BOOK REVIEW: THE COPERNICUS LEGACY:

THE COPERNICUS LEGACY:

THE FORBIDDEN STONE

Tony Abbott

Harper Collins

2014

Available: Hard copy, paperback, Kindle

    Wade, Lily, Darrell, and Becca are just hanging out when they hear the news of the death of one of their father's old friends. Their mom is in South America. Their dad wants to go to the funeral, but he can't leave the kids home alone. So he and the kids fly from Texas to Germany for the services. But when they get there the kids realize that the dead man is more than just an old family friend. He's been guarding

BOOK REVIEW: THE POSTCARD

The Postcard mystery review

THE POSTCARD

Tony Abbott

Little Brown and Company

2008

Available: Kindle hardcover, paper back, audio

When thirteen-year-old Jason's grandmother dies, he and his father head for Florida to sort out the things she's left behind. The unexpected trip does not fit in with his summer plans. He hates Florida, hates the chores, and hates the heat. To make things worse, he suspects his parents are splitting up. Strange people show up at the funeral. Then there's the weird phone call that leads him to an old postcard and a magazine story. Suddenly he's plopped into a murky mystery from his grandmother's past that is somehow connected to the present leaving him with two mysteries to solve. Both take him on an adventure that will reveal long-hidden family secrets.

THE POSTCARD is two mysteries in one. One, written as a contemporary story about a boy and a girl who find a mysterious manuscript. One, written in a hard-boiled detective style about romance, intrigue and danger. The reader must jump between the different plots, but it's worth it in the end. Mystery readers will enjoy the melding of the two styles.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Grades 7-9

MYSTERY / SUSPENSE: compelling and complex

KID APPEAL: Strong