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THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING WILL

Mayer, Jeni
Saskatoon (Sask.), Thistledown Press, 1992. 158pp, galley, $7.00
ISBN 0-920633-90-0. CIP


Grades 5-8 / Ages 10-13

Reviewed by Joanne Robertson

Volume 20 Number 3
May 1992


The deserted St. Vincent mansion on the Saskatchewan prairie attracts the explorations of Samantha and Meredith during their summer holidays. What begins as a diversion grows into an absorbing mystery that captures the girls' imaginations and places them in real physical danger.

Is the house haunted? Did Meredith really hear a ghost whisper the words, "Find my will"? And what do those words mean? Curious, the girls delve into the past of the people who lived in the old mansion. Events follow each other quickly in this fast-paced tale. Jeni Mayer blends the eerie atmosphere of ghostly happenings with real-life events very effectively.

The characters of Meredith and Samantha are the most fully developed. Their relationships with their families are woven through out the story of their search to solve the mystery. Meredith lives with her mother, who holds down two jobs in order to make ends meet. Samantha's parents "were always going to glamorous parties or jetting off to some wonderful place." Meredith, sometimes jealous of Samantha, learns a lesson about being rich and being poor.

The Mystery of the Missing Will, Mayer's second book, follows The Mystery of the Turtle Lake Monster, and is sure to win her even more fans.


Joanne Robertson, Winnipeg, Man.
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