The Clock Flower

The F.I.G. Mysteries #3

by Barbara Casey

Dara Roux, abandoned when she was seven years old by her mother. Exceptionally gifted in foreign languages. Orphan. Accepted to Yale University. Mackenzie Yarborough, no record of her parents or where she was born. Exceptionally gifted in math and problem-solving. Orphan. Accepted to MIT. Jennifer Torres, both parents killed in an accident when she was sixteen. Exceptionally gifted in music and art. Orphan. Accepted to Juilliard. The three FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—as they are called, have graduated from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women after returning from New York City. Now Mackenzie, because of her genius at problem-solving, is personally chosen by a US Senator to get involved in a mysterious, secret research project involving immortality that is being conducted in a small village in China—not too far from where Dara is involved with the archeological site. Once there, however, she finds herself facing a terrifying death from the blood-dripping teeth of an ancient evil dragon. Her best friends, the FIGs and Carolina, rely on their own unique genius and special talents to save her as she discovers the truth of her birth parents.

224 pages, Paperback

Published January 30, 2018

About the author

Barbara Casey is the author of ten award-winning novels and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. She lives on a mountain in northwest Georgia with her three cats who adopted her.

Reviews

[books are love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the three FIg’s mysteries books this by far is my favorite. Jennifer, Mackenzie and Dara are off to college and forging their paths. They are afraid of what is to happen and come but also scared of being without the others. Carolina is also floundering trying to find her way without her FIGs.

what we have happen though is a book where the girls thrive but also their stories intertwine into one adventure filled with danger and intrigue. We see Mackenzie learn of who she is but also learn she can make it on her own. She works on a project at MIt that is fascinating and brings her to CHina. Jennifer is stuck in a musical composition that she loses herself in. It brings her to ancient instruments of China and how they fit into the story of Mackenzie and Dara. Dara is at Yale and she is going to have the discovery of an ancient language in NY but also brings her to learn of an old civilization in China Together at the holidays they are off to do research and explore China together only there is danger there. Danger none of them could fathom.

Once again Lyuba takes a part in helping Carolina in protecting her girls as does Larry. Larry who just adds such a nice dynamic to it. He is protective but supportive. We see these three girls assert their independence and show how strong they are. We see their friendship thrive and blossom but also we see them find their way while solving so many fascinating questions.

The plot is intriguing. The characters fun and entertaining. The story is fun and keeps you on your toes. A great third book that has you love the girls more as you watch them grow and find themselves and where they fit in and belong. Look forward to their next adventure.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third installment in the FIG Mystery series, by Barbara Casey. Out of the three FIG Mystery books, this one is my favourite!

As the FIGs learn to survive the world outside of Wood Rose, this book shared the adjustments that these intellectual geniuses made at their respective universities. When the opportunity arises for Mackenzie to work on a top secret project in the same country that Dara is offered to visit an archaeological site, the expedition leads the FIGs and Carolina on a busy trip to China. It's also there that Mackenzie discovers the shocking truth about her birth parents.

The FIGs struggled in their universities were relatable and things that surprised these young intellectuals were fun to read about. As for Carolina, her gypsy powers have greatly developed since the first novel and I am glad she was able to use them as she helped Mackenzie. In China, the family relations were enjoyable to read about, and the research about immortality was exciting!

Overall, I have had a great time reading about the FIGs and Carolina, their personal path of growth was fun to read about!

[LAWonder10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The three "FIGS boarded the plane leaving to their various destinations. They will be attending separate Universities and will be separated for the first time in over two years. They would be leaving Caroline behind. They would avoid separation anxieties by Skyping each night at 8:30 p.m. Caroline's time.
​ Jennifer was in one of her creative trances and everyone knew to avoid disturbing her until it was complete. Something was seriously happening. Soon Caroline's gypsy mother, and McKenzie knew something big was coming. They soon discovered this involved more than just them and in a faraway place.
This is the third boo of the F.I.G. series and was just s captivating than the others, if not more so!
*This was gifted me with no requirement for a positive review. This is my honest review.
Four and a Half Stars

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts are my own.
In the third book of the F.I.G Mysteries Series that can also be read as a standalone, the three F.I.G’s have now graduated high school and are now ready for live in the real world. Gone off in her own direction, Mackenzie is now hard at work on a secret project involving the missing element to immortality. But strange things begin to happen when her work place is strangely close to the ancient dig site Dara is working. Soon, Mackenzie must use her problem-solving skills to solve a mystery and fight a blood-thirsty dragon. Only her friends can help her now when secrets are revealed and Mackenzie discovers who exactly her true parents are.
When I first read the description of this book, I was immediately blown away. I love how the author is continuing to add more and more fantasy elements into her books. In the Clock Flower in particular, the author again made great use of research into Chinese history. Through her words, I once again felt like I was traveling the world along with the F.I.G’s and Carolina. And the fantasy element made me only love it more.
As for the characters, I was happy to see them each continue to grow. In this novel in particular, Mackenzie finally received the full spotlight on her, something that I was very happy about. Readers will enjoy experiencing the story through her eyes because you get to see exactly what she is thinking. And because she is so smart, this only makes the story that much more interesting. Mackenzie isn’t the only one who gets to grow in this story though, with Carolina finally showing more of her gypsy powers. This is an element that the author has utilized since the first book and I am very happy that she has continued with it. So few books feature gypsy culture so I am very happy to see it in this series.
Another enjoyable aspect of the book was the humor the author uses. Because the main characters are so smart, they see things in a different way than others, and can be quiet frank at times. An example of this is Dara’s response to an overzealous frat boy when she first gets to her university. Scenes like this were very refreshing contrasted to the fantasy and more serious elements of the book. Also, male characters are often the ones to make jokes and snarky remarks in books because when female characters do it, they are often looked at as rude. But in The Clock Flower, it only adds a comedic element to the book.
Fans of books with fantasy elements set in the real world will enjoy this novel. The author researches everything she writes, which makes the story feel that much more real. If you love exploring new cultures with a fantastic twist ending, this book is for you!

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three girls, who are geniuses in very different areas, must part from each other for the very first time in their lives, only to be drawn back together in a twist of mystery and danger.

The FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—are three orphaned girls and best friends. Now heading off to different colleges thanks for their very different areas of talent, they must face the world on their own. Mackenzie, gifted in math and problem solving, takes center stage in this book as she finds herself in China on a mission to find a missing, ancient ingredient, and ends up in the middle of so much more.

This is the third book in the series and works perfectly as a stand-alone. I did not read the other books first and had no trouble diving into this one. The first 75 or so pages are mostly filled with backstory, allowing the reader to dive into the characters and their situations. It makes for a slow beginning. After this, however, the story picks up pace and draws in until the last page.

The mystery is well woven and offers many unexpected twists. This isn't a mystery with light depth, but the author uses the girls' genius attributes to bring intellectual depth into the mystery. Still, the girls manage to come across as their age and face normal problems of awkwardness and confusion, which girls heading out on their own often face. It was easy to connect to the girls and Carolina. There's a nice addition of darkness through the gypsies, which I loved. It adds just the right amount of tension in the early part of the book without revealing too much.

This is written from several points of view, which change with the chapters. Unfortunately, it's not clear who's turn it is until reading the first sentences—which is normally not a problem, but the point of view is not restricted to the girls and Carolina, but touches on other characters as well. It allows the mystery to gain wonderful hints and dabs, but took a few seconds to figure out who the character was and what their purpose might be. Still, the story flows nicely, and the writing is well done and natural.
The FIGs are fun to get to know, and I'm now curious to go back and see where their other mysteries have led them.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed reading this enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several books by Barbara Casey who writes both fiction and non-fiction works. Her F.I.G. Mystery series is about three teenage orphans who are prodigies and call themselves FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius. I read the first book in the series The Cadence of Gypsies and enjoyed it very much. I did not get a chance to read the second book, The Wish Rider but I just finished the third one The Clock Flower.

Because I read the first book and had already been introduced to the three FIGs, Dara, Mackenzie and Jennifer, I did not feel like I had missed much by not reading the second book. The author mentioned the events in that book throughout the pages of this one and so I knew what was going on. In this third instalment, the three girls have graduated from the Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women and are each going to start on their separate learning paths by attending different universities. But once again, adventure awaits them.

When Mackenzie, the math genius, is invited to be a part of a secret research project involving immortality that is being conducted in China, it all ties in to her birth parents. Connected to this is also Dara's research in ancient languages and Jennifer's musical composition involving Chinese instruments. The author ties in the connection between the three girls and their former teacher Carolina as the plots builds up and the mystery intensifies.

Although this is a very quick read, the author manages to build a satisfying mystery that involves the girls genius skills, their close-knit friendship and love for one another, gypsy culture, and some comical elements on the mischievous nature of these girls. Although this book is considered a stand-alone novel, it would be best to read The Cadence of Gypsies where the reader is first introduced to the FIGs to have a better understanding of all the secondary characters that are also present in this novel. There is definitely a connecting thread throughout all three books.

This YA novel would appeal to readers who like mystery, gypsy culture and books about friendships. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

[Debra Schoenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Clock Flower is the third novel in the FIG series about three gifted young women and their mentor, Caroline.  If you have already read the other two books you will have already met each girl:  Dara - the linguist, Mackenzie the math whiz and problem solver and Jennifer - gifted in music and art.
 
Because of their unusual gifts and personalities, the girls have bonded with each other and with Caroline, who treats them as younger sisters.  Their inability to interact with others places them at a disadvantage and Caroline acts to smooth the way for them.
 
This novel focuses on Mackenzie, who is asked to help troubleshoot a missing ingredient in a very ancient formula in China.  Intuitively, the other two girls as well as Caroline seem to be drawn into her world through music, art and Carolina's intuition as a gypsy's daughter.  As with the previous two books, we can expect plenty of excitement and plot twists in this story.
 
The author is able to develop fascinating plots and storylines which keep you hooked throughout the book.  However, I found that too much time was spent trying to make this book into a standalone, in fact almost 40% of the book was trying to recapture the storyline from the first two books.  There was a lot of repetition during the first part of the book and the storyline could have done with more character development.  

I always enjoy a good mystery and The Clock Flower keeps you on the edge of your seat.  I look forward to reading another FIG adventure!

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. I’ve read several books by Barbara Casey including the first 2 books in this series, The Wish Rider and The Cadence of Gypsies. These are my favorites by the author so far so I was happy to read the next book in the series.

The girls have graduated from high school and they’re all going their separate ways. They’re scared of course, like anyone starting college, but they’re so dependent on each other and Carolina that they don’t know how they’ll do. On the plane, they decide that if they can’t cope, they’ll figure out a way to be together.

All three girls flourish in the different areas they’re gifted in and they even get to go to China over their winter break. Carolina goes with them not only because she was invited but because she needs to protect Mackenzie because she’s in some unknown danger.

Even though this is the third book in the series, it definitely stands on its own. In fact, there was so much backstory, that the current story seemed slow to me. In fact, they didn’t make it to China until Chapter 21 out of 24 total chapters.

Just as the last book focused on finding out about Dara’s birth mother, this book focuses on Mackenzie’s birth parents. She asks Larry to try to find out information about her birth parents. What he finds is intriguing but the final outcome is expected.

I liked The Clock Flower but not as much as the first 2 books. I’m looking forward to reading the next F.I.G. mystery.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The FIGs have graduated from Wood Rose Orphanage and are now out in the real world. They are attending separate universities but are planning on keeping in touch every night. But then something is starting to brew. Mackenzie finds herself on a secret mission in a remote Chinese village near where she is working on the key to immorality along with fighting a dragon and learning about her own past.

Mackenzie is not alone in her travels to China. Dara is researching ancient languages at an archeological dig and Jennifer is looking into musical compositions with ancient Chinese instruments. And we can’t forget about Caroline. Her gypsy magic is going to make an appearance too since it seems Mackenzie is in some kind of trouble.

I loved the first two books in this series and was very excited to get my little paws on this one. The Clock Flower has the girls separating for the first time. But it’s now for long as they all find themselves together again. Of course we have a great mystery and wonderful companions. Lots of adventure and action to keep us reading, and of course, finally Mackenzie’s story along with her parents.

The only downside to this story was there was a lot about the prior books but that left less room for the present story. I would have liked a little more with Mackenzie and the girls. Beyond that I think this is a great story and a wonderful addition to the F.I.G. Mystery series. I can’t wait for the next book.

I received a complimentary of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this third novel, the FIGs are living separate lives after leaving the Rosewood Academy. Dara is studying obsolete languages at Yale, Mackenzie is attending MIT and Jennifer was accepted to Juilliard and occasionally performs her sold out performances. After returning from NYC, where Dara learned about her birth mother, Mackenzie also wanted to find out more about her parents. However, afraid that she will find disappointment she asks Larry to investigate in secret. When Dara and Mackenzie are both invited to China for different reasons, they find that their paths cross but for very deadly reasons. It seems someone knows the true identity of Mackenzie's parents and won't stop at anything to keep it a secret. Who is trying to keep Mackenzie from knowing the truth?

Even though this is the third book in the series, it can be read alone or together. I found it to be cohesive to read in order but the author supplies an in-depth summary of the previous books. Personally, I found the third book to be my favorite out of the three novels even though, I felt like the ending was a bit rushed especially the parts where they find out who Mackenzie's parents are. I feel like that author could have spent less time on building up the story and the summary since the ending was a bit predictable and rushed. I like that the author bought up interesting facts like red dandelions, but I wished she went into more details with them.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first two books in this series based on three incredible young women and this part did not disappoint.

The FIGS are three special young women who are gifted in different areas - math, languages and the arts. They are also all orphaned and have been guided by Carolina, a special woman in her own right.

This book focuses on Mackenzie, who has been gifted in math. She does not know who her parents are or even where to start but in this book we learn quite a bit more. The girls head off to university and this is where Mackenzie has her first contact with her birth family, without realizing it. She also becomes tangled in an evil plot that could see her death. This book was very exciting although a tad bit too quick, I would have loved to have learned a little bit more about Mackenzie's background. I find her to be the quieter one in the series and it was nice to see her come to life, be the center of attention and find her roots.

This was an excellent book from start to finish, with a growing anticipation throughout the novel to find out the ending which keeps you reading throughout the night.

[Elisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third installment of Casey's F.I.G. Mysteries series. They have ajusted and learned how to live and survive outside of their school, Wood Rose. In this last installment, we see the girls grow and blossom into their own. They're all already intellectual geniouses who havehad their share of challenges and hard times in their lives. We have watched them grow and navigate the challenges that were put in front of them. In this last book, Mackenzie is the highlighted girl, she is gifted in problem solving and math. She is sent on a special mission to find a particular ingredient in China that has gone missing..."easy", right? Perhaps for Mackenzie but, then there is a huge twist and she finds herself in a big mess. From there the story keeps adding twists and rollercoaster dips that kept me trying to figure out what was going on and how it was going to turn out until the last few pages! Casey did such a great job weaving this story together while keeping the reader pulled in with a piqued interest.

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[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I have read the other two prior books, I have gotten to know the FIGs aka Mackenzie, Dara, and Jennifer. You could say that I have watched them grow into smart, young women. Although, credit has to be given to Carolina. She really had been a great mentor to the girls.

Yet, in this book it is time for Mackenzie to really shine as the star. Just like the other prior books, the girls find themselves attempting to solve a mystery with their intelligent. The places that the girls traveled were interesting. However, through all of these books and adventures, I never fully could find that strong grip of a connection to any of the girls. Thus, at times I had to re-read sections as my full attention was not there. Overall, those I did like this series.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be reviewing all three books in the F.I.G. series by Barbara Casey so make sure to check out all of the reviews! The Clock Flower by Barbara Casey (Book 3 of The F.I.G. Mysteries) was the third and final book int eh F.I.G. series and by far was my favorite book. I loved how I got to see more of the F.I.G. members on an individual basis as it allowed me to gain more insight into them as individuals instead of as a part of F.I.G. I also loved the addition of more fantasy elements with the evil dragon in this book. My only complain is that book three is the last book in the series as I would really love the series to be longer!

[Amber Hawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Clock Flower by Barbara Casey (Book 3 of The F.I.G. Mysteries) was the last book of the F.I.G. series though I personally hope the author continues to expand the series as it has limitless potential for plots, characters, and future development. I liked the way that characters were split up somewhat in this book as it made the mystery seem more like a puzzle that required different pieces from different characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and series!