Review: Delightful Book for young readers!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 5, 2012
What a delight! I enjoyed reading the first book in a series by author RA Jones. This series will be the Merryweathers Mysteries featuring Sam Jones and adventures with his grandmother, Gwladys Mary Merryweather. Her dog Trooper and the cat Ginger will also play a part in helping to solve the mysteries.The beginning of this book has nine year old Sam dreading a week visit with his grandmother. Sam's parents are going to Peru for a walking or yomping vacation and want Sam to stay with his grandmother. He does not think his grandmother is an interesting person, although she does have some funny sayings, which he thinks is a bit weird. Sam is not excited about this visit and fully expects the week at grans to be very boring. Sam lets the adults know he is not pleased and stubbornly avoids hugging his grandmother. Before his parents leave for their trip Sam overhears his mother and father discuss their worry about Gran's health since her hip operation.As in previous visits with his grandmother, Sam dreads the visits to Mrs. Walpole's cat sanctuary. Mrs. Walpole is his grandmother's best friend and enjoys to bake special goodies, just like his gran. While Sam is at the cattery, he feels as if the cats are spying on him. The cats are attracted to Sam and many of them follow him around.Later that day, on the way home from Mrs. Walpole's, the car starts to sputter. There is steam pouring from the radiator and they stop the car. After gran opens the cap on the radiator, the steam becomes so thick until Sam can not see the car. From the midst of the steam Sam hears a strange voice, and through the fog he sees the image of a girl and she is rubbing a pebble as she says, "Watcher, Watcher, wherever you be, Over land or over sea, As you are bound then so are we" and then the girl calls for Mother Merryweather!So this begins a very strange adventure for Sam and his grandmother. Read the wonderful story to find out what happens when you meet up with a Dreable wraith or a Dreable drone. Find out about the powers of eating one of Mrs Walpole's cherry bakewells. You need to learn about the creeping Nule, Arglwd, and about The Skwarnok Aryon...and of course the mysterious stone circle!An adventure story filled with strange things, learning life lessons about courage, and the love of a grandmother. Enjoy!