Category: Mystery/Suspense ISBN-10: B003UD8150
Type: Fiction
Copyright: july 2010
A replica of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is missing, then nosy Dachshund, Petey, digs up a family curse. Can Sam find the missing miniature art and save her longest friendship?
Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery - now in KINDLE! (Also available in other ebook formats and print)
Description:
Sam and her bff, Lita, along with a mischievous Dachshund named Petey, face a cranky housekeeper, a dog-hating gardener, and an ancient family curse as they search for a missing miniature replica of Van Gogh's famous painting, "Starry Night."
** 2009 Eppie Award finalist, children's/ya eBooks. **
** SEARCHING FOR A STARRY NIGHT was voted the MOST EYE-CATCHING COVER for the March '08 New Covey Cover Awards (first cover).
Excerpt
Excerpt from Chapter One:
The housekeeper coughed behind her hand. "Well, I was going to clean the kitchen cabinets. Been putting it off. Guess I'll do it later. There's some leftover turkey, macaroni salad, and baked beans in the icebox. Not much else, but you're welcome to it."
Mrs. Drake jumped back two steps and pointed. "Wh-what is that?"
There, beneath the table, Petey posed like a statue. Sam had trouble stifling her laughter as the woman and the dog stared each other down. "That's Petey, the Dachshund. Our friend, Helena, brought him home from the shelter. I don't know why he was sent there. He's a good dog. Isn't he great?"
The housekeeper made a face like she'd swallowed something horrible. She spun on her heel and hurried into the dining room.
Sam whispered to her mother. "I guess she doesn't like dogs." She peeked through the doorway and watched the older woman climb the stairs to the upper floor.
Professional Reviews
Review from a Young Reader
"Gripping, surprising, and leaving you wanting more… you'll be shocked at the twists and turns…" --Lily Huber, Grade 8
From Stories for Children Magazine
"It is well written, very exciting, and hard to put down, especially with the spooky old Victorian house, stories of an ancestor who died while burning the barn to exorcise demons then was said to have been seen as a ghost, scary goings-on at night, and a lot of suspense... - Stories for Children Magazine
An Independent Review:
"A delightful read...engaging…Miniaturized art, dollhouses and more enlighten and inform, entertaining and perfectly rendered in a child’s voice…
Superbly written, and will grab the young reader from the beginning with as much intrigue as Nancy Drew did the older generations who grew to love mystery fiction.
…Sure to become a favorite of miniature lovers as well as mystery lovers everywhere and of any age." --Billie A. Williams, author of Knapsack Secrets
During the Christmas Season, servants Jane Meyers and Alfie Dawkins search for missing persons from opposite sides of the social spectrum: a homeless man and the Duke's son.
