Book two in the Aggie Morton mystery series was just as enjoyable as the first. Author Marthe Jocelyn has created a world of quirky characters that you can't help but love! In the previous book, Jocelyn introduces us to twelve year-old Aggie Morton, whose father has recently died, and she must not only contend with his loss, but also her grieving mother, as well as her sometimes overbearing (but at the same time, over-indulging) grandmother. While solving the murder of her piano teacher's sister, she meets the young Hector Perot who becomes her sidekick in the crime-solving business, as well as the enigma known as Augustus C. Fibbley, a reporter who is not at all what he seems to be! After helping uncover the truth behind the murder in her small town on the coast of England, one can only anticipate what fate has in store for our intrepid sleuth next!
Peril at Owl Park follows only a few weeks after the events of the previous book, as Aggie is shipped off to her sister's new estate, along with Hector and her Grannie Jane. Aggie's sister, Marjorie, is now the new Lady Greyson, having married a Lord. Aggie and Hector are excited to explore the grand manor, with Lord James Greyson's niece, Lucy, as their guide. It just so happens to be Christmas week, so there is also the anticipation of stockings and presents on Christmas morning! But, the old Lady Greyson is not the most hospitable person, and the house is playing host to a number of other guests for the holidays - including Lord Greyson's college friend, Lakshay Sivam, and his wife; old Lady Greyson's physician, Dr. Musselman; and a touring theater group: Mr. Mooney, Ms. Day, and Mr. Corker. They were brought to the Greyson estate to put on a show on Christmas Eve, to help celebrate the holidays, and some of the household even had the opportunity to participate. It has all the makings for a wonderful holiday celebration, despite old Lady Greyson's rather dour demeanor...
And so begins Aggie Morton's second foray into the world of solving murders. Jocelyn provides a mystery full of twists and turns, hidden passages, red herrings, and lots of suspects with motives and opportunities. Definitely a tale worthy of the Queen of Crime herself, Agatha Christie! The suspects include the footman, Frederick, who has a bit of a shady past; Mr. Sivam, who disappears directly after the murdered body is found, along with the cursed jewel he brought with him; Mr. Mooney, who does not appear too upset about his acting partner's death; Ms. Day, in whose shoe is found the missing cursed jewel; and even James Greyson himself, whose movements that night appear to have given him opportunity and means! Aggie does not want to believe that her new brother-in-law could be a murderer, but she knows she must follow the clues to wherever they lead!
A secret passage that allows the children to view the study, the library, and other rooms; a fall down the back stairs into the kitchen; a letter opener with specks of blood on it; a pair of boots in the wrong place; a missing magnifying glass; a fake jewel; and a case of mistaken identity - so many pieces to the puzzle, and it will take all of Aggie's intuition and logical thinking, along with the help of Grannie Jane and Hector, to make the pieces fit to reveal the true identity of the murderer. And just when you think they have the whole thing solved and the culprit caught - well, as with any good murder mystery, not everything is always what it seems!
I have to give the cover artist credit (or the publisher, if they are the ones who directed the idea) - but the cover, while depicting Aggie and Hector outside in the snow with a snowman on the ground, reveals a number of elements from the story - the snowman has a twig sticking out of his back, mirroring the knife sticking out of Mr. Corker's back in the library! Aggie is holding up a magnifying glass, hinting at the missing glass from the library. We even have the owl flying just over Aggie's head, a symbol of the letter opener with the owl carving on its handle. I never thought about these kind of things when looking at the cover of the first book, but now I'll have to go back and take a look again to see if that cover offered up some clues to the story as well!
Oh, and lest I forget, Jocelyn, I think, has a lot of fun with that reporter, Augustus C. Fibbley. Readers of the first book will remember that Fibbley has a big secret of his own - one that definitely comes in to play and is used to his advantage to help him get exclusive insights to the goings-on at the Greyson manor (since the family will not allow any reporters to come in and bother the family at this horrific time). Fibbley once again proves to be a bit of a help to Aggie, even while pursuing her own ... er, I mean, his own agenda. I do certainly hope Jocelyn plans to keep Fibbley around in future books, as I find him to be a rather fun character.
This is an enjoyable series that I would certainly recommend to any fans of children's mystery stories. Sure, there is a bit of a stretch to think that a twelve year-old in 1902 would have all of the freedoms that Aggie does, but again - this is a work of fiction, so there has to be some suspension of disbelief to truly enjoy it (as with any work of fiction).
RATING: 9 plates of macaroni with melted cheese over it out of 10 for offering up a deliciously delectable holiday murder mystery that is on par with the master mystery writers of days gone by!
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