Review of The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle by Taryn Souders
A.E. Jackson Review Score: 4 / 5 Ravens
How was this review scored?
Taryn Souders delivers another pleasant young adult novel suitable for every age reader. Her writing is lyric, each word chosen with great care, and delivers Southern sayings and authentic flavor from start to finish. For those wondering what Mark Twain’s stories would be like if he were still alive and writing today - Souders is a “modern Mark Twain”!
From the Edgar-nominated author of Coop Knows the Scoop comes an exciting mystery perfect for fans of From the Desk of Zoe Washington and Holes.
When Grady and his dad learn that the town oddball, Eudora "Kooky" Klinch left something for them in her will, they can only imagine what it might be. When it turns out it's an old scrap of 300-year-old tapestry, they are bitterly disappointed. But the cloth comes with a note saying, "This is no ordinary piece of needlework. It's a treasure map. Riddles and Clues. To the victor go the riches." Grady's dad dismisses it, but Grady thinks this could be the chance of a lifetime. With the help of his friends Thad, Clemmie, and the town dog Ophelia, Grady is determined to crack the clues and find the treasure.
But when someone tries to break into Grady's house one night, and then the local antiques expert who examined the tapestry is found unconscious, Grady realizes that he's not the only one who knows about the treasure map. There's more at risk than he bargained for, and solving this mystery just got a lot more dangerous.
The life lessons Grady learns are delivered to readers through down-home Southern sayings and matter-of-fact actions by a full cast of entertaining characters. The novel flows like a reader is sitting on the front porch with the author and hearing her tell the tale in person.
The town and all its inhabitants, along with their struggles, feel authentic and real. Readers can imagine walking the streets, sitting in the local diner, and digging through the antiques and stacks of yellowed documents with Grady. This story feels less like fiction and more like a tall-tale about actual events that unfolded for this family.
The progression of riddles, clues, and solutions is both entertaining and informative. Nothing is forced. The reader’s interest is piqued and held while learning American history and culture until the moment a puzzle is solved. All of the excitement culminates in a conclusion reminiscent of Nicolas Cage’s National Treasure!
The only question left unresolved is whether Grady and his friends will find another treasure lead in the old house? If so - I’d like to go along on that adventure too!
Taryn Souders was born in Dallas, Texas, and lived all over before settling down in Florida with her husband, David, and their three kids. Despite popular belief, Floridians do experience four seasons. They have Spring, Early Summer, Mid-Summer, and then Late Summer rounds out the year and finishes them off (figuratively and sometimes literally).
Souders never started out planning to be a writer - she was a middle school math teacher for a couple years. But, being a voracious reader as a kid gave her a love of words (and working with middle-schoolers gave her a sense of humor). It seemed like a good idea to combine the two (words and humor) and voila, her first book was born.
She enjoyed the writing process so much, that she’s kept with it and has enjoyed some success along the way.
Read more from Taryn Souders at https://tarynsouders.com and find her on social media at Facebook(@taryn.souders), and Twitter(@TarynSouders).