Title: The Giant Horseshoe Mystery
Author: George S. Haines
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
ISBN: 978-1638710332
Pages: 139
Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Cozy Mystery
Reviewed by: Jake Bishop
Hollywood Book Reviews
Boys getting into mischief and winding up in the middle of potentially dangerous situations is a staple of literature for young people. As far back as the 1870s, Mark Twain was regaling readers with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer followed by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Countless variations followed and moved from the printed page to television in the 1950s with shows like Walt Disney’s The Adventures of Spin And Marty. Fast forward to today and you’ll find that tradition being continued in George S. Haines novel, The Giant Horseshoe Mystery, with the characters of Sam and Howie taking center stage.
Sam lives on a farm in Indiana. His cousin, Howie, comes to visit him. While Sam is rambunctious and constantly daydreams of adventures, Howie is a bit more reserved and cautious. When the two get together however, all sorts of strange things start to happen when exploration is on the agenda.
The pair wind up looking into an abandoned log cabin. Before you know it, they’ve fallen through the floor and wound up in what appears to be a hidden tunnel. Finding the tunnel would be adventure enough for some, but not for these lads. They go on to run into a human skeleton clutching what appears to be an oversized horseshoe with strange markings on it. This is just the beginning of a mystery that will entail run-ins with a couple of sleazy career criminals named Sly and Slick, help from the local law officer, Sheriff Neverfine, information about the Civil War and the fabled Underground Railroad, plus insights into European battles and more.
Haines is a storyteller who provides practical life lessons as well as involving entertainment. While his two young protagonists are frequently doing the kinds of things precocious boys do, they’re never far away from family and parental guidance that helps keep them on the right path. And both Sam and Howie continually show ongoing respect for the good advice they get from family members and authority figures.
The author keeps the pace of his story moving swiftly. His plot is engaging and easy to follow, his prose is straightforward and uncomplicated, while his dialogue is free of profanity. This is the kind of book young people can enjoy and parents can feel comfortable with. It’s also one in a series of books about Sam and Howie’s mysterious adventures. Other titles include The XYZ Mystery and The Red Pick-Up Truck Mystery. Readers looking for wholesome literature for their own youngsters should definitely look into these family-friendly yarns.