Release: November 10, 2019
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Matador
Source: Rachel’s Random Resources
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Amazon UK, iBooks
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Alex is afraid of snakes. So when his sister Donna befriends Jake, an Australian boy with a pet snake called Queenie, he isn’t happy. Jake is staying with the O’Connor family at Acacia Villa, once the home of Victorian artist, Gabriel Pascoe. The artist’s great grandson, Fred Pascoe, tells the twins how Gabriel Pascoe’s most famous painting, Lady in Red, went missing seventy years ago. The twins volunteer to try and find out what happened to it.
Their father, an inventor, is preparing for the official launch of his most successful invention, a search and rescue robot. Meanwhile, Alex and Donna pursue their search for the missing masterpiece. By now, there is a threat to the demolition of Acacia Villa itself. It looks as if their new friends will lose their home, and Holcombe Bay will lose an important historic building. They suspect that Mr. Mortimer, the man who wants to demolish Acacia Villa, may know the true location of Lady in Red. But he is a friend of the twins’ mother, and the godfather of their baby half-sister, Sophie. Criticizing him could open up family rifts, which have only recently healed.
Then Queenie the snake goes missing. So, a train of events follows where the twins and their new friends are in terrible danger. Help comes from an unexpected quarter, but will it arrive too late? Can Alex overcome his fear of snakes? And will the twins ever be able to return Lady in Red to its rightful owner?
Author Bio:
When I was a child I was always scribbling away: I’ve still got a huge collection of stories, plays, and comics in the attic from that time. Then in my teens, I got distracted by exams, boys, and my first job, and eventually, the writing tailed off. I had a successful career in architecture and design, and it wasn’t until many years later when my ten-year-old daughter complained that she couldn’t find any good books to read, that it occurred to me to take up writing again. I had recently had to give up my job due to health problems, so it seemed the ideal opportunity to fulfill an old ambition. Since then I’ve written many articles on health, nutrition, and family history, two books on nutritional therapy, and two children’s novels..
Lady in Red Review:
Lady in Red was a short, sweet, and entertaining mystery, and I enjoyed it.
Even though I have not read the previous two books, I enjoyed this cozy mystery novel. It reminded me of the old Famous Five and Secret Seven novels that I grew up reading. The author wrote the story in such a way that a reader of any age group can enjoy.
The author gives the story a unique touch by adding memorable characters like Jake, who has a pet snake, Queenie, and Hamish, the robot. Similarly, after reading the tale, I would love to pick up the previous books to read Hamish’s origins. Moreover, Mortimer makes a formidable villain. He is one of those wealthy and conniving characters, and you don’t know what he has up his sleeve.
The author nicely paces the story by adding elements of mystery and suspense. Some of the scenes were very interesting, for instance, when Miles disappears or finds out who owns the painting. Moreover, I loved the backdrop of the story focusing on the artwork and pre-war days. I enjoyed the tale because it strays away from the generic ‘who-dun-it’ theme. We know who the culprit is early on, and the fun lies in how they bring him down.
However, I wish Mr. Pascoe and Mrs. Trevelyan were more prominent in the story. I enjoyed their backstory and wanted to know more. Also, at times I felt like Alex did not do much. Although he is the lead, it felt like the others solved the case, and he did not contribute much on his own.
Apart from that, this was a fun and entertaining mystery and a pretty quick read.
Book Tour Schedule
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Lady in Red by Tessa Buckley Blog Tour hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources.
