thomaswjoyce's review against another edition
5.0
The author of several novels and short story collections, Dave Jeffery is possibly best known for his bestselling Necropolis Rising series. But the hugely successful zombie books were not his first work of fiction to be published. That honour lies with the first in his Beatrice Beecham YA mystery series, Fearsome Feast. Wanting to write a story with a strong young heroine that young readers could relate to, and drawing on inspiration from his own experiences reading Nancy Drew and Famous Five stories as a young boy, he created Beatrice Beecham and then put her in the kind of exciting stories he liked to read.
The Beatrice Beecham series seems to be going from strength to strength, with Cryptic Crypt a fine addition to the series, and to the Young Adult field in general. First and foremost, it is a suspenseful mystery, with elements of horror and supernatural mixed into Jeffery’s recipe. While it may be aimed at younger readers, it contains ingredients that would also appeal to readers of all ages; a relatable and endearing protagonist, a supporting cast of likeable and quirky good guys and wretched but believable bad guys, a thrilling story, and plenty of action and beautiful language.
To read the full review, please visit This Is Horror
The Beatrice Beecham series seems to be going from strength to strength, with Cryptic Crypt a fine addition to the series, and to the Young Adult field in general. First and foremost, it is a suspenseful mystery, with elements of horror and supernatural mixed into Jeffery’s recipe. While it may be aimed at younger readers, it contains ingredients that would also appeal to readers of all ages; a relatable and endearing protagonist, a supporting cast of likeable and quirky good guys and wretched but believable bad guys, a thrilling story, and plenty of action and beautiful language.
To read the full review, please visit This Is Horror
vondav's review against another edition
5.0
Dorsa Finn, has its secrets. A typical quiet coastal town where everyone knows each other. Mayor Codd wants to keep his town peaceful, so when the Blue Thunder Foundation wants to set up their new base, Mayor Codd jumps at the chance and wants every teenage boy to sign up to the project. Beatrice, Patience, Elmo and Lucas are The Newshounds; 4 teenagers who like nothing else but a good mystery but with strange tremors, re-educated boys and history resurfacing they get more than they bargained for.
It takes a skill to write from the POV of a teenager without it sounding annoying and immature and Dave Jeffery has nailed it. These 4 teenagers had a really great friendship and relied on each other for support. I did not find any of the characters annoying. I personally thought that the girls Beatrice and Patience was the brains behind the group. Beatrice was a great chef and I did smile to myself when to help her make decisions had an imaginary debate with her favourite chefs and Patience had a knack with languages and that came in useful when a new resident came to live in Dorsa Finn who was deaf. When the older generation were in trouble, the Newshounds were the ones they called. Talking about the older residents Maud and Agnes where my favourites characters as they reminded me so much of Cissie and Ada, and if you are too young to remember them, then google Les Dawson
Using the link between the Occult and the Third Reich as the base of the story added mystery and intrigue. This enabled the author to explain the history of some of the older residents of Dorsa Finn whilst adding a supernatural element to the story.
This book is not just for teenagers, as an adult I enjoyed reading it as there was enough mystery and intrigue to keep my interest. The author teased you throughout the book dropping hints about what the Blue Thunder Foundation were and what their beliefs were but it was not till the end of the book that the secrets came out. This is the 1st book that I have read by Dave Jeffery and although there are other books starring Beatrice Beecham, you do not have to read them to understand and enjoy this story. Move over Nancy Drew, watch out Mystery Incorporated there are a new gang of teenagers in town.
It takes a skill to write from the POV of a teenager without it sounding annoying and immature and Dave Jeffery has nailed it. These 4 teenagers had a really great friendship and relied on each other for support. I did not find any of the characters annoying. I personally thought that the girls Beatrice and Patience was the brains behind the group. Beatrice was a great chef and I did smile to myself when to help her make decisions had an imaginary debate with her favourite chefs and Patience had a knack with languages and that came in useful when a new resident came to live in Dorsa Finn who was deaf. When the older generation were in trouble, the Newshounds were the ones they called. Talking about the older residents Maud and Agnes where my favourites characters as they reminded me so much of Cissie and Ada, and if you are too young to remember them, then google Les Dawson
Using the link between the Occult and the Third Reich as the base of the story added mystery and intrigue. This enabled the author to explain the history of some of the older residents of Dorsa Finn whilst adding a supernatural element to the story.
This book is not just for teenagers, as an adult I enjoyed reading it as there was enough mystery and intrigue to keep my interest. The author teased you throughout the book dropping hints about what the Blue Thunder Foundation were and what their beliefs were but it was not till the end of the book that the secrets came out. This is the 1st book that I have read by Dave Jeffery and although there are other books starring Beatrice Beecham, you do not have to read them to understand and enjoy this story. Move over Nancy Drew, watch out Mystery Incorporated there are a new gang of teenagers in town.
dtaylorbooks's review
Where did I stop? 15% in
Why? Because it’s not a YA novel. And some of the movies it likens itself to (like Goonies and The Lost Boys, holy crap two very different movies to begin with) are just outright misleading. This is the type of YA novel that a segment of the adult population wishes YA novels actually were like, instead of what they really are. The primary marker of a YA novel is that it’s told from the teens’ perspective. 90% of what I read was told from an adult perspective. That’s not YA. On top of that the plot felt very erratic and then the character descriptions were very sugary and again, much like what some adults wish YA novels were actually like instead of, well, reality. Coming from someplace like Crystal Lake Publishing, I did not expect something like this. I expected REAL YA horror. This is far from it.
sralgee's review
4.0
Dorsal Finn: a serene little coastal town where everyone knows everyone else, the shops have cute quaint names...and secrets get buried deeply but never quite die. Young Beatrice Beecham is a budding culinary genius who shares, with her friends the Newshounds, a great love and curiosity for all things mysterious and paranormal--and boy, do they get it here. From the odd new Blue Thunder Foundation and its youth recruitment, to the secret hidden for decades by the town librarian, to Beatrice suddenly facing her "first ever" date--the characters live and breathe and, like the plot, are well-developed and complex. It's not long before the Blue Thunder Foundation--in which Beatrice's brother Thomas and love interest Marcus are involved--begins to seem more ominous than benevolent, leading to an unfolding adventure involving Nazi secrets and the mythical (or not) continent of Atlantis.
Having grown up with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, I can confidently recommend Beatrice and her friends to fans of those books, at any age. The pacing is good, the plot stays intriguing to the end, and the opening is positively *chilling*. My only quibble is that the book could've used a little more proofreading in spots, but don't let that stop you; this story is worth every page.
(ARC provided by publisher for review.)
Having grown up with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, I can confidently recommend Beatrice and her friends to fans of those books, at any age. The pacing is good, the plot stays intriguing to the end, and the opening is positively *chilling*. My only quibble is that the book could've used a little more proofreading in spots, but don't let that stop you; this story is worth every page.
(ARC provided by publisher for review.)
thomaswjoyce's review
5.0
The author of several novels and short story collections, Dave Jeffery is possibly best known for his bestselling Necropolis Rising series. But the hugely successful zombie books were not his first work of fiction to be published. That honour lies with the first in his Beatrice Beecham YA mystery series, Fearsome Feast. Wanting to write a story with a strong young heroine that young readers could relate to, and drawing on inspiration from his own experiences reading Nancy Drew and Famous Five stories as a young boy, he created Beatrice Beecham and then put her in the kind of exciting stories he liked to read.
The Beatrice Beecham series seems to be going from strength to strength, with Cryptic Crypt a fine addition to the series, and to the Young Adult field in general. First and foremost, it is a suspenseful mystery, with elements of horror and supernatural mixed into Jeffery’s recipe. While it may be aimed at younger readers, it contains ingredients that would also appeal to readers of all ages; a relatable and endearing protagonist, a supporting cast of likeable and quirky good guys and wretched but believable bad guys, a thrilling story, and plenty of action and beautiful language.
To read the full review, please visit This Is Horror
The Beatrice Beecham series seems to be going from strength to strength, with Cryptic Crypt a fine addition to the series, and to the Young Adult field in general. First and foremost, it is a suspenseful mystery, with elements of horror and supernatural mixed into Jeffery’s recipe. While it may be aimed at younger readers, it contains ingredients that would also appeal to readers of all ages; a relatable and endearing protagonist, a supporting cast of likeable and quirky good guys and wretched but believable bad guys, a thrilling story, and plenty of action and beautiful language.
To read the full review, please visit This Is Horror
el_stevie's review
3.0
Enjoyable mystery
As a child I loved Enid Blyton's Famous Five and Secret Seven stories and this book took me back to those days - a group of youngsters sniffing out trouble, getting into bother, then saving the day. Nicely paced, a touch of recent history and a timely reminder of how easily you can be duped by evil - and a bit of the supernatural thrown in. Great fun.
As a child I loved Enid Blyton's Famous Five and Secret Seven stories and this book took me back to those days - a group of youngsters sniffing out trouble, getting into bother, then saving the day. Nicely paced, a touch of recent history and a timely reminder of how easily you can be duped by evil - and a bit of the supernatural thrown in. Great fun.
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