A Ted Wilford Mystery, no. 13 - The Abandoned Mine Mystery

It was time to step back into the world of budding reporter, Ted Wilford, and his photographer best friend, Nelson Morgan.  This book marks the thirteenth book in the series, and it has been rather enjoyable watching Ted and Nelson grow up, graduate high school, and enter college, all while Ted has pursued his career as a reporter.  I have also liked the rapport between Ted and Nelson - like two best friends in the real world, they joke with one another, they support one another, and they encourage and compliment one another.  I think those are some of the reasons why I have truly liked this series, because the characters feel real and relatable, as do most of the mysteries and situations in which the boys find themselves (although, like any good series books, there are those instances of coincidence that would never happen in the real world, but, hey!  these young sleuths have to be able to solve their mysteries, don't they?).

The Abandoned Mine Mystery is set during the boys' summer break from college, as Ted is once again working for the Forestdale Town Crier, the town's local newspaper.   Editor Christopher Dobson sends Ted and Nelson to the small community of East Walton, a few hours away from their own hometown, to look into claims that an accidental mine explosion, which shut down the mine, may not have been accident at all.  East Walton had thrived while the mine was open, but now that it has been closed, its citizens were suffering.  The owner of the mine has kept it closed, waiting on federal aid, and the mine workers and their families cannot hold out without work much longer.  Ted must first make contact with the Town Crier contact in East Walton - one Phil Royce - to ensure he is not stepping on his toes before investigating the story, but before he can even reach the town, the mystery begins...

A news report about two missing children catches their attention on the way to East Walton, and wouldn't you know it - arriving at the edge of the town, they spot two children heading into what appears to be the entrance to a coal mine.  As a storm approaches, Ted and Nelson do what any responsible adult would do - head into the mine to try and find the children.  They manage to find them, but not before the storm breaks, forcing them to spend the night in the mine!  The next morning, they return the children to their mother and learn that the children had been trying to find their mule, Alice, who has a tendency to wander off.  While there, the mule is returned by a farmer on the other side of the river - and if you don't think that is a big clue that something odd is happening, since the children followed the mule into the mine, then you haven't been reading children's mysteries very long!  Leaving the children's home, they are stopped again before they can make it to town in order to assist a man named Patrick Sorrel, whose car has stalled by the side of the road.  As they drive him to town, they learn Mr. Sorrell is a real estate man who is attempting to build a new community on the other side of the river (hmmmm, now isn't that a coincidence?!), but the people of East Walton are not happy with him, believing he is taking advantage of them and the closing of the mine.  Now, the question becomes - how do either of these things tie into the actual closing of the mine?  Well, that is what Ted intends to find out.

 

Remember, Ted was sent to East Walton to uncover whether the mine explosion really was an accident.  He meets with correspondent Phil Royce, who is dealing with a break-in at his father's drug store, so he has no issue with Ted pursuing the story.  He also meets with the woman who wrote the letter to the Town Crier about the explosion, along with the man who owns the coal mine, the mayor, and several other people in the town, all of whom have been affected by the closing of the mine.  The common thread seems to be Mr. Sorrell and his intent to build a new community across the river.  Ted and Nelson daringly go into the mine several times to investigate, and they find it is a maze of paths - both Ted and Nelson devise their own ways to keep track of where they are going:  Ted draws a map as they go, while Nelson uses a piece of chalk to mark off their turns.  To be honest, I would not have any desire to go traipsing around in mine tunnels that go deeper and deeper into the ground - thinking about all of that dirt and stone above me would make me extremely uncomfortable (and I'm not claustrophobic at all!).  But Ted and Nelson brave the tunnels in order to figure out what is really going on - one time, they even lose both of their flashlights, leaving them completely stranded in the maze with no way to find their way back - until, that is, they hear a slight tinkling of a bell - one worn by a certain mule who has a tendency to wander off!  Yes, Alice returns to rescue out two heroes - how convenient is that!

The boys ultimately learn about the coal pirates, nearly get arrested when someone plants a stolen gun in the glove compartment of Nelson's car, are given false information to hurt their credibility, and discover a long closed-off tunnel that leads under the river, revealing a secret that could very well cost Mr. Sorrel quite a bit of money if people were to find out!  While the mystery did not involve ghosts or hidden treasures or lost wills or the such, it was actually still a very good read.  The topic of real estate swindles, blackmail, and political agendas reads more like an adult mystery than a children's series book; however, Pallas manages to keep it readable and enjoyable, and I'll give you a big hint - the real villain of the story is not who you think it is.

Sadly, there are only two books left to go in this series, and I almost hesitate to read them, because once I do, I know there will be no more.  I just hope when I do read them, they hold up as well as this book does.

RATING:  9 small orange-colored boxes out of 10 for a different kind of mystery that is a reminder that not every problem one faces will have an easy solution!