September 17th 2019 by Scholastic Press
Library copy
Things are still not quite right at the Blackberry Hill Inn. For one thing, the cow at the Doone's who provided Queenie's cream has gone missing, and when Bro goes to the dairy to find out what has happened, he finds that Jimmy, who is his age, has a black eye. Jimmy has different stories about how this happened, but when his father is found beaten unconscious in their house, the concern shifts to him. Did Jimmy beat his father? He stays with Harmony and Bro for the moment, and their mother is approached by a lawyer with a strange request-- Mr. Doone has said that in the event that something happens to him, Jimmy is to live at Blackberry Hill Inn, and all of the Doone assets will be cared for by them. There is an odd visitor to the inn, Ms. Pryor, who is interested in Catastrophe Falls, which is on Doone property. More and more clues pile up, but the police are mainly interested in locating Jimmy, who has run away. Can the mysteries all be solved by Queenie and Arthur, with a little help from Harmony and Bro?
Strengths: The essential mystery, with Mr. Doone being attacked and his property be sought after, is a good one. The inn is and interesting setting, and Harmony and Bro are great characters.
Weaknesses: This seemed to rely more heavily on the animals' perspectives, which didn't improve the story.
What I really think: I would LOVE to see Peter Abrahams do a straight murder mystery for tweens; I like his style of writing, but the topics are always a bit quirky. Maybe it's just my students who don't like quirky and love murders.
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