Title : Hannah and The Lake Beast Mystery
Language : English
Paperback : 104 pages
ISBN-10 : 153021596X
ISBN-13 : 978-1530215966
Item Weight : 5.4 ounces
Dimensions : 6 x 0.24 x 9 inches
Douglas Strait’s Hannah and the Lake Beast Mystery may use one too many overly familiar tropes in its storytelling, but the author’s execution is skillful enough to make this a breezy and entertaining read.
It cannot be stressed enough how a title can make or break a potential reader’s interest in a certain book. After all, it’s one of the first two things that can capture someone’s attention, with the other being the book cover. So, when this reviewer first came across Douglas Strait’s Hannah and the Lake Beast Mystery, the title made the book seem like it was aimed at a middle-grade audience. Imagine how surprising it was to find out that this short novel actually contained some adult themes, not to mention a good amount of violence and action.
The gist of the story deals with Hannah Parker, a budding marine biologist who’s on a mission to get her scuba diving certification. However, this mission is soon derailed when she gets entangled in a mystery that may or may not involve a mythical lake
monster, but most certainly involves some shady goings-on in an otherwise quiet town. To provide more details would end up spoiling the plot, but suffice it to say that for such a quick read, a lot of story is crammed into its pages and the pace never lets up until the exciting climax.
Strait is skillful at building an atmosphere with his prose, though his characterization could use more work. Hannah is certainly an enterprising heroine, but she makes some questionable choices when it comes to her relationships with other characters.
The villains could have also used more development, especially in scenes with their points of view. Furthermore, some of the violence in the action scenes don’t match the tone of the rest of the book, which is relatively light compared to other works in its genre.
Though it’s certainly not perfect, those who are in the mood for a relatively easy- reading mystery can find plenty to like in Hannah and the Lake Beast Mystery by Douglas Strait. So, be sure to put it in your reading list for the new year and find out just what is going on beneath the waves.