The Girl from Felony Bay

Felony Bay #1

by J.E. Thompson

The last year has been rougher than sandpaper for Abbey Force and her dad. He's in a coma after his accident a year back, wherein he was framed for a terrible crime he didn't commit. And their home, Reward Plantation, an idyllic spot on the eastern coast of South Carolina, had to be sold to pay off his debt to society. Abbey is stuck living with her uncle Charlie, who, even in the few hours a day when he's sober, ain't exactly your ideal parental role model.

But it turns out the new family that moved into Abbey's old house has a daughter named Bee. And she's just as curious about all the No Trespassing signs and holes being dug out by Felony Bay, in the corner of what used to be Abbey's home. It appears someone's been poking around a mystery that dates all the way back to the Civil War--and it just might be the same someone who framed Abbey's dad.

Fresh, funny, and heartwarming, Girl from Felony Bay is the perfect book for fans of Rebecca Stead's Liar & Spy and Sheila Turnage's Three Times Lucky.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Young Adult

400 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2013

Reviews

[Nancy Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a Nancy Drew for the 21st century! Heroine Abbey Force is a terrific character with a curious mind, tough as nails backbone, and the ability to not take no for an answer. As a retired middle-school teacher, I always wished there were more books for parents and young adults to read together. Nothing instills a lifelong passion for reading more than doing it as a family and talking about the book. The Girl From Felony Bay has history, local color, intrigue and great dialogue, plus lots for parents and tweens to discuss and solve. It will hold the interest and keep all ages up late because they cannot put it down.

Cannot wait for the next Abbey Force mystery....

[Mae Wolcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I have ever read! It is everything I could possibly want in a book, and it is not to inappropriate for younger children! It is a great book and I would never pass up the chance to read this book again! It has crime, and an attempt of murder! BEST BOOK EVER!

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

The past year has been hard for Abbey Force and her father. Her father was framed for a crime he didn't commit after he had an accident and ended up in a coma. To pay off debts, their home, Reward Plantation, was sold off and now Abbey has to live with her Uncle Charlie and Aunt Ruth. To say the least, both are despicably poor parental figures. The new family that's moved into Reward has a daughter named Bee right around Abbey's age, and she is just as curious about the no trespassing signs and holes down by Felony Bay, an area that should be part of the plantation, as Abbey is. It appears that someone has been investigating a mystery that goes all the way back to the Civil War, and it looks like it might be the same person that framed Abbey's dad.

The Girl from Felony Bay by J. E. Thompson was a very lucky find at a local thrift shop. I hadn't heard of it before, but the summary was intriguing, it was in perfect condition, and signed by the author. It's a fantastic middle-grade mystery novel and I think more people should give it a chance. The mystery is compelling and well-paced, and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen. I guessed it before the end, but it was great fun seeing it all play out.

The characters and dialog here are really the big selling points for me, Abbey especially. She's smart, curious, and tough - a truly admirable heroine. She also has a great friendship with her new neighbor, Bee. The Raleigh, North Carolina setting also feels incredibly real with lots of local color and history presented in the novel. By the way, the cover art is by Brett Helquist, the illustrator behind Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

I can't wait to read the next Felony Bay mystery, Disappearance at Hangman's Bluff! If you like Nancy Drew, you will love Abbey Force in The Girl From Felony Bay!

[A. Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this book. The Girl From Felon Bay is a must read! Set in the bucolic and magical setting of South Carolina Lowcountry, Felony Bay is a tale full of spirit and intrigue and it doesn't disappoint. I expect this will be a big hit!

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bright and shiny mystery story I found on the shelves of our library that I thought would be interesting to read..its the story of Reward Plantation in South Carolina and its many owners and sordid past and mysterious present..You meet Abbey Force a young girl whose father is in a coma after being accused of robbing an elderly client for her jewels. Disgraced and moved out of her home to pay for the debts owed to the woman who was robbed Abbey is forced to live with her cruel aunt and uncle. The predictable mistreated girl who is out to rectify a wrong to her family and make things right..As she is moved out of her house, enrolled in a new school and the new owners move in her old house she is surprised to learn they are black and have the same last name..—Bee Force and Abbey become best friends and as they explore the island they uncover an area marked private that shouldn’t be, and that is supposed to belong to Bee’s family..digging into that mystery and also trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her father, what really happened to the old lady’s jewels and how can she help this poor sweet black family that used to live on this now private property? I won’t divulge the mystery and it was very Scooby Doo and lacked any real suspense as you know or should figure it all out easy enough…this is a juvenile mystery with history on plantations, heirs’ property, the Civil War, the rights of property owners and the power of two girls determined to solve a problem and have fun together… though it was long and detailed in description and page length I think kids of many ages can enjoy this one ..I can’t say this was a great book but it was good and will make a good book trailer for my 5th and 6th graders!

[Havilandc · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to find really good books for 4-7 grade girls that don't have a lot of inappropriate content. This book is perfect! It has a great storyline and characters that you come to love (and hate!). The title character sets an example of staying true to yourself and never losing hope. I loved it!

[Nikki Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this down until the mystery was solved!

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

so far this book is amazing. It has normal things that some kids can relate to. For example, the main character, Abbey, loves horses. I definitely want to read on!

[Katelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book three years ago and just re-found it helping my mom clean out her classroom! So, with that I don't have a super vivid memory of this book but from what I do remember, it was pretty slow. Although, was definetly good enough for me to keep reading it and the ending was satisfactory for sure! I am definetly doing a re-read on this one!

[Dee Dee G · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was intense! So good!

[Maddy Boben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It makes you think and some of my predictions were right. I read whenever I could.

[Sofija Obradovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

The past year has been very hard for Abbey Force and her father. Her father was framed for a crime he didn't commit after he had an accident and ended up in a coma. This was only the start of their problems however. To pay off debts, their home, Reward Plantation, was sold off and now Abbey has to live with her Uncle Charlie and Aunt Ruth. They are both are poor parental figures. The new family that's moved into Reward has a daughter named Bee right around Abbey's age, and she is just as curious about the no trespassing signs and holes down by Felony Bay, an area that should be part of the plantation, as Abbey is. It appears that someone has been investigating a mystery that goes all the way back to the Civil War, and it looks like it might be the same person that framed Abbey's dad.
The Girl from Felony Bay by J. E. Thompson was an amazing book. I hadn't heard of it before, but the summary was intriguing. It's a fantastic middle-grade mystery novel. The mystery is compelling and well-paced, and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen.
The characters and dialog here are really the big selling points for me, Abbey especially. She's smart, curious, and tough - a truly admirable heroine.She’s one of those characters that you can’t stop wanting to learn more about. She also has a great friendship with her new neighbor, Bee. The Raleigh, North Carolina setting also feels incredibly real with lots of local color and history presented in the novel.
I can't wait to read the next Felony Bay mystery, Disappearance at Hangman's Bluff! If you like Nancy Drew, you will love Abbey Force in The Girl From Felony Bay!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were so many things that I loved about this book: its setting in Charleston; its strong, determined heroines; the discussion of race and wealth in the South (both today and in the past); the ponies; and, of course, the intricate mystery. And yet the final couple of chapters totally spoiled it for me. Ok, this is probably an exaggeration. The moralizing reminiscences on the conclusion of the mystery, which were just too sweet and too preachy for me, were undoubtedly foreshadowed earlier in Thompson's writing, but this is where I really felt hit over the head with telling instead of showing. That said, this was still a great, adventure-filled tale, definitely for an older MG reader, and I will undoubtedly recommend it to some of my readers, especially with the local connection.

[༺Kiki༻ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:

✱ A Hundred Horses
✱ Last in a Long Line of Rebels
✱ Greenglass House series
✱ Tupelo Landing series
✱ Yong & Yang series

[Laura Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery, steeped in a South Carolina summer setting. Abbey Force’s dad is in a coma, accused of a huge theft of jewels. The Force family home, Reward Plantation, has been sold off to pay his debts. Abbey is certain her father is innocent, but her proof is lacking. Abbey and Bee, the new occupant of the Force family home, together set off to unravel the mystery and save Felony Bay in the process. A page turner, with very likeable characters; the fact that the bad guys are obvious from a mile away doesn’t really matter. This one starts with a bang and the action continues throughout.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story - adventurous and fabulous mystery. Buried treasure, car chases... what's not to love? Kids who love adventure, mystery, or friendship stories will all find something in this book that speaks to them.

The best part is the amazing friendship between two smart and courageous young women. This is a MUST acquire book for middle grade libraries, and one that will also appeal into middle school.


I support independent bookstores. To find one near you or to order The Girl from Felony Bay online, please visit IndieBound:
http://www.indiebound.org/book/978006...

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl From Felony Bay by J.E. Thompson is a great mystery mixed with a little (but not too much) history. Two unlikely girls become friends: one used to be wealthy white girl and one wealthy African-American girl whose ancestors used to be slaves for the white girl's family. Now, the white girl, Abby, is poor and the African-American girl, Bea, is living in Abby's old house and has her room. How did this happen? What happened to put Abby's father in a coma in the hospital? Why does everyone think Abby's father committed a crime? What will happen? Read this classic mystery to find out.

[Snapefan4Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is set just a few hours away from where I live, so it was really cool to read a 'local' tale. I loved the tenacity of the main character and the last bit of the story was particularly awesome -- the tension! Drama! Puzzle pieces falling into place! Excellent.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really a great read! Abbey Force kept me reading and Reading late in the night and early in morning. The only reason it didn’t get 5 stars was because of the several misspellings/typos in the edition I had read.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: A nice little mystery to fill the voracious needs of mystery readers, though it perhaps could have used some editing down for that extra added kick.

[P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fast-paced read! You won't be able to put it down.

[Michelle Bridges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall good middle grades book for girls, a slow start, but picks up after the first couple chapters and then I couldn't put it down!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this fast paced mystery for all readers. Lots of twists and turns until the very end. Also, a great underlying theme on understanding and dealing with students who bully others.

[Jillian T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it all! But, I loved the mystery the most.

[Emily Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good!!!

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader’s Notes:

*Series or Connected Books?* book 1 of a duology, but can be read as a stand-alone

*Point Of View:* 12 year old Abbey (sixth grader going on seventh grader)

*Any Cursing Or Possibly Offensive Language?* It is mentioned a few times that characters cursed (about 2 or 3 times), but no actual curse words are read in the book; there is one use of ‘retard’

*Romance?* None!

*Things To Know:*

-a character’s parent is in a coma & accused of a theft that happened prior to the coma

-a character’s parent died from cancer (past event)

-a character’s parent & sibling passed in an accident (past event)

-a character’s guardian(s) don’t really pay attention to them & can be drunk at times (also mentioned to hit and be mean when drunk)

-a character’s parent is mentioned to have been abused by the other (not seen by reader, just told)

-there is a bully & a character(s) fight them to defend others/themselves

-there is a kidnapping and attempted killing by gator (characters who were to be killed are saved)

Review:

Every year my friend & I exchange a book that we enjoyed that the other person might not necessarily pick up on our own to read on Christmas Eve and this was the one I was given for 2025!

I enjoyed this historical fiction book and getting to know Abbey, Bee, and the people they came across on Leadenwah Island + Charleston, South Carolina. I liked the mystery surrounding Abbey’s father’s whole situation (unexpected theft, weird circumstances, coma, etc) and that she wouldn’t drop her investigation into it all. I loved Abbey’s friendship with Bee and how close they became despite not knowing each other before that summer. I also loved that Bee’s grandmother took Abbey under her wing like she was another one of her family members and included her in their meals anytime she was over.

I’m curious to see what happens in book 2! And what kind of mischief the girls could get into after this mystery!

Summary:

Abbey Force has had a year. Between her father having an accident that leaves him in a coma, her father being framed for theft, and losing her home to repay the debt, nothing has been good. Until summer comes and Abbey meets the new owners of what was her family’s land. The owner’s daughter, Bee, and Abbey become good friends. So when Abbey lets her in on Abbey’s plan for the summer – to find out who really committed the theft her father is accused of – Bee wants to join her investigation.
The two girls search high and low for answers, but also find more questions need to be asked. Like: if Abbey’s family’s land had been sold, why don’t the new owners also own Felony Bay? And who placed all the No Trespassing signs along there as they dig up the ground?

When the girls discover connections between the sale, her father’s accident, and an old mystery of treasure left behind, they find themselves in deep trouble. In the end, are they going to be able to make it out to tell everyone the truth or will they be dismissed as lying children?

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reader with excellent taste recommended this book to me (thanks, Elisa!), and I finally got around to reading it this summer; the book did not disappoint!

The Girl from Felony Bay is the story of Abbey Force a girl whose luck has gone sour of late: her father (an attorney) is in a coma and has been for months. He fell while apparently doing something with old jewelry that had been reported as missing by one of his clients. Because he couldn't speak to what had happened, it was assumed Mr. Force had stolen the woman's jewelry, and the family home and property -- an old Southern plantation, was sold to pay restitution and legal fees. Abbey, left without a home or guardian, has to live with her father's brother - her uncle, and her aunt-- in their trashy house down the lane from her old home. Abbey's uncle didn't like his brother, and has little use for his niece either, except to use her to get chores done.

It is just when she is about to give up hope that a new girl, Bee, moves into the old plantation house with her grandmother. Bee and Abbey become friends quickly and set out on different adventures. One of these adventures leads to secrets and mysteries that Abbey believes may be related to her father's problems. Since she has never believed that her father was guilty of any wrong-doing, she decides to work to solve the mystery and clear her father's name, and Bee is determined to help her.

Filled with mystery, danger, and suspense, this fast-paced story has characters that the reader can believe in. The book will be of special interest to any South Carolinians who live in or know much about Charleston or to frequent visitors to the city, as the fictitious Felony Bay is on one of the small islands around Charleston! This book is full of history, Charleston landmarks, cliff-hangers, and fun!

[Katherine Loyacano · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl from Felony Bay, J.E. Thompson's debut children's novel, is a marvelous middle-school mystery featuring two gutsy gals, Abbey and Bee, who will stop at nothing to right the wrongs that have impacted Abbey's life. Set on the eastern coast of South Carolina, Abbey Force is navigating her new life that is in utter turmoil after her father, who falls into a coma after an accident, can no longer care for her. To make matters worse, her father has been accused of robbery, causing them to lose their home, Reward Plantation, and forcing her to live with her mean-spirited Uncle Charlie and his unsympathetic wife.

As summer approaches, she meets Bee Force, who is the same age as Abbey and has moved into Abbey's plantation home. They quickly become fast friends despite their ancestral history surrounding Reward Plantation. While hanging out together, the two girls stumble upon a mystery at Felony Bay involving Abbey's Uncle Charlie. This discovery sets Abbey and Bee on a fast-paced adventure where they uncover the history of Felony Bay, family secrets, and information that could prove Abbey's father's innocence. I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful, suspenseful, and heartwarming novel. I look forward to reading more of Abbey and Bee's adventures in the next book in this series called the Disappearance at Hangman's Bluff.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trixie Belden

I loved this book and I love these two heroines! Many similarities to Trixie and Honey. They even find a diamond ring in a tumbledown cottage. There are horses and a lake and woods and trails...The modern twist in this story is the role that race plays. Bee is African American and her father bought the plantation where their ancestors had been owned as slaves. And the family that owned them was Abby’s. So they have the same last name since slaves took the last names of the families that freed them. So they agree that they are kind of family. By the end they are definitely family.

Abby decides to clear her father’s name. He’s a lawyer that was tried by public opinion and lays in a coma from a blow to the head. He doesn’t wake up in this one, but I’m sure he will. Abby and Bee solve the mystery and help an old neighbor get back property that was legally hers just like Trixie and Honey would do.

My only complaint was that all the ends were tied up in summary pages at the end. Still, I loved it and I can’t wait to read the next one.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot
Abbey Force has lived with her awful alcoholic uncle and his wife for a year, ever since her father fell into a coma. When he was found unconscious on the floor, he was blamed for stealing the very expensive jewelry of one of his lawfirm's clients. But with her unable to speak, and him unable to wake up, solving the mystery falls into Abbey's lap. The aunt and uncle's house is at the edge of Reward Plantation, which had to be sold to pay for legal fees.

Surprisingly, the new owners have the same last name as Abbey, and a girl her age! They realize that they likely share the same last name because Abbey's family owned the property for centuries, and the slaves on the property were given the last name of their owners. Inside the house, it is just Bee and her grandmother, because her father is off on work trips. The two girls become friends, and start to wonder why a part of the plantation has no trespassing signs all over, especially because it was part of the plantation property. As the two girls dig deeper into the mystery, they find out the people around them aren't particularly trustworthy, so they will have to solve the mystery without getting murdered!

Review
This book was fun, though my coworker disliked it because of the abuse and attempted murders on children. However, horrible things happen to children and it was probably the first time I'd had it depicted in a book. Abbey is a strong girl, and she's clever, making her a great main character.

Set near Charleston, NC, where the author lives. It felt as though he brought in some life experiences as well as research from the thriller books he pens. Though I was confused for a while why an older man would have a first book published in middle grade fiction, I found out this was his penname.

The adult characters kept making "K turns", and I had to look up what that was because I'd never heard of it. It's a three-point-turn.

Contains: child abuse, physical altercations, and adults drinking in excess.