Elliot's central character is 12-year-old "Snow" Goodison who works for Mr Schmidt the butcher.
This adult reader was highly impressed with Elliot's attention to detail and his ability to re-create the Whanganui of 100 years ago.
But what does the target audience think?
Whanganui Intermediate student, 12-year-old Calum Sinclair, read the book and had this to say:
"Night of the Riot is very interesting and it definitely makes for a different reading experience when you know the area in which it's set well.
"Also discovering it was based on a true story gave me a shock as I never knew that the sinking of the Lusitania had quite such an effect on Whanganui and its people.
"I particularly enjoyed learning some of the history involved and whenever I go down Victoria Ave I try to guess where Mr Schmidt's shop stood.
"In all, I really liked Night of the Riot and I would absolutely recommend it."
The addition of a beautifully drawn map of central Whanganui circa 1915 by Melissa Elliot at the front of the book is a real bonus for the reader.
Elliot is the author of more than a dozen books and was the 2012 NZ Post Children's Book Awards Book of the Year winner with Nice Day for a War: Adventures of a Kiwi soldier in WWI.