The Riddle of Raven Hollow

by Mary Francis Shura

Bart decides to do his own investigation of the events which are giving the ravine along his paper route the reputation of being haunted.

Genres: Childrens

122 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Mary Francis Young was born on 23 February 1923 in Pratt, Kansas, the daughter of Jack Fant and Mary Francis (Milstead) Young. When she was very young, her family moved to the Pacific Northwest, where she raised. She studied at Maryville State College. On 24 October 1943, she married Daniel Charles Shura, who died in 1959. They had two children: Marianne Francis Shura (Spraguc) and Daniel Charles Shura. On 8 December 1961, she married Raymond C. Craig, they had a daughter Alice Barrett Craig (Stout), before their divorce.

Since 1960, she wrote over 50 books of various genres: children's adventures and teen-romances as Mary Francis Shura, M. F. Craig, and Meredith Hill; gothic novels as Mary Craig; romance novels as Alexis Hill, Mary Shura Craig and Mary S. Craig; and suspense novels as M. S. Craig.

Her children's novel "The Search for Grissi" received the Carl Sandburg Literary Arts Award in 1985, and she also was nominated to the Young Hoosier Book Award. In 1990, she was elected president of the Mystery Writers of America.

She lived in Hinsdale, Illinois, where her apartment burned on 13 December 1990. At 67, she died of injuries suffered in the fire on 12 January 1991 in Loyola University Medical Burn Center in Maywood.

Reviews

[Margi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mystery for a young reader. I always enjoy reading these books from my era. The kids have such good adventures.

[April Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

What ages would I recommend it too? – Five and up.

Length? – An evening's read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Real world, small town, pre -1980.

Written approximately? – 1975.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more. Sums the mystery up quite nicely at the end.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? No. I liked the way the author mostly ignored specific money amounts so it would seem real to any time and place. However, in one place the specific money listed would be about four times that now.

Short storyline: A boy takes a paper route past his favorite place to play and becomes embroiled in a mystery no one else is willing to figure out.

Notes for the reader: I read this in one setting. I even stayed up late to finish it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable mystery for kids, dated by still fun.