The Second Enchantment Lake Mystery - The Clue in the Trees

While this is technically the second "Northwoods Mystery," the publishers decided to take the title of the first book and re-name the series after that, making this an "Enchantment Lake Mystery" instead.  But, that's okay.  As long as the writing is good, the plots are believable, and the characters are engaging and enjoyable to read, they can call the series whatever they'd like.  And since this second book in the series succeeds in all three categories, then let's take a look at the second Enchantment Lake Mystery!

The Clue in the Trees is a bit misleading, since the only thing that our protagonist, Francesca (Francie) Frye (a/k/a "French Fry" or "little Frenchie"), finds in the trees is a hand spade, and quite frankly, that little hand spade does not really provide a clue to anything.  It certainly does not provide a clue as to who killed Dr. Digby, the cantankerous old archaeologist that everyone had reason to hate.  And the author, I think, has a little fun with this, since Francie gains some new sidekicks in this book - two new friends from school, Raven and Jay - and Jay provides Francie with some proposed names for her latest mystery (that she insists she is not going to get involved in trying to solve!) - "The Perplexing Puzzle of the Perished Paleontologist" or "The Theory of the Three Thoughtful Thespians" or "The Bewildering Breach of the Buried Bones" or ... well, you get the gist.

Alliterated titles aside, The Clue in the Trees does provide Francie and her friends with a perplexing and bewildering mystery to solve.  Francie, who heard her brother arguing with Digby on the day he died and later saw him washing his hands in the lake after she discovered his body, is determined to stay out of it.  Despite the fact that everyone in town calls her the Northwoods Nancy Drew (yes, everyone's favorite pop culture icon gets referenced more than once in this book!), Francie does not want to solve this one.  Her brother Theo, who has returned under mysterious circumstances and has been keeping secrets from her, such as what really happened to their mother, seems to be prime suspect number one, and since all evidence points to him, Francie does not want to know.  But circumstances conspire against her, and although she auditions for and gets the lead role in the school's play as a distraction, she still can't avoid following the clues that fall into her lap.  Particularly when they lead her in the direction of that mysterious silver box that belonged to her mother...

Yes, you remember that box she saw at the mansion across the lake in the last book, right?  Well, it returns in this book, and Francie wants to find it more than anything.  She believes it is her last connection to her mother.  But if she found it without any difficulty, then where would the drama be?  Author Margi Preus continues to keep things not-so-easy for Francie as she continues to search for answers to her family's past.  In the meantime, she is also finding herself drawn more and more into the mystery surrounding Digby's death and how her brother fits into everything.  There are some surprising twists along the way, and the ultimate resolution is somewhat out of left field (and a bit beyond belief - but a quick search on the internet shows that the reason for Digby's death is an actual thing, so when you read it and think how crazy it sounds, go look - it's based on fact!), but Preus does provide a climactic chase through underground tunnels, a hidden passage, and a battle with a villain holding a very large kitchen knife!

All-in-all, a very satisfying read and a great mystery - and while I don't see any more solicited on Amazon yet, my fingers are crossed that a third mystery will be forthcoming!

RATING:  10 pieces of mastodon bones out of 10 for giving readers an older teen detective with great characters, a well-plotted mystery, and an underlying subplot throughout the series!