The Mystery Next Door

by Michael Rodney Moore

Oak Harbor is a 168 year old plantation house in North Carolina that has been shrouded in mysteries since it was built. Millions of dollars have been stolen from the family trust. Murder, suicide, and violent death has stalked each generation that has owned the old estate.
Some long-term residents believe that the house is cursed since it is rumored to have been built over a Tuscarora burial ground. Others believe that the evil goes back to the man who built the house, Dupree Durant. He was rumored to have been a pirate and sadistic slave owner who murdered for his own pleasure.
The greatest mystery associated with the property is the gold rumored to be hidden there!
Down through the years no one has ever been able to unlock the secrets of Oak Harbor. At least until the newest neighbor arrived in the form of a thirteen-year-old girl by the name of Zoey Morganton. She is curious by nature and smart as a whip but can she unravel the mystery next door?

260 pages, Paperback

Published May 24, 2023

About the author

Mike retired from the world of finance where he spent forty years as CFO and Treasurer for small to medium sized banks. Mike and his wife, Debbie relocated to the tiny community of Little Switzerland in the mountains of North Carolina. Since his retirement he has engaged his love of telling a good story by writing fictional stories. In 2022 he self-published his first novel and found the entire process both challenging and exhilarating. He looks forward to continuing this new stage of his life.
In addition to his passion for story-telling, Mike enjoys history, motorcycles, cooking, and music.

Reviews

[Ally Doby (Schleicher)]

This standalone is told in third person POV in the main parts of this story, first person POV in the other parts of the story and leaves you with a HEA.

The narrator of this story did a great job on bringing this story’s emotions and events to life. There were a few times that I felt it was a little monotone, but overall enjoyable.

I loved that Zoey didn’t let being new to town stop her from making friends. She is definitely wise beyond her thirteen years. She gave off great Nancy Drew vibes. I loved her bravery and ability to solve the mystery. I loved that Rodney befriended Zoey from the beginning and was eager to not only help her, but protect her the best he could for their age.

I also loved that Zoey’s mom, Hannah played the mother role of protecting Zoey, but also allowing her to feed her curiosity and grow to the be her own person. I was happy that she also got a HEA of her own aside from the mystery aspect of the book being solved.

This would be a great book for young readers. While I’m not a big fan of third person POVs, I could understand why it was written the way it was. It was interesting to see the events from the journals that Zoey found play out in first person POV. It was almost like being transported back in time to experience the pirates, slave trading and high seas.

This was an enjoyable read that definitely takes you on an adventure. I received an advanced readers copy via Hidden Gems and Author’s Direct. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Wendy]

Pirates, Murderers and Liars...what more could you ask for. This book was a very fun adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought the characters were very well defined and compelling. I thought the author did a great job telling this story from a 13 year old girls point of view. I just adored Zoey. In fact I loved several of the characters. Moses and Zipporah were just great characters and I loved Zoey's relationship with both of them, but especially Moses.

I really enjoyed the mystery of the house. I thought the story revealed in the diaries was so good. Almost like having two books in one. I loved learning more about the house and its occupants and thought this part of the story was handled really well.

As a fan of coming-of-age stories, I loved following Zoey and Rufus on this adventure. I would and have recommended this book to others. It was a fast read and I loved it cover to cover.

[Marcia Dove]

I loved the teenage character Zoey Morganton and the storyline set in the old South. As the history of the haunted house next door unfurls, the truth about the original owner's involvement in shipwrecks, stolen gold, murder on the high seas, and slave trading is revealed. It is a captivating story framed in the history of life on the high seas.
The only downside was that some sections seemed to need to be more plausible, like the return of the pirate who had been left for dead.
The Mystery Next Door is a must-read for mystery lovers and history buffs. Suitable for teens and adults alike!

Marcia Dove, author of Maggie McManus Mysteries trilogy, Fatal Field Trip, Campus Casualty and Wedding Woes.

[Mark Sneed]

Enjoyable North Carolina Mystery

Oak Harbor plantation is 168 years old and a mystery in and of itself.
Zoey is a thirteen year old amateur sleuth with a tenacious curiosity.
It is the discovery of some old journals written by a mysterious man named: Dupree that spark an investigation that uncovers a more than century old tale involving pirates, murderers, and liars. Good, fun detective story. Really enjoyed Zoey and her discoveries along the way. Lots of North Carolina history here, good and bad. Enjoyable read.

[Justine Hobbs]

This was a really sweet story about slavery, segregation, and a southern family in the 1800’s who, when looking on the outside was a slave owning plantation, but when you take a closer look they were secretly abolishing it at every turn. This is filled with mystery, murder, buried treasure, and so much more. This would be perfect for a family read aloud.

Mentions of death and murder.
No harsh language

Told from the perspective of Zoey, a new to town teenager, learning about the mysterious house next door.

[Lori Colwell]

Cool Carolina Sleuth Mystery

Great read. Thirteen-year-old girl is the main character, making the book a fun read for preteens and early teen readers. Moving to a new house and out of the city with her mother, Zoey investigates an old Carolina plantation and uncovers the mysteries -Nancy Drew style. Tying in historic themes added depth to the already fun plot. That and the ease of the read make it perfect for young readers. Well written.

[Jan]

Very cute book. The author clearly states that he wrote it for his 9 year old granddaughter. I’m an adult and I enjoyed it. I’m not sure it’s a book for 9 year olds maybe teenagers. A little graphic for that age, as far as piracy violence. I loved it. Great palette cleanser to read after a heavy or deep novel. I would read something again from this author. The fact he is from NC and it reflected the eastern coast was what made me to choose it.

[Trish Walls]

Great ReadJ

I really enjoyed this book! The storyline was so enlightening. I love the stories of the south and being a geneoligist and having researched my parents families. I actually had ancestors who were in Craven County and also South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.

[E.W. Crandall]

Beautiful and exciting

I loved the beautiful atmosphere of this mystery. Placed in the South, it breathed life into this coming-of-age mystery. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery and great character development.

[Suntanna Monson]

This was a good fast read. I really like the twist in it. You go from think Dupree Durant is a bad guy to seeing he was really a great guy and raised his family to be good people. I love that Moses who loves the plantation house got what he deserved.

[Karin Tillotson]

He put them in a vault, not a safe??? They have long been the villains??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Anna Campas]

Delightful Story!

I love mysteries and this was written from the viewpoint of a 13 year old girl.
The writing is quite good and the plot moves along nicely.

[Lacey Jo Bowman]

This is a great story, however SKIP IT if you are doing an audiobook. It was computer generated narration and it was completely awful. Do yourself a favor and read it on your own.

[Kristin]

what a fun read

This was a wonderfully fun read! I enjoyed the characters and the plot line - I was sad to see it end

[Nyana Malone]

good read

Very good book … it’s historical, interesting
And wholesome … I would highly recommend it ! You will not be disappointed !

[Helen meyer]

Great read. The mystery next door

Very good book, it kept you going where you didn't want to put it down .
Why did I need too add 4 more words before I could submit?

[lisa partee]

great book.

Was so involved with this book. I could almost feel what life would have been like back then. Couldn’t put it down. Must read

[Kris Kizer]

Independently published book. Definitely geared to a younger audience but enjoyable for adults as well.

[Wendy]

Pirates, Murderers and Liars...what more could you ask for. This book was a very fun adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought the characters were very well defined and compelling. I thought the author did a great job telling this story from a 13 year old girls point of view. I just adored Zoey. In fact I loved several of the characters. Moses and Zipporah were just great characters and I loved Zoey's relationship with both of them, but especially Moses.

I really enjoyed the mystery of the house. I thought the story revealed in the diaries was so good. Almost like having two books in one. I loved learning more about the house and its occupants and thought this part of the story was handled really well.

As a fan of coming-of-age stories, I loved following Zoey and Rufus on this adventure. I would and have recommended this book to others. It was a fast read and I loved it cover to cover.

[Tabatha Slagle]

I will admit the prologue threw me for a loop when I started the chapters because I wasn't sure how it was connected. Then, things slowly started to be revealed, and I wanted to know how it ended. I enjoyed all the intertwining of the past and present storylines. I was so happy that they found the treasure at the end and then fixed everything up to preserve the history of Oak Harbor. I think only Moses could have been that dedicated to restoring it. I don't think there were any loose ends except for Zoey and Rufus's relationship, but they were kids, so I wasn't expecting to go that far into the future in the epilogue. I'm glad that Hannah and Henry ended up getting married. My favorite parts were when they found Rose's will in the hidden compartment in the desk and when Zoey realizes where the gold is. Definitely will read this one again in the future.

[Louise]

There are unexplained sounds from the building next door to Zoey and as a curious 13-year-old, she takes it upon herself to attempt to solve the mysterious occurrences. By asking questions and investigating, Zoey learns of the generations since Dupree Durant built the plantation house in the 1800s. There are plenty of characters to follow and this is a slow-burn read, allowing readers to solve the mystery alongside Zoey while gaining insight into the featured characters.


I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.

[Tracy Snell]

A really intriguing historical mystery, The Mystery Next Door, is the story of an inquisitive 15-year-old girl who becomes interested in the story of the property that she and her mother have just moved to and the old abandoned house in the woods directly behind her new home.

I was surprised to find that this book is written at a fairly low reading level, which makes it more readable for kids in middle school and high school. But that did not impede my enjoyment of the story. It was well-written and truly unlike anything I've read before.

[Carolyn Valdez]

I love it when an author pulled you into his story, and never let you go till the end. This is exactly what Mr. Moore did. There was a lot of action, suspense, and mystery. If this is what you like when you read then I would recommend that you read this book. I can’t wait to read more of Mr. Moore’s stories.

[Yvonne Gilbert]

I just loved this book. It is fantastic. Everything you want in a mystery is here. Once you start you will not be able to stop. I hope to read more from this author.