Old Bones and Ice Cream Cones by Elizabeth Pantley – a Review
Description:
A boyfriend who’s missing. Or was. . . Or is. . . A boat full of old bones. A community ice cream social. A friend in trouble, a spiteful witch, and an angry villain. The mysteries and fun abound in Destiny Falls. Hayden, Latifa, and their family and friends are up for the excitement and adventure.
Old Bones and Ice Cream Cones follows the series format of combining two stories that blend into one. A murder mystery and the island mystery.
The Island Mystery: Hayden’s boyfriend Han is missing. But she swears she saw him zoom by in his car. She’d thought it was a surprise, and that he was home early from his secret service case. She was wrong. The surprise is that his signal isn’t pinging, and no one knows where he is. There appears to be black magic behind his disappearance. Can they learn who’s responsible and bring Han safely home?
The Murder Mystery: A pile of old bones is found in an ancient fishing boat. They could be tied to the disappearance of two young women years ago, back when many of the Destiny Falls people where in high school. Many of the citizens had bad history with the students. Do the bones belong to them, and what happened? Were they murdered? And could the murderer be living among them?
Hayden and Latifa’s many adventures in Destiny Falls will keep you guessing with each book in this fun and intriguing series.
Review:
Old Bones and Ice Cream Cones by Elizabeth Pantley is the 6th book in her fun Destiny Falls Mystery and Magic series. Refresher: Hayden, who now fully lives in Destiny Falls with her talking cat, Latifa, and is happy in her new magical world, being a member of her powerful Caldwell family, as well as many new friends, and boyfriend, Han.
Hayden’s boyfriend, Han is missing at the start, and she calls in her friends to help find him; he suddenly reappears, not remembering where he had been. Hayden and family recognize that Han’s disappearance was the work of black magic, especially with his appearance having changed, making him stronger and built. When Han continues to disappear and reappear, Hayden learns he has been cursed by the evil Lazarus, and she must find a way to save Han.
There is another mystery that revolves around a pile of old bones found on an ancient boat. During the investigation, it is confirmed that it ties to the disappearance of two young girls thirty years ago. Hayden is in the middle of both investigations, as she uncovers dark secrets of the past, as well as her friends and family helping support her in finding how to pull Han from control of the evil Lazarus; she learns what is necessary from both Gasper and Bob (the Olm).
Hayden and her brother Axel have settled into their role of being conduits on Destiny Falls. I love Hayden’s wonderful family and friends who are always there for her, and of course our wonderful Latifa (her cat) and the Secret Cat Society. It is always fun to watch and listen to the cats, Latifa, Chanel, Marshmellow and Lola. Cute.
Old Bones and Ice Cream Cones was another delightful lighthearted mystery, in the magical and charming enchanted realm, Destiny Falls. This is a fun cozy murder fantasy whodunit, that was intriguing and kept our attention from start to finish. The characters are all interesting and unique, especially the cats who help solve the crimes. I look forward to the next book by Elizabeth Pantley, that is always fun to read.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy supplied for Review
