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Manor of Buried Secrets
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 27, 2026
Family matriarch Patricia Woodwright has died at the age of 105. But not before she sends a secret letter to her attorney. Sadly, the letter goes missing the day before Patricia dies - coincidence? There are also rumors about gold and hidden treasure, but almost everyone considers them just legends.
All of Patricia’s descendants are invited to Woodwright Manor for a week to attend her funeral and wait to hear the reading of the will. Several families and friends come together and become acquainted or reacquainted with each other. The main protagonists are Peter, one of Patricia’s family, and Larissa, whose family were friends of Patricia. There are outings planned, braais (BBQs), and just time to hang out while waiting to learn who will inherit the estate, as Patricia never married or had any children. Peter and Larissa come upon a cache of letters that were hidden in Patricia’s room that lead them to believe that maybe the rumors are true after all. The letters also reveal a friendship that may have led to a forbidden romance.
This unique YA mystery is set in South Africa in the mid-2010s, and the characters are both Black and white. It’s a true page-turner with wonderful characters, a tightly written plot, and a window into life in South Africa’s past and the story’s present timeline.
Several QR codes within the novel offer readers a look at some of the documents talked about in the story. This is a totally new and unique concept for a book to have. There is also a glossary of South African terms at the back of the book with definitions of some of the words spoken by the characters. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
All of Patricia’s descendants are invited to Woodwright Manor for a week to attend her funeral and wait to hear the reading of the will. Several families and friends come together and become acquainted or reacquainted with each other. The main protagonists are Peter, one of Patricia’s family, and Larissa, whose family were friends of Patricia. There are outings planned, braais (BBQs), and just time to hang out while waiting to learn who will inherit the estate, as Patricia never married or had any children. Peter and Larissa come upon a cache of letters that were hidden in Patricia’s room that lead them to believe that maybe the rumors are true after all. The letters also reveal a friendship that may have led to a forbidden romance.
This unique YA mystery is set in South Africa in the mid-2010s, and the characters are both Black and white. It’s a true page-turner with wonderful characters, a tightly written plot, and a window into life in South Africa’s past and the story’s present timeline.
Several QR codes within the novel offer readers a look at some of the documents talked about in the story. This is a totally new and unique concept for a book to have. There is also a glossary of South African terms at the back of the book with definitions of some of the words spoken by the characters. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
July 27, 2026
Family matriarch Patricia Woodwright has died at the age of 105. But not before she sends a secret letter to her attorney. Sadly, the letter goes missing the day before Patricia dies – coincidence? There are also rumors about gold and hidden treasure, but almost everyone considers them just legends.
All of Patricia’s descendants are invited to Woodwright Manor for a week to attend her funeral and wait to hear the reading of the will. Several families and friends come together and become acquainted or reacquainted with each other. The main protagonists are Peter, one of Patricia’s family, and Larissa, whose family were friends of Patricia. There are outings planned, braais (BBQs), and just time to hang out while waiting to learn who will inherit the estate, as Patricia never married or had any children. Peter and Larissa come upon a cache of letters that were hidden in Patricia’s room that lead them to believe that maybe the rumors are true after all. The letters also reveal a friendship that may have led to a forbidden romance.
This unique YA mystery is set in South Africa in the mid-2010s, and the characters are both Black and white. It’s a true page-turner with wonderful characters, a tightly written plot, and a window into life in South Africa’s past and the story’s present timeline.
Several QR codes within the novel offer readers a look at some of the documents talked about in the story. This is a totally new and unique concept for a book to have. There is also a glossary of South African Terms at the back of the book with definitions of some of the words spoken by the characters.
All of Patricia’s descendants are invited to Woodwright Manor for a week to attend her funeral and wait to hear the reading of the will. Several families and friends come together and become acquainted or reacquainted with each other. The main protagonists are Peter, one of Patricia’s family, and Larissa, whose family were friends of Patricia. There are outings planned, braais (BBQs), and just time to hang out while waiting to learn who will inherit the estate, as Patricia never married or had any children. Peter and Larissa come upon a cache of letters that were hidden in Patricia’s room that lead them to believe that maybe the rumors are true after all. The letters also reveal a friendship that may have led to a forbidden romance.
This unique YA mystery is set in South Africa in the mid-2010s, and the characters are both Black and white. It’s a true page-turner with wonderful characters, a tightly written plot, and a window into life in South Africa’s past and the story’s present timeline.
Several QR codes within the novel offer readers a look at some of the documents talked about in the story. This is a totally new and unique concept for a book to have. There is also a glossary of South African Terms at the back of the book with definitions of some of the words spoken by the characters.
May 3, 2026
This story follows a teenage boy, Peter, who stumbles upon a mystery while visiting the estate of a recently deceased relative, Patricia. He and his new friend, Larissa, explore the manor and estate looking for clues to solve the mystery and find out what actually happened to Patricia and her rumored hidden fortune.
This book features a hidden love story, a crime scene, riddles and clues, and a large family that’s hiding secrets of their own.
I had a really great time with this book. It’s been a while since I read a mystery, and this one was so fun! I loved watching Peter develop his friendship with Larissa and his other cousins, especially Ellen. I also appreciate that it discussed important topics, specifically apartheid South Africa. O’Connor managed to keep the reading experience fun and exciting while also telling a story that’s more dark and sad.
This book features a hidden love story, a crime scene, riddles and clues, and a large family that’s hiding secrets of their own.
I had a really great time with this book. It’s been a while since I read a mystery, and this one was so fun! I loved watching Peter develop his friendship with Larissa and his other cousins, especially Ellen. I also appreciate that it discussed important topics, specifically apartheid South Africa. O’Connor managed to keep the reading experience fun and exciting while also telling a story that’s more dark and sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2026
I really enjoyed this. If you enjoy a good Agatha Christie mystery with codes, clues, hidden passages, a grand manor house and teenage sleuths, you'll like this. It took me a little time to get into - there seemed to be a lot of characters to remember, but once the story gets going, it moves at a cracking pace - and reaches a very satisfying conclusion. Oh and there's romance, a bit of history that never feels didactic, some landmarks that I recognised and well written teenage dialogue. It had an old fashioned feel to it which I really like. A really fun read.
August 6, 2026
A delightfully fun mystery adventure. For the first time in a long time, I found myself staying up well beyond my intended bedtime because I was too intrigued to find out what happened next—it felt just like reading Harry Potter when I was back in school. With some classic KZN/South African references, it also felt a bit like reading Spud with some good laughs along the way. Fantastic mix. I loved it!
June 29, 2026
This is a brilliantly crafted mystery with sharp writing and a captivating storyline.
The descriptions of places in South Africa brought such a sense of nostalgia and its history was incorporated so thoughtfully and thought-provokingly.
The descriptions of places in South Africa brought such a sense of nostalgia and its history was incorporated so thoughtfully and thought-provokingly.
August 11, 2026
A nice easy read that kept me intrigued right till the last page. A lovely mystery story.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews