Richard Newsome was born in Wanganui, New Zealand, and now lives in Brisbane with his wife and three children. He won the inaugural Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing for The Billionaire's Curse, which grew out of stories he made up for his children at bedtime - tales of kids getting up to mischief, tackling puzzles and solving crimes. The Emerald Casket is the second book in The Billionaire Trilogy and winner of the prestigious Esther Glen Medal.
`An irresistibly fun-tastic tale that's virtually guaranteed to keep youngsters reading, chuckling and desperately waiting for the next book in the series.' * Independent Weekly * `Newsome has created aripping whodunit-style yarn for young adults.' * Sunday Age * `The big kid in me couldn't stop reading...Newsome is going to keep a lot of kids up late at night, torch under the covers and fingernails chewed to the first knuckle.' * James Maloney * `Filled with secret passageways and deadly booby traps, you'll be on the edge of your seat!' * K-Zone * 'Weird dreams, kidnapping, attacks by bandits, hectic chases and eerie explorations in archaeological sites...slapstick humour, verbal wit and a pervasive spirit of youthful exuberance.' * Magpies * `A rollicking good yarn.' * Weekend Herald *