Review: An extraordinary emotionally satisfying tale...Brilliant!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 23, 2012
I love fast roller-coaster rides that zip me constantly up, then down and around until, by the end of the ride, I am delightfully exhausted. This is the kind of emotional experience that I had during my read of A RAUCOUS TIME. The rich dialogues and descriptive rhetoric is not only dynamic and witty; it is masterful for I often felt as if I were less a reader, more of a participant in the story itself.At stake in this adventure thriller is the fabled treasure trove of King John, worth an unimaginable amount and lost for almost 1,000 years. When I read the initial synopsis I did wonder, `How can the author weave a believable tale around a historically-based mystery when the 2 protagonists are merely kids?' I got my answer: brilliantly! Rhyllan is the older cousin and appears to be the fearless one who is in charge during many death-defying schemes. Ms. Hughes, though, ingeniously tweaks her script so that the younger Wren merely appears to be geeky and in need of protection. In truth, he is the puppeteer, a multi-gifted mastermind with a touch of mystical powers. Adding a marvelous bit of flavor to the tale is a clever, though slovenly-looking, DI named Crombie. He endeared himself to me during an extraordinary rescue scene that takes place on railroad tracks.A RAUCOUS TIME is a brilliant tale that is akin to a blend of those heart-stopping adventure scenes performed by Indiana Jones; the delightful, mystical antics of Merlin-The-Magician; and, the bumbling yet fearless investigative prowess of a TV character named Columbo. Though the tale is rife with danger, I often found myself dabbing tears of laughter from my eyes. It is difficult to continue reading with wet glasses.