My Crazy Uncle Walter is the tale of 14-year-old Australian Joseph Johnstone and the summer his 'crazy uncle', better-known to some as a conman, came to visit. The story is told with a hint of nostalgia, by the now elderly Joe to his 15-year-old neighbour Sarah. Sarah is spellbound by the tale, watching and listening as Joe is transported back to the long, hot summer when he became involved in the world of confidence trickery. The young Joe was equally enthralled by his exciting, unpredictable uncle. He tells Sarah many tales of the types of scams Walter pulled, and also how Walter helped him defeat a school enemy. As Joe's tale unwinds, Sarah begins to see that Walter's way of life was not as attractive or exciting as it first seemed and that it cost him and his family dearly. She even starts to appreciate her own family, if only a little. However, there is a great deal of love and affection in the story and readers will be drawn to the charismatic Uncle Walter, despite his many flaws. My Crazy Uncle Walter is a very enjoyable, thought-provoking tale of life in a bygone age which still holds great appeal today. The primary age group for My Crazy Uncle Walter is teenage, 13 - 17. However, many older readers will also enjoy this story. Joe's Uncle Walter tells him that conmen prey upon only greedy people, leading Joe, initially at least, to liken his uncle to Robin Hood. As more and more stories of Walter's escapades emerge, the truth of his claim begins to reveal itself as questionable at the very least. Joe himself describes his family background well - a working class family with little in the way of material goods but a great deal in affection, warmth and morals. Walter is his mother's brother and his presence is a bone of contention between Joe's parents. The character of Sarah is as important to the story as those of Joe and Walter, as she is a young, impressionable girl in the midst of a power struggle with her mother. Sarah's interests revolve around her friends, not hanging out with her elderly neighbours. Many teenagers will identify with this, however it becomes clear throughout the story that Sarah's family relationships are full of love and her problems are no different to those of many other teenagers. Peter M Clutterbuck, author of The Downunder Kid, has produced another fictional tale full of warmth and good humour. Readers will enjoy the many different stories of confidence trickery and will also warm to the characters, from Joe's straight-down-the-line father to his polar opposite, the Crazy Uncle Walter, the slightly spoiled Sarah (who can't seem to appreciate how lucky she is) and the loveable Joe Johnstone himself.