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Tom and Liz Austen #18
Escape From Big Muddy
Former Death Machine biker Billy Bones grabs Liz Austen's arm and whispers: "The password . . . is . . . NOEL. Remember it!"
Remember it? How could she forget?? That one word launches an unforgettable road trip across Saskatchewan aboard the Manana Banana and plunges Liz and her Metis friend, Marie, into a deadly world of kidnapping, international smuggling, and biker gangs with murder on their minds. The question is: will the girls elude the bikers' clutches and escape the dangers of Big Muddy?
Remember it? How could she forget?? That one word launches an unforgettable road trip across Saskatchewan aboard the Manana Banana and plunges Liz and her Metis friend, Marie, into a deadly world of kidnapping, international smuggling, and biker gangs with murder on their minds. The question is: will the girls elude the bikers' clutches and escape the dangers of Big Muddy?
Paperback
First published August 1, 1997
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About the author
Eric Wilson
37 books59 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Eric Wilson is a Canadian children's author and now living in Victoria, British Columbia.
Eric Wilson is a Canadian children's author and now living in Victoria, British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 7, 2017
Similar to chocolates, many Eric Wilson novels are excellent, a very good range all presented originally instead of formulaically. “Escape From Big Muddy” is sour; a shame because the later we progress, the better Eric's content. Skill sharpens and perhaps feedback was considered. Aging the protagonists improved the dynamics. Eric slipped a younger version into a few volumes. I don't know if these were unpublished adventures that needed to fit the chronology, with an older Liz or Tom imparting a past tale, or if that was fabricated.
He reverted to his awful “have got” contractions that I loathe, when the verb HAVE belongs alone! I cringed and he kept repeating “not a chance”, instead of “no”. He couldn't stop mentioning dirt. If he didn't notice, an editor should have. The story's merit exceeds two stars but I need to reflect liking it less than others that obtained three. If not for cringing, some aspects could rate higher. Besides “Summer Of Discovery”, a non-series novel, I believe this is the only Saskatchewan feature. I didn't know they have caves and it was great to learn about the famous “forty-ninth parallel”; seemingly the largest unguarded border in the world.
Cautioning against drugs was blatant. No fugitive confesses to a child, regret of wayward choices. Although I frown upon smokers as much as Eric, there is no polite way to state: “kissing her was like kissing an ashtray”. This is one story in which thugs are corny, actually declaring “Cigarettes won't kill me!” or “I'm lucky. Money attaches to me”. We teach right from wrong through believability: subtler examples. The plot's threads wielded several known gimmicks, like smacking the denouement into the “big muddy” twister; anticlimactic after having regularly described “stormy skies”. There were intricacies I did admire and as always, heartening friendships.
He reverted to his awful “have got” contractions that I loathe, when the verb HAVE belongs alone! I cringed and he kept repeating “not a chance”, instead of “no”. He couldn't stop mentioning dirt. If he didn't notice, an editor should have. The story's merit exceeds two stars but I need to reflect liking it less than others that obtained three. If not for cringing, some aspects could rate higher. Besides “Summer Of Discovery”, a non-series novel, I believe this is the only Saskatchewan feature. I didn't know they have caves and it was great to learn about the famous “forty-ninth parallel”; seemingly the largest unguarded border in the world.
Cautioning against drugs was blatant. No fugitive confesses to a child, regret of wayward choices. Although I frown upon smokers as much as Eric, there is no polite way to state: “kissing her was like kissing an ashtray”. This is one story in which thugs are corny, actually declaring “Cigarettes won't kill me!” or “I'm lucky. Money attaches to me”. We teach right from wrong through believability: subtler examples. The plot's threads wielded several known gimmicks, like smacking the denouement into the “big muddy” twister; anticlimactic after having regularly described “stormy skies”. There were intricacies I did admire and as always, heartening friendships.
July 6, 2008
"Former Death Machine biker Billy Bones grabs Liz Austen's arm and whispers: "The password . . . is . . . NOEL. Remember it!"
Remember it? How could she forget?? That one word launches an unforgettable road trip across Saskatchewan aboard the Manana Banana and plunges Liz and her Metis friend, Marie, into a deadly world of kidnapping, international smuggling, and biker gangs with murder on their minds. The question is: will the girls elude the bikers' clutches and escape the dangers of Big Muddy?"
This was my first ever Eric Wilson book. A friend recommended the book to me back in grade six, and since then on I've been hooked. I love the action, adventure, and mystery. Who wouldn't love to hop on a bus for a road trip? It's kind of like Amazing Race. They travel from city to city collecting clues and putting the story together to find a treasure. Now this is not just any treasure. An individual was killed for this treasure and a biker gang is following Liz Austen and company. Should they be worried about the dangerous biker gang or of a another person who is right under their nose? Hmm... Just get ready for a showdown in the Big Muddy caves.
The first chapter of this book can be read on Eric Wilson's website.
http://members.shaw.ca/ericwilsonweb/...
Remember it? How could she forget?? That one word launches an unforgettable road trip across Saskatchewan aboard the Manana Banana and plunges Liz and her Metis friend, Marie, into a deadly world of kidnapping, international smuggling, and biker gangs with murder on their minds. The question is: will the girls elude the bikers' clutches and escape the dangers of Big Muddy?"
This was my first ever Eric Wilson book. A friend recommended the book to me back in grade six, and since then on I've been hooked. I love the action, adventure, and mystery. Who wouldn't love to hop on a bus for a road trip? It's kind of like Amazing Race. They travel from city to city collecting clues and putting the story together to find a treasure. Now this is not just any treasure. An individual was killed for this treasure and a biker gang is following Liz Austen and company. Should they be worried about the dangerous biker gang or of a another person who is right under their nose? Hmm... Just get ready for a showdown in the Big Muddy caves.
The first chapter of this book can be read on Eric Wilson's website.
http://members.shaw.ca/ericwilsonweb/...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2013
Great Canadian content, expressly Saskatchewan, for Canadian students. Good mystery read.
June 2, 2013
The cool thing about these books is that it all takes place in Canada but it talks about history of the places so there's all these places I want to go visit now.
December 15, 2013
It wasn't too bad. I had a difficult time finishing it because it became far too predictable for a mystery. I hope that the next mystery book I read will keep me in suspense just a little bit longer.
April 11, 2016
Good cliffhangers. Forced references to Saskatchewan landmarks and history.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews