Search This Blog
2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona
- Arkansas (1)
- California (7)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (2)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (2)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico
- New York (4)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee
- Texas (3)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (2)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Canada (2)
- England (21)
- Fiji (1)
- France (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Italy (1)
- Mexico (1)
- New Zealand (1)
- Norway (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Bahamas (1)
- Vatican City (1)
2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge
2026 52 Club Reading Challenge
2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge
2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)
2026 Countdown Reading Challenge
Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo
2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge
2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)
2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge
European Reading Challenge 2026
2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)
2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Showing posts with label Margi Preus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Margi Preus. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Okay, Now I'm Invested ... (With a Giveaway!)
9:31 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Note: Although this review will not contain spoilers from The Clue in the Trees, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Enchantment Lake. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.
After a harrowing summer at her aunts' lakeside cabin, 17-year-old Francie Frye has decided to stay in little Walpurgis. As far as excitement goes, Brooklyn has nothing on the Minnesota Northwoods. Not that Francie is looking for anything more thrilling than the normal, everyday life of an average, ordinary high school senior, mind you.
When a surly archaeologist is strangled to death while manning an important dig near the aunts' cabin, everyone expects their own northwoods Nancy Drew to take up the case. Francie couldn't be more disinterested. Been there, done that. Then her older brother shows up unexpectedly, trailing trouble in his wake. Francie hasn't seen Theo in three years. There's plenty she doesn't know about him and it's obvious he's hiding some big secrets. Could one of them be that he's a murderer? With Theo as the prime suspect in the murder of the archaeologist, Francie's got no choice but to launch her own investigation. She has to prove her brother innocent. With mounting evidence against him, though, she's forced to ask a chilling question: Is Theo guilty? In a situation where nothing is as it seems, Francie must solve a complex puzzle before time runs out for her brother and herself ...
You might remember that I wasn't overly enthusiastic about Enchantment Lake, the first book in the Northwoods Mystery series by Margi Preus. I'm happy to report that I'm much fonder of its second installment, The Clue in the Trees. While there are a few incongruencies in the tale that I'm still trying to figure out, overall, the book provides a fast, fun mystery that surprised me in the end. The vibrant lake setting remains the star of this particular show, but I did find Francie more likeable this time around. I'm also enjoying the continued mystery surrounding her parents' suspicious demises. After reading Enchantment Lake, I had little desire to continue with the series. Now, though, I'm invested and looking forward to Francie's next adventure.
(Readalikes: Enchantment Lake by Margi Preus; also reminds me a bit of the Jess Tennant series [How to Fall; Bet Your Life; Hide and Seek] by Jane Casey)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Clue in the Trees from the generous folks at University of Minnesota Press via those at Fantastic Flying Book Club. Thank you!
--
Want more opinions on The Clue in the Trees? Follow along on the book's blog tour by clicking on the banner below:
Feeling lucky? Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter a giveaway (U.S. only) for one copy of The Clue in the Trees:
Not feeling lucky? Use the following links to buy the book:
Barnes & Noble—https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-clue-in-the-trees-margi-preus/1126190722?ean=9781517902193
Book Depository—https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Clue-in-the-Trees-Margi-Preus/9781517902193?ref=grid-view&qid=1505923243501&sr=1-1
Kobo—https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-clue-in-the-trees
About the Author:
Margi Preus is a New York Times bestselling author of several books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book, Heart of a Samurai, the Minnesota Book Award winning West of the Moon, and Shadow on the Mountain, a Notable Book for a Global Society. New in 2015 is Enchantment Lake, a northwoods mystery, and The Bamboo Sword, which Bookpage says is “historical fiction at its best.”
“Margi Preus has a remarkable ability to create fascinating, page-turning stories that transport readers to faraway times and places. Whether she’s evoking Norway during World War II or 19th century Japan, Preus combines impeccable research with strong characterization and plot—the very elements that draw readers into history and spark the curiosity to learn more.” Bookpage, Sept. 2015
Links:
Website-http://www.margipreus.com
Twitter-https://twitter.com/MargiPreus
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Enchantment Lake a Fast, Fun (Though Frustrating) First Mystery
10:55 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Just because Francesca "Francie" Frye once played a detective on t.v. doesn't mean she knows anything about sleuthing. Still, when the 17-year-old actress receives a frantic call from her aunt—who insists someone is trying to kill her and her sister—Francie doesn't hesitate to hop on a plane bound for northern Minnesota. It's only en route that she starts to have some reservations about her hasty trip. After all, everyone knows Francie's spinster aunts are a little ... eccentric. As strange as they may be, the pair are old and living alone in an isolated cabin on an island that is accessible only by boat. Francie has little choice. She has to check on the elderly women.
Soon, Francie finds herself in Walpurgis, the tiny northwoods town where she spent many of her childhood summers. While her aunties seem safe enough, they—like many of the older lakeside residents—are in an uproar over proposed development of their island paradise. Land owners are being persuaded to sell heirloom cabins. Those who hesitate, well, they seem to up and die in mysterious "accidents." Francie's aunts are convinced something sinister is going on. Are the old ladies just being paranoid? Considering the creepy noises Francie hears in the woods at night, a weird confession from a could-be killer, and a poisoned hotdish that sends someone to their grave, Francie tends to agree with her aunts. Something weird is happening at Enchantment Lake. A certain northwoods Nancy Drew is determined to get to the bottom of it, which is, not incidentally, exactly where all the answers to the mystery may lie.
Enchantment Lake, the first book in Margi Preus' Northwoods Mystery series, offers a fast, fun read with a few twists to keep readers guessing. Although the story features some colorful characters, it's the setting that really steals the show in this book. Preus brings the lake and its surrounding community to life with vivid description and an obvious affection for the land. Francie is much less convincing. She doesn't talk or act like a teen. Adults treat her as an equal, somehow believing that she's an NYPD detective, despite the fact that she's only seventeen. Which begs the question, why would a teenager be playing a police officer on t.v. anyway? These leaps in logic made it difficult for me to really believe in this story. Overall, though, Enchantment Lake is not a bad read. It's atmospheric, exciting, and stocked with enough red herrings to keep the killer's identity pretty well under wrap. I didn't end up loving this book, but I didn't hate it either. So that's something.
(Readalikes: The Clue in the Trees by Margi Preus; also reminded me a little of the Jess Tennant series [How to Fall; Bet Your Life; Hide and Seek] by Jane Casey)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Enchantment Lake from the generous folks at University of Minnesota Press via those at Fantastic Flying Book Club. Thank you!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Readin'
Beach Thriller by Jamie Day
Listenin'
Hidden Rooms by Kate Michaelson
Followin' with Bloglovin'
Followin' with Feedly
-
-
-
-
Sweet Spot by Kemper Donovan4 hours ago
-
-
-
July Reflections16 hours ago
-
-
-
-
A Curse Carved in Bone1 day ago
-
-
-
The Whisper By Chelsea Iversen1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
A Brewed Awakening2 days ago
-
Lehane, Dennis "Shutter Island" - 20033 days ago
-
-
-
Haiku reviews...5 days ago
-
-
Books read in June3 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
June TBR1 month ago
-
-
Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney5 months ago
-
-
Sunday Post #5681 year ago
-
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus2 years ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?2 years ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra3 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?3 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
