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All Books by Tom Gnagey
Pen names are designated by the following initials <
TG - Tom Gnagey - action/adventure, general fiction
GF - Garrison Flint - mysteries/suspense
MM - Marc Miller, ghost writer - supernatural goings on in the hills of NW Arkansas
DD- David Drake - children and teens
JH - John Hammond - teens - action/romances
(Refer to the brown initials at the beginning of each listing below)
DD 10 to 14 SAGE OF THE CALIBRATORS: BOOK ONE Tommy Powers (an almost 13 year old orphan) has never really been what you would call a typical kid, but when he meets the ancient Sage who helps him discover his awesome super powers there can be no doubt about it. He learns that he belongs to a race of special beings – the Calibrators – whose secret mission in life it to keep the World safe from evil forces.
In Book One the wise old sage (and his 13 year old alter ego, Gus) help Tommy learn to control and use his magical abilities. In the process, he comes face to face with Antipathy, an evil being with super powers who is intent on destroying mankind. With no help at hand, inexperienced Tommy has to try to hand the villain alone. Tommy has lots of adventures and numerous, interesting, discussions with his friends about growing up and what it really means to be happy and to live a good life.
DD 10 to 14 REPLACEMENT KID: One dark, cold, November night, twelve-year old Zach is dumped, kicking and screaming, into the county orphanage. With his mother suddenly gone, he begins testing a relationship with the wise, old, white-bearded handyman. Rocky at first, it develops into a loving friendship. Zach systematically undermines the attempts to place him into foster and adoptive homes. A final crisis when his old friend is seriously injured near Christmas, helps the boy set his life straight. The story is fun, touching, and rewarding reading for all ages.
DD 10 to 14 KIDD'S GRAND ADVENTURE: Kidd, almost thirteen, and his adoptive father, who everyone calls Gramps, a recently retired teacher, are pursued cross-country by a wealthy scoundrel named Nivins, who falsely claims Kidd as his biological grandson and has vowed to kidnap him if necessary. The pair travels from one small town to another in Walooma Watooka, their comfortable, big, remodeled, blue school bus. At every stop they find people in need of their assistance and gladly provide it. Kidd begins learning about the romantic side of life and Gramps adjusts to suddenly having a young man, rather than a little boy at his side.
DD 9 TO 15 SECRETS OF THE HIDDEN VALLEY: A twelve year old boy suddenly finds himself parentless and stranded alone in a lost valley filled with Native American mysteries and magic. Two most unlikely companions join him, one ten and one fourteen. Magically transformed into Native American lads when they don their stunning buckskins, they mount their beautiful Palominos ponies and race off into one ‘day-saving’ adventure after another. The story demonstrates how positive values and dedication to helpfulness can build a happy and successful life.
DD 12 TO 18 DISASTER AT DISAPPEARING CREEK: Two teenage boys – from opposite sides of the track – in the midst of a fist fight over a girl, become trapped together in a deep, slick-walled, dark cave. The only escape is through a tiny, seemingly unreachable hole in the roof a hundred feet above. As they work toward their common goals – survival and escape – they grow to understand and appreciate each other. The story demonstrates the growth of positive values, mutual understand and appreciation.
DD 12 TO 18 KEVIN KRESS - TEEN DETECTIVE: Kevin Kress isn't a nerd, but can talk tech with the best of them. Kevin isn't a jock but holds his own in a footrace. Kevin isn't Mr. Popularity yet everyone likes him. What Kevin is, is a top notch teen detective. He and his friend, Anna, take on all challenges. In this book, Kevin relates in the first person his first 6 big cases. There are ghosts that have the kids in a panic, a robbery planned to take down the local bank, a suspicious stranger comes to town some think is there for no good, a picture of a young girl starts a major search for answers about one of his old friends, a series of code messages like spies use arrive in his mailbox, and a very old piece of jewelry holds fascinating secrets from the World War II past. Although Kevin is not always in danger, it happens often enough that his parents really don’t want to know what he’s doing.
TG 10 THRU ADULT FLIGHT! BOOK ONE: Grandpa and Grandson Adventure Series. Jason's deceased parents had been sleeper spies. With new, FBI, identities, an old man – a writer – and the terrified 12 year old begin life together in a small resort town. Although Jason quickly makes new friends a dangerous game of cat and mouse soon begins with those who seek to silence them. Initially strangers, they forge a loving family bond and find they have much to learn from each other. Lots of humor. Lots of excitement and suspense. ( See, BLUE SHADOW, book TWO in series)
TG 10 THROUGH ADULT THE CHIPPER OF OAKTON VILLA: Chip, an upbeat, 12½ year old runaway, befriends an interesting assortment of unhappy residents in a rural retirement home. Three crises confront them: should they contact the authorities about the homeless, unsupervised child; how can they handle the imminent foreclosure on the home; and Chip going missing in the midst of a terrible blizzard. Some will read it as an upbeat winter holiday story. Others will see it as a study of relationships in which everybody grows and benefits. Either way it presents a heartwarming story of life's contrasts: youth with age, happiness with despair, tragedy with triumph.
TG 10 THROUGH ADULT The RIPPLES of Life: a story of hope and renewal
This is another of the author’s beloved, sensitive contrasts between a young person adrift and an eccentric, older character. The story is set around and about the winter holidays in a northern Midwestern city. When, on a cold, snowy, December night, the world of a wise and generous old man collides with that of a bright, fifteen year old runaway boy, wonderful changes begin taking place. It restores their faith – the old man in youth and the life he has lived; the boy in himself and his future. Good conversations abound. It is an entertaining and meaningful read for young adults and adults (12 and older).
TG 13 THROUGH ADULT FAMILY PORTRAIT: This is a story of two romances – one is of a teenage boy and the other of his single mother. The youngster struggles with the mysteries and wonders of first love and the mother basks in the revelations and wonders of her new, but mature love. It is a story of contrasts and a story of similarities. Interwoven is a suspenseful series of events in which the woman’s former man friend strikes out violently against her and her son. The new family grows strong and secure through the adversity.
TG 10 THROUGH ADULT CROSSROAD: At the isolated, Crossroads Cafe, Jake, a revenge-filled, retired man, meets Tommy, a troubled teenager who was recently suspended from school for continued misbehavior. Jake is searching for the teen, who, in a drunken stupor, killed his family in a car accident several years before and believes Tommy can help him find the boy. As weeks pass, the long-term focus changes for them both. New priorities blossom and although in the end the culprit is found, the original purpose of the search fades into the background. There are two interesting supporting characters - Tommy’s old, sick, grandfather who owns the café and the boy’s tutor, an attractive, retirement age woman. And, of course, the caseworker from Family Services who tries her best to put Tommy into foster care.
TG 13 THROUGH 17 FOUR ENCOUNTERS: This volume contains four stories featuring teenagers. In SEEKING JOHNNY DOE, a boy, who has never known who his parents were, bravely sets out to learn about them with the help of his best friend forever – Bernadette. In THE ELM TREE PACT a group of self-proclaimed misfits – boys and girls - decide it is time to end their miserable lives. Lots of good conversation. In A PAIR OF KINGS, a runaway teen boy meets a reclusive old man. They learn that they share a very special bond as they work together to clear themselves of separate murder charges. They must rely on the boy’s internet and computer skills because they can’t show themselves. The fourth story, Justin and the Janitor, presents a strange relationship between a troubled teenage boy and the janitor at his new high school. It examines love and hate, kindness and revenge. This volume explores a wide range of important topics, includes great, teen-approved, stories, and lots of things to think about.
TG 12 THROUGH ADULT THOMAS TRENT - CRIME SCENE PHOTOGRAPHER: Thomas Trent – single, mid-thirties, crime photographer – and his wheelchair bound, independent-minded, 15 year old sidekick and computer whizz, Dante, find themselves entangled in mystery after mystery. Lieutenant Miller reluctantly gives them wide leeway to conduct their investigations. They maintain a stream of humorous, playful, banter. Thoughtfully exciting, city-based stories support a mutually beneficial, partnership.
TG 13 THROUGH ADULT LAVENDER GARDENIA: This volume holds a collection of seven of the author’s finest little pieces of mystery, intrigue and suspense. They span the range from short short stories to a short novel. Many are complete with the twists and turns for which his writing is well known. The longest features a college professor who is accused of murder and is assisted via the internet and burn phones by two students from his criminal justice course. He is also guided through the ins and out of surviving in a violent slum, where he goes to hide, by a young, extremely savvy street kid. It explores his feelings about life and commitment and showcases the skills he honed as a police detective earlier in life. Other stories feature tales about committing the perfect crime, a mentally challenged man racing to call off a hit he had set up on himself, a deathbed confession from an unlikely source, and a group of high school alumni attempting to prank one of their former classmates who, as a teen, had fancied himself a detective of some skill. BuyPaperBack
TG 17 THROUGH ADULT THE WEAVING OF LELONIA: This chronicle portrays a timeless allegory. In this telling, the events transpire in the tiny, sovereign, country of Lelonia, which has languished in turmoil for decades. The call goes out for citizens to submit plans to rebirth the country. A pair of unconventional teenagers takes up the challenge. They hike their country listening and observing to determine the problems and discover the positive possibilities. They experience real dangers in a lawless land, the anguish and terror of the homeless, hungry, children, and witness the atrocities of the Despicables – amoral roaming bands of bandits. The story follows the rebuilding for several decades. Weaving is a think piece designed to question things thought to be inviolable and to suggest things often tossed aside without thoughtful, unbiased, investigation. It presents possibilities for serious consideration.
TG 13 THROUGH ADULT TWISTS AND TURNS: This is a collection of 32 of the author’s short, short, stories – each of which offers an unanticipated twist or turn. They run the gambit from the cozy old lady tales, through a few mysteries, pure absurdity, to several feel good pieces. There are even a few entries that might be classified as science fiction. The reader will find lots of quick reads for those ‘times between’. These stories represent a selection of the Author’s personal favorites. He hopes they become yours.
TG 15 THROUGH ADULT THE SEASON OF LOVE: This book includes fourteen stories, which proclaim the power of love. Helping others feel good is often the most powerful demonstration of love one has available. These stories represent what the author calls ‘Feel Good’ pieces. Traditionally, the period of the winter holidays is a Season of Love – a time we reflect on how the world is better because of the power of love. Included are five holiday stories – originally the author’s Holiday Cards from the past several years. The other nine stories also fulfill the mission of defining and illustrating love. Many include children paired with old folks – a natural setting for love to blossom.
TG 15 THROUGH ADULT MILIEU: A METHOD OF WRITING Milieu is a step by step tutorial, which describes and illustrates a fascinating and exciting method for writing stories and novels. Simplified, the method involves defining one character, placing him in a milieu (setting) and let the story develop on its own. Characters are added as they are required. It is helpful to know the main character’s back-story, some idea as to the conflicts that will be acted out (the driving force or forces), and typically – ion general, at least – how the story will end. The writing proceeds without an outline, allowing the characters to drive the story. In this book, the author writes a short novel to illustrate the approach and goes into great detail about how each aspect arrived and why and how the word choices, sentence styles, and related aspects came to be.
TG 16 THROUGH ADULTS (PARENTS) TROUBLE-PROOFING KIDS:This is a step by step, value-based training program for parents, showing how to raise or retrain children to stay out of trouble forever. In simple terms and with abundant real-life illustrations, the book presents both the necessary philosophy and developmental psychology needed to lead youngsters toward a trouble free life. The author lists those values that seem to typically produce trouble-prone youngsters and contrasts them with those, which almost universally produce trouble-proofed youngsters. A special section is included to assist adolescents wanting to trouble-proof themselves.
TG 15 THROUGH ADULT DEEP MIND MASTERY presents a model of how the mind works, mind being defined as the processes that take place within the brain. It demonstrates numerous methods by which the deepest part of the mind – that part that always controls how we react and behave – can be controlled, rearranged, made more effective and even be 'rebuilt'.
BUILDING A POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY FOR LIVING presents an example of the sort of underlying positive philosophy necessary for the Deep Mind to function adequately, effectively and relatively tension and conflict free. It helps the reader find necessary questions that must be asked and answered on one’s quest for a happy, stable approach to living.
MM 13 THROUGH ADULT Book One - THE SPECTERS OF CARLTON COUNTY: Author, Marc Miller, investigates ghostly goings on in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. In this first outing (it is a series) Marc investigates the Legend of the Coward’s Patrol – six teenage Confederate soldiers recklessly dispatched by a maniacal minister on a suicide mission to ambush Yankees. Was it their ethereal souls he witnessed riding the Ozark hills by night and their mournful sobs he heard echoing through the ancient inn? He confronts mystery, intrigue and danger on his way to ferreting out the facts. The members of the community are closed mouthed. The owners of the inn seem to have some secret they must hide. The patriarch of the area makes it known that Marc is not welcome and that his safety cannot be guaranteed. The young owner of the café appears to be friendly and helpful, but is she – really
MM 13 THROUGH ADULT Book Three - THE KETTLES AND THE KEEPS - GHOSTS AS WAR: Ghost Writer, Marc Miller, arrives in Sandy Valley, an isolated area of northwest Arkansas, to mediate a dispute between warring clans of ghosts – the Kettles and the Keeps, who, in their mortal forms, have been feuding for more than a century. A pair of pre-Civil War Apparitions appears – one Kettle and one Keep – and inexplicably begin inflicting serious physical maladies on a dozen teenagers. The dispute escalates, once again turning the families against each other. Marc enlists the help of Willy, a teenager suddenly confined to a wheelchair and Jake, a ten year old who is curiously wise beyond his years.
MM 13 THROUGH ADULT Book Two - THE MALEVOLENT GHOST OF CHARLIE CHANCE: The Ozark Hills Academy, a rustic boarding school, sits atop a beautiful hill in the back country of Northwest Arkansas and serves the region’s disadvantaged 13 to 19 year old boys and girls. The area had once been owned by the long dead Charlie Chance, a known hater of children and progress. During each Devil’s Darkness (the convergence of the dark of the mood and a strong, warm, southerly breeze) the Ghost of old Charlie selects a student and then sucks the soul from his being, leaving him dead and bereft of an afterlife. Mark Miller, hoping to write Charlie’s story, arrives to investigate. The Ghost appears and raises havoc in an apparent attempt to get the writer to leave. It becomes a ‘good ghost/bad ghost’ quandary for Marc and the several young people who work alongside the writer to bring the matter to a safe conclusion. Danger, intrigue, and suspense abound.
TG ADULTS (PARENTS) THE ONE RULE PLAN FOR FAMILY HAPPINESS: One Rule! Sound too good to be true? Not at all. This is a practical, easy to read and follow training manual for parents, stressing values and rule reduction. Parents learn how to build a family life plan based on their own personal values – not those of the author. It all boils down to one simple rule that speeds the responsibility for appropriate development among all the family members. A tried and proven, very simple, everyone wins approach to improving family happiness. It includes lots of basic psychological and educational information all parents need to be aware of and master.
MM 13 THROUGH ADULT Book Five - THE GHOSTS OF RUTHERFORD MANSION: A hundred years before this story unfolds, a teenage couple from this tiny Ozark village, was drowned while crossing a river during a storm as they eloped. The son of a miner, the boy wasn't good enough for her father – the owner of the mines – and he forbade the relationship Recently, her ghost, patiently awaiting her lover’s return, has begun appearing in a window on the second floor of the long closed mansion where she and her family had lived. The sounds of her beloved’s ghost can be heard as it continues to work the mines beneath the mansion. Marc Miller arrives to investigate the sightings and is helped by an insistent, self-appointed, young assistant. He understands he is not welcome there – so what’s new – still, he works to clear things up, solving several mysteries that come along tangential to the primary story.
MM 13 THROUGH ADULT Book Four: THE HAUNTING OF HICKORY HOLLOW: The tiny, backwoods, town of Hickory Hollow is haunted. It has been since before the Civil War. That is just the way its residents want it. They have configured a mini-theme park around the ghostly goings on and seem to have established an amicable relationship with them. Marc Miller is brought into town when mysterious accidents – some resulting in the death of local residents – begin taking place. Is it the ghostly revenge predicted by the lore? Is it a more worldly activity related to a business takeover? There are teenage ghosts swinging from ropes, bands of galloping ghostly desperadoes, and suspicious strangers. And then there is the Secret Covenant sworn to by every local resident. Hmm! The story presents a mixture of wonderful characters and, predictably, a variety of twists and turns.
GF 13 THROUGH ADULT SANITY IN SEARCH OF PETER ALEXANDER: Peter Alexander – a kind, soft spoken, bookstore manager and writer – awakens to realize the week just past has been plucked from his memory. A blackmail note suggests he was videotaped killing someone. During the following ten days he records in a journal his every thought and emotional reaction as he plays cat and mouse with the note writer – an anonymous vigilante clearly bent on killing him. The book presents the struggle, questions, terror and even humor that arise within his mind as he searches for answers while in his words, “I am moving closer and closer to that point of no return where one silently slips seamlessly from sanity into madness.”
GF 13 THROUGH ADULT RED GRASS AT TWILIGHT: In this first person account, a bright, mild-mannered, middle aged man struggles to regain his memory while being forced to evade ugly adversaries who seem determined to do him in. He is not at all certain which side of the law his antagonists are on and that leaves his own position in doubt – good guy or bad guy? Because of that uncertainty, he can’t engage the help of the usual agencies. Along the way he engages a variety of interesting characters – mostly friendly and many in need of his assistance. There are two clearly ominous figures who seem to be keeping tabs on him from the sidelines and he figures that can’t be good. From the opening page in which he ‘emerges from a dark cloud of nothingness’ possessing only two bags and an all–encompassing sense of foreboding, to the final, nail-biting, terrifying scene high atop a hotel roof, both the main character and the reader are kept guessing.
TG 13 THROUGH ADULT KIP AND THE SHRINK: Kip, a fourteen year old boy, is having some significant personal problems. His parents have sent him to see a well-known psychotherapist, Dr. Thomas. The interaction and gradual growth toward a solution is presented in a series of six scenes – therapy sessions – formatted as a play in order to maintain the powerful interchange between the two characters. Kip’s problems are severe by any measure and his dislike of the therapeutic process is obvious. They forge an interesting and beneficial – if combative – relationship. Insightful, emotional, forceful.
TG 13 THROUGH ADULT TALKING BETTER FOR FUN AND PROFIT: Do you want to get hired? Do you want to make more money? One simple change may really help you! How you speak will often determine how much money you will make. People who speak ‘formal English’ – school teacher English – tend to get promotions and raises over people who speak common English. Making just a few changes in one’s common English can make a huge difference. The secret is in knowing what changes need to be made and how to make them. That is what this manual does – directs you thorough a simple step by step program toward a speaking pattern that bosses and employers want to hear in their employees. Do you have fifteen minutes a day for Six Weeks? This program will help you turn your talking around for fun and PROFIT. (Formal English speakers are also generally believed to be smarter, more dependable and better educated.) This program is intended for English speakers.
TG 12 THROUGH ADULT RING OF THE FARJUMPERS (BOOK ONE - Little People of the Ozark Mountains):
In Book One – Ring of the Farjumpers – the lives of a mortal lad and a Little Person boy are changed forever the day the meet in the meadow and begin comparing notes on their very different Worlds. They grow to love each other, but then . . .
The books are best read in order since the story continues.
THE LITTLE PEOPLE OF THE OZARK MOUNTAINS
(In reference to the following four books in the series. Best if read in order.)
Now to an outsider, they may just seem to be part of one more fanciful folk tale, but to those of us who grew up in the Ozark Mountains The Little People are as real as you and I. Each about as tall as a grape hyacinth, they are an altruistic clan, peaceful and loving by nature, who prefer the simple, uncomplicated, candle lit life of days gone by. They go about practicing their magic in order to bring a happier life for the mortals who live nearby. Though seldom seen, their presence is often felt by those who believe. The books are written for grown-ups who still cherish the magic of days gone by.
TG 12 THROUGH ADULT MAN OF THE CLAN (BOOK TWO - Little People of the Ozark Mountains):
Book Two spends its time getting the reader acquainted with the realm of the little people, the two clans (Dewgoodabees and Callbackabees) and finds Twiggs beginning his ‘courtship’ relationship with his betrothed – Cinnamon. Twiggs begins writing an in-depth book trying to explain ‘Mortals to his fellow Little People (a less than easy task!). The books are best read in order since the story continues.
TG 12 THROUGH ADULT THE AMBASSADOR AND THE TOUCHPERSON (BOOK THREE - Little People of the Ozark Mountains):
TTwiggs and Jay begin their official meetings between the two realms. Their friendship continues to grow and to enhance both of their lives – both of their worlds. It follows them to Twiggs’ 17th birthday, which is just one week before his wedding to Cinnamon.
The books are best read in order since the story continues.
TG 12 THROUGH ADULT TWIGGS AND CINNAMON (BOOK FOUR - Little People of the Ozark Mountains):
With marriage come all the problems and delights that accompany the early days of every marriage. They find love, adventure, challenges and risks. In the end, Twiggs is summoned before a special session of the Council of Elders – not usually a good thing!
The books are best read in order since the story continues.
TG 11 THROUGH ADULT ART AND MILLY MONTAGUE: GOLDEN AGE DETECTIVES Art and Milly Montague, who have been married for sixty of their eighty plus years, find themselves caught up in one mystery after another – the hanging ghost that seems bent on tightening his noose around their necks, way too many deadly falls from the rim of a canyon close to their Rocky Mountain home, a plot to steal precious government documents, and a death threat delivered in an esoteric code. With the help of ever-bickering Rusty and Becky, the bright, loveable twelve year old twins next door, they go about investigating and solving the crimes in and around the little village of Dingle Dell. The local sheriff gives them a pretty free hand in their investigations. They face life’s problems and pleasures with good will, a positive attitude and a wonderful measure of good humor. The stories are as much about the wonderful characters as bringing the bad guys to justice – although they are as perceptive a bunch of sleuths as have ever graced the pages of a mystery.
THE RAYMOND MASTERS DETECTIVE RAYMOND MASTERS (Best if read in order)
Portly Raymond Masters – a retired big city detective – regularly finds himself drawn into murder mysteries that require his widely respected expertise. Given to dry wit and a penchant for puns, the kindly old detective remains faithful to the who-done-it tradition while quietly offering his wise, compassionate, countenance to the fascinating characters involved in each case. He delights in his own foibles. A youngster often surfaces to assist him, making the family friendly stories attractive to a wide age range. The twist is reserved for the final paragraphs. Readers see every aspect of each case through the eyes and mind of Detective Masters – who appears in every scene. They are thereby privy to all the clues he uncovers and most of the thoughts and hypotheses he formulates as he hones his keen perceptions toward the final solution. The story lines are fresh and unusual. The characters are unique and often quirky. The stories move on crisp dialogue supported by well configured descriptive passages, which help the reader comfortably envision the setting. All of this is wrapped in wonderful words and well-drawn phrases.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE MURDERS AT FAIRFIELD HEIGHTS (Book One) Fairfield Heights, a century old mansion, offers a haunting presence as it sits high atop a dreary, rock strewn, sharp-sloped, hill. The ailing, ninety-two year old billionaire, Jasper Fairfield, gathers his heirs for the disbursement of his fortune. One by one they are murdered. Is it the help hoping to maintain their hold on the property? Is it one of the sons; Farley, certifiably deranged, or Chester, the seldom serious laugh machine? Or how about the two adult grandchildren: Bernice, single, well educated, self-centered; or Cliff, the one truly sane-appearing individual in the lot. Maybe it is Cliff's fifteen year old son, who quietly seethes underneath his affable demeanor. The case presents several twists for the old detective. For one, he sees many of the victims alive and well after the time of death certified by the coroner!
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT CASE OF THE SMILING CORPSE (Book Two) Detective Masters is asked to assist the home town police solve the murder of a retired banker. Was it the teen age boy whose car had killed the banker's wife; the waitress at the local cafe with a special interest in the handyman who, it turns out, is hand with things other than tools; the sister-in-law who may inherit the victim's estate; or a hit man hired by his wife before she was killed? Initially, it looks like suicide as the body is found in a room locked from the inside with a pistol beside the body. The reader will have to wait until the final paragraph to hear the old detective's solution. Masters is again assisted by an inept policeman, and gadgetry comes to play a part in the solution of the case.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE MAN WHO REFUSED TO DIE (Book Three) Not even the third time was to be the charm for this murderer. A friend of Masters, a beloved, retired, dying, classical guitarist is the target for murder. In his mansion – curiously – live five of his three former wives; his long time back-up guitarist (and his despicable son); his distant, personal assistant; the charming young chauffeur with a shady past; the cook, and the mysterious prowler. Twists abound in this outing.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT A GATHERING OF KILLERS (Book Four) Retired Detective Raymond Masters is at it again – this time untangling the mystery of a murder in which the body was stabbed, shot, strangled, drowned, poisoned and bludgeoned. It all takes place during the annual Gathering of Marksmen competition for which Masters is a judge. The dozen suspects at the beautiful Whispering Pines Lodge lead him on a merry chase as he systematically sorts away the innocent and hones in on the culprit (or is it culprits?). Again, it remains until the final page to hear he old Detective's solution.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE MURDER NO ONE COMMITTED (Book Five) While consulting with a noted writer as she prepares her latest book, Detective Raymond Masters, a rotund, retired, big city, criminal investigator is confronted with her murder. The writer had been openly hated by those who worked for her and each suspect harbored more than enough motive to want her dead. The more clues he uncovers, the more obvious becomes his conclusion: “This was definitely a murder, but no one committed it.” He solves it, of course. Family friendly and intended for adult and young adult readers.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE CASE OF THE RESTLESS CROSSBOW (Book Six) Apparently of its own volition, an antique crossbow, long perched high on the wall of the great room in Winston Rafferty's Mansion, fires and kills one of the guests at a publisher's book launching party. There are a variety of suspects: the publisher, three mystery writers, a universally disliked book critic, the cantankerous neighbor and his son, the wily old grounds keeper, the maid, and the new assistant to Rafferty – himself a noted mystery writer and suspect. Gadgetry abounds. The twists and turns tangle among themselves. Masters identifies and perpetrator in the final words of the final paragraph. (Those who peek will be drawn and quartered!)
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT CASE OF THE GYPSY CURSE (Book Seven) Seven of the past nine leaders of an off-beat fraternal order in a small Wyoming town died mysterious deaths during their annual Banquet on the morning of the Spring Equinox. There have been no wounds and no traces of poison. There has, however, been a long-standing Gypsy curse against the group. Natural causes? Coincidence? Curse? Detective Raymond Masters says murder! Not only does he nail the perpetrator(s?) of these seven crimes, but he puts the screws to four more along the way.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT CASE OF THE CLAIRVOYANT KID (Book Eight) At age 15, handsome Hans Hanzik, a Bosnian orphan, is the most successful touring psychic in the United States. A series of threats against his life bring Detective Masters into the case. Masters immediately senses trouble (the boy's guardian) and conjures up a spell or two of his own. Though set in the Ozark Mountains of North West Arkansas, Masters manages to solve three outstanding homicides from New York City to Key West, all the while tutoring the shy, sheltered young clairvoyant in the social graces and the gentle art of romance. In a spine-chilling finish, Masters must match wits with the cunning villain, who seems in every way to maintain the upper hand.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE CRYPTOGRAM MURDERS (Book Nine) Adam Williams, wealthy furrier and despicable human being, is killed while Detective Masters and the half dozen possible suspects from family and staff are gathered with Williams in his study. Each one thereby becomes the perfect alibi for the others. Motives and gadgetry abound. Along the way, four other murders are solved as Masters enlists the help of a fascinating group of characters – all of them suspects.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT MURDERS AT TERRAPIN ISLAND (Book Ten) The late July vacation, which Retired Detective Raymond Masters had been looking forward to at the Terrapin Island resort in Lake Huron, immediately turns into work when staff members, one after another, are murdered. Could it be the troubled teenage grandson of the owner, the greedy millionaire or his pants-chasing wife, the impatient artist, or the beautiful young writer who claims she is searching for her birth mother? Other suspects abound as Masters sorts through the clues with the reader.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE BUTLER DID IT! (Book Eleven) Detective Raymond Masters arrives at Windstone Manor – high atop a tiny, remote, snow blown, island off the Maine Coast – to supervise a Scavenger Hunt designed by Elliott Stone, the aging, despicable, Lord of the Manor, to allow one of his heirs to enhance his or her position in his will. The participants include the five butlers who formerly worked for him (most of whom hate each other and Elliott), and his nephew (a self-centered, amoral, 30 year old who has lived most of his life at Windstone). Then there is Carl, the old man's lawyer; Bea, his nurse and secretary; Angie, the cook and maid; and Hyde, the current young butler. Five bodies later, Masters (once again surviving a strange little policeman sidekick) solves the cases amid the unrelenting, freezing storm that hold the group captive on the rock of an island surrounded by the raging sea.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE DESPICABLE DUO (Book Twelve) No one shed a tear when either of them (a wealthy father and his adult son) were murdered but when one of Raymond Masters' friends is accused of doing them in, the old detective packs his bags and arrives to direct the investigation. Legitimately motivated suspects abound, including the maid, long mistreated by both men; the handyman, a loner and newcomer to the area; the brother, an expert marksman who had a life long feud with the family; the security guard, with unspoken motives; the drifter, whose presence seems oddly out of place; the brilliant teenage twins next door, with tempers and revenge on their minds; and their mother, recently done wrong by the younger of the deceased. The deadly shot had clearly come from Masers' friend's bedroom window yet he works to prove otherwise. As is often the case, gadgets play a role in the c omission of the crime.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE TWISTED TWINS MURDERS (Book Thirteen) Twenty-nine year old identical twins set out to take revenge on Raymond Masters, the detective who sent their father to prison for murder 24 years before. They indicate they will kill someone at a national twin convention and promise that he won't be able to solve it, thus ending his 50 yearlong perfect crime fighting record. Identical DNA, prints and appearance should make it impossible to prove which twin was where doing what, when. A handsome young bellboy is (apparently) framed. Together he and Masters work to solve three homicides and two attempted murders. (The reader my want to take notes on this one!)
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT TOO MANY SUSPECTS (Book Fourteen) The old detectives arrives at a lavish, isolated, villa in the desert north of Las Vegas to protect an ailing, old, millionaire, his staff, and family from a recent threat against the household. When the old man is murdered, five relatives come forward, each claiming to have acted alone in his demise. Each is the perfect suspect with motive, opportunity, prints on the weapon, and unique knowledge of the crime scene. With the assistance of two teenage lads, Masters unravels the twists and turns, and, in the end, not only solves the murder at hand, but several others that occurred years before.
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE CONFOUNDING CODE: Book Fifteen) These six shorter stories feature the lovable, septuagenarian, Detective Raymond Masters and run the gambit from confounding codes, diabolical darts, eerie gargoyles, and the reclusive, recluse spider. They present a wide range of characters, plots, and gadgetry. Each one emerges from a unique setting and presenting circumstances.
BOOKS BY JOHN HAMMOND for teenagers
JH TEENAGERS LUCKY IN LIFE Justin Fox, 15, is an excellent baseball player. He goes all out to be the best he can be. Otherwise, he’s pretty average and the fact that he comes from a money-poor rural home seldom enters his mind. Near the end of this sophomore year his dog, Lucky, becomes very sick. Because of the vet’s bill, he can’t take his girlfriend (the beautiful, understanding Meagan) to the Spring Dance. Watch for the terrifying – yet wonderful – encounter with the grizzly bear. His best friend is Billy, a self-described ‘p\spoiled brat’. Can he rally form his batting slump? What about Lucky? Will he take Meagan to the dance? Do rich brats really ever change? (JH, the primary author was fifteen when he wrote this story.)
JH TEENAGERS BEWILDERING BOND Early in their senior year, the co-captains of a small town football team – Will and Matt, who have been bitter life-long enemies (quick to beat each other to a pulp) – are forced to cooperate as they work together to solve a mystery involving the team. Along with Will’s girlfriend, Amanda, and Becky – Matt’s long time best friend – they launch a fund raising campaign to purchase new athletic equipment the school cannot afford. When their funds fall short, some unlikely people pitch in to help. It is a story that examines changing relationships as the boys discover those things about life that are really most important. There is lots of action (black eyes and bruises acquired on the field and off), plenty of romance, and page after page of chuckles and smiles. (JH, the primary author was sixteen when he wrote this story.)
JH TEENAGERS THE LIFE AND LOVES OF ADAM CARTER: a journal of my senior year Every Saturday night, Adam Carter, a high school senior, writes in his journal recalling the high and low lights of the week just past and looking forward to the one coming up. This book shares entries from mid-August – during which a tragic accident befalls his younger brother – to graduation in late May when the wonder of all wonders occurs for him. Along the way, Adam finds his first true love and has very successful football and baseball seasons. His overriding concern is the care and rehabilitation of his brother’s spinal injury. The reader will enjoy the boys’ humor, feel for them in their moments of sadness and despair, and appreciate their courage and unfaltering brotherly bond. (JH, the primary author was seventeen when he wrote this story.)
GG GOLDEN-AGERS IN PRAISE OF THE COMMONPLACE. Based on a syndicated, newspaper and web-based column by ”Grampa Gray” this book takes a playfully philosophic look at modern day society, compared with the ‘olden days’. The author employs an interesting combination of prose and old fashioned, bumpity, bump, bump verse. It was written primarily for other members of the gray-haired set (although is appreciated by all ages). It champions old-fashioned values and pokes fun at the author’s own foibles and human frailties. Grampa finds beauty and wonder in unique subjects: lint, cobwebs, housework recycling, ants and, of course, growing old. There are a few belly laughs her, but mostly there are chuckles, smiles, nods of understanding, and a magnificent burst of life-affirming endorphins. (See 'about the author in box just below.)
GRAMPA GRAY
GG GOLDEN-AGERS IN PRAISE OF SIMPLE PLEASURES Book Two: More of the homespun philosophy and bumpity, bump, bump verse presented in the first book just above. A few words about the author, Grampa Gray. Septuagenarian Grampa Gray now resides in northwest Arkansas – his favorite place in the whole world. He writes every morning right after his daily walk. He has been writing a verse (or more) each day for more than fifty years – enough to fill dozens of volumes. He loves life and revels in every day. He always has time for children, and has recently been seen skateboarding and playing hopscotch with some of his young friends at Walker Park.
TOMMY POWERS is a nonviolent Suprer Hero dedicated to keeping the world safe from evil forces.
DD 10 to 14 THE MUTANT STRANGER: BOOK TWO A new problem arises for Tommy. Some body is out to kill him! His new assailant, The Mutant Stranger, makes no attempt to hide himself or what he’s up to. He also has super powers (including lethal laser vision) and has pledged his allegiance to his father, Antipathy, Tommy’s evil adversary from the first book. How will Tommy be able to change such a single-minded bad guy into one of the good guys – or will he? He continues to have lots of fun and great conversation with his friends and Gus.
DD 10 to 14 THE SORCERER OF AKMINDO TEEKI: BOOK THREE: Tommy welcomes an unlikely new partner in his fight against evil. This time his foe is a brilliant magician who uses mind control methods to force people all over the world to live according to the will of the Society of the Enlightened - a group of powerful monks whose home is high in the remote mountains of Tibet. They believe they know the only TRUTH and therefore have the right to force it on people everywhere. Along the way comes Tommy’s fourteenth birthday, the one time he will be allowed to be with his biological parents. He’s note sure he wants to meet them. Tommy teaches the readers one of his super powers – REALLY!
DD 10 to 14 THE REPLICATOR OF RIO AZUL: BOOK FOUR: Tommy and Andy team up to save the world’s gold supply, which systematically being robbed by a most unlikely their – the chief of a small tribe, native to the high Andes Mountains in South America. To carry out his evil plan, he uses his magical power to make identical copies of peo9ple and things. Along the way the pair of superheroes hide and care for two boys kidnapped by rival crime families and begin working to save the homeless ‘trash kids’ who struggle to survive on the back streets of Brazil. Lots of action. Lots of good conversation. There is a life changing turn of events for Andrew.
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DD 10-14 THE MYSTERY OF THE DISAPPEARING PINE TREES: BOOK TWO: The book features forever twelve year old Orvie, the boy who could see into the past. In this outing he is tramping the meadows and forests of northwest Minnesota, revisiting the area in which he had grown up 125 years before. He meets a set of identical twin boys and together they work to solve a mystery in which a gang of thieves are stealing trees from their father’s pine forest and selling them as logs for a huge profit. The boys have lots of fun together, share great danger, and in the end escape by the skin of their teeth.
THE ORVIE MYSTERY SERIES
DD 10-14 THE MYSTERY OF THE DUKE'S DIAMONDS: BOOK THREE: In this outing Orvie (the boy who will forever be 12 years old and can see the truth or fiction about thing said about the past) finds himself in North Dakota on a search for Diamonds that belong to a grandfather and his grandson while racing bad guys to figure out where they have been hidden. Again, Orvie makes a wonderful new 12 year old friend and wrestles with danger, excitement and mystery.
DD 10-14 THE MYSTERY OF THE GHOST SHIP OF WINDSOR ISLAND: BOOK FOUR: Orvie visits an isolated island in the southern section of Lake Michigan, intrigued by rumors of a ghost ship that sails in close to shore, fires volleys of cannon balls at the island and then turns and disappears into thin air. He befriends the twelve year old nephew of the owner of the Hotel on the island - Windsor Island - and the two boys work to solve the mystery of the ship and discover who is behind an attempt to buy all the property on it. They explore caves, dive deep into the lake to discover clues and manage to have a whole lot of fun in and around day after day of mystery, excitement and danger.
DD 10-14 THE MYSTERY OF THE TREASURE ON DOUBLOON ISLAND: BOOK FIVE: Orvie assists a 12 year old boy and his older brother as they struggle against unknown bad guys who are trying to ruin their tour business in southern Florida. They encounter hand grenades, dynamite explosions, and other dangers as they work to protect themselves and find a hidden treasure on the boys’ private island – Doubloon Island. An underwater cave filled with dangers again plays a part as Orvie explores it to discover the secrets it holds.
MORE BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
DD 12-18 THE BOOK: Del is fifteen and hates his name, well, quite honestly, Del hates most everything about himself and most everybody else. He happens onto an old man (a writer) in a park who, in contrast, really likes himself and most everybody else. They talk, they share their lives, they grow, they write a book together. This is a book of wonder-filled conversations about how to build a life a good, successful, and helpful life. It is about finding hope and the strength and ability to make personal changes. It is a book about discovering who and what a young person wants to become and learning how to navigate a path that will lead him or her in that direction.
Not available as Kindle eBook
DD 10-14 THE MYSTERY OF GALLAGHER'S GHOST: BOOK SIX: In Book Six of the series, Orvie finds himself in the Ozark Mountains helping a new friend – Joey – solve a mystery involving the haunting of Joey’s big old house by a long departed relative who wants Joey and his mother to leave. The ghost – Gallagher – appears at various places in the house and on the lawn. It eventually becomes destructive and kidnaps the boys. The mystery is much more than it seems and they work to solve it and save the house from being burned to the ground. They find that a ‘ghost’ may sometimes not be a ghost. Even the FBI becomes involved.
Doc and Johnny's Old West Mysteries
DD 10-14 JOHNNY'S SECRET: BOOK ONE: The stories are set in 1880 Kansas where the old west is still very much alive. In the first book in the series, Johnny, a 13 year old orphan, and Doc, a frontier doctor, meet when the boy is severely wounded during a stagecoach robbery. They put their heads together with the Marshal to solve several mysteries involving stolen gold and threats against the local Newspaper editor who is out to expose a corrupt Rancher. The six main recurring characters in the series are introduced as is the positive value system upon all of David Drake’s stories are based.
DD 10-15 TOO LATE! Three books for 10 to 15 year olds in one volume. In The Shadow Imp, a pair of twin boys find themselves investigating strange goings on in their city – a mysterious shadowy figure is seen lurking about and tries to make contact. Is it a wild creature? Is it dangerous? The Snow Twins will get it figured out. In Twix-Up, a chance meeting on the basketball court between two seventh graders in the all city tournament reveals they are identical in appearance – as if twins. What’s up? They work together to solve the mystery. In Too Late?, a boy takes the family sailboat out into a raging storm and is ship wrecked on a small, out of the way, uninhabited tropical island. He has to survive on his wits using just what the island provides since there is nothing to be found of his boat. He has numerous dangerous encounters. Will he ever be rescued?
DD 10 - 14 THE RED BEND BANK ROBBERY BOOK TWO: The second book in the Doc and Johnny’s Old West Mystery series. A carnival and rodeo run by Gypsies come to Red Bend and Johnny becomes friends with an orphan boy traveling with them. Johnny and Doc find they have two mysteries to solve: First, finding the boy’s mother for him and trying to get them back together. Second, figuring out how a bank can be robbed when nobody enters the bank and yet all the money has somehow been taken. (Third, of course is who robbed the bank.) Johnny solves all three along with running a fake tonic salesman out of town, entering an important horse race with Diablo (his horse), and spending time with his special girlfriend.
DD 10 - 15 Mystery of the Vanished Parents: A short novel for 10 to 15 year olds: Tommy (11) and his brother Gary (15) begin to doubt the story that their parents died 9 years before in a plane accident and set out to solve the mystery – one the police and highly paid lawyers apparently weren’t able to solve. They travel from the mansion where they live with their wealthy grandfather into the slums, the dangerous area of docks and freighters, and the unsavory bar district of their city as they search for the man with the limp who they call Scarface. He holds the key. “He’d as soon stick a knife in your belly as shake your hand,” one of his acquaintances warns the boys. Late at night in a dirty dark alley they have to dodge bullets as Gary clings to an old iron fourth floor fire escape as it gradually bends further and further away from the building.
Not available as Kindle eBook
DD 10 - 14 KIDNAPPED! BOOK FOUR: Johnny’s Aunt Bea and the banker’s wife are kidnapped for a large ransom during the week in early spring when Abbot comes to visit. Johnny, Jerry and Abbot take the lead in solving the mysteries of who is behind the abduction and where they are being held. Johnny refuses to pay the ransom so they have to find ways of pushing back deadlines to give them more time. They encounter problems with an old man and a rifle, an old mine that is prone to collapsing, and a long abandoned mill. There is action, mystery, excitement, and the developing friendship among the three boys who call themselves the tres amigos inteligente (the three smart friends).
DD 10 - 14 CRIMSON BANDIT BOOK FIVE: With Abbot and Jerry gone for the summer, Johnny has some time on his hands (never a good thing for the sanity of those around him!). A new mystery surfaces in which a lone bandit, wearing crimson boots and shirt, with black pants, gloves, hat and mask covering his face, goes on a rampage, holding up dozens of people within fifty miles of Red Bend. Those people all have one thing in common and discovering that will help Johnny solve the case. Doc’s expertise is also required again in this one. So, there is a bandit, stealing from others, but Johnny is sad to think he will have to go to jail. Huhh???
DD 10 - 14 THE PONY EXPRESS RIDES AGAIN BOOK THREE: Johnny uncovers a mystery involving the disap- pearance of a Pony Express rider some twenty years before. He smells foul play and investigates with his new 15 year old friend, Jericho. He helped nurse Jerry back to health after he had been attacked and badly hurt by a coyote while handling the horses on a cattle drive. They explore one of the original Pony Express Station Build- ings, spend a night in a cave to escape a dangerous blizzard, find the skeleton of the young rider, and eventually put the clues together and bring to justice the outlaws who did harm to the boy. Johnny is held captive by the worst of the bad guys and has to use his quick thinking to try to handle the life threatening situation. There is, excite- ment, mystery, and a really great growing friendship between two very different yet very similar boys.
DD 10 - 14 Baffling Stagecoach Robberies: BOOK SIX: In the sixth book in the series, Johnny and Jerry reunite to solve the baffling mystery of a set of stagecoach robberies in which no robber ever showed up, but the lock box was still somehow emptied during the stage run. Each boy has a life or death encounter with a pair of bad guys. There is an abundance of gadgets that play an important part in solving the case. Again, there is lots of good conversation, and enjoyable time on horseback and in the swimming hole. And, can you believe it, Johnny gets even more money forced on him! (Maybe the series should have been titled, “The Young Frontier Millionaire”.)
DD 10 to 15 Adam Martin: The Puzzling Code: BOOK ONE: Adam Martin, a thirteen year old boy on crutches, lived with his grandfather in a rundown part of a city. Even so, he maintained a happy outlook on life. He was smarter than most of us and used his powerful brain to solve mysteries that kept popping up around him. He loved those that had puzzles or secret codes associated with them. In Book One – the Puzzling Code – he and his grandfather take on a team of foreign agents who are trying to keep them from finding a valuable stash of loot hidden one hundred years earlier and only recently made known to them in a secret code discovered in one of his grandfather’s old books. Lots of good conversations between Adam and his grandfather in and among action, danger, and adventure.
STILL MORE BOOKS for YOUNG ADULTS and ADULTS
DD 13 - ADULT The Edge: a diary of Terror: Ricky was fifteen and wheelchair bound. He had difficulty remembering a moment in his life when he hadn’t been terrified. Vague, shadowy, strangers, apparently wanting to do him harm were always just out of reach. His psychiatrist said it was all in his head. He had to believe it was real – allowing any other interpretation established him as insane. Mostly with the aid of the cook and butler, he set out to prove his belief was correct. His wealthy, distant, though loving adopted father, seemed to be siding with the doctor. Pages from Ricky’s diary are interspersed with the story. Danger, excitement, terror and dread provide the canvas on which this portrait of a bright, creative, struggling young man must play out.
TG ADULT, YOUNG ADULT Everything I Needed to Know About Saving the World I Learned Before I Was Ten
Tommy was an exceptionally bright and observant youngster. Growing up in the 1940s America, he saw the many social ills around him, he knew about the atrocities in Europe, and, at nine, he was certain he knew how to fix the problems and save the world. This little volume takes an often humorous look at a very serious topic by making reference to entries from the boy’s diary and extrapolating a series of Positive Social Agreements, which if embraced across mankind could, indeed, save the world. Tommy discovered numerous roadblocks to his program, foremost of which were the pernicious Yesbutts – typically thirty to sixty-five in age and, according to the boy’s observations, quite clearly terrified to have anything change that might rock their comfortable social-economic boat. (They typically responded to his suggestions with, “Yes, but”.) The ‘grown up’ Tommy, now a septuagenarian, uses his uniquely broad experiences and his background in psychology, education and social philosophy to weave a picture, which pits the innocence of youth against the reluctance and fears of adulthood – all in the service of realizing his boyhood goal of saving the world.
Matt and Michael Snow Investigate:
A mystery series for 9 to 14 year olds.
DD 9 -14 The Shadow Imp: BOOK ONE: The boys are on the trail of a shadowy figure that takes small things like food and clothing and leaves pebbles as payment. Their search takes them high atop tall buildings and into dark, abandoned basements. They have to search the water runoff culverts that run beneath the city and risk being caught in a major explosion from leaking diesel fuel. Matt nearly drowns. Angie, the owner of a small newspaper, and Zeke, their very odd, old inventor friend assist them in the case. And there is Emily, the boys’ best friend who usually works her way into their activities.
For 9 to 14 year olds. Matt and Michael Snow twins whose lives are filled with mysteries that just have to be solved. As thirteen year olds go they are really excellent detectives. They live at the edge of a small city and have an assortment of interesting friends.
DD 9 - 14 The Haunted House on Hawthorn HIll: BOOK TWO: The boys get caught up in searching for an old friend who they suspect has been kidnapped and is being held in the Hunted House. The story takes them on a thorough search of the eerie old mansion from the prison cell in the basement with the skeleton, through secret passageways and a secret room. There is a strange code they must crack, which, they believe will take them to a long lost treasure there in the house. The bad guys chase them every step of the way.
DD and TG Rabbles: An historical Novel for 12 through adulthood. Three young men form an odd alliance as they work their way north from southern Arkansas during the Civil War. Zachary, a wounded 17 year old Confederate soldier, is the rich son of a powerful plantation owner. Benny, also wounded, a Soldier from the United States Army, comes from a poor farm family in northern Illinois. Amos, is a runaway slave boy. The white boys are trying to avoid firing squads for desertion. Amos would suffer a terrible fate at the hands of his owner if caught. They slowly form a bond and become a team working themselves north through Arkansas and up the Mississippi River to Illinois. Along the way they listen to each other, they listen to themselves; they are very different boys in many ways by the time they reach their destination.
DD and TG An historical Novel for 12 through adulthood. Nathan and Alexander: vagabond brothers. In 1870 Maryland, Nathan age 17 and Alexander, 13, having been separated for four years, suddenly find themselves orphaned and on their own. Soon, they manage to have three evil men after them for three different reasons. They work their way west from Maryland to Kansas in search of an uncle. They meet a number of fascinating people, and find danger and adventure as they camp in unfamiliar forests, hike the old Cumberland Trail and hitch rides on steamboats, trains, the railroad and finally a stagecoach. A dog, which gets them into huge trouble, befriends and helps protect them. The situations provide lots of things to think about – growing up, responsibility, right vs wrong, just vs unjust, good vs evil. They love to laugh and find ways of making the best of whatever comes their way.
Also see: Jericho and Red Eagle's Old West Adventures below
Jericho and Red Eagle Old West Adventures 9 to 14
DD 9 - 14 The Greedy Ghost of the Golden Dutchman BOOK THREE Jericho and Red Eagle encounter the ‘ghost’ of a Pirate who, according to the lore, hid his considerable treasure, just north of Red Bend some 55 years before. They work to find the treasure, which was spread out over 12 hiding places. They get captured several times (they are a nosy pair of 12 year olds). Cal spends time with them as they try to avoid the insane great, great grandson of the old pirate, the Golden Dutchman. There is lot of excitement and many fascinating discussions about things important to young people their ages.
DD 9 - 14 Jericho and Red Eagle: The Beginnings BOOK ONE Twelve year old twin boys were separated at birth. One was raised as a Cherokee and the other a white boy. In 1870, Kansas, they discover each other while on separate journeys to Red Bend hoping to discover who they were. They soon accept that they are twin brothers, begin having dangerous and exciting adventures together, and find the blending of their backgrounds makes for a remarkable life together. (This story uses the same setting, ten years earlier, than the six book series, The Doc and Johnny Old West Mysteries.)
DD 9 - 14 The Boy's Great Adventure BOOK FIVE The boys decide it would be good if they visited the places where each of them grew up – The Cherokee Reservation in the Indian Territory, and south western Missouri where Jericho lived. After visiting The Happiness Place in south central Kansas, they accompany their friend, Rising Sun to his Arapaho Reservation where they have to save a youngster from a deep hole in the ground. The move on to Red Eagle’s reservation where they meet up with horse thieves. As they move north across southern Missouri they manage a mine rescue, save boy who has fallen and is freezing in an ice house, and survive a terrible blizzard while transporting the first boy to live at the Happiness Place. Lots of close calls and excitement.
DD 9 - 14 Jericho and Red Eagle's Dangerous Journey BOOK FOUR 10 to 14 year old readers: (Best read in order) In Book Four the twelve year olds from 1870 Kansas – Jericho and Red Eagle – take a horseback trip to look at land on which to build their first home for orphaned children. They reunite with the Arapaho boy, Rising Sun (Book Two), and along the way encounter gold thieves, kidnappers, a lost young boy whose parents have been taken by bad guys, a kid with a broken leg who is trapped inside a cave, a tornado, cattle rustlers, a man sucked into quicksand, and a woman from back east whose life is threatened by her evil brother. Once again the boy’s quick wits and exceptional skill with bows and arrows save the day. It makes for an exciting 125 pages.
DD 9 - 14 Jericho and Red Eagle face The Impostors BOOK TWO BOOK TWO In Book Two, Impostors, the boys find themselves up against a gang of men who are trying to stir up trouble between the residents of Kansas and the peaceful Indians who live there. They get caught in a waterfall, captured by the head bad guy, almost lose a good friend to a snake bite, and meet a new friend there age from the Arapaho Tribe who is trying to get medical help for his grandmother. Lots of conversations about prejudice and mixed race children. If they are lucky, they just may survive to star in book three of the series (smile!).
Twelve year old twin boys were separated at birth. One was raised as a Cherokee and the other a white boy. In 1870, Kansas, they discover each other while on separate journeys to Red Bend hoping to discover who they were. They soon accept that they are twin brothers, begin having dangerous and exciting adventures together, and find the blending of their backgrounds makes for a remarkable life together. (This story uses the same setting, ten years earlier, than the six book series, The Doc and Johnny Old West Mysteries listed above.)
More Adventures for folks 10 through Adult
TG Adult – 15 and older. 12 Doors to Pass is a dark story about love, hate and the disappointment of revenge, played out among a set of four young people in their mid-20s who grew up together in a poor section of Chicago. Through flashbacks it examines the early environmental and family forces that molded their characters and set their possibilities and limitations. The framework of the story is a cross country chase as Jimmy, the recent Marine and Fiancée of Amber, tracks down his lifelong next door neighbor and nemesis, Donny, who has absconded with Amber against her will to punish Jimmy for imagined injustices in the past. The necessity for revenge begets the necessity for revenge which begets . . . Guns are pocketed – the pursuit is on.
Stark contrasts are developed between Jimmy and Donny and yet it is that one similarity that propels the story toward its intense conclusion.
Author Tom Gnagey is best known for his novels about the positive, compassionate, and helpful potential of mankind (90 of them under several pen names). 12 Doors to Pass, is one of his few explorations of man’s potential for self-destruction.
DD and TG Brothers on the Run 12 to adult Brothers, ages 13 and 17, find their father has been the leader of a mob. When he and their mother are killed by an opposing gang, the boys are forced to run away from the city to avoid the same end. Aliases, plus a fully stocked van had been prepared by their father in case of just such an emergency. They start out toward nowhere in the middle of the night and continue through a ten day adventure, eluding bad guys who are determined to do them in, federal agents who want them for questioning which would blow their cover, and two other, unidentified antagonists. Never having been close to each other, they have to grow to know and appreciate each other and define their new relationship. Lots of excitement, a smattering of romance, and lots of meaningful conversation.
DD and TG The Magic Touch of Old Harry Halvorsen Young adults and adults: Over a span of many years, dozens of troubled youngsters had their lives turned around when, individually, they each came upon Harry, an old man who lived alone in three rooms behind a bright yellow door in an alley in a disadvantaged area of a large city. Some months ahead of time, Harry selected 10 of them to each write, and read at his funeral, a story – a perspective – about their experiences with him. The novel is set at the funeral, allowing the individual stories to gradually bring into focus the man’s legacy of service to that sample of lives the old man helped heal.
TG Invisible Vigilante: Delayed Justice Adults/16 and older: Nineteen year old, Jacob – Jake to most and Jay to his closest – was on a mission to quiet his rage surrounding the incident during which one of four, thoughtless, if not vicious, teens had fathered him in a brutal, group taking of his mother’s dignity and sanity. His plan was simple: it would be accomplished anonymously and, since, due to extenuating circumstance a DNA match would be inconclusive (the boys were identical quadruplets), he would find nefarious acts from their pasts for which justice through the courts could send them each to prison – legitimately. He was assisted by Cynthia, the love of his life and his someday to be wife, by an octogenarian gardener with his own secrets, and others with a multitude of reasons to despise the quads’ super-wealthy family. Along the way a dishonest judge was taken down and Jake’s mother found renewed dignity and purpose in life.
DD and TG Three Boys' Amazing Adventure at Sea 10 to 15: Three boys, 11, 12, and 13 find themselves forced together with a crew of seasoned hands on a three masted sailing ship in 1790, the golden age of piracy. Following the tale of lavish buried treasure, they fight pirates and the turbulent seas from England across the Atlantic to reach the southern, sandy shores of the uncivilized Bahama Islands in the Caribbean. Unexpectedly, they find there is a ship of ruthless cutthroats determined to beat them to the treasure – by whatever means are necessary. Good guys. Bad guys. Danger at every turn.
DD and TG Ghost Town Gold 10 thru 15 Three homeless boys (12, 13 and 14), distant relatives, but unknown to each other, inherit an abandoned Ghost Town – Clay Flats – in Colorado. It was left over from the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush of 1854. They must live there, alone, for a year to claim it. Some bad guys apparently don’t want that to happen. The story first tracks each of the boys from where they live to the ‘Flats’. None have an easy journey. Once together they must find ways of accommodating three very different personalities as they learn to live together and search for the incredible secret of Clay Flats. Action, treasure and lots of good conversation.
TG 11 THRU ADULT Blue Shadow: The Battle of Little Red River BOOK TWO: Grandpa and Grandson Adventure Series For ages 12 through adult: This sequel to the book, Flight, finds Grampa and Grandson, on the move again, a part of the CIA new identity program. With new names – Harry and Gary – they find themselves in another tourist town, the tiny, Arkansas, village of Blue Shadow where they are the proprietors of a shop that sells music boxes. They are immediately deep in the midst of an international ring of ‘hit men’ and secret codes sent in the tunes on the music boxes. They also find themselves engaged in a mystery involving the 150 year old skeleton of a Union Army soldier and a secret stash of gold and currency hidden decades before by the Confederacy. Gary finds himself interested in a girl. Two chapters contain a story, written by Gary, about two boys – one white and free from Illinois and one black, a slave from southern Arkansas. It traces their parallel, though separate, lives from birth to age seventeen when the white boy is a fresh, Union soldier, and the black boy is a recent runaway, trying to make his way to freedom in the north. A few scenes about battles and treatment of the slaves are a bit graphic and the younger reader is cautioned to, perhaps, read them with a parent. (It is best to have read, Flight, first.
TG The Phantom Corpse Adult and Young Adult Mark and Amy are bright college juniors, a couple since they were toddlers. He is a computer major and she is pursuing the study of art. They live in separate apartments in the same building (Mark sees no reason for 2 apartments). They witness a murder, but the corpse disappears before the police even see it. Because they fear their role in the case may be leaked to the killer if they work directly with the police, they choose to collect the necessary evidence themselves. As they gather the incriminating bits and pieces over a week’s time, they funnel it, anonymously, to Detective Jackson – the lead detective in the case. The plot is peppered with twists and seemingly unresolvable questions. Initially, the case they are able to build just doesn’t make sense to them although eventually they make it all fall into place. They see humor even where it doesn’t exist for most folks and vacillate between having a good deal of fun and fearing for their lives. They also manage a significant helping of intimate time together, even if that is mostly left to the readers’ imagination.
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DD 9 to 15 DANGEROUS JOURNEY An older man, Jonas, built and lives on a 30 foot, two masted, sail boat on which he sails the Caribbean Sea. On one outing he discovers a recently orphaned stowaway – 11 year old Carlos. The boy has information about a treasure left to him by his Great Grandfather – an old-time pirate – stashed on one of the islands in the Bahamas. The boy has a secret code they have to decipher in order to locate it. The two of them accept the challenge and undertake the search; one problem – so does Fidel, an evil modern-day pirate who also came by the information. They struggle to stay just one step ahead of him as he chases them south, in and around the Bahama Islands. Will they out fox him?
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TG ADULTS AND OLDER YOUNG ADULTS THE BOX Book One in the David Lawrence Trilogy.
A professor and his teen-age nephew race against time to defuse six bio-toxin bombs placed by a madman in six locations around the world. The carvings on a small, mahogany box hold the only clues. An exploration of philosophic positions regarding the reestablishment and maintenance of Planetary Health. (334 pages)
TG ADULTS AND OLDER YOUNG ADULTS THE MAP Book Two in the David Lawrence Trilogy
The Professor and Kit are off to claim the treasure they found in Brazil (The Box). Rather than the weekend outing they planned, it becomes a summer long, life threatening search with Pirates, natural disasters, deadly booby traps, indigenous tribes bent on killing them, and more. An South American age mate of Kit joins them.(254 pages)
The David Lawrence, action/adventure Trilogy
TG ADULTS AND OLDER YOUNG ADULTS THE STRAP Book Three in the David Lawrence Trilogy
Professor Lawrence and Kit again find themselves globetrotting – in this outing to rescue Ari’s (from The Box) kidnapped son and return him safely to his home. Their journey takes them to most of the smallest countries in the World. Another crazy bad guy. More cryptic clues, adventure and philosophic jousting.
LATEST BOOKS
TG ADULTS 12 AND OLDER. Adult level vocabulary. AN OLD MAN IN WINTER: An old man and a 12 year old orphan boy, both abandoned in their own ways, meet one night during a blinding blizzard under a streetlight on a dingy city street. They learn about each other, they form a relationship, and over time they begin to fix each other. In the process of growing to love the other one, they each gradually come to love themselves. The story moves more on thoughtful conversation and evolving personalities than on spine-tingling action and adventure, although along the way they have run ins with the authorities, mount a mini social revolution, and enhance the lives of dozens of orphans and seniors who have been thrown away by their families.
DD 10 to 14 THE BOYS OF FREEDOM ISLAND: During the early 1870’s, recently orphaned brothers, 12 and 13, are pursued by the authorities when the older one escapes from a cruel apprentice master. They make their way south to the coast of North Carolina where they take up the cause of recently freed slaves who they find are being kidnapped and sold in the markets of the Caribbean Islands. They find safety and freedom on a tiny, isolated, uninhabited island in one of the coastal sounds. They are joined by the son of one of the captured men, and the three of them work together to find and free him. There is excitement at every turn as they must elude both the authorities and fight back against the wicked slavers who are bent on “sendin’ thar scrawny hides ta the bottom a the sea”.
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TG 13 AND OLDER THE CONSENSUS MURDERS
Josh, a humor columnist for a city daily newspaper and his fiancé, Sally, become involved in the investigation of a series of assassinations that come to be called The Rooftop Murders. Well known citizens with obvious shady pasts, but who have never been convicted, become the victims. The same rifle is used in each case. The only clue is a 30/30 casing left behind at each crime scene – each one bares a message for the city. The authorities are baffled. Josh and Sally are up to the task.
TG 15 and older DAVID: A TEEN BOY IN SEARCH OF MEANING
For adults and young adults 15 and older. David is a super-bright, loveable, always helpful and compassionate 17-year-old. Everybody in his small town loves him. He pretty well runs the show in his high school. This story covers one week or so of his junior year during which there is a date to the Winter Dance, a band concert, church choir practice, sports, classes, interaction with his family – the usual things in a teen boy’s life. The more meaningful story, however, deals with David’s struggle to make sense of life – to find some purpose for living and fend off his reoccurring depression. He has lots of meaningful conversations with his best friend. They are different – polar opposites – in almost every way, and yet they share one important trait – the overriding desire to figure things out: why is there hate, how can greedy people just ignore the pain and suffering in the world, are there universally agreed upon standards of right and wrong, good and evil? Their very serious search is woven in among their rather normal teenage lives – the fun, the accomplishments, the associations, the good times and the bad. In the end, for David, he comes to believe that are all his options are bad.
TG 15 and older T.J.:A TEEN BOY IN SEARCH OF HIMSELF T.J. a teen boy’s search for himself – Intended for adults and young adults 15 and older. It is best to have read the novel, DAVID: a teen boy’s search for meaning, before beginning this one since it provides a wealth of essential background about the main characters in this story. In the first book, David, a brilliant, lovable, take-care-of-everybody-sort of 17-year-old had been unable to cope with his depressing concept of how life would be for him after high school and he ended his life. T.J., the main character in this new story, was one of David’s two best friends. David and T.J. were as dissimilar from each other as any best friends had ever been. In this story, T.J. begins to cope with his friend’s death, his loneliness, and to evaluate his own disordered, depraved, chaotic approach to living. Sue, David’s best friend from preschool, and David’s family members also continue in important roles in this story. It deals openly and frankly with issues that are important to teens – education, class differences, life, death, love, intimate relations, alcoholism, addiction, and its primary focus, the loss of a loved one and the guilt and emptiness that often accompany it. (Think of it as book with a PG-13 rating)
TWO books in the DAVID AND T.J. SERIES
DD 9 to 13 and their parents. The Secret Tree House Pact. Two 11-year-old boys, both social misfits and different from each other in most ways – one poor as dirt who hated school and one rich as a gold mine who loved it – chance upon each other and begin to form a friendship. As they work together to complete a tree house in the woods, they have wonderful talks about their lives, being eleven, their futures, parents, likes and dislikes and so forth. Ford, the rich kid, helps Jake realize that he’s actually pretty smart, improve his grammar and vocabulary, and even enjoy learning new things. Jake helps remodel Ford from a socially awkward, stuck-up rich snob – he didn’t know he was one – into a more acceptable and likeable kid. And, oh yes, there’s the bobcat that takes up residence in the tree house, a broken bone or two, that near drowning in the creek, and, well, other things. Lots of talk. Lots of excitement. Lots of fun.
Action, Action adventure, Adventure, Angry teen, Bandits, Boys books, Buried treasure, 
Children & adults, Civil war historical fiction, Codes, Counsel, Depression, Detective mysteries, Edges, Entertaining, ESP, Family values, Friendship, Funny books, Goodreads, Grandparents, Growing up, Historical fiction, Hope, Humor, Island mysteries, killings, Locked room mystery, Murder mystery, Mystery, Mystery, romance, Old age, Old west adventure, Philosophy, Philosophy of life, Pirates, Political science, Politics, Pre-teen novels, Private detective fiction, Retirement age, Revolution, Romance, Runaway teen, Sailboat, Sailing, Sailing adventure books, Sailing ship adventure, Schooner, Short stories for kids, Short story collection, sleuth novels, Social agreements, Society, Stagecoach, Stagecoach robbery, Superhero, Supernatural mystery novels, Super powers, Survival fiction, Survival of society, Suspense, Teenage problems, Teen detective mysteries, Teen mystery book, Teen novels, Teen romance, Teen suicide novel, Thriller, Twelve year boy, Twin boy novels, twins, Young teens, Young adult fiction, Vengeance, Violence, Winter holiday season, Writer detective, fun read, good reading, good read
Children & adults, Civil war historical fiction, Codes, Counsel, Depression, Detective mysteries, Edges, Entertaining, ESP, Family values, Friendship, Funny books, Goodreads, Grandparents, Growing up, Historical fiction, Hope, Humor, Island mysteries, killings, Locked room mystery, Murder mystery, Mystery, Mystery, romance, Old age, Old west adventure, Philosophy, Philosophy of life, Pirates, Political science, Politics, Pre-teen novels, Private detective fiction, Retirement age, Revolution, Romance, Runaway teen, Sailboat, Sailing, Sailing adventure books, Sailing ship adventure, Schooner, Short stories for kids, Short story collection, sleuth novels, Social agreements, Society, Stagecoach, Stagecoach robbery, Superhero, Supernatural mystery novels, Super powers, Survival fiction, Survival of society, Suspense, Teenage problems, Teen detective mysteries, Teen mystery book, Teen novels, Teen romance, Teen suicide novel, Thriller, Twelve year boy, Twin boy novels, twins, Young teens, Young adult fiction, Vengeance, Violence, Winter holiday season, Writer detective, fun read, good reading, good readDD TG 9 to 15 Secret of the Golden Key: Rusty and Willy (14 and 10), find themselves fleeing for their lives across frontier Kansas (1880) in an old west adventure. Rusty witnessed a shooting and the bad guy saw him. He is determined to catch them and do them harm. The boys’ parents had prepared a set of clues for them to follow so they could learn who they ‘really’ were. In one action packed adventure after the other, they solve the clues, and demonstrate their strong bond of brotherly love. Along the way they encounter Renegade Indians, highwaymen, a raging prairie fire, and, make fine, new friends, saving the life of an Indian boy their age, the son of a chief.
TG adult and young adult Stolen Lives: An American Crisis
This novel is a celebration of life, as it reflects on the most devastating act in society, today – the school shooting. There is no depiction of violence.
The story presents five, precious, teen lives – strangers – four in love with life, on their ways to happy, productive futures, while one, understandably, hates the life he is forced to live as an outsider, separate from his peers. The reader grows to love and understand an artist, an athlete, a shy volunteer, an accomplished pianist, and a sad, angry loner. Each of eight chapters presents 5 vignettes, illustrating aspects of the lives they each lead at school and within their families. Gradually, those stories coalesce, painting pictures of five, fascinating teens, each one displaying his or her ups and downs, hopes and dreams, big questions about life, and the responsibilities and activities that come to give purpose to their young lives. And then, the shooting. The novel offers a unique and immediately applicable perspective on the ‘Why’ of school shootings and the ‘How’ of stopping them. The author, a long time adolescent psychologist and educator, proposes a simple solution – the only solution to his way of thinking – the illustration of which is developed as the essence of the story. Perhaps it points fingers but mostly it models the one simple change we must make as peers, schools, families, and a nation for the sake of our children and, perhaps, for the survival of the human species.
TG Adult and young adult The Trial of Malcolm McCabe
Intended for socially concerned adults and young adults.
During the late 1800s, fourteen-year-old Lucas – very bright and unabashedly forward – and his grandfather, Malcolm McCabe, hiked the United States top to bottom and side to side. During those 6 years, the boy’s education, like his life, was in the capable hands of ‘grampa’.
During the summer of 1890 they happened upon the town of Cob Corner, Kansas, thriving and safe, though under the autocratic religious and political thumb of one Reverend Quentin Redding. He felt his power fading. He saw the McCabe’s as his opportunity to regain his standing. He had grampa arrested for having prevented his grandson from attending school – the law in Kansas.
A fascinating trial ensues in which the outspoken young man must defend the old man by demonstrating his education has, in fact, been equal to, or superior to, the local students’. The boy refers to experiences along the trail to illustrate his points. At every turn, the youngster’s wits and cleverness, better and exasperate the panel of five learned men the court puts up against him.
The novel, sporting an upscale vocabulary, intended for socially concerned adults who really enjoy smiling, presents a brutal examination of wide-ranging, serious and timeless, social topics – education, the legal system, prejudice, human rights, government, greed and related topics – woven together with humor and pointed insights into the human condition. The older gentleman learns that jail stew really isn’t all that bad so long as the salt holds out, and the younger gentleman receives his first kiss. In the end . . . (Just kidding, there!)
TG Adult and Young Adult A Convoluted Tale of Curious Comeuppance
This novella is not a comedy but is a whimsical piece, fashioned to produce smiles from beginning to end. Upon his retirement, a not so nice accountant who feels his boss has put upon him and cheated him for 27 years, takes steps to correct things. That requires he must change his identity. Changing his identity requires that he must change that identity – and so on and so on. Upshot is the necessity for nearly a dozen, plot modifying, twists and turns as the story winds its way toward its unpredictable conclusion. There is suspense, mystery, humor and a few incidental little bludgeoning’s. The reader my want to keep a score card. On one level the writing is just lots of fun. On another – let several reviewers handle that: “A fascinating exploration of the psyche of an amoral egotist.” “A rare presentation of fear and anxiety at work within the mind of a man without conscious.” “Flawlessly constructed.” “Smiled ‘til I thought my cheeks would burst.”
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT THE MURDERS AT TANGLEWOOD INN (Book Sixteen) At the stately, rural Tanglewood Inn, Masters faces a half dozen murders with more than that many suspects. Among the characters are the owner, his teen age, wheelchair bound nephew, the owner's eccentric half sister and former movie star, a former trapeze performer, a banker, a lawyer a state trooper, and the Old Dutchman living in a Windmill atop the hill behind the Inn. Knives are thrown, guns are loaded, syringes are filled, and people fall like flies.
TG Adult and Young Adult FAINT JUSTICE 1947. Small town, Midwest. Fifteen-year-old Pete’s father is the local, well-respected, prosecuting attorney by day and an alcohol induced abusive father by night. The boy has turned elsewhere for adult, male, companionship. He found it in a cabin in the woods in the form of a sage, reclusive, handyman, his father’s age. Pete sees his role at home as protecting his mother and handicapped sister, thinking if he weren’t there, they would become his father’s targets. As a school project, Pete researches the recent history of Mason Crossing – his small town – and discovers secrets that turn his world upside down. He presents his findings in a school report that will destroy his father. The story is a no-holds-barred study of raw emotions, swaddled in hate, love, and the seemingly unresolvable angst of adolescence. A weak mother, a best friend, and a budding romance help Pete put his life into perspective. (To properly tell the story, the depiction of violence was necessary. )
GF 12 THROUGH ADULT A CASE OF MURDER AND THE WOULD-BE SLEUTHS (Book Seventeen) The old detective, Raymond Masters, agrees to moderate a murder mystery contest among six would-be sleuths, each of whom, in real life, bears the name of a fictional detective – Sam Spade, Dick Tracy, Joe Mannix, Peter Gunn, Charlie Chan, Mike Hammer. Which of the surrogates will solve the case and claim ‘Best Detective’ for their famous namesake? The players gather in an isolated, mountainside, mansion in Alberta Canada. A blizzard comes up making outside contact impossible. One by one the contestants are murdered. Masters and his teen age friend, Airie, the great grandson of the aging Billionaire owner of the estate and sponsor of the game, take on the challenge of finding the killer (or is it killers?). There are secret passageways, hidden rooms, a dungeon, and an attic that has been locked for decades. Good conversation and lots of fun as the master detective works his magic for the 16th time.
TG ADULT AND YOUNG ADULT THAT SUMMER AT LORDS is set in imaginary Lords, Arkansas, population 104 during 1943, a time of uncertainty, fear, despair, and determination. It is a story for adults narrated from the often-insightful perspective of an 11-year-old boy. He finds that with all the older boys gone to war, he must step in and grow up faster than he is prepared to do. It seems unfair that he is required to forfeit his childhood. He and the others in his little community must come to grips with tragedies that force them to rethink their long-held, insular values and way of life. The reader is offered mystery, intrigue and humor as the story strives to paint a faithful snapshot of the time – its hardships and possibilities – and offers thought provoking situations and conversations. It promises no rosy solutions and yet there is hope.
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