Matthew Kirby

by Matthew J. Kirby

It’s 1888 and Jack the Ripper is terrorizing the people of London. Evelyn, a young woman disfigured by her dangerous work in a matchstick factory, has nowhere to go and does not know what to make of her new position as a maid to the Elephant Man in London Hospital. She wanted to be locked away from the world, like he is, shut away from the filth and dangers of the streets. But in him, she finds a gentle kindred, who does not recoil from her, and who understands her pain. However, when the murders begin, Joseph and Evelyn are haunted nightly by the ghosts of the victims, setting Evelyn on a path to facing her fears and uncovering humanity's worst nightmares, in which the real monsters are men. (Ages 12+)

by Matthew J. Kirby

Nothing in Owen's life has been right since his father died in prison, accused of a crime Owen is certain he didn't commit. Monroe, the IT guy at school, might finally bring Owen the means to clear his father's name by letting him use an Animus--a device that lets users explore genetic memories buried within their own DNA. During a simulation, Owen uncovers the existence of a powerful relic long considered a legend: the Trident of Eden. Now two secret organizations will stop at nothing to take possession of this artifact: the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Templar Order. It becomes clear to Owen, that the only way to save himself, is to find the Trident first. (Age 12+)

by Matthew J. Kirby

There’s still two pieces of the Trident of Eden left to find and Owen and Javier are determined not to repeat their past mistakes. The next piece is rumored to be buried with the Mongol warlord Mongke Khan, whose tomb has never been found. Teens on both sides of the conflict will have to go into simulations in war-torn Mongolian China in a race against time and their enemies to find the next piece. (Age 12+)

by Matthew J. Kirby

Giuseppe, an orphaned street musician from Italy, was sold by his uncle to work as a slave for an evil padrone in the U.S. When a mysterious green violin enters his life he begins to imagine a life of freedom. Hannah is a soft-hearted, strong-willed girl from the tenements, who supports her family as a hotel maid. Then tragedy strikes and her father can no longer work. She learns about a hidden treasure, which she knows will save her family -- if only she can find it. And Frederick, the talented and intense clockmaker's apprentice, seeks to learn the truth about his mother while trying to forget the nightmares of the orphanage he grew up in. He is determined to build an automaton and enter the clock makers’ guild, but he needs create a working head. Together, the three discover they have phenomenal power when they team up as friends, and they can overcome even the darkest of fears. (Ages 8-12)

by Matthew J. Kirby

Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? (Ages 8-12)

by Matthew J. Kirby

Billy Bartram, his father, and a secret society of philosophers and scientists venture into the American wilderness in search of the lost people of the Welsh Prince Madoc, seeking aid in the coming war against the French. Traveling in a flying airship, the members of the expedition find their lives frequently endangered in the untamed American West by terrifying creatures, a party of French soldiers hot on their trail, and the constant threat of traitors and spies. (Ages 8-12)

by Matthew J. Kirby

It’s the near future and the earth has entered a new ice age. Eleanor Perry lives in Tucson, one of the most popular destinations for refugees of the Freeze. She is the daughter of a climatologist who is trying to find new ways to preserve human life on the planet. Dr. Perry believes that a series of oil deposits she has found in the Arctic may hold the key to our survival. That’s when she disappears—but not before sending Eleanor a series of cryptic messages that point to a significant and mysterious discovery. Now it’s up to Eleanor to go find her mom, which will launch her on a breathless race to unlock the mysteries of what has happened to our planet, solving the riddle of the cold that could be humanity’s end—and uncovering a threat to the earth that may not be of this world. (Ages 8-12)

by Matthew J. Kirby

Eleanor and her friends have shut down the mysterious Concentrator in the Arctic, but their mission is far from over. The earth is still spinning out of its orbit and growing colder by the day. Their only chance is to find the other Concentrators embedded around the world and deactivate them before it’s too late. (Ages 8-12)

by Matthew J. Kirby

Europe is in the grip of the Dark Ages, but there is a light in the dark: Baghdad. The great city has become a center of learning, populated by scholars, merchants, and explorers from all across the known world. But danger lurks in the desert... and Dak, Sera, and Riq must act fast to save the world's greatest library from utter destruction. (Ages 8-12)

by Matthew J. Kirby

After Ben Warner is recruited to join a "science camp" led by the eccentric quantum physicist Dr. Madeleine Hughes, he quickly realizes it's no regular science camp. Along with his new friend, Peter, Ben discovers the secret, powerful art of Actuation -- the ability to change reality by simply imagining it differently. Then Dr. Hughes is abducted and her equipment stolen. Ben and Peter are suddenly caught in a turf war between dangerous actuators desperate for Dr. Hughes’s technology. Will their combined powers be enough to save Dr. Hughes and vanquish their enemies? (Ages 8-12)