Charlotte's Hummock, by Victoria McCullough

An intriguing short young adult mystery detective novel. Charlotte Cartier is a teenager living on a quaint island in the 1950's. When a rich neighbor dies unexpectedly, Charlotte suspects foul play, and goes about collecting clues. As with a classic "who-done-it," several characters are introduced who may have motives. This include the victim's son, Paisley, who mysteriously disappears soon after the "murder." His girlfriend, Julep, becomes fast friends with Charlotte, and together they pursue leads. Ultimately, they discover that murder is indeed involved, and they put clues together to help police catch the murderer. Other remarkable characters include a charismatic young priest, who helps and guides the girls in their investigation. Charlotte's wise Grandfather, a scholar, professor, and gambler, is a remarkably steady influence on Charlotte, but holds a secret of his own.

While the story could certainly be engaging for any mystery lover, it is likely that teenage girls and young adult women would enjoy this book most.

The story's protagonist is a teenage girl, and so the story itself would appeal to that demographic; however, the writing style is poetically convoluted, possibly requiring a more mature reader to be readily understood and followed.

The character development is excellent. Each person is well worked-out, imparting a realism that makes the novel delicious. Furthermore, the historical accuracy of 1950's is preserved, well-described, and imparts an authentic feel to the story.

The book, while well worth the effort, is not an easy read. I wonder how many young readers, of Charlotte's age will stick with it. Those that do will be richly rewarded.

Although a short novel in this published form, the story and richness of characters could lend itself toward a much longer novel. In that case, less description and more action and dialogue could be included.

After finishing the book, I went back through it and translated the French passages. Some made sense, some not so much. But while reading, the French lines seemed to fit well and were very effective at helping to develop the character's thought patterns.

This author has done a great job at providing a riveting detective story that would appeal to a variety of readers. All of the elements for a good read are there: characters, setting, plot and an unexpected twist at the resolution. The reader continues to discover tasty details until the last moment.

The writing style, and phrasing of the lines, is very poetic. Although very descriptive, it does impart a challenge. The reader who can appreciate the poetic style and stay on track will be very happy with the story.

The author has obvious skill and command of her craft. I highly recommend this novel for that quick, who-done-it fix, that we all need now and then.

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Created Aug 18, 2010 at 10:22pm • Submit your own review...