When their teacher Mr Adam spends the night in a haunted mansion, Izzy, Luddie, and Tash certainly don’t expect him to disappear into thin air. This slim volume by Felix Cheong packs a punch as the investigation of the Lit Squad’s favourite teacher casts new light on Singapore’s past.
While the title implies horror elements in the story, there’s no evidence of the supernatural in this book. But using those elements of horror segues well into a tense, suspenseful read as the Lit Squad begins receive warning to stay off the case as they uncover the truth of an old murder and bombing from 1965.
Delving into days of unrest and upheaval, The Case of the Moaning Mansion uses old photographs and newspaper articles to provide a window back in history. Each of the Lit Squad members tackles a different aspect of the investigation: Luddie’s path takes him to a bombing site where he interviews an eyewitness who was also present in 1965 where he finds out that the arrested culprit had never been near the venue. Tash and Izzy’s investigations similarly bring new insights, especially after the trio meets up to compare information. Building a parallel narrative that ties the past and present together, the story ramps up with a gripping tension that races to the end of the book.
Whilst the culprits threatening our intrepid Lit Squad are captured, the overarching mystery behind Mr Adam’s disappearance remains a question mark. Readers can look forward to finding out what happens next in the next book. A quick and thrilling read for kids aged 11 up looking for mystery or thriller fiction.
This post is part of our series for the duration of the Circuit Breaker measures to shine a spotlight on SingLit books that we find to be uniquely encouraging. If you already own the book, perhaps you might want to dig out your copy to read again. If you don’t already have it, you can purchase The Case of the Moaning Mansion from Woods in the Books when you WhatsApp us at 88152446. Quote GIFTSINGLIT to get $10 off from now to 6 June 2020.