Dead Man's Cove (Laura Marlin Mysteries 1): Book 1

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I am a fan of Enid Blyton and I was delighted by this book, as it did remind me quite a bit of Enid Blyton's stories. One of the best things about Dead Man’s Cove is it manages to do everything I’ve mentioned above, keeping the prose simple enough for an 8 year old, yet without being condescending. Further reading suggestion: You can read about another likeable young person who dreams of adventure and up ends solving a mystery in How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini by Elen Caldecott, published July 2010. I think the book starts off well, telling of a girl from an orphanage being adopted by her mysterious and kind uncle. She starts to follow her uncle when he starts being secretive about his work and where he goes for hours on end, day and night.

She longs for excitement in her life, although when her wish comes true she finds, like most people, that the reality isn't nearly as much fun as the dream. Each character definitely had their own manner of speaking throughout the entire story that made it easy to know who was speaking at different parts. When orphaned Laura Marlin is sent from the children’s home to live with her uncle in Cornwall, she dreams of a life of excitement just like the characters in her favourite detective novels. An orphaned girl with a big love for detectives finds herself thrown into mystery when she moves in to live with her uncle. What I want,’ Laura declared, ‘is to have a life packed with excitement like some of the characters in my books.

Orphaned at birth and raised in a children’s home, she finally gets the chance to escape her dull existence when her uncle comes forward to adopt her.

If I'd have read Kat Wolfe Investigates after reading this, instead of the other way around, I think I might have felt a little cheated. Dead Man's Cove has in many ways the feel of a traditional adventure mystery, with clear-cut villains, clues and false trails and a dramatic climax.So, at the beginning of this adventure mystery she finds herself moving to a house by the beach in Cornwall to live with Calvin Redfern, a man she has never met before. My only gripe is the use of home education as a cover for child slavery, but it does make a useful plot device.