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Anne Loader McGee

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The Mystery at Marlatt Manor (2011) 4 eksemplarer

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How would you react if you had evidence that a dead person was trying to tell you something? Thirteen-year-old Mallory Gilmartin has had to move with her mom Lorna and older brother Ron from their home in Philadelphia, PA, to the small community of Cedar Creek, VA, after her father leaves the family and her mother finds a job there. It is Lorna’s old hometown, and Mallory likes being near her grandmother Aggie but misses all her old friends in Philadelphia. The Gilmartins rent a cottage which is part of a deserted estate, the Lawrence Marlatt Manor, from which the young Marlatt daughter, Violet, had disappeared some fifty years before following a party. Some think that the mansion is haunted.
All Mallory really wants to do is to go back to Philadelphia, but strange things start happening in Cedar Creek. Mallory sees a light in the top window of the empty manor. Then she starts having sudden nightmares in which a voice calls for her help. There also seems to be some sort of collusion to sell the old house going on among a stranger from New York named Lionel Simpkins who drives a maroon car and almost runs Mallory down, the old Marlatt caretaker Albert Hampton, real estate agent Artemis Wurly, and even the assistant bank manager Roger Dunslop who just happens to be Mrs. Gilmartin’s new boss. With the help of Aggie and her new friend Kyle Johnson, will Mallory be able to solve the mystery? And is the ghost of Violet Marlatt trying to tell her something?
This middle grade mystery has a touch of the gothic woven into the plot. The story moves along well and easily holds the reader’s interest. The manuscript was a finalist for the Bloom Award in 2010. Mallory does disobey her mother’s instructions to keep away from the Marlatt place. However, she says that she hates disobeying her mom, and in the end when Lorna asks her about it, Mallory replies, “I really struggled with that, but I finally decided that I just had to help…solve this mystery….You tell me to use good judgment when I make decisions, so I hope you see that was what I was trying to do. I’m sorry if I let you down though.” Her mother responds by saying, “You did well, and I think we can work out an equitable punishment.” There may be some who object to books, even fiction, which contain psychic or paranormal activities, but for those who just like a good ghost story The Mystery at Marlatt Manor will be an enjoyable read.
… (mere)
 
Markeret
Homeschoolbookreview | 1 anden anmeldelse | Jul 7, 2011 |
A Scary Mystery

Mallory Gilmartin, uprooted by divorce from her Philadelphia home, is transplanted to rural Virginia. Cedar Creek is a complete bore and its middle school doesn’t even have a girls’ baseball team. Everything changes fast when a sports car forces the thirteen-year-old cyclist off the road and into a ditch as it speeds away from the spooky house on the hill.

Soon after, Mallory’s mom tells her about Violet Marlatt, a missing teen who disappeared 50 years ago from that mansion during a party, and was never seen again. That night, Mallory sees a flickering light in the deserted house followed by the silhouette of a girl. Could that be Violet’s ghost?

Anne Loader McGee brings us a fast paced middle school novel, The Mystery at Marlatt Manor, as teen sleuth Mallory uncovers the mystery of the missing girl and the weird people that seem to be hunting for a possible lost treasure.

Along the way, McGee introduces us to a cast of quirky characters. First, there’s Grandma Aggie, who would rather ride a motorcycle, skydive, or delve into forensic science than sit in a rocker and knit. There’s also Kyle, an 8th grade nerd who wears checkered pants; Roger Dunlop, a grumpy banker; and Albert Hampton, Marlatt Manor’s creepy caretaker.

Coupled with all this, Aggie may lose her beloved home and Mallory has strange dreams that may be the key to solving everyone’s problems, including the manor’s mystery.

If you like suspense, psychic ability, and a scary story, The Mystery at Marlatt Manor is for you. Just beware, once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop until you reach the surprising climax.
… (mere)
 
Markeret
writinghigh | 1 anden anmeldelse | Apr 13, 2011 |

Statistikker

Værker
1
Medlemmer
4
Popularitet
#1,536,815
Vurdering
½ 4.5
Anmeldelser
2
ISBN
1