I’m thrilled to be sharing here today, “Amanda in Ireland: The Body in the Bog” a new release by the amazing Darlene Foster. It’s a fun read, see my review below.
BLURB
Twelve-year-old Amanda Jane Ross is invited to be a bridesmaid for her cousin’s wedding in Ireland! She falls in love with the Emerald Isle the moment she lands in Dublin. The warm, friendly Irish people immediately make her feel at home. Towering castles, ancient graveyards, and the stunning green countryside are filled with fascinating legends, enthralling folktales, and alarming secrets.
Things take a dark turn when disaster strikes. Amanda wonders if there will be a wedding at all. As she joins the search for a missing horse, she stumbles upon a world of screaming banshees, bloody battles, and dangerous peat bogs. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous things become. Will she become another body in the bog?
Amanda in Ireland VIDEO LINK
EXCERPT
“I-I’m a bit claustrophobic and that looks like a very
narrow opening.”
“It’s not that tight, and once you’re through, it opens up.
Look, if I can fit through it, you can. I’m bigger than you.”
Amanda nodded. “OK, I guess so.”
She gingerly made her way up to her cousin. He went
through the opening first, turning sideways and crouching
down. Amanda took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and
squeezed through, her heart hammering in her chest.
She felt a breeze and opened her eyes, realizing she had
made it through, although it was very dark. “Taylor!” she
shouted. “Are you in here?”
No answer.
Her chest tightened as she started to panic. Goosebumps
slid along the back of her neck. Then she saw a faint light and
shouted, “Taylor.”
“Over here!” He waved his phone. “Be careful, hold on to
the wall.”
Amanda made her way to the light, hugging the cool wall
until she got to her cousin. “That light isn’t very bright.”
“I forgot to charge my phone and I’m running low on
power. You’ll have to stick close to me. There’s a place I want to
check out. It’s actually a large chamber, but hard to get to unless
you know it’s there.” Taylor turned and started walking, leaving
her in the dark again.
Amanda could hear the drip-drip of water as she felt her
way along the wall. She tried to follow the outline of her
cousin, but his cell phone light got dimmer and dimmer. Soon
it was almost totally dark.
“Taylor, Taylor, are you still here?”
He didn’t answer. Amanda felt an opening in the wall. Did
he turn here or go straight?
“Taylor, I don’t know which way to go.”
Amanda felt tears well up. Trembling, she thought of Tom
Sawyer and Becky Thatcher lost in the underground caves for
three days.
She listened for an answer but only heard the constant
dripping. And then she heard something else. It was faint, but
it sounded like a horse snorting.
MY FIVE-STAR REVIEW
Twelve-year-old Amanda is off to Ireland to be a bridesmaid in her cousin’s wedding. As she falls in love with Ireland, so do I. It’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit, and I got a beautiful glimpse of it through the lush descriptions and interesting history. Amanda feels immediately welcomed and starts exploring, but she finds herself in another mystery. First, there’s a missing horse, and then the bride. As she sets out to figure out what happened, there are a few not-so-nice people who don’t want her to. I love how I was captured from the very first page; plus, it was easy to get to know the characters, even if you’ve never read one before. Although it is intended for middle-grade readers, I also enjoy this adventure. I can highly recommend this story for children and adults who love clean mysteries, history, amazing scenery, and great characters.
PURCHASE LINK FOR AMANDA IN IRELAND
Author Bio
Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch in Alberta, Canada, where her love of reading inspired her to see the world and write stories. Her Amanda Travels series features spunky Amanda Ross, a twelve-year-old girl who loves to travel. All ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in unique destinations. Darlene is retired and has a house in Spain where she writes full-time. Her constant interest and enthusiasm for everything keep her young at heart. When not travelling, meeting interesting people, and collecting ideas for her books, Darlene enjoys spending time with her family in Canada and with her husband and entertaining dogs in Spain.
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