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Treasures of Darkness #1
Treasures of Darkness #1
This is the story of the O'Neill family from Lawrence, Kansas. The father, Jim, is a 45 year- old man with two children; Jay is 13 and Adrianna is 11. It is June, present day. Jim has been given a sabbatical from his teaching position at the University Kansas. The kids are out of school for summer vacation. They are setting out by car to find the ancestral home of Jim's grandfather, who lived in Sterling, Illinois. A diary which was found in Jim's grandfather's house in Lawrence, revealed that there was a treasure to be found on the property of the Sterling homestead. The treasure can be found by solving riddles and clues.
Jim finds a white envelope on his front porch prior to leaving with the kids. The envelope contains a card, which warns him not to proceed or there will be danger. He is not dissuaded, especially after a suspicious car parked down the street disappears after the family prays for safety.
Jim's wife died in a terrible car crash a year and a half ago. One month before the accident, Jim received a similar warning, which he ignored. After the family sets out on their journey, they are beset with other warnings and harassments. A gang of bikers troubles them at a diner in the small town of Quincy. One of the bikers pulls out a knife, but the police arrive in time to prevent any trouble.
The family finds the house and solves the initial riddle, which leads them to the second clue. The next day, they return to the house, which has been vandalized during the night. The family finds the third clue in the attic. They find themselves locked in and realize that the bikers have arrived and set the house on fire.
They are miraculously rescued and later go to the police station, where they are told to leave their information. Later, they arrive at their motel room to find that the bikers have gotten inside and are waiting for them. They threaten the family once again, and Jim says that he will no longer pursue the treasure and promises to leave. Adrianna confesses to the leader that she had one more clue but has lost it. The bikers say they will retrieve the information from the girl. Jim tries to resist and save his family but is outsmarted by the gang.
Jim finds a white envelope on his front porch prior to leaving with the kids. The envelope contains a card, which warns him not to proceed or there will be danger. He is not dissuaded, especially after a suspicious car parked down the street disappears after the family prays for safety.
Jim's wife died in a terrible car crash a year and a half ago. One month before the accident, Jim received a similar warning, which he ignored. After the family sets out on their journey, they are beset with other warnings and harassments. A gang of bikers troubles them at a diner in the small town of Quincy. One of the bikers pulls out a knife, but the police arrive in time to prevent any trouble.
The family finds the house and solves the initial riddle, which leads them to the second clue. The next day, they return to the house, which has been vandalized during the night. The family finds the third clue in the attic. They find themselves locked in and realize that the bikers have arrived and set the house on fire.
They are miraculously rescued and later go to the police station, where they are told to leave their information. Later, they arrive at their motel room to find that the bikers have gotten inside and are waiting for them. They threaten the family once again, and Jim says that he will no longer pursue the treasure and promises to leave. Adrianna confesses to the leader that she had one more clue but has lost it. The bikers say they will retrieve the information from the girl. Jim tries to resist and save his family but is outsmarted by the gang.
31 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 22, 2020
43 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 9, 2020
It's a pirate adventure without the pirates. Just a family consist of father, son, and daughter in a treasure adventure. It's quite good and I could not put it down! It's quite the adventure to read this short story. It has a little bit of everything in the story. I cannot read book 2. It's so such a great book.
December 3, 2020
This short story was really good and it leaves you hanging. What is the treasure who doesn't want them to find it?
June 3, 2020
A fun concept of a family on a treasure hunt looking for an old family secret. Many things are puzzling though as they are tracked and threatened, as well as, why no one apparently owns the house. The biggest problem is the story just stops with no real ending. The action just halts at a spot mid-action. I had to double check to make sure I had downloaded all of the copy. I also found myself not liking the dad as he repeatedly put his Kids at risk for an unknown "treasure.". I received a free ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
June 3, 2020
Very interesting start to a new series by a great author. Unlike the others so far, it ends on a cliffhanger, which is not a bad thing. Definitely ready to read the next asap! Curious to see how it will move forward. Short book, but that's also not bad. Easy read, and intriguing mystery at its heart. I love that I can't predict what's coming when it comes to this author's work. Very well done! Highly recommended! Same goes for all her works. You won't be disappointed!!
June 20, 2020
I received a free copy to review: Close-knit family meets adventure, mystery and thrills in Christina's Treasures of Darkness. A Christian family sets off on a vacation adventure to have some fun solving a riddle and looking for great-gramps' hidden treasure ... But they are not the only ones and things take a sinister twist. The book leaves you hanging so make sure you have Book 2 lined up!!
Triggers: allusion to death; attempted murder; threat-by-weapon
Triggers: allusion to death; attempted murder; threat-by-weapon
June 6, 2020
Very different type book. The characters are a little dull, but it is a good read. I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next, which in this book , you just never knew for sure. I recommend this book and can't wait till I read the second book to find out what is going to happen. I received this book as a gift in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2020
30 pages.
💙A very good start.
In Lawrence, Kansas, Jim O'Neill and his two children (Jay, 13 ans Adrianna, 11) are about to go on vacation.
Rather original holidays, because they leave for a treasure hunt, the hidden treasure of grandpa O'Neill.
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An original but dangerous family adventure that will quickly turn into a nightmare.
It's easy to read and entertaining.
💙A very good start.
In Lawrence, Kansas, Jim O'Neill and his two children (Jay, 13 ans Adrianna, 11) are about to go on vacation.
Rather original holidays, because they leave for a treasure hunt, the hidden treasure of grandpa O'Neill.
------------
An original but dangerous family adventure that will quickly turn into a nightmare.
It's easy to read and entertaining.
July 4, 2020
This short story that introduces a family on a treasure hunt does a very good job in setting a hook for episodes yet to come.
July 23, 2020
nice short story that leaves you wanting to read what happens next
August 15, 2021
A fun, fast paced, family mystery. I'm looking forward to Part 2
January 30, 2025
Elementary
Cute story, but cuts off a third of the way through. The kind of thing I wrote in middle school.
Cute story, but cuts off a third of the way through. The kind of thing I wrote in middle school.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews