Mystery: Three Times Lucky

Three Times Lucky (Mo & Dale Mysteries) by Sheila Turnage. Penguin Young Readers Group, Dec 2013. 336 pages, $17.99, 9780142426050.

    Mo is a mystery. Colonel found Mo drifting downstream on a makeshift raft during a hurricane. Colonel and Miss Lana decide to raise her. Overall, life in the southern town of Tupelo Landing is pretty good. Then everything gets turned upside down by unexplained events. A detective comes to town to investigate a robbery, a person murdered a local figure, and Dale becomes a suspect. Colonel and Miss Lana are also missing. The murderer kidnapped them! Plus, Plainclothes Phil is stalking the children. It is up to Mo and her friend Dale to get to the bottom of things. They must solve the murder and rescue her guardians before it is too late. 

    Three Times Lucky is the first book in the series, so the author does not reveal everything at     once. The characters are still shrouded in mystery. The Colonel lost his memory before he found baby Mo in the hurricane. His past is still unknown by the end of the story. As for Mo, she sends letters in the bottle to her “Upstream Mother" throughout the story. She hopes her biological mother will find her. However, Mo discovers that she does not need to know who her biological mother is. She has a family in Tupelo Landing who love her dearly, and she loves them back. 

    Three Times Lucky is a well-paced story that naturally moves the plot from the characters, the murder, the kidnapping, and the tense rescue efforts. Twists are bound to keep readers glued to the page. Although the plot is interesting, readers will also be interested in the setting, characters, and humor. The town is charming and crazy. There are murders, race cars, and drunken bouts. There are fascinating foods and quirky Southern people with hilarious personalities. For example, Miss Lana is a free spirit who runs a cafe. She has many wigs with a Hollywood glamor aesthetic to match. In this town, secrets are everyone's business. However, all the townspeople love Mo and Dale and are willing to help when possible.

    This book is perfect for children who love quirky, funny mysteries. Readers can join the colorful characters as they figure things out. This book has commentary on murder, abuse, and abandonment, but it is also about love, friendship, and loveable characters in a small town.