Children’s Mystery
Date Published: January 29, 2024
Publisher: Mindstir Media
It seemed like it would be another quiet, summer morning of fishing for
11-year old Charlie, her older brother, Finn, and his best friend, Tyler.
Their friendly lakeside town in west Michigan was usually peaceful and a bit
boring during summer vacation for these three mystery-loving middle
schoolers. Little did they know, they were about to stumble upon a thrilling
treasure hunt with tricky clues and a sinister thief who is determined to
beat them each step of the way. Join these three amateur detectives for a
small town Michigan mystery with twists and turns that will keep you
guessing.
EXCERPT
“What kind of a girl name is Charlie, anyways?” said twelve-year-old Tyler with a smug smile on his face. On a lazy summer afternoon, Tyler couldn’t think of anything better to do than pick on his best friend Finn’s younger sister.
Charlie used every bit of her eleven-year-old strength not to respond and completely ignore Tyler’s dig, knowing how disappointed he would be to not get a reaction. She kept working on organizing her tackle box, getting ready to head out fishing with the boys.
Tyler’s brown eyes flashed with irritation, but quickly changed to satisfaction as he blurted out, “I imagine your mom must have known you wouldn’t be much of a lady when she picked the name Charlie!”
Charlie, unable to remain quiet a moment longer, calmly replied, “And your mom must have known you would make quite the lady when she named you, Tyler Francis Welch.”
Tyler’s face turned red as Finn burst out laughing hysterically.
“Why don’t you stop trying to make fun of her, Ty?” Finn said through his laughter. “She is always one step ahead of you, Tyler Francis!”
“Francis was my great-grandfather’s name…it used to be a boy name all the time back then,” Tyler mumbled defensively as he ran his hand through his thick brown hair. “C’mon, let’s go fishing,” said Tyler, giving up on a comeback as he shook his head in defeat and started walking slowly down the drive, carrying his pole and tackle box.
“One of these days I’m gonna tell him your name is really Charlotte,” Finn whispered to Charlie with a small smile.
Charlie’s eyes got huge and then narrowed to slits as she glared at her older brother. “You wouldn’t dare!” Charlie whispered with as much threat as she could muster.
Finn strode off, laughing good-naturedly as he swung his pole and tackle box, following Tyler down the drive. He was easy-going and liked to laugh, especially when his best friend and little sister sparred.
Charlie really wasn’t like most girls her age. She enjoyed being outdoors, fishing, gardening, and doing many other hobbies that most eleven-year-old girls would find gross or boring. She really did have a skill with words too. Somehow, she always had a witty comeback at just the right time. Tyler would never admit it to her, but he admired her ability to brush off his insults and easily put him in his place.
About the Author
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