6 reviews for Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   TFLReader – September 1, 2015

   The writing in Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys can be really breath-taking at times so much that I found myself backtracking to reread passages and take it all in again. Lots of depth in description of character and place to bring the exotic into your home and you take in the words. Apart from the CSI angle which, as you would expect from a forensic scientist, is acutely poignant, the rest must have been thoroughly researched as well as nothing about events seems out of place. A captivating and charming plot and a very enjoyable YA book overall. Looking forward to reading more by Linda Frank.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Cold Coffee Cafe – February 6, 2015

   Annie Tillery Mysterys book three ‘Secrets In The Fairy Chimneys’ can be summed up as Indiana Jones meets Nancy Drew with the skills and precision of CSI. A mystery unfolds amidst a mix of ancient history and modern innovation, in an ageless Eastern country where time moves at a camel’s pace.

   Dedicated research by author Linda Maria Frank leaves no stone unturned while great description text transports the reader to the streets of Turkey with it mosques and minarets, towers and modern buildings. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “Water droplets plunked into the pool from the vaulted ceiling. After the heat of the bazaar and the street chase, it was deliciously cool. Ornate columns with carved capitals supported the ceiling. The bases were decorated with animal and human figures. There were a few visitors, but the enormity of the space muffled their conversations.”

   Strong characters with great dialog brings us to dusty archeological site in one of the oldest towns in human history called Catalhoyuk. Nothing can explain it better than this quote: “We were in a valley of shapes I couldn’t believe were not made by humans, humans with a fabulous imagination. Conical formations called fairy chimneys in various sizes spread away from us in every direction. The color of bleached bones, they sat majestically among the gray-green brush and white claylike soil. The air shimmered from the heat. I could smell the odor of clay mixed with a faint herbal scent that must have come from the brush.”

   Cosponsors from Vermont University are looking for a DNA connection between residents of Catalhoyuk and our original nomadic ancestors in Africa. Annie Tillery and her team go to work excavating this archeological site with all its inherit dangers and a mystery brings out the detective in Annie.

   From the spell of an Ouija board to a magical balloon ride in the sky nothing is lost as this time and space makes all their senses come alive with amazing black and white graphics that bring the main characters to life.

   Students and young adults of all ages will enjoy Annie Tillery Mysteries. Although a series each book is unique and stands alone with no need to read in a particular sequence.

   Review completion date February 5, 2015 (from a PDF). For more information please visit Cold Coffee Press

3. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Majanka – December 31, 2014

   In the third installment in the Annie Tillery Mystery series, Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys, Annie arrives in Turkey to participate in an archeological dig. Annie expects to get picked up by her boyfriend Ty, but when a mysterious driver comes to pick her up and she receives a death threat, she realizes she’s found herself smack in the middle of another adventure. Annie escapes a dire situation right on her first day in Turkey, and then she meets Cedric Zeeks, Ty’s best friend.

   The dig was discovered a few decades ago, and several thefts have happened on the site. If the thievery isn’t stopped, the government will shut down the dig. Of course Annie and her friends can’t let them happen, so she joins Ty and Cedric at the dig to find out what’s going on.

   I liked the whole archeological/historical angle. I’m a huge history buff and reading about this ancient city and archeological dig was very entertaining and engaging.The mystery part was suspenseful and I enjoyed trying to find out who the bad guy was. An entertaining book, and I look forward to more books in this series. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Lois W. Stern – July 14, 2014

   Bravo to Linda Maria Frank! This third book in her Annie Tillery Mystery series is a stunner! Although written for a YA audience, even I as a senior citizen was captured by the mystery and intrigue interwoven throughout this story. And who could resist the element of romance embedded in the two oh-so-appealing main characters, Annie and Ty? But most compelling to me was an introduction to the history and topography of this country with its ancient Fairy Chimneys. Half way through this book, I began researching trips to this wonderland and have placed Turkey at the top of my bucket list for future travels. A beautifully crafted, impeccably edited work. Linda Maria Frank deserves many kudos and an equal number of followers. I know I will be looking out for more of her books to recommend to the young adults in my life, but not before I sneak a peak at them myself.

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   impressed reader – July 9, 2014

   Linda Maria Frank’s latest Annie Tillery YA novel is her most exotic and ambitious yet. Set in the far-flung environs of Turkey, the book makes imaginative use of the region’s caves, conical desert limestone formations, and crowded bazaars–and even bits of the local language. I was struck by the word “effendi” but easily able to decipher its meaning by the context. A few days later I ran across it in the New Yorker magazine, which convinced me it’s a word Americans are beginning to know.

   While the story is an adventure, the setting becomes so familiar that the reader feels like a traveler who has settled into a strange place and become almost comfortable there. I say “almost” because the crimes and dangers produce enough anxiety to keep the reader on tenterhooks, hopeful for the perpetrator’s exposure and a peaceful outcome.

   Annie herself is in danger at several points, and she is also a large part of the solutions. Aside from her, there are nearly a dozen major characters and half a dozen minor ones. One gets used to them and remembers, but had they been listed at the front of the book I would have consulted it a few times.

   Bottom line: This is a book that takes you away from yourself and lets you live along with Annie in an unusual place, among unusual people, for an exciting and enjoyable while.

   C.B.Knadle, author Paper Lovers (novel of Mystery/Suspense/Romance)

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Catherine Finelli – June 25, 2014

   I liked Secrets in the Fairy Chimney mainly because of the characters. The main characters are good role models for young people. The heroine, Annie Tillery, works hard and respects everyone in her environment. And of course, the plot keeps you guessing and turning pages to find out what the next sinister move by the “bad guys” could possibly be.

   This book is entertaining and also instructive. Istanbul is the location. Forensics play a part in the plot, and so does the geography of the country. There is also a boyfriend-girlfriend subplot done very tastefully. This is the third book in the series about the teenage sleuth, Annie Tillery. I hope that there are more to come.