Dear Readers,
I got my first review for my kid’s mystery Downtown With the Book of Renown. Here it is, or see my blog.
Title: Downtown With the Book of Renown
Subtitle: ?
Author: Tom Hendricks
Genre: Young Adult – Mystery
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite
Downtown With the Book of Renown: Question Mark is a young adult short mystery story written by Tom Hendricks. Tom and Brad love mystery stories, and the two boys found themselves right in the middle of their own mystery/adventure after Brad’s strange accident outside the basement cafe where he and his parents were eating. Brad had finished early and decided to look around outside the cafe while his parents finished their meals. A large man rushed out from behind them and raced to the door, knocking into Brad and causing him to fall down. Brad was trying to get back onto his feet when he heard loud voices and gunshots from the street level. He could see the fat man’s body half hanging over the wall over his head, and he noticed the man’s hand opening. A small black book fell from his fingers and landed right near Brad’s shoe. He couldn’t help but grab it and put it in his pocket. What he found inside was quite irresistible indeed.
Who can resist the lure of a treasure map? I certainly couldn’t, nor would I have expected mystery buffs, Tom and Brad, to do anything more than follow the clues. Tom Hendricks’ short mystery story for young adults, Downtown With the Book of Renown: Question Mark, sparkles with excitement and energy as the two adventurers travel downtown in search of treasure. The reader is privy to the enhanced effects their enthusiasm lends to even the most prosaic everyday scenes witnessed from the windows of a public bus, and one can’t help but get more and more involved as they near the spot marked X on the map. I had a marvelous time reading Downtown With the Book of Renown. Tom and Brad’s adventure was reminiscent of those classic Hardy Boys adventures I grew up reading, and I’m sincerely hoping to read more of their further adventures. While geared toward a young adult audience, preteen readers and adults who are still young-at-heart will most likely enjoy Downtown With the Book of Renown as much as I did. It’s most highly recommended.
The review website allows the author to reply to his reviews. Here is my reply Jack Magnus, thanks for your review.
Downtown will most likely be the first and last adventure for the boys. I have many projects going, and this book project was one of them.
I had taken notes for it for at least 15 years. It had a number of plots that were interwoven, etc.
I don’t think that will happen again. Though I do have a film script where two boys find a rocket in a cave ….
Perhaps I can tie Tom and Brad into another novel as minor characters that my readers might remember from this. PS just for fun, I grew up with a friend named Brad Baker, and my name is Tom.
This was something we probably would have gotten into if the circumstances had happened to us. It was part tribute to our friendship and the fun we had.
Musea Zine 