Moses, Me, and Murder: A Barkerville Mystery

by Ann Walsh

In the first novel in the Barkerville Mystery series, protagonist Ted MacIntosh tries to unravel a suspicious murder with possible fatal consequences.



lt's summer in 1866 in the Cariboo gold fields, and a man has disappeared. Young Ted learns from the local barber, Moses, that his friend Charles, who was travelling to the gold fields, has failed to arrive. And a forbidding stranger named James Barry has arrived in town wearing a gold nugget pin that belonged to the missing man. What could have happened to him? Was James Barry responsible for his disappearance? Moses and Ted are suspicious - but they're also afraid for their own safety. Slowly, with several adventures and close calls, they unravel the story of a cruel murder. But have they identified the right criminal?

Shortlisted for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction, based on true events, and set against the exciting backdrop of the Gold Rush era, Moses, Me, and Murder offers a captivating tale of betrayal, thievery, and redemption.

Genres: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Historical, Canada

112 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1988

Reviews

[Chain Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read at my 11 year old son's request - if he likes a book, he likes me to read it too. Straightforward story of a young boy in a gold rush town who helps to identify a murder. Given the era, and the fact that the setting is a historical museum that one can visit, I'd have preferred a bit more description. Kudos to the author for not dumbing down the question of whether capital punishment is just at the end. Good book to lead a complex discussion with middle school kids.

[Ms Michelle Van Balkom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A first person account of a historical murder. Full of suspense that keeps readers engaged.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so good!!!

[Lindsay Wong · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too straight forward. Table of contents can tell the whole story. But it works will for a Gold rush unit about British Columbia. Great for introducing literary devices (e.g. foreshadowing and personification) and well known figures like Judge Begbie. Works well for a grade 4/5 class especially with breaking down the smaller chapters. Would recommend for teachers. But not for pleasure reading.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fictional story based on real occurrences in the second half of the 19th Century. However, it reads and feels very tangible - even the 'did he really do it?' in the end.
Basically, there was a murder and the dead man's body was found, however, do we ever REALLY know whether the person on trial is guilty without actual witnesses present at the deed? This is the dilemma this story deals with.
The way, Ann Walsh sets the tale up, the reader is meant to believe that there is absolutely no doubt as to the guilty party ... right up to the trial. All of a sudden, the 'dreadful man' makes a very 'learned' statement that DOES put his guilt into question. With other words, the author has done her research - as the statements at the end prove - and provided a very real quandary for the reader to decide which was, no doubt, her intention.
An easy read for all ages and language abilities, and a real local mystery.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a more than decent novella detailing the events leading up to the trial and execution of James Barry in 1866.
To be perfectly honest, I don't know much about this particular murder and trial but it does seem the author has taken a great deal of time researching various accounts and sources in order to portray these events as accurately as possible. A few creative liberties have been taken, such as made up characters and town setting, but only to explore all avenues of the crime and the titles mystery.
I enjoyed this novella and I think Walsh did a very good job at portraying as much of the facts as possible in a fictionalised setting.

An advance reader copy was kindly supplied by the publishers through Netgalley

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have issues reviewing books meant for children and teens. It's not that I don't think they have any merit, I distinctly remember loving them as a kid, it's just that I no longer connect to them on an emotional level and I'm definitely an emotional reader. Moses, Me, and Murder isn't a terrible book; it's actually pretty good, I just couldn't connect to it as a reader unfortunately, but I can totally see how this would be a useful teaching tool in elementary schools. I think I'm just the wrong demographic.

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[Brittanie Lau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had an interesting premise, especially set in a historical Canadian town. I thought this mystery would captivate me from beginning to end. I was hooked in the beginning but let down towards the end. I was actually surprised this was based on a real murder case in Bakerville. But I believe that if this story based on only fiction but have Bakerville as the only history piece, the author wouldn't be restricted by historical reality and could expand the plot with more excitement and thrill. Overall a quick and engaging read but could be strengthened by a more exciting ending with a twist.

[Neill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ted is a twelve year old boy living in Barkerville in 1868. He learns from the local barber, Moses, that a visitor to town has a special nugget pin that belonged to Mose’s friend who is long overdue at arriving in Barkerville. This mystery involves the determination of guilt and the morality of the death penalty.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture western Canada during one of the gold rushes of the 1860s, a small mining town, a small boy, a black barber, and a killer, new in town. Feel for the barber, who recognizes a gold stick pin this killer now owns, and for the boy, whom the killer bullies, and you have the making of a terrific page turner – a saga of a boy who learns some difficult lessons in growing up

[Nioniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

All I really remember about this book is that the Me kid learned the murderer's entire story, was kidnapped, rescued and off to Victoria to catch the Bad Guy within the first two chapters. But it's set in Barkerville so that made it all good.

[Julia Longpre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing,it was fantastic and if you like murder mystery's then you'll love Moses, Me and Murder. Also if you like the gold rush in 1866 you'll love it too!!!!!