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Accidental Detectives #6
Creature of the Mists
Winning a science contest means a trip to Canada to search for a fabled lake creature for Ricky and his friends.
Library Binding
First published February 1, 1991
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About the author
Sigmund Brouwer
251 books407 followersSigmund loves going to schools to get kids excited about reading, reaching roughly 80,000 students a year through his Rock&Roll Literacy Show.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 22, 2024
With Creature of the Mists, Sigmund Brouwer spices up The Accidental Detectives series by putting the gang in international territory, exploring the relationship between cryptids and Christianity, and utilizing a wider cast of suspects than usual. Though it’s not Brouwer’s strongest, it’s one of his most entertaining and certainly one that I’ve read until the cover is falling off.
After a series of pranks and misunderstandings, Ricky Kidd and his friends win a contest that allows them to go on a scientific expedition with renowned scientist Dr. Jonathan Wineguard as he travels to Lake Okanagan in British Columbia to search for the legendary lake monster Ogopogo. What starts off as an exciting summer vacation quickly spirals into danger as several attempts are made on the lives of the expedition, making Ricky realize that the hunt for Ogopogo is nothing but a cover for something far more sinister. As he pieces together clues and tries to decide who to trust, Ricky struggles with questions about evolution and Christian science, but he fears he may not live long enough to find the answers.
One of the strongest aspects of Creature of the Mists is the philosophical Christian element Brouwer includes. Throughout the book, Ricky wrestles with questions that many 12-year-olds have, such as, “Is evolution totally out of the question from a biblical worldview? Can a Christian believe in God and creatures like Ogopogo? Why are science and faith always treated like they’re mutually exclusive?” Just like he did in The Missing Map of Pirate’s Haven, Brouwer treats these questions with respect and diplomacy, giving middle-grades readers satisfying answers without turning the novel into an apologetics course. Dr. Wineguard represents the Christian voice in Creature of the Mists, explaining to Ricky that the Bible is not a science book and shouldn’t be treated that way, but that science and Christianity can always coexist because we can accept that we will never understand everything about science and can trust that God is the creator of it all. In reminding Ricky that Christian science must seek the “why” of things just as much as the “how,” he sums it up with the following quote:
Continuing with the more advanced mystery in The Missing Map of Pirate’s Haven, Brouwer ups the stakes again in Creature of the Mists by making the plot much more complex, the clues much more elusive, and the villains much more devious. What really stands out about Creature of the Mists is the fact that we have four adults throughout the novel — Jonathan Wineguard, Mel Waters, James Bickley, and Luke Stetson — who are equally suspicious, and we remain as confused as Ricky is most of the time until he finally puts the pieces together. The mystery befits the scientific tone of the book, using computer jargon and corporate espionage rather than good old-fashioned treasure-hunting or jewel-theft (the dated 1990s computer technology is a bit funny in places).
Creature of the Mists does suffer, however, from a few missteps, such as the illogicality of the entire plot that Ricky figures out. Furthermore, Creature of the Mists falls a bit short of its potential by downplaying its fantastic setting and monster-hunt in favor of a technology-based spy mystery. The setting of Lake Okanagan and the search for the real-life legend of the Ogopogo (sort of the Canadian cousin to the Loch Ness Monster) is only used as a backdrop, which is disappointing considering how exciting those two sightings are of what the gang believes to be Ogopogo.
Creature of the Mists contains the typical Accidental Detectives blend of excitement, comedy, and philosophy, and we finally get to see Ralphy Zee take center stage as the catalyst for the action. Ralphy is often overlooked and sidelined in this series, relegated to a super-whiz comedic relief, but he gets a bit more depth here as he devises a clever means of revenge on Ricky and Mike Andrews for their prank, selflessly invites his friends along on the trip he won, and Lisa Higgins is pushed to the background again but at least isn’t replaced by another 12-year-old Bond girl, and younger brother Joel gets a bit of a heroic spotlight despite his implausible stowing away on the expedition (seriously, why does Mrs. Kidd not chain him up or something?). We find more depth in Ricky here as well, seeing his love for reading and his desire to be a writer, as well as his questioning of some theological beliefs (an interesting contrast to his confidence against atheism in The Missing Map of Pirate’s Haven).
Creature of the Mists is one of the more complicated, plot-heavy books in The Accidental Detectives series, but of course we get our beloved silly exploits from the gang (the opening chapters with Ricky and Mike trying to save Ralphy from Dr. Wineguard are genuinely hysterical). I’ve always loved the originality of using Ogopogo as a plot device, and I only wish we could have seen more of that. Creature of the Mists takes a long time to get to its mystery and feels a bit overpacked at times, but ultimately it’s a fun adventure and another great addition to an even greater series.
After a series of pranks and misunderstandings, Ricky Kidd and his friends win a contest that allows them to go on a scientific expedition with renowned scientist Dr. Jonathan Wineguard as he travels to Lake Okanagan in British Columbia to search for the legendary lake monster Ogopogo. What starts off as an exciting summer vacation quickly spirals into danger as several attempts are made on the lives of the expedition, making Ricky realize that the hunt for Ogopogo is nothing but a cover for something far more sinister. As he pieces together clues and tries to decide who to trust, Ricky struggles with questions about evolution and Christian science, but he fears he may not live long enough to find the answers.
One of the strongest aspects of Creature of the Mists is the philosophical Christian element Brouwer includes. Throughout the book, Ricky wrestles with questions that many 12-year-olds have, such as, “Is evolution totally out of the question from a biblical worldview? Can a Christian believe in God and creatures like Ogopogo? Why are science and faith always treated like they’re mutually exclusive?” Just like he did in The Missing Map of Pirate’s Haven, Brouwer treats these questions with respect and diplomacy, giving middle-grades readers satisfying answers without turning the novel into an apologetics course. Dr. Wineguard represents the Christian voice in Creature of the Mists, explaining to Ricky that the Bible is not a science book and shouldn’t be treated that way, but that science and Christianity can always coexist because we can accept that we will never understand everything about science and can trust that God is the creator of it all. In reminding Ricky that Christian science must seek the “why” of things just as much as the “how,” he sums it up with the following quote:
“If the Bible is a book of truths, whatever is truly true in science will also fit. The difficulties we face are in determining the truly true of science.”
Continuing with the more advanced mystery in The Missing Map of Pirate’s Haven, Brouwer ups the stakes again in Creature of the Mists by making the plot much more complex, the clues much more elusive, and the villains much more devious. What really stands out about Creature of the Mists is the fact that we have four adults throughout the novel — Jonathan Wineguard, Mel Waters, James Bickley, and Luke Stetson — who are equally suspicious, and we remain as confused as Ricky is most of the time until he finally puts the pieces together. The mystery befits the scientific tone of the book, using computer jargon and corporate espionage rather than good old-fashioned treasure-hunting or jewel-theft (the dated 1990s computer technology is a bit funny in places).
Creature of the Mists does suffer, however, from a few missteps, such as the illogicality of the entire plot that Ricky figures out. Furthermore, Creature of the Mists falls a bit short of its potential by downplaying its fantastic setting and monster-hunt in favor of a technology-based spy mystery. The setting of Lake Okanagan and the search for the real-life legend of the Ogopogo (sort of the Canadian cousin to the Loch Ness Monster) is only used as a backdrop, which is disappointing considering how exciting those two sightings are of what the gang believes to be Ogopogo.
Creature of the Mists contains the typical Accidental Detectives blend of excitement, comedy, and philosophy, and we finally get to see Ralphy Zee take center stage as the catalyst for the action. Ralphy is often overlooked and sidelined in this series, relegated to a super-whiz comedic relief, but he gets a bit more depth here as he devises a clever means of revenge on Ricky and Mike Andrews for their prank, selflessly invites his friends along on the trip he won, and Lisa Higgins is pushed to the background again but at least isn’t replaced by another 12-year-old Bond girl, and younger brother Joel gets a bit of a heroic spotlight despite his implausible stowing away on the expedition (seriously, why does Mrs. Kidd not chain him up or something?). We find more depth in Ricky here as well, seeing his love for reading and his desire to be a writer, as well as his questioning of some theological beliefs (an interesting contrast to his confidence against atheism in The Missing Map of Pirate’s Haven).
Creature of the Mists is one of the more complicated, plot-heavy books in The Accidental Detectives series, but of course we get our beloved silly exploits from the gang (the opening chapters with Ricky and Mike trying to save Ralphy from Dr. Wineguard are genuinely hysterical). I’ve always loved the originality of using Ogopogo as a plot device, and I only wish we could have seen more of that. Creature of the Mists takes a long time to get to its mystery and feels a bit overpacked at times, but ultimately it’s a fun adventure and another great addition to an even greater series.
July 20, 2019
The Accidental Detective Series by Sigmund Brouwer is a fun, adventurous and mysterious chapter book for kids. I picked up book #6, “Creature Of The Mist,” because it was set in Canada and had good old Ogopogo in it! I mean, who doesn’t love a sea monster story?
Four friends, Ricky, Ralfy, Mike and Lisa didn’t know quite what they were getting into when Ralfy won a science fair contest and a trip to British Columbia with a world renowned scientist to track down Loch Ness’s cousin. But after a thousand miles in the van, Ricky starts to notice some of the adults odd behavior and slowly discovers, along with his friends, that this trip was more than what it seemed.
For a chapter book, I really liked how the author kept the story moving, yet, simple. Every chapter had great scenes, clues to what was ahead and interesting character development. For a book geared towards a younger audience, I was impressed how the author built in faith elements with a great storyline. This was just a well written book! I’ll also mention that the characters were mostly boys, so if you’re looking for books with boy lead characters and lots of fun, check this one out. I would 100% recommend this book for your kids!
Four friends, Ricky, Ralfy, Mike and Lisa didn’t know quite what they were getting into when Ralfy won a science fair contest and a trip to British Columbia with a world renowned scientist to track down Loch Ness’s cousin. But after a thousand miles in the van, Ricky starts to notice some of the adults odd behavior and slowly discovers, along with his friends, that this trip was more than what it seemed.
For a chapter book, I really liked how the author kept the story moving, yet, simple. Every chapter had great scenes, clues to what was ahead and interesting character development. For a book geared towards a younger audience, I was impressed how the author built in faith elements with a great storyline. This was just a well written book! I’ll also mention that the characters were mostly boys, so if you’re looking for books with boy lead characters and lots of fun, check this one out. I would 100% recommend this book for your kids!
January 11, 2019
First reread as an adult & they're still one of my favourite childhood series. I enjoy that they're not overtly Christian but he still puts in the subtle Biblical lesson, in this one the science and faith question. I love the ensemble cast and Joel as always is the highlight.
August 9, 2021
6th grade book report (what a blast from the past):
I think this book was very exciting and a little bit funny.
I think this book was very exciting and a little bit funny.
April 5, 2024
We laughed so hard at this beginning!
June 19, 2018
An expedition to track a mythological creature in British Columbia is fraught with peril before they've even reached their destination. But who is behind the danger? While I often praise the mysteries in this series, this is my favorite because of the great twists and turns. And the reprint allowed him to add one sentence that took care of a plot hole from the first edition.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews