Monday, January 02, 2017

Review: The Adventures of Quinn Higgins Boy Detective: The Case of the Secret of Crater Lake by Douglas Quinn

As The Case of the Secret of Crater Lake begins, it is late summer and just a few weeks after The Case of the Gray Ghost’s Belt Buckle. In a few more weeks, Quinn Higgins will be entering the fifth grade at Churchland Elementary back home, but right now he is in Oregon. It is the start of a glorious three week period with his Dad at his home near the Oregon National Forest. This also means he is also going to be able to see his friend, Charlotte “Little Dove” Evans who is a year younger than Quinn Higgins.

A year ago Quinn, known to one and all as “The Boy Detective,” and Little Dove had spent a lot of time searching and exploring in The Case of Big Foot on the Loose. If either of the parents had known what the kids had been up to at the time, they never would have been allowed to go anywhere and do anything on their own ever again. This year, at least for the first week of Quinn’s vacation, they will be supervised as plans have been made.

Quinn and his dad as well as Little Dove will be going to see and stay with Little Dove’s grandparents. Quinn’s dad has a one week teaching deal lined up at the Klamath Reservation. While his dad is teaching his seminar, Quinn and Little Dove will spend time with her various relatives including a cousin Joseph who is close to Quinn’s age. Joseph likes to fish and knows some good spots so at least part of the time they will be spending their time fishing. It should be a fun time at the Klamath Reservation and educational for Quinn.

It is also going to be educational in a way the adults involved never expected. Quinn, Joseph, and Little Dove will learn exactly what is going on at Crater Lake and the meaning of the odd noise and strange underwater light.

As always in this series, author Douglas Quinn blends in some history into the mystery at work in the read. The Adventures of Quinn Higgins Boy Detective: The Case of the Secret of Crater Lake is another solidly good book in this highly entertaining series. Plenty of educational material about the Klamath and other related tribes is present in the read while not detracting from the primary mystery. The kids are smart, as are the caring adults in their lives in direct contrast to how adults are often portrayed as in various media forms today. The mystery itself has a sense of wonder to it, which often happens in these tales.  

As a result, The Adventures of Quinn Higgins Boy Detective: The Case of the Secret of Crater Lake is another fun and educational read in the series. Plenty of action and character interaction keeps the book moving forward educating readers young and old along the way. While this is one of those series, you can safely let your kids read without checking it first to clear it; you ought to read it as well. They are just flat out fun books. 

The Adventures of Quinn Higgins Boy Detective series in order are:

The Case of the Missing Homework
The Case of Bigfoot on the Loose (reviewed December 2010)
The Case of the Haunted House (reviewed April 2012)
The Case of the Lost U-Boat (reviewed December 2013)
The Case of the Secret of Crater Lake (you are here)



The Adventures of Quinn Higgins Boy Detective: The Case of the Secret of Crater Lake
Douglas Quinn
AAS White Heron Press (Via CreateSpace)
ISBN #978-1539572305
November 2016
Paperback
164 Pages
$7.95


Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.



Kevin R. Tipple ©2017

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