With a name like Hitchcock, the expectation of a good mystery is a given. While there may be no actual relation to the man who set the boundary high, Fleur Hitchcock has pushed it higher still with her incredible writing and brilliant mysteries for young readers.
I devour mysteries, both in book, movie and TV series- anything with mystery, murder or whodunnit in the title and I am there. There is even a reference to one of my all time favourite mystery shows In Waiting for Murder. Main character Dan is encouraged to watch Murder She Wrote instead of investigating the mystery in the village.
Dan and his archaeologist mum are staying in a local cottage, while she unearths old bones in the hopes they belong to Edith the Fair. While Mum is digging, the reservoir is being drained to save and repair the dam. Long buried secrets emerge from the water and Dan and new friend Florence are caught directly in the midst of it. The entire village is shaken with news of the discovery of a car and human remains.
The more Dan and Florence learn about a local family and their ties to the car, the more secrets emerge and danger they find themselves in. Dan and his mum, are in particular danger but who is responsible and what are they searching for or trying to hide?
With plenty of thrills and chills, this action packed adventure will have hearts pumping and brains leaping to conclusions all the while being thrown twists and turns along the way. With bales of hay, swarms of bees and falling trees, Dan needs to be careful! Can he figure it all out before the dam breaks and before he gets seriously injured?
The cover and title text set this story up perfectly and create the scene for readers. The cover artwork is by Robert Ball and it is amazing, very apt for a mystery!
My Shelves Are Full 