The Joshua Files: Invisible City
Josh’s dad has been reported dead in a plane crash in Mexico, but something doesn’t add up. Josh is sure that there is a cover up, so heads to Mexico with friends Tyler and Ollie to investigate.
Before long, he finds himself in incredible danger, but that doesn’t stop him on his mission to find out the truth, and solve the mystery of the Ix Codex.
This spy thriller is a real page turner with twists and turns around every corner.
Publisher: Scholastic
Extract
'It’s capoeira night. Capoeira is this cool Brazilian martial art that I’ve been learning for almost two years. Our teacher, “Mestre” Ricardo, takes a call on his mobile and calls me out of the roda – a circle we make around the two players who “fight”. He tells me to get my stuff, to go straight home. At the time I don’t really notice, but later I remember something about the look in his eyes.
Mestre Ricardo is a former soldier. Not an easy guy to worry would be my guess. The way he looks at me is something I’ve never seen from him, never dreamed I’d see: pity.
I remember every detail about the skateboard ride home, over the bridge, the college towers behind me, big puffs of marshmallow cloud in a blue sky reflected in the lead-paned windows. It’s the last memory I have where I’m really happy.
I arrive home to find my mother perched on the livingroom sofa. Jackie from next door, she’s there too, holding Mum’s hand. As soon as Mum stands up, I can tell she’s been crying. Her face is a colour closer to grey than her normal English-rose pink. There’s a smile of affection on her lips – it looks forced. The ends of her hair are wet, like she’s just washed her face. She tries to kiss me, and I shrink from her touch, pull back to look into her eyes.
She’s actually shaking, won’t even look at me.
She can’t.
A chill seeps into my blood. Dread floods through me. A suspicion grows, a tiny seed of horror in the deepest recesses of my mind. It’s such a heart-stopping idea that I can’t even bring myself to take it seriously.
Mum begins. “Josh, sit down; there’s some bad news, I’m afraid. Terrible, terrible news.”
She doesn’t get any further, though; she’s overwhelmed by tears. Her palms go up to her face, cover her eyes. She sinks back down on to the sofa. Jackie takes hold of both my hands, which feel rough, cold and huge in her small fingers.
Between Mum’s sobs I make out, “The Cessna plane your dad was renting in Mexico. It went down. And . . . Josh, I’m so sorry. So sorry, but . . . he’s dead.”
Then it’s like I’m disconnected from the moment. Bodily I’m still there, holding hands with my middle-aged neighbour, nodding slightly. But somewhere deep inside I begin a scream of rage and disbelief. I can hear that Jackie is talking, but she seems distant, remote. Mum’s face is nothing but a blur as I struggle to grasp what I’m hearing.
Then the screams in my head finally catch up with my mouth. It’s as though I’m possessed. I start shouting: “What? What?!”
Both women try to hug me, but I shake them off. I can’t take it in. Then I’m punching the living room door, yelling at them, “No, no, no, no, no.” For an instant I catch the fear in Mum’s eyes at my sudden violence.
But within seconds I’ve stopped, already exhausted. I feel sick. My legs actually buckle slightly underneath me. I slump on to the couch. When I glance up, I notice a shimmering haze around Mum and Jackie. I’m shocked, trembling, numb. Mum grabs hold of me, holds on tight, but all I can think is how her arms aren’t long enough for a proper hug. And I wonder: how it would have been if Mum, not Dad, had died? Would Dad’s arms be long enough? At the thought of losing Mum too, I burst into tears.
Yet there’s this hard little kernel of me that’s still ticking over. Still able to look on the bright side.
Wait a bit . . . what if it isn’t him?
I’m full of questions. How can they be sure it’s my dad? Maybe Dad changed his mind about hiring that plane. Maybe it’s some other bloke.
“No, Josh, no,” Mum murmurs. “The detective who came round – DI Barratt – says the Mexican police are sure it’s him. Your dad hadn’t been seen for three days, since he hired this plane.”
I shake my head, thinking furiously. Trying to find any loophole. “No. Not Dad. Just cos he’s gone missing . . . he could be camping near some ruins. They can’t be sure without proof. Have they got proof? What is it they do – they look at dental records, don’t they? Yeah, I’ve seen it a million times in films. I bet the dental records will show it’s not my dad.”
“I’m sorry, love,” Jackie explains kindly. “It wasn’t that simple. Wish it was, poppet.”
“What . . . why not?”
Mum holds my hand. They exchange a look. Mum nods at Jackie. Very slightly.
“Your dad’s plane hit a tree. A branch. Would have shot through the windscreen at God knows what speed. He had no chance, Josh. No chance at all.”
“What?! Just tell me,” I insist, through my tears. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Jackie straightens up; her voice steels, becomes faint, distant, cold. “He was decapitated,” she says. “In the plane crash. There is no head. Just your poor dad’s burned, broken body.”
I take a few moments to absorb that. I’m already beginning to join Jackie in that remote place. That’s where I need to be now. Somewhere else. Anywhere. Death would have been instantaneous, she’s quick to assure me. Better hope so. The thought of something like that happening slowly is unbearable.
There was no sign of foul play. No severed fluid lines, nothing suspicious. The best guess from the Mexican police is that he fell asleep at the controls, lost altitude, plunged to his doom.
My emotions start to shut down. Movements become purely mechanical. Would I like some tea? I’m nodding, asking for milk and two sugars.
Like it matters.
I wish I could stop the TV scenes that begin to play through my head. Two sympathetic policemen at the door, the phone call from the hospital, the phone call from abroad. On TV, I’ve seen bad news delivered lots of ways. Now it’s my turn.
Jackie seems to know just what to do. She has nerve; in the midst of our little storm, she holds firm. She’s all gentle Irish humour as she makes us hot buttered toast. She serves us thick slices with mugs of sweet, milky tea. She turns on the TV. We watch a whole film, but later I don’t remember a single detail. I keep glancing at Mum, wondering what we do now. Am I supposed to hug her? Or what?
I know what Dad would say: Son, you take care of your mother, you got that? Mum’s eyes look glazed, staring. After my initial outburst, things are calm. We take it quietly then.
Later, when I go to bed, I get to thinking. I can’t stop wondering about something Jackie said; something I hardly noticed at the time.
So far, the Mexican police haven’t actually found his head. The rest of his body was burned beyond recognition. They are sure of two things: it was the plane Professor Andres Garcia rented, and his luggage was found thrown clear of the crash.
That’s where it begins, that’s the root of the matter. Call it what you like: doubt, suspicion, a hunch.
I don’t believe it. Not “can’t”. I’m pretty sure that I could if it only felt true. But something doesn’t feel right. Dad has only been flying for three years. I know he’s still cautious, plans every detail.
There’s no way he’d fall asleep at the controls.
There has to have been some horrendous, monumental mistake.'
About the author
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M G Harris Photo: ScholasticM G Harris
M G (Maria Guadalupe) Harris was born in Mexico City. When her parents split up, five-year-old MG moved to Frankfurt, Germany with her air-stewardess mother and younger sister. The unexpected departure of a young aunt left MG and her sister without a nanny. MG's mother moved the family to Manchester,... Read more about M G Harris
Video & audio
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The Joshua Files: Invisible City Booked Up video
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The Joshua Files: Invisible City Booked Up video (signed version)
Featured reviews
Reviews
This is the first time i have read one of M G Harris' books and I think I will read many more of her books as it has kept me up most nights reading it. Because it has been a book that has kept me on the edge I will definitely buy and read many more Joshua Files. The vocabulary used has shown me that M G Harris is an amazing author that can show her talent amazingly well through books.The imagination used to create the bakabs, codecies, muwans and the gamma rays is astonishing!!!!!!!! I would recomend this book to all my friends!!!!!
i read this book. i enjoyed it but it took a while too read.
This is a very good book. It is really fasinating and i would love to read the other books of hers! It is just soo interesting
I think this book was the best book i ever read! It was a total thriller1 i couldn't put it down! It's a real page-turner and i would recommend it to anyone. It's just so interesting!
This book is very exciting and has adventure. This is the first book I have read from M.G Harris. I think that the books are good. It was a really good action book.
I used to never read, and this book has changed that. This book is FANTASTIC! I have now read 3 of the Joshua Files, I can't wait for the 4th Book, Dark Parallel to come out. This is a must read!
good exciting amazing book
It is very interesting. And I love reading about mysteries. I found it a bit sad because his dad had died and he was on his own. It is exciting when Joshua nearly gets in trouble himself.
I picked M G Harris the Joshua files. This is the first time i have read a book like this I think it was very fascinating and thrilling. I liked how it was sad and thrilling at the same time. I would recommend this book to a teenager or a adult who loves a good thriller or who likes a sad but intriguing story. I really liked this book!!!
Invisible City was a brilliant book. I really enjoyed reading it. There were lots of exciting bits in it, even at the start of the book. Normally at the start of a book it is quite boring until you get into it but in this book at the very start something exciting happened. Joshua's father died in a plane crash and that was the start of his big adventure. He never believed his father had just died in a plane crash, and so, to really see what had happened to his father Joshua began his adventure. When Joshua found out what his father had being looking for, he discovered a whole new world for himself. To follow in this father's footsteps Joshua had to find "the code X" to stop the world ending.
A great book. Very imaginative and creative. I love all the chapters. We admire the author. Everyone is reading it, everyone loves it!
this was a good book.
first it was about a 13 year old boy whose dad dies in Mexico.tTe police think it's an accident but he doesn't think so... the book was alright, it wasn't my cup of tea but it was very descriptive. Also it did draw the reader in but i didn't like it much, i only really recommend this to people who like a good adventure.
It was an amazing book, we would definitely read it again!
This book is very interesting at the beginning but then goes down hill. This book is about a boy who embarks on an adventure to find the murderer of his dad. Josh writes down his adventures in a blog. I think that this book is an average book and will recommend it people that like adventures.
This is the first adventure by mg harris i have ever read and i would recommend this to anyone that likes a page turrner. Some bits were rubbish like the ending, if i wrote it i would make the ending a bit better but it was a good book, i know boys and girls would enjoy it.
I didn't really enjoy this book. This is because it wasn't very intriguing and it didn't keep me wanting to turn the next page and see what's next. I wouldn't reccomend this to anyone like me.
I thought that it had adventures that were very exciting and you would love the book if you like these type of books. If you like my review a lot try to get it when you get the chance.
This is a book for people looking for adventure. Josh Garcia is trying to find out about the mysterious death of his father and finds out about his secret sister and about the world ending in the mayan calender in 2012. Find out more by reading this brilliant mexican adventure by M.G Harris.
this book is an excellent choice for booked up, i found myself reading until late at night even though that kind of book would not be my first choice.
The story I’m about to tell you is described as a gripping survival story - a fantasy of pyramids, caves and tunnels. It was written by M.G Harris.
Josh Garcia lived pretty cool in his teenage life his dad as a Mexican archaeologist Mr Andres Garcia and Mom as a British history teacher Mrs Garcia. But it was all coming to an end. Josh came home and so his mom covered in tears. He knew something wasn’t alright. His mom widely opened her mouth. And said your dad was reported dead in a plain crash from Mexico. Josh’s reaction was heartbreaking he knew something was a bit fishy and heard to figure it out. Josh heard this kind of web diary. He could write stuff into it and could also chat with any around the world. That’s when he met a girl called Ollie. They could chat online all day night and day discussing the situation josh was in. Because Ollie was a kind, friendly and gentle person she understood Josh’s situation. On the other hand Josh heard his other friend Tyler they were best friends. They even went to Capoeira together a Brazilian martial art. Josh and his 2 friends Ollie and Tyler heard to travel to Mexico to discover the mysteries behind Mr Garcia’s death, father of Josh Garcia. When Josh arrived to this beautiful blue hotel called Hotel Dolphin, he saw this Spanish girl coming to her and said hello Josh Garcia I’ve been waiting for you, you are the son of Mr Garcia right. Josh agreed. I' Camila and you and I are brother from the same father. That was when Josh discovered he had a sister. The three of them noone can stop them. Together heard to complete they mission. The main character and of course my favourite was Josh because heroic and extremely brave, but most of all, he keeps calm in situations of threat. For example: A mysterious robber broke into his house when Joshua walked in and then as soon as Joshua sees that something is wrong, he fights the robber which is maybe too brave to be true at only 13 years of age. Well, he is the hero of the story! I would recommend this book to people who really enjoy books packed with good action but also don’t mind a slow start and very sad events. I loved this book and if the start was faster, I believe it would be good to be one of best teenage targeted book in the whole world. Overall, this story is very strong. It is well written and it is written in a way that you can interact with the characters; feel their feelings, know what they are thinking etc. But on the other hand, it has a slow, boring start. I would therefore rate it 3 out of 5. Not bad!
BEST BOOK EVER
This book was rubbish i only read to page 17. i would only give this book to boys or tomboys.
I have read lots of books before this and then I read MG Harris and I am blown away with how good it was. The rush, the continuous plot changes. It's the first book I never wanted to put down. I will not be hesitant when I see the rest of the series, I already am keeping an eye out.
This is very exciting book and it is for any age. it's a great page turner.
This book is a thrilling read full of excitement. i love the quick pace of this book and each page makes you want to carry on, you can't stop reading.
I thought this book was very exciting and action packed, I could not put it down!
I thought this book was boring but a bit enjoyable. When i had nothing else to do.
I think this book is very interesting to read. as i read on i can't stop turning the page, it inspires me. It is a eye opener to other children to start being enthusiastic into reading. but the bad thing is i get up late because i stay up all night reading.
this book is just brill.
This is a really gripping book based on the Mayan prophecy of the end of the world in 2012. After Josh's father's mysterious death in Mexico Josh sets of on a quest to find out more about his father's death. It is quite a difficult read but a good one and in a series which i am sure will be just as good as Invisible city. Although it says ages 9+ on the back I would say it is more suitable for children a few years older.
I loved Invisible city because the story twists and turns in every way possible and is also historically correct in some places. When the rest of the series is in the library i am DEFINITELY going to read them!!!
This was a great book. I loved it, i've now borrowed all the books in the series from the school library and they are all great i have looked at your website and i can't wait for dark parallel to come out thank you for writing such a good book at the moment I am on the third zero moment.
great book
This story is interesting right from the start, the title gives the reader a sense of adventure. The Joshua Files are a series of books, starting with Invisible City, then Ice Shock, then Zero Moment, then finely Dark Parallel. The book should get 1,000,000 stars but I can only give it 5! It keeps you on your toes for the entire book, the main character is a brave and heroic boy Joshua that will not believe that his dad was killed in a plane crash in Mexico because he fell asleep at the control. He wants to find out the truth.
An EPIC adventure that builds up tension more and more a great book! !!!!!!!!!!!!READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was quite good, i recommend it to people who like long books. After you have read this book there are more books that go with this series!
The Joshua files: Invisible city is a thrilling read full of sudden plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the book. It is a good example of M G Harris' writing capabilities he is a relatively new author to me and has succeeded in impressing me. The Gamma ray Explosion part is impossible however, as gamma rays have no magnetic charge, and Anti-Gravity is impossible. I hope M G Harris tidies up his facts in future novels.
The book is so amazing and i would like to recommend it to all people that like a laugh and like a lot of action this has to be a 100000000000000000 star rating it's the best book I've eva read thank you people that gave out free books to my class ^^^^^^^^^^(READ, THIS ,BOOK)^^^^^^^^^^
A boy called Josh is trying to find out how his dad died. He died in an air crash flying home from Calakmul in mexico. Josh is also looking for his dads last document. The main characters in the story are Josh and his dad, they are very believable in the story.
My favourite character is Josh because he is a similar age, I can relate to him especially as he also experiences a burgulary like I did a few years ago. So far, my favourite part is when sadly Josh's dad dies and leaves a trail of mystery, so as you need to read on. My least favourite part was when again it gets very sad , as Josh's mum gets rushed to hospital as she has a breakdown. So far I think that i would recommend this book as it is very captivating, its one of those books that you cannot stop reading. I really recommend it.
This book by M.G Harris is one of the many books in the Joshua Files series. I decided to write a book review because this series is so popular that I feel the responsibility to engage even more readers into its incredible plot.
The story is about a Joshua’s dad dying in a plane crash in Mexico. The police said that he fell asleep at the controls, but Joshua refuses to believe this. His mum is taken by the hands of grief and doesn’t contradict what the police had said. Therefore it was down to Joshua to find out the mystery of his dad’s death. Was it murder? At least Joshua thinks so. He then finds out that someone is interested in priceless Inca figures. Exactly what his dad was looking for! In the story, Joshua goes on a mission to find the murderer...
The main character is Joshua, a heroic boy who takes it as his duty to find the mystery of his father’s death. I think he is believable because it is completely possible that your dad dies. What is less believable is the way Joshua reacts. For example: An anonymous robber broke into his house when Joshua walked in and then as soon as Joshua sees that something is wrong, he fights the robber which is maybe too brave to be true at only 11 years of age. Well, he is the hero of the story!
My favourite character has to be Joshua. He is heroic and extremely brave, but most of all, he keeps calm in situations of threat. Also, he doesn’t get big-headed about his achievements; he just keeps his head down and carries on as normal. He is like me in the way that he has experienced a tragic loss. My loss was when my granddad's dog died... Joshua’s loss is his dad dying... Joshua’s loss is bigger, I have to admit.
My favourite part in Invisible city is the scene when the robber breaks in and has a big fight with Joshua. The robber ran away and Joshua chased him but he failed to catch him. I like this scene most because it has lots of action which is my favourite kind of genre. Also, it gets your adrenalin pumping and you find yourself hoping that the villain, in this case the robber, gets caught by the heroic character (Joshua).
My least favourite part in this book is at the beginning when nothing is happening-equilibrium (balanced). I didn’t enjoy this part as you feel like nothing is going to happen in the whole book. This part makes you want to leave your book and go and watch television. Luckily, this section is short so when you are reading, you only have to read 20 pages and you are straight into the action. Unfortunately, books need to begin with equilibrium according to Todorov’s theory. In addition to this, equilibrium helps us know what the character is like.
I would recommend this book to people who really enjoy books packed to the brim with action but also don’t mind a slow start and extremely sad events. I personally loved this book and if the start was faster, I believe it would have the potential to be one of best teenage targeted book in the whole world. Overall, this story is very strong. It is well written and it is written in a way that you can interact with the characters; feel their feelings, know what they are thinking etc. But on the other hand, it has a slow, boring start. I would therefore rate it 3 and a ½ out of 5. Not bad!
it's a really cool book
The story Invisible city is about a boy named Joshua and one day he gets a phone call from home saying that his dad is dead and the moment he hears those words he knows that it isnt just a coincidence! So he sets out on an adventure to try to descover the mystery of his father's death and in doing so also finds out that when you are trying to uncover a murder that there are alot of people trying to kill you and some people that you think are friends might not be!
I love this book and i recommend it to people 11-12-13 years of age!
My book is called 'The Joshua Files: Invisible City' this book is writen by M G Harris. It is about Joshua and his dead dad. Joshua was 12 years old when his dad died. His dad died by a tree falling on him. When he did die Josh was really upset but he never wanted to go to his funeral. I think he didn't want to go to the funeral because he was so upset about his dad dying and he didn't want to see him get put in the ground. I think this is a book rated for the ages 10 - 14. I think it will be a good age group because of all the use of words they have used and because of all the killing and dying in it, people under 10 will get to upset.
The book book is called INVISIBLE CITY. The book is about a boy named Josh who is around my age say 10 or 11. He is living a pretty awesome life untill his father is killed in an aircrash in mexico. Was it a tragic accident or was it something else? This book is a compelling and fun and pacy, it is definitely worth a read.
Invisible city is very good. i like the part where somone breaks into joshua's house. i thought it is very good how booked up are giving free books to people and they have a very good seletion. most people went with uncle monty tales of terror or the crowfield curse.
it was an exciting book, i got into it quickly.
i think that all boys and girls would love this book and recommend it to anyone who loves action and adventure
Invisible City is the best. Every chapter you read you want to find out more.
I think the joshua files is a good adventurous book, I think that it is a typical boy's spiy and mischief book. In parts of the book it's very sad like when his dad dies, also when his mum goes mad. I think that it gives a bit of a bad influence on children, about the part when he arranges to meet someone online in a chatroom in the local library. But overall it's a very entertaining and adventurous book
It's a really good book and i can't wait to read the rest
this book is full of surprises
I think this book is a mysterious book at the start because it doesn't actually tell you how Josh's dad dies. The start is like a prequel to the middle and ending. A really interesting book it makes you want to read it further because it's very mysterious. A really amazing book.
If you want to find a good book to read, this is for you! Action packed page turner with a definite Five star category! Brilliant!
Very good futuristic adventure book. A must read.
I have really enjoyed reading this book, I can't wait to read on. It's a great thriller with lots of action. His dad dies and his house gets burgled and that's only what happens in the first forty pages. It is a heart stopping adventure with unpredictable twists and turns. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good action packed thriller.
I think it is going to be a good book. I haven't read it all yet but what I have read it is amazing!
Great!! As it says on the back: The best thriller you'll read this year. I recommend for people interested in thrillers, EG. Anthony Horowitz. Brilliant page-turner.
A GREAT book, a real page turner, a real adventure.
In 100 pages it has more action than two Harry Potter books. I recommend it to action and sci-fi fans alike.
A fantastic book with a stunning adventure - a heart stopping adventure as they say!!!
I love adventure/action and scary stories and I love this one . Everyone in my year group thinks it is boring but as they say never judge a book by its cover!!!!
The book is a really good book as i am reading it myself, it is full of adventure and you would enjoy reading this book it is like one great book!!!
I would recommend this book to anybody who likes a good thick book, jam packed with action.
Is it like Alex Rider and the Cherub series if it is im getting it.
Very good action on every page basically a thrill on every page i rate it **** stars
It is a good and scary book
A real thriller. You can't put it down.
I would recommend invisible city to anyone who loves action, adventure, and a nice thick book! It will have you hooked and you won't be able to put it down!
Invisible City is a real page turner and I would recommend it to boys and girls who love an adventure.
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