Review: The Secret of Willow Lane
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 22, 2012
Secret of Willow Lane by Virginia Rose RichterThe secret behind the Willow Lane mysteries is look out Nancy Drew! The Willow Lane mystery series is one that I could easily become addicted to and I envision young readers gravitating to Ms. Richter's series just as my friends and I did to Nancy Drew.The Secret of Willow Lane is artistically written by Virginia Rose Richter  with a cast of young characters: eleven year old  detective, Jessie Hanson and Tina Adams who are intelligent, articulate and strategic thinkers. The secret behind Willow Lane is completely unexpected and keeps the reader delightfully off balance throughout this quick paced adventure.  I relish Ms. Richter's technique for building intrigue, danger  and humor into her young detectives lives.  Ms. Richter's audience reaches out to girls between the ages of  8 and up. The vocabulary creates a challenging, enjoyable read utilizing engaging vocabulary and dialogue.  Ms. Richter paints a beautiful neighborhood inhibited by families  most readers can appreciate and identify with.Bits of humor sweetly blended into the mysterious  ingredients  as Ms. Richter's lead characters Jessie and Tina deal with the fine details behind the strange occurrence in Mr. CG. Johnson's home since his death.Jessie, Tina and 18 month old Phillip Jessie's  sweet yet annoying baby brother are precious. The story elements necessary for a great read strongly present. Relationships among Jessie's and Tina's family brought a smile to my face as I read.  As things develop Tina and Jessie are blessed to have parents in the medical and legal professions.Jessie and Tina's detective kit finally arrives  just in time to be put to good use before the summer is over. The kit contents are closely similar to authentic kits used by professional detectives. Jessie has noticed a strange light reflected from Mr. Johnson's attic window. The busy adults in the neighborhood have not noticed anything bizarre happening on Willow Lane.The mystery behind The Secret of Willow Lane twists and turns in the mystery does not manifest too early keeping the reader eagerly anticipating the next strange event and the people behind the outlandish activity surrounding Mr. Johnson and his residence after his death.The secondary characters are nicely defined and support the conspiracies and  risks making The Secret of Willow Lane a terrific mystery series. The roles of Ms. Wilson, Walter Jorgenson, Monty are paramount driving the rising action and resolution so realistic.I plan to introduce a few fourth and fifth grade girls to this delightful series which is void of dark energy forces.The Secret of Willow Lane is a fantastic book and I eagerly await the next installment. Hoorary! Ms. Richter for taking me back down memory lane when I impatiently looked forward to the next arrival of the Nancy Drew Mysteries.