Historical Mystery Series Intrigues Young Adult Readers

Based in stormy St. John’s, Newfoundland at the turn of the 20th century, Gifts and Bones tells the story of a troubled boy named Brian Stevens. With her young cousin, Jean, as her Morse code interpreter, and their peculiar relative, Mildred, as a constant companion, teenager Bea MacDonald gradually unravels the mystery behind young Brian. A work of well-researched historical fiction, Ms. Murray’s first novel in the Bea and Mildred Mystery Series is shot through with glimpses of the transatlantic cable odyssey back in the middle of the 19th century. This combination of history with the mystery-lover’s ingredients of murder, deceit and blackmail makes for a gripping read.