Samantha Wolf Mysteries, Book Twelve - The Mystery at Ocean Side

This twelfth book in the Samantha Wolfe Mysteries series, written by Tara Ellis, appears to be the last.  It was first published in 2022, which was four years ago, and I'm not finding any indication that another book was solicited or even hinted at by the author.  In today's market, a 12-book run is not bad; however, I can't deny my fondness of ongoing series (such as Nancy Drew, which has been ongoing for more than 90 years at this point!).  That being said, if this book is to be the final Samantha Wolf mystery, then Ellis did a bang up job of going out on a high note.  The mystery is creative, the new characters engaging, and the danger just enough to give the book some suspense.  Plus, Ellis does something surprising with the narrative form of this book - after 11 books written in the present tense, Ellis offers readers a break with this final mystery, as it is written completely in past tense!  As soon as I starting reading the first page, my mind immediately picked up on the difference - it was a smooth read without that initial jarring I usually felt when reading present tense tales.  I thought perhaps this first part would be a flashback, and she would switch to her standard present tense narrative, but nope.  Ellis maintained the past tense narrative throughout the entire book, making it the easiest read of the series!

 

That being said, The Mystery at Ocean Side introduces readers to Sam's new neighbor, Tanner Hobbs. He and his father have just moved to Ocean Side for two reasons: one, Mr. Hobbs has taken a new position with the same company who employs Mr. Parker (the father of Sam's best friend, Ally); and two, Mr. Hobbs has inherited the land in Ocean Side known as "Hobbit Hollow" - where an old resort owned by Tanner's grandfather burned down years ago, and the residents of Ocean Side believe is haunted by the ghost of the one person who died at the time.  Sam and Ally, and their brothers (Hunter and John, respectively), find young Tanner to be a bit off-putting, but gradually he warms up to the teens, and soon all five of them are camping with Mr. Hobbs on the land he has inherited.  Sam is excited at the prospect of exploring and, maybe, catching a glimpse of the so-called ghost.  Of course, the haunting of Hobbit Hollow is not the only mystery afoot.

 

Ellis throws in a bigger mystery involving the death of Mr. Hobbs' father and his Will.  It seems he left most of the land to Mr. Hobbs, but a small island just off the coast he has bequeathed to a woman named Stephanie Davis, who arrives in Ocean Side with her daughter, Alayna, to claim her inheritance!  Hobbs is taken by surprise, especially when Mrs. Davis claims to have no knowledge of Hobbs' father and no understanding of why he would leave her the island.  Sam senses there is much more here than meets the eye, and even though she has promised her parents not to get involved in any more mysteries, she cannot help herself.  She offers Tanner her help, and before you can blink an eye, Sam and the gang are assisting Tanner in his search for the truth - a search that leads them to a small cabin located in the woods of the Hobbs' property, where Tanner finds a journal left there by his grandfather.  A journal that has a number of drawings, all of which are clues to help Tanner "right a wrong" done generations ago!

 

It's a well-crafted mystery with fun clues, and while the culprit sort of comes out of left field (no one even knows this person exists until half-way through the book!), it is still an enjoyable read.  The missing treasure, the heart-breaking backstory, and the climactic confrontation with a gun-toting villain whose greed sees him threatening young teens without a second thought are all part of this dramatic story, and, of course, Sam's quick thinking is what manages to put the clues together to reveal the location of the long-lost treasure.

 

I'm kind of disappointed to see this series reach its end.  While it was not necessarily my favorite must-read series, it consistently offered decent mysteries with main characters that evolved and matured as the series progressed, gradually adding to the supporting cast (adding Hunter and John, as well as Cassie, along the way), and I though the addition of both Tanner and Alayna in this book would have offered some fresh blood into the series for future stories.  Who knows?  Two years passed between books 11 and 12, so perhaps sometime in the near future, Ellis will get inspired to revisit the world of Ocean Side and share another Samantha Wolf mystery with her fans.  If not, at least she can rest easy knowing she gave readers a solid 12-book series that is worth the read.

 

RATING:  8 plush armchairs with stuffing hanging out of 10 for offering up one final mystery for Samantha Wolf to solve, filled with ghosts, treasures, and wills - all the makings for a great story!