Overview

Bobby Holmes, Brenda Watson, and friends are embroiled in a deadly mystery. A vicious beast roams the eerie North York Moors of England in search of blood, controlled by the ancient, evil Witches of Westerdale. While searching for their missing friend, they rely on information from a librarian who is much more than he seems, a gypsy king with magical gifts, and a mysterious stranger at the center of it all. The climax builds as they race to a floating cottage in the mist to save their friend and finally confront the crazed creature in a fight to the death.

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9781733328364

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In this YA sequel, a group of friends becomes convinced the creature terrorizing an English countryside is not an escaped beast but an ancient evil. Londoner Bobby Holmes is looking forward to a vacation with his Scotland Yard inspector mum, Melanie, in northern England. But he's especially excited that his American cousin, Brenda Watson, and their friends Stevie Nichols and Michael Kelleher will be joining him. It's been a year since the four shared an adventure in Connecticut, where they confronted a ghost pirate. Bobby learned to accept his gift of clairvoyance back then, but a recent vision (jumbled images of a darkened forest and his pals in trouble) has him worried about the upcoming vacation. Upon Melanie and Bobby's arrival in the North York Moors, a stranger grabs the boy and whispers a vague warning that he is in danger. Their driver to the Wolf's Head Inn, James Thwackett, also has Second Sight and, like Bobby, senses something amiss. Someone later uncovers a bloody, mutilated body that a local constable wants to attribute to an abused animal turned wild. But Bobby rejects that theory, particularly after receiving additional warnings of peril. He believes there's an ancient evil roaming the Moors, and stopping it entails first researching the area's history and talking to townsfolk, with help from his mates and James. Unexpectedly, one of Bobby's friends disappears, and the ensuing rescue attempt leads to a malevolence far deadlier than the group could have imagined. Kelly (Tommy Ails, Good for What Ails You, 2015, etc.) establishes the story's malice with a sensational opening: the harrowing pursuit of an unknown woman is presented from the beastly aggressor's point of view. This frenzied scene amplifies the atmospheric scenes that follow. On the ride to the inn, for example, Bobby spots a pub waiter inexplicably glaring at him. The boy subsequently visits fog-laden Whitby, the town that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. While the much-teased titular monster does make an appearance, it's suspense that drives the narrative. The mere notion of the creature, for one, solidified by the discovered corpse, is enough to make any visit to the Moors unnerving, even for gun-toting Melanie. The author treats Bobby's clairvoyance pragmatically; it's a trait he doesn't seem to have mastered, as he never fully comprehends his near-future visions. Fortunately, his friends, sans paranormal abilities, are just as memorable. Michael, who has Asperger's syndrome, points upward when speaking to help him concentrate on what he wants to say. Similarly, imperfections only enhance characters' personalities: sometimes abrasive Stevie mocks British vernacular (he prefers the term flashlight over torch) while Brenda literally takes candy from a stranger (though the stranger is a cute, flirty boy). Kelly's savvy writing is filled with stirring descriptions: The tilted headstones fanned out across the area like crooked teeth and The sun dropped like a stone, and with it, the temperature. The satisfying climax is over a bit too soon, but readers will undoubtedly be invested in this thriller series and ready for whatever Bobby, et al., tackle next. A spookfest that wisely centers on strong characters and lurid prose. --Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

J.M. Kelly has been a middle school teacher, a vice-principal, a principal, a Co-Director of the New Jersey State History Fair, a consultant for the New Jersey Foundation for Educational Administration, a current Board member of the Global Learning Project (a non-profit) and Past-President of the Morris County Association of Elementary and Middle School Administrators. He has been the recipient of numerous education awards such as the New Jersey Governor's Teacher Award, two Geraldine Dodge Foundation Grants, and by acclamation of his school staff, received the New Jersey Principal's and Supervisor's Association Principal of the Year Award for Visionary Leadership in 2007. He has authored two professional books: Student-Centered Teaching for Increased Participation and In Search of Leadership. The Lost Treasure is his first novel. His love of mysteries, adventures and everything about Sherlock Holmes, helped in the creation of Bobby Holmes and his cousin Brenda Watson. Monster on the Moors involves the same characters in a pulse-pounding thriller that takes place in the North York Moors of England. Tommy Ails: Good For What Ails You, is a humorous off-beat mystery, and his first novel for adults. Jim's non-fiction book, In Search of Leadership, or Sailing With Roland takes him to the Maine coast and aboard the sailing craft of one of the most preeminent educators of our time, Roland Barth, to discuss educational leadership in particular and the field of education in general. The results are, what Roland in the Foreword calls, timeless nuggets of wisdom for himself and for the rest of us who would venture aboard a boat and into a schoolhouse. Jim divides his time between Sea Girt, New Jersey and Sarasota, Florida, with his wife Bronwen. They have three children.

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