005)

…

Other Books:

Fortress (1980)

Tooth and Claw (1983)

Jumbo (1986)

Salt (1990)

Whipping Boy (1992)

The Stranger Inside: An Erotic Adventure (1994)

Bones (1995)

The Sharp End (1998)

Monkey Undercover (2006)

…