This book starts like a fun tale, continues like an investigation story and ends like a great mystery. I am speaking about The Lost Ones, the fiction-mystery-fantasy book written by Pete Prown. The book is included in a classic fantasy series, titled “The Chronicles of Dorro” and set in the Middle Age in a village named Thimble Down. It is summer, between July and August, there is a hellish hot and the village is suffering a severe and dramatic drought. Wells are nearly dry and the villagers are engaged to drill new wells in order to find water for the whole town.
During a wedding, a five year old child is kidnapped. Two weeks later, another little girl misses. In charged of the inquiries, it is Dorro, a brave and bold boy who is also a bookmaster and the deputy of the Sheriff Forgo. Dorro tries to find out where the missed children are and abruptly he stumbles on a murky story of children trafficking, perhaps headed by a strange ship docked on the banks of the Sea Dog. Meanwhile, in the Thimble Down, a strange person arrives, that is the bookseller Rufus accompanied by his fellow and painter Edmond. Rufus invites children in his bookshop and for this reason he is also suspected of kidnapping them.
The Lost Ones seems a great tale of Agatha Christie, the plot is similar, the structure also, even though the time of the story is much further back than the one by Mrs. Christie. The book captures readers step by step, before very slowly and then more and more intensely. The landscape of Thimble Down is the one of a poor village inhabited by likewise poor people called Haflings. Haflings are hardworking persons who fight every day to earn food, water and some piece of bread. Despite poverty, they have many children and this high number of little guys become a temptation for the child smugglers sailing the sea around the village.
But who are the people involved with these crimes? Rufus, the bookseller affected by mood swings and memory loss, the crew of the ship called Calamity headed by a brave Captain who is in reality a woman? Meanwhile, some rumors damage Dorro’s reputation because his grandfather is accused to have built the library where the same Dorro works, by stealing money. And if this money came from ransoms of children kidnapped? As you can see, in this story everybody is guilty and innocent at the same time.
The Lost Ones is a book very enjoyable because enriched with high level descriptions and a sequence of words, adjectives and adverbs capable to make the landscape and the story alive in front of the eyes of readers. The author describes perfectly the passing of the seasons and the alarming consequences of drought and the investigations of Mr. Dorro, his doubts and his feelings when he is forced to inform children’s parents about a note containing the amount of the ransom to make children free. I suggest you to read this book all at once ( you’ll find on Free Ebooks.net) and to dive in a tale who’ll become very soon unforgettable for each reader who loves mystery tales and suspense like that of The Lost Ones.
Source of the image: free-ebooks.net
Rosalba Mancuso is the journalist, born in Sicily, who founded three online magazines in English. On Advicebooks Book Reviews, Rosalba shows her great passion for books, helping readers and book lovers choose and buy the best books she read and reviewed. She also worked as a contributor to print and online magazines and as a bilingual Italian-English writer. Here, Rosalba also offers room to authors and publishers who want to get their books reviewed through the voice of an avid reader like her. You must also know that this book review magazine lives thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you buy books through the affiliate links you find in her book reviews. This book review magazine is also funded by services of editorial reviews and book press releases.
