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The Graham Quartet #2
The Graham Quartet and the Mystery of the Day Maid
A boat, a yellow door, and the Graham Quartet are on the alert!
Arriving on the shore of Lake Michigan for summer vacation, the Graham Quartet senses that something is not quite right. When a slip of the tongue causes an unexpected reaction, Elsa, Matt, Selena and Tim jump into a mystery. But what is the connection between a cryptic note, a yellow door, and a boat called the Day Maid? When their friend, Lieutenant Ashwood, disappears, the Quartet feels the pressure of time and must turn to another source for help. Will the four siblings get enough information to unravel the mystery before the suspects vanish completely?
Arriving on the shore of Lake Michigan for summer vacation, the Graham Quartet senses that something is not quite right. When a slip of the tongue causes an unexpected reaction, Elsa, Matt, Selena and Tim jump into a mystery. But what is the connection between a cryptic note, a yellow door, and a boat called the Day Maid? When their friend, Lieutenant Ashwood, disappears, the Quartet feels the pressure of time and must turn to another source for help. Will the four siblings get enough information to unravel the mystery before the suspects vanish completely?
- GenresChristian Fiction
156 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2016
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Rebekah A. Morris
120 books271 followersRebekah A. Morris has lived her entire life (as of now) in Missouri. Being home educated during her school years was great, except for writing. That was the worst subject (along with math) that she had to do. It wasn't until after she graduated that she discovered the joys and wonder of writing. Now she can't write enough. After spending six years in research and writing, she completed her first book, "Home Fires of the Great War," a 500+ page, historical fiction about home life in the United States and Canada during the First World War. Since then, she has been an avid writer and always has more than one story going on at once because only one story at a time got tiring and dull.
Get a free collection of stories here: https://sendfox.com/lp/3ezo5k
Get a free collection of stories here: https://sendfox.com/lp/3ezo5k
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 8, 2017
Good little mystery! The clues kept me guessing throughout the story, and it has the flavor of a vintage Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery, which was really fun. I loved reading about the relationships of the siblings to each other and with their parents.
Now, apart from the mystery and the characters, which were really great, there were a few issues that kept it from a "very good" or "excellent" rating. First, I didn't realize this was the second book in a dependent series. Do yourself a favor and read the other book first! I found myself dumped into a world I knew nothing about. At first I assumed from the context that I was reading about modern middle-schoolers, and wondered why they were running around town without supervision. At 30%, I realized it must be right after WW2. At 50%, I realized that two of the siblings were old enough to drive! So, yeah...read book one!
Second, I found the first chapter being out of chronological order to be exceedingly jarring. If there had been a heading note, it would have been fine, but there wasn't, and I never did quite figure out where it fit. Just be prepared for that leap.
Third, I didn't like a lie that was told. When they are watching for a boat, they tell a man who asks that they are watching for their Uncle Kyle. It was treated as a joke, that they made up an apocryphal uncle...it isn't something I would approve of in a middle grade book. All the siblings had to say was that they wanted to watch the boats.
Other than those three things, it's a really fun read. I think my favorite side character was the lighthouse keeper!
Now, apart from the mystery and the characters, which were really great, there were a few issues that kept it from a "very good" or "excellent" rating. First, I didn't realize this was the second book in a dependent series. Do yourself a favor and read the other book first! I found myself dumped into a world I knew nothing about. At first I assumed from the context that I was reading about modern middle-schoolers, and wondered why they were running around town without supervision. At 30%, I realized it must be right after WW2. At 50%, I realized that two of the siblings were old enough to drive! So, yeah...read book one!
Second, I found the first chapter being out of chronological order to be exceedingly jarring. If there had been a heading note, it would have been fine, but there wasn't, and I never did quite figure out where it fit. Just be prepared for that leap.
Third, I didn't like a lie that was told. When they are watching for a boat, they tell a man who asks that they are watching for their Uncle Kyle. It was treated as a joke, that they made up an apocryphal uncle...it isn't something I would approve of in a middle grade book. All the siblings had to say was that they wanted to watch the boats.
Other than those three things, it's a really fun read. I think my favorite side character was the lighthouse keeper!
March 24, 2017
This was a super cute book, like Christian Boxcar Children. I loved the sibling relationships, and the believable mystery. One of the things I love most about this series is that the kids actually consult their parents about things. Also, I really loved the Lieutenant.
I must admit, the flash forward beginning threw me off a bit. For such a short book I didn't see why the author would do that.
I must admit, the flash forward beginning threw me off a bit. For such a short book I didn't see why the author would do that.
October 1, 2022
This was just as good as the first book! It would be hard to say which I liked better, but this one was definitely the more suspenseful of the two (still not intense though, which is nice). I loved Lieutenant Ashwood, and all the good guys - even the ones I wasn't sure about at first :D And each the Quartet were just the same as in the first book - I love them all! Each of them has their own unique personality, but they work together! I really liked how all four of them have to agree before a decision can be made - I mean, I would understand if Matt and Elsa decided what was best and went ahead with that, but they always make sure Selena and Tim are in agreement, which is so nice in a siblings story.
The only thing I didn't like was that in this book the Quartet told one or two lies. It wasn't very much and in fact it was barely mentioned - but I still wish it hadn't been in it. It was very seldom though - most of the time, I liked how they thought up truthful answers that would get them out of tricky situations!
The mystery was intriguing and I had no idea how it would all end. The solution was great, and this left a much more satisfactory ending as far as the solution went than the first book did. There were a few interesting twists, and it held my attention from first to last.
I also love how it ties back to the war - I love stories set in this time period!
Also for some reason George's complaints about the number of people coming each time really really tickled me XD I found myself laughing out loud at several points! I love the mixture of humour, suspense, and mystery in this book. Plus it's just such a nice siblings story, which is always a bonus!
The climax was even more exciting than in the first book, and was so well written. But then the whole book was well written! The author's writing style matches this sort of book exactly, and it kept me riveted until the end.
I love each of the characters so much, and really hope to get more books about them soon! Highly recommend this series.
The only thing I didn't like was that in this book the Quartet told one or two lies. It wasn't very much and in fact it was barely mentioned - but I still wish it hadn't been in it. It was very seldom though - most of the time, I liked how they thought up truthful answers that would get them out of tricky situations!
The mystery was intriguing and I had no idea how it would all end. The solution was great, and this left a much more satisfactory ending as far as the solution went than the first book did. There were a few interesting twists, and it held my attention from first to last.
I also love how it ties back to the war - I love stories set in this time period!
Also for some reason George's complaints about the number of people coming each time really really tickled me XD I found myself laughing out loud at several points! I love the mixture of humour, suspense, and mystery in this book. Plus it's just such a nice siblings story, which is always a bonus!
The climax was even more exciting than in the first book, and was so well written. But then the whole book was well written! The author's writing style matches this sort of book exactly, and it kept me riveted until the end.
I love each of the characters so much, and really hope to get more books about them soon! Highly recommend this series.
August 14, 2018
Just as exciting and suspenseful as the first one! I find it very interesting and unusual the way the Graham siblings always manage to help foil the bad guys without any real idea of what's going on. It feels pretty realistic, but it's definitely different from your normal mystery. :D
I enjoyed the way the kids' different personalities still came out in all their teamwork; they never felt like carbon copies of each other. I also appreciated the fact that they seemed a bit more cautious in this one--taking key adults into their confidence and not usually putting themselves right in the way of trouble. But have we learned the dangers of splitting up? I sure have! Poor Matt... ;)
Probably my favorite piece of this one was George, the lighthouse keeper, and his comments on and reactions to the kids' constant coming and going from his lighthouse. XD
Listened to this one on audiobook as well and really enjoyed the narrator again. He did a great job of keeping things exciting without seeming over-the-top or annoying.
Content--some intense action and danger
I enjoyed the way the kids' different personalities still came out in all their teamwork; they never felt like carbon copies of each other. I also appreciated the fact that they seemed a bit more cautious in this one--taking key adults into their confidence and not usually putting themselves right in the way of trouble. But have we learned the dangers of splitting up? I sure have! Poor Matt... ;)
Probably my favorite piece of this one was George, the lighthouse keeper, and his comments on and reactions to the kids' constant coming and going from his lighthouse. XD
Listened to this one on audiobook as well and really enjoyed the narrator again. He did a great job of keeping things exciting without seeming over-the-top or annoying.
Content--some intense action and danger
June 28, 2016
The Graham Quartet and the Mystery of the Day Maid keeps you in suspense the whole way through. You can not put the book down if you started it in the afternoon you would be up late finishing it. i like Matt because of his leading abilities, Elsa because of how smart she is,Tim because of how many questions he asks, and Selena for how much she notices the details. great book.
Read
September 9, 2022Enjoyed rereading this story and remembering the real FBI case it is based on.
February 8, 2024
Loved it just as much as the first one!
April 29, 2017
As I read this, I realized that another Graham Quartet book preceded it, and that it would have been better if I had read the first one first. Because the quartet had already had an experience with a mystery, I wasn't sure what was and wasn't new to them.
But, on to the actual review. ;) Before I realized that Matt and Else were adults that knew how to drive, I was worried that this would be a Too Smart Jones or typical kid-solves-mystery,-learns-that-he/she-was-too-impetuous-but-was-smart-anyway mystery. Fortunately, I was proved very wrong. And, although, half of the quartet were adults, it didn't even have a Nancy Drew feel to it. (Not that I hated the Nancy Drew books, but they were quite unrealistic) The characters were very well-developed, especially Selena and Tim. I think Selena should learn to swim soon, though...
The plot was also pretty amazing. I found it strange that the Grahams thought that the happenings implied a mystery, when I didn't see any solid evidence. I did like Mr. Graham's reaction to their discoveries, though, and that didn't dismiss them.
One other thing that I found a little confusing was the going back in time in the second chapter, and finally catching up to the first chapter. I'm not exactly sure how that contributed to the flow of the story, but it didn't detract to much as it was left behind.
Other than the occasional typo and lack of commas, this was an enjoyable, exciting, and a non-cliché mystery. I usually don't like books set in modern times; I realize, however, that this is really only the case with romances. Modern mysteries that are written well are definitely an exception. This was one of them.
But, on to the actual review. ;) Before I realized that Matt and Else were adults that knew how to drive, I was worried that this would be a Too Smart Jones or typical kid-solves-mystery,-learns-that-he/she-was-too-impetuous-but-was-smart-anyway mystery. Fortunately, I was proved very wrong. And, although, half of the quartet were adults, it didn't even have a Nancy Drew feel to it. (Not that I hated the Nancy Drew books, but they were quite unrealistic) The characters were very well-developed, especially Selena and Tim. I think Selena should learn to swim soon, though...
The plot was also pretty amazing. I found it strange that the Grahams thought that the happenings implied a mystery, when I didn't see any solid evidence. I did like Mr. Graham's reaction to their discoveries, though, and that didn't dismiss them.
One other thing that I found a little confusing was the going back in time in the second chapter, and finally catching up to the first chapter. I'm not exactly sure how that contributed to the flow of the story, but it didn't detract to much as it was left behind.
Other than the occasional typo and lack of commas, this was an enjoyable, exciting, and a non-cliché mystery. I usually don't like books set in modern times; I realize, however, that this is really only the case with romances. Modern mysteries that are written well are definitely an exception. This was one of them.
April 26, 2019
Very enjoyable read! And once I got into it, I wanted to know how it would end. I was a bit confused at first because the first chapter started mid story and then jumped back again. By the time I got to that part in the story, I’d forgotten what had happened in the first chapter, but that could have been easily remedied if I hadn’t set the book aside for a few days. I also didn’t find it very clear what time period the story happened in, although I figured it out half way through.
I enjoyed that the siblings worked together and that they kept their dad informed rather than just running off to solve a mystery on their own. This would make a great family read aloud.
I enjoyed that the siblings worked together and that they kept their dad informed rather than just running off to solve a mystery on their own. This would make a great family read aloud.
March 4, 2022
This book was just as good as the first one! What all was behind the mystery the kids were solving was a little clearer in this one though (the mystery in the first one ended in a satisfying way, there just wasn't as much detail the kids seemed to know), and had even more action than the first book, yet not at all in a scary way. It was at times a wee bit hard to keep all the people and events involved in the mystery straight, but the kids occasionally re-capping helped to balance that out. And Tim's inquisitive nature once again, added with George's (the lighthouse keeper) teasing, just added to it all. ;)
December 30, 2025
Another great book! The Graham Quartet are on a family vacation and stumble upon a mystery. Each sibling brings a little something different to light as they work on solving the mystery. I like how they work so well together and work in pairs rather than one being alone. I can't wait to read more mysteries with the Graham Quartet.
Update: Second time reading, and I still love it. These books are so wholesome. I would love more mysteries for the quartet to solve!
Update: Second time reading, and I still love it. These books are so wholesome. I would love more mysteries for the quartet to solve!
July 19, 2020
5+ stars & 7/10 hearts. I loved the first Graham Quartet book and eagerly looked forwards to reading this one, confident I would love it even more. I was not disappointed. The characters are amazing—Lt. Ashwood, Agent Johnson, & Mr. Rhodes are awesome; and you get to see the characters of Elsa, Matt, Selena, and Tim better. There was a little more lying than last time—sometimes at places where a sentence/word left out would have made them speak the truth while not disclosing what they couldn’t. I didn’t quite get the whole why-they-had-to-talk-with-their-dad part but I’m not complaining about it—it’s nice to see kids who are respectful and obedient. The mystery was more mysterious than last time, and the ending was much more exciting! I also liked having the time period clearly established, and knowing I had guessed right. ;) I am eager to read this aloud to my 13- & 8-year-old brothers—they loved book 1 and they’re so eager for this book, and I‘m sure they’ll love it!
*I received a copy of this book from the author but I was not required to write a review. These are my honest opinions.*
*I received a copy of this book from the author but I was not required to write a review. These are my honest opinions.*
April 15, 2020
3.5 stars. =)
April 6, 2017
Another fantastic adventure with the Graham Quartet!
Is it a bad thing that I'm quickly becoming extremely attached to them all? ;)
In this sequel novella, the Quartet happen to be on vacation by a (beautifully described) lake. It's no surprise when another mystery finds them.
What I especially liked
The characters and general 1940'sish setting have become quite a bit more fleshed out since the first book ( book:The Graham Quartet and the Mysterious Strangers|24103457] )
The dialog also seems to have improved greatly (There were several times that bits and pieces of unnatural dialog in the first book threw me off a bit)
The entire book was packed full of action that kept the story going. It kept me guessing and on my toes the entire time. With the Quartet, I had no idea who to trust, and everything was all constantly surprising me.
I think George was my favorite character. ;) I loved how he added humour, and I loved whenever he popped up.
I also really liked Tim, who was entertaining.
A few things to mention that weren't quite so fabulous
There are just a few little things that didn't particularly make the reading less enjoyable, but I still kind of feel the need to mention.
There were a couple times that the formatting threw me off just a little. There's a multitude of (fairly small) timeskips throughout the entire book. More then once, I had to go back and read several paragraphs to realize exactly what had happened there, as they aren't actually separated or divided in any real way, and only in the next paragraph of the story. I would really have appreciated them being separated more, with maybe a an extra line in between or an actual divider, so I could tell what was going on.
I also feel the need to mention that I did catch one actual typo ("mass" instead of "mess"). It didn't throw me off the story that much, and I could still tell what it was supposed to be, so it honestly didn't bother me that much.
This is also a extremely personal preference, but I was just very slightly put off when Matt mentioned that he didn't like leaving the girls alone by themselves. I mean, Elsa is 19! I understand, though, that the entire Quartet didn't like leaving anyone alone, and that everything was fairly dangerous and it was a precaution, but it still threw me off just slightly.
And, I don't want to add a lot of things here in the negative section because I really did enjoy the book, but the opening chapter was ... I'm not sure exactly what the purpose of it was. It felt like maybe just trying to get us into the action ...? It honestly didn't feel like an actual chapter (maybe more of a prologue ...?) and the scenes it showed were about a third of the way into the book. It wasn't bad, it did start the action off nicely, but it honestly confused me.
And a couple other things ...
I once again really enjoyed the Christian content. It wasn't preachy, or in your face, but it was a constant throughout the whole book. It was really nice to see characters such a strong faith.
I also loved how everything was kept fairly historically accurate, at least by my (okay ... fairly small amount) of knowledge. The time period is perfect for the characters the plot.
Overall it was very sweet and action packed. This is a book that in the far, far off future, I'm going to hand to my kids when they're old enough to read and enjoy mysteries. ;)
It's perfectly clean, if, suspenseful. I think it would be perfect for a family read aloud.
Is it a bad thing that I'm quickly becoming extremely attached to them all? ;)
In this sequel novella, the Quartet happen to be on vacation by a (beautifully described) lake. It's no surprise when another mystery finds them.
What I especially liked
The characters and general 1940'sish setting have become quite a bit more fleshed out since the first book ( book:The Graham Quartet and the Mysterious Strangers|24103457] )
The dialog also seems to have improved greatly (There were several times that bits and pieces of unnatural dialog in the first book threw me off a bit)
The entire book was packed full of action that kept the story going. It kept me guessing and on my toes the entire time. With the Quartet, I had no idea who to trust, and everything was all constantly surprising me.
I think George was my favorite character. ;) I loved how he added humour, and I loved whenever he popped up.
I also really liked Tim, who was entertaining.
A few things to mention that weren't quite so fabulous
There are just a few little things that didn't particularly make the reading less enjoyable, but I still kind of feel the need to mention.
There were a couple times that the formatting threw me off just a little. There's a multitude of (fairly small) timeskips throughout the entire book. More then once, I had to go back and read several paragraphs to realize exactly what had happened there, as they aren't actually separated or divided in any real way, and only in the next paragraph of the story. I would really have appreciated them being separated more, with maybe a an extra line in between or an actual divider, so I could tell what was going on.
I also feel the need to mention that I did catch one actual typo ("mass" instead of "mess"). It didn't throw me off the story that much, and I could still tell what it was supposed to be, so it honestly didn't bother me that much.
This is also a extremely personal preference, but I was just very slightly put off when Matt mentioned that he didn't like leaving the girls alone by themselves. I mean, Elsa is 19! I understand, though, that the entire Quartet didn't like leaving anyone alone, and that everything was fairly dangerous and it was a precaution, but it still threw me off just slightly.
And, I don't want to add a lot of things here in the negative section because I really did enjoy the book, but the opening chapter was ... I'm not sure exactly what the purpose of it was. It felt like maybe just trying to get us into the action ...? It honestly didn't feel like an actual chapter (maybe more of a prologue ...?) and the scenes it showed were about a third of the way into the book. It wasn't bad, it did start the action off nicely, but it honestly confused me.
And a couple other things ...
I once again really enjoyed the Christian content. It wasn't preachy, or in your face, but it was a constant throughout the whole book. It was really nice to see characters such a strong faith.
I also loved how everything was kept fairly historically accurate, at least by my (okay ... fairly small amount) of knowledge. The time period is perfect for the characters the plot.
Overall it was very sweet and action packed. This is a book that in the far, far off future, I'm going to hand to my kids when they're old enough to read and enjoy mysteries. ;)
It's perfectly clean, if, suspenseful. I think it would be perfect for a family read aloud.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews