The Keymaster's Quest by Jason Lethcoe (review)

The funeral for Andy's adventurer grandfather is more than a little strange, what with the talking mime, the masked professor claiming to cure ailments with crocodile teeth, and the conjoined twins who are also apparently skilled assassins. Things become even stranger when Andy discovers that his grandfather is actually alive (though with a shrunken head) and has named Andy the new Keymaster of a secret society that protects valuable ancient artifacts from falling into evil hands. There is, of course, an evil-handed miscreant at work and Andy's first task is to prevent dangerous Professor Phink from harboring the power of a dangerous Hawaiian god for his own nefarious purposes. The over-the-top personas of Andy's grandfather and crew provide plenty of humor, and the pace moves along at a speedy clip as Andy jumps from danger to danger to protect the pendant. While explanation of the legend behind the Hawaiian god is largely accurate, the book is mostly a commercial for Disney's Adventureworld and the natives are therefore largely theme-park caricatures. Still, adventure seekers and puzzle aficionados may find satisfaction in Andy's tale.