The Falcon's Malteser facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Anthony Horowitz |
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| Cover artist | Phil Schramm |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Diamond Brothers |
| Genre | Action, comedy, adventure, mystery |
| Publisher | Grafton Books |
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Publication date
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1986 |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 217 |
| ISBN | 0-7445-9035-3 |
| Followed by | Public Enemy Number Two |
The Falcon's Malteser is a super funny mystery book written by Anthony Horowitz. It's the very first book in The Diamond Brothers series and came out in 1986. The title is a playful nod to a famous old detective story called The Maltese Falcon. You'll find lots of little jokes and references to that classic story throughout this book. This exciting novel was even made into a movie in 1988, called Just Ask for Diamond.
Meet the Diamond Brothers!
In The Falcon's Malteser, you'll meet Nick Simple, who tells the whole story. Before he moved in with his older brother, Herbert, Nick lived with his parents in London. His parents were planning to move to Australia. Herbert, who had just joined the police force, was supposed to be able to take care of himself.
But Nick didn't want to go to Australia! At the very last minute, he snuck away from London Heathrow Airport. His parents flew off to Sydney without him, and Nick went to live with Herbert. Sometimes in later books, Nick wishes he was back with his parents. That's because Herbert can be a bit of a mess and often embarrasses Nick. Also, they are usually very short on money!
Herbert had a short career in the police. He accidentally shot a training instructor and caused other problems. So, he was fired after only two months! After that, he decided to open his own detective agency. He called himself "Tim Diamond" for the business.
The Mystery Begins!
The story kicks off when Nicholas 'Nick' Simple and his brother Herbert meet a small man named Johnny Naples. Johnny comes to their detective office carrying a mysterious package. He acts like someone is following him. He tries to explain what's going on, while Herbert tries to act like a tough detective.
The brothers are confused when Johnny Naples pays them £200 just to look after a box of chocolates. They find a clue on the envelope and visit a shop. The shopkeeper tells them about a hotel in Portobello Road where a dwarf was staying. So, they decide to check out the fictional Hotel Splendide.
Suddenly, a police officer, dressed like a drunk person, arrests them! They are taken to Ladbroke Grove Police Station. There, Herbert's old boss, Chief Inspector Snape, and his tough assistant Boyle question them. Snape used to find Herbert annoying when he was a police officer. But he starts to respect Nick because he realizes how clever Nick is for his age. Nick offers to tell Snape everything they know if Snape shares what the police know. Snape then begins to tell his side of the story.
The brothers find a matchbox from a place called The Casablanca Club. This is a fun reference to another movie starring Humphrey Bogart. They decide to visit the club. Their cleaning lady, Betty Charlady, warns them that no good will come from it.
At the club, they quickly realize that Johnny Naples must have been a regular. A waiter even mistakes Nick for Johnny and offers him free champagne! A singer named Lauren Bacardi, whose name sounds like a famous film star, asks about Johnny. Just when the brothers think they are getting somewhere, two suspicious people grab Lauren and pull her into a blue van. Nick manages to jump onto the back of the van. But he is soon thrown off and lands in a pile of cardboard boxes. It turns out that Lauren had stolen the diamonds because she figured out the truth! As a goodbye gift, she sends Nick and Herbert a Malteser chocolate with a real diamond inside! Nick is thrilled about this new wealth and plans a skiing trip for Christmas. But Herbert breaks his leg before they even get on the plane. All the money has to be spent on his medical bills instead!
Character Names
In The Falcon's Malteser, Nick calls his brother Herbert by his real name. However, in all the books that come after this one, Nick calls his brother Tim Diamond. Nick also starts calling himself Nick Diamond instead of Nicholas Simple.
Movie Version
The book The Falcon's Malteser was made into a movie in 1988. It was called Just Ask for Diamond, and sometimes also Diamond's Edge.
Stage Play
There's also a stage play version of The Falcon's Malteser. It was adapted by a theatre company called New Old Friends. Anthony Horowitz himself even helped with the script! The play went on its first national tour in 2014. It was directed by Lee Lyford. The main actors included Tom Medcalf as Nick Diamond, Dan Winter as Inspector Snape, Feargus Dunlop as Tim Diamond, and Heather Westwell as Beatrice Von Falkenberg.
