A Study in Scarlet (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
by Arthur Conan Doyle
ISBN: 0140439080

Price: USD 9.00
88 used & new available from USD 0.10

Dr. Watson agrees to share an apartment with Mr. Sherlock Holmes to save money. Soon he learns that Holmes is the only consulting detective in London and can make accurate logical deductions from even the smallest details. When a man is murdered and even Scotland Yard cannot find a clue, Holmes and Watson set out to untangle the threads and get to the bottom of the mystery, beginning the classic stories about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

This is undoubtedly an interesting story and a good mystery. There’s enough detail here that even though I’ve read it several times I still pick up on something new each time. You’ll find yourself trying to make Holmes’ deductions before he does as the plot thickens. I’ve marked this for advanced readers because the second half of the story is a bit disturbing, though not gruesome. An exciting introduction to one of literature’s greatest detectives.

A Penny for Your Thoughts (The Million Dollar Mysteries, Book 1) (Paperback)
by Mindy Starns Clark
ISBN: 0736909923

Price: $0.01
75 used & new available from USD 0.10

In this first of the Million Dollar Mysteries, Callie Webber is on her way home from a charity donation when her mysterious boss asks her to stop off and deliver two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to an old friend of his.
Callie, with her background in private investigations and law, is very loth to just hand over that much money to anyone without checking up on them first. After all, it’s her job to investigate anyone who requests a grant from her boss’s foundation. But she agrees, and grudgingly heads off to Feed the Need with the check. All she can think about is getting home and enjoying her dog Sal—until the head of Feed the Need is murdered.

A Penny for Your Thoughts is very well written with lots of suspense and action! And it has one of those “gotcha” endings that, when you think about it, you should have been able to catch! I love those. Actually, the whole series has the delightful distinction of being written by a Christian author, and starring a Christian main character. I wouldn’t recommend it for younger readers, though. Like every murder mystery, there are some unsavory people and events, as well as a teensy bit of mature content. Happily, that latter is not over the top, nor held up as good. I find these books so refreshing after wading through several secular series.

Cat Among the Pigeons (Cat Royal Adventures (Hardback)) (Hardcover)
by Julia Golding
ISBN: 1596433523

Price: $0.01
39 used & new available from USD 0.10

Pedro, Cat Royal’s good friend, is finally settling into his new life in the Theatre Royal after the events in the first book, The Diamond of Drury Lane. All seems well, until Pedro’s former master appears and claims Pedro as his rightful property. Cat is determined to stop the dangerous man from taking away her friend, but with old enemies looming on the horizon she finds it much harder than she ever imagined.

Another Cat story well told. The style is quite enjoyable, and the authoress paints a very vivid picture of life in Britain in 1790. However. I would not give this book to anyone under thirteen, and I would think twice before recommending it to anyone under fifteen. The nasty language increased drastically—both in amount and stoutness—and some of the subject matter is on the border line of being uncomfortable, especially for younger readers. These books excite the adventurer in me, but I really don’t want to get hooked on books focusing on gangs, in which the heroine winds up risking jail because of her actions. It’s a clear picture of life in the streets, but not something I want to be filling my head with nonstop.

The Diamond of Drury Lane (Cat Royal Adventures) (Paperback)
by Julia Golding
ISBN: 0312561237

Price: USD 7.99
54 used & new available from USD 0.11

Catherine “Cat” Royal is a streetwise orphan who lives in the theatre at Drury Lane. As London is in an uproar over the French Revolution, Cat is thrust into dangerous political intrigue when Mr. Sheridan, the owner of Drury Lane Theatre, entrusts Cat with the secret that a diamond is hidden in the theatre. If that wasn’t enough, a London gang finds out and will stop at nothing to make Cat reveal the diamond’s location.

This book has a plot full of intrigue and mystery that will keep you turning pages until the final twist. Julia Golding masterfully describes both the gentry and commoners and their feelings about the rise of liberty. Though I did figure out the main plot thread before it was revealed, I was quite surprised by a number of places in the story. One little warning: The Diamond of Drury Lane takes place mostly on and around the streets of 18th century London. The very dirty streets of 18th century London. Get the picture? Other than that (and it’s really quite minor), this one’s a definite keeper.

Nightmare’s Edge (Echoes from the Edge) (Paperback)
by Bryan Davis
ISBN: 0310715563

Price: USD 10.39
68 used & new available from USD 0.93

Due to events that can only be understood by reading the first two books, Nathan Shepherd must travel to the dream world to find his father. Preventing Interfinity, a merging of the three Earths, is his goal. But events take a turn for the worst as previously-safe Earth Red heads back into a collision course. Nathan must decide between sacrificing the remaining supplicants (the strange powers behind dimensional mirror travel), playing the giant violin that previously almost killed him, or a third option which may be the most dangerous of all.

Hold onto your hat as you read this final installment! Themes of sacrifice, courage, and love are demonstrated over and over before your eyes as the story races to its conclusion. We finally learn the answers to most of the mysteries from the previous books. The ending is satisfying, yet things feel a bit rushed as the final chapter hurtles to a close. I was more emotionally involved in the previous two books than I was in Nightmare’s Edge, but with so much ground to cover it’s no wonder.

Eternity’s Edge (Echoes from the Edge) (Paperback)
by Bryan Davis
ISBN: 0310715555

Price: USD 10.98
83 used & new available from USD 0.10

Despite all hinderances, Mictar’s scheme is rolling forward and Interfinity approaches—bringing with it destruction. Nathan and Kelly must renew their efforts to stop the evil stalker, but there is already so much to repair, and Nathan’s parents still need rescuing. With the help of their friends, they travel between the dimensions to put a complex plan into action. Mysteries abound, new pieces of the puzzle come into play, and Nathan is faced with increasingly difficult choices.

The setup of the multiple dimensions and multiple characters in the first book, Beyond the Reflection’s Edge, serves to keep you oriented during Eternity’s Edge, but you’ll still need to keep your wits about you to stay on top of the twists and turns of this roller-coaster of a book. It really is incredible, and I enjoyed just as much—if not more—than I did the trilogy’s starter. I love the way music continues to tie into the story, and some of the new explored places are fascinating. But the characters are what really keep me reading. Can’t wait for the conclusion to be found in upcoming Nightmare’s Edge!

The Thief Lord (Paperback)
by Cornelia Funke, Oliver Latsch
ISBN: 043942089X

Price: $0.01
590 used & new available from USD 0.10

Prosper and Bo are orphans. Their aunt Esther wants to adopt Bo, but not Prosper, so the boys run away to Venice to escape being separated. There they join a gang of other orphaned children, led by a boy who calls himself The Thief Lord. Things get interesting when a strange man commissions the kids to steal a wooden wing for him, and Esther hires a detective to track down her nephews.

At first glance this story is quite simplistic. But wait until you get about a hundred pages in, and you have a very complex book in your hands. Nothing is really as it seems here. Unfortunately, near the end the story takes a completely unexpected turn toward fantasy, which while interesting and clever, is also confusing without any foreshadowing. Other than that, though, The Thief Lord is worth reading.

Freddy and Simon the Dictator (Freddy Books) (Hardcover)
by Walter R. Brooks
ISBN: 1585673595

Price: USD 23.95
51 used & new available from USD 12.00

When a young rabbit talks back to Mr. Bean, Freddy and Jinx know something’s up. When they follow the clues to a rebellious meeting of animals bent on taking over New York, they realize something is terribly wrong. But Freddy is unable to do anything right away, since his old friend Mr. Camphor needs help getting out of a nomination for governor. Then when he gets back, Jinx has turned traitor! Freddy has his hands full as the revolution begins…

Freddy and Simon the Dictator could possibly be one of the funniest Freddy books ever written! In this day and age, the political satire is welcome and hilarious. As the comedy continues, the story warps into perhaps the most sinister plot Walter Brooks ever wrote for Freddy, but the light-hearted humor is still around. As is always the case with these books, the person reading aloud will have more fun than the child being read to.

The Golden Goblet (Newbery Library, Puffin) (Paperback)
by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
ISBN: 0140303359

Price: USD 6.99
311 used & new available from USD 0.10

Ranofer, a young Egyptian boy, wants nothing more than to become a goldsmith like his father was. But his cruel half-brother Gebu has other plans, and soon Ranofer is bound to a dreary life in the stonecutter’s shop. When suspicious acts of Gebu’s turn up, though, Ranofer—with the help of his only two friends, Heqet and The Ancient One—determines to prove Gebu guilty. Dangers await, but Ranofer is willing to risk everything for his freedom.

The Golden Goblet impressed me as a very good book. It’s easy to get caught up in Ranofer’s plight, sympathizing with him and wondering how it will turn out. It also provides a neat look into ancient Egypt and what things were like then, yet it does so without distracting from the story at all. I’d say it’s an excellent read, and definitely worthwhile.

Beyond the Reflection’s Edge (Echoes from the Edge) (Paperback)
by Bryan Davis
ISBN: 0310715547

Price: USD 10.98
97 used & new available from USD 0.10

When his spy father and musical mother are found dead and he has to go into a witness protection program, Nathan Shepherd is left with only a few clues about what happened to his parents. A mysterious mirror in a strange box left him in his father’s will leads Nathan to the conclusion that his parents are really alive. But with this realization comes the discovery of some very weird parallel universes (yes, I did say universes), dragging Nathan and his new friend/sister Kelly into a mystery which only becomes more complicated as they unravel it.

Because of the complexities of the plot, you’ll have to stay focused to finish Beyond the Reflection’s Edge. It really is so complicated, intriguing, and fast-paced that I couldn’t stop thinking about the story, even when I wasn’t reading it. The characters come across as very real, and Nathan especially inspired me in a positive way. This is definitely a new entry on my favorites list, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the next one!