Adventure novels are easy, interesting reads. Although Grand County author J. D. Howard’s book “The Case of the Vanishing Scroll” is labeled as a young adult mystery, I, as a senior reader, found it fun to follow the crime solvers.

The plot focuses on an ancient scroll of the biblical book of Esther which vanished from an Italian Museum. Sam, the novel’s protagonist, does not believe his friend Dr. DeGenio, who is accused of the theft, stole it.

Sam and his teenage pals follow a trail to discover the real thief. Together, in a shadowy world, they find one clue after another.

Sam, Antonio, Sam, and Maria track a villain named Scar, for obvious reasons. Together, they solve the mystery and recover the missing scroll.

At every encounter with bad guys, the characters are led into dangerous situations.  Readers are drawn into this mystery and the eventual solution of the crime of the missing scroll and other treasures.

Howard’s conclusion is thrill packed. It adds an apt finish to the teenagers’ adventures.

I compare this novel to a series of books I, as a teenager, read in my hometown library many years ago.  “The Hardy Boys” novels were built on the same type of adventure story line.

I spent many summer afternoons vicariously living the adventures of Frank and Joe Hardy.  As I recall, my town’s library had 12 books of the series, and I read every one of them.

Several Hardy Boys mysteries may be checked out through the Grand County Library system.  I recommend #16 “Shhhhhh!”  for a starter.

“The Case of the Vanishing Scroll” may be purchased through Amazon or E-Bay. Order a copy of the novel for your pre-teen’s next birthday. 

Mr. Howard was once asked, “What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?” His partial answer was, “Always carry a notebook with you and plenty of ink. Never give up.”

Bill Brown is an educator and journalist based in Choctaw, Oklahoma. His daughter, Jennifer Brown, owns the Mountain Gal Boutique and Quacker Gift Shop in Grand Lake. Her husband, Steve Kudron, is Grand Lake’s current town manager. Brown and his wife of 60 years visit northern Colorado often. They like to see the snow, view the majestic mountains and play with their daughter’s three cats.