The Scout Master (A Grace Marsden Mystery)

by Luisa Buehler

Book Overview

"On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law… Hidden for decades in local woods lies a World War II munitions crate filled with bones. The gruesome... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• ISBN: 0373268696
• ISBN13: 9780373268696
• Release Date: January 2013
• Publisher: Worldwide Library
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great cozy mystery

The best way to describe Grace Marsden is that she's a female version of the character Monk. Her step-son's scout troop finds a spooky crate marked "Property of the U. S. Army" in the woods. It contains the bones of a dead cat and a few other trinkets. There are Satanic worshipers in the woods, so everyone believes it belongs to them. Grace takes her nephews to the woods and is attacked. Then a body is found in a hole. Harry, Grace's husband and ex-spy, finds his hands full trying to take care of her. Grace begins to investigate and isn't sure she likes what she finds. Can she figure out the mystery without putting herself or those she loves in further danger? This was the first book I've read by this author. It definitely won't be the last. She weaves a wonderful tale of intrigue and suspense while still keeping it on the cozy side. Grace is an interesting character. She has quite a few quirks, but that really adds to the story. I found the story to be well-plotted and hard to put down. I thought the author did a great job of creating a lot of suspense, especially in the dark woods, without making it scary or gruesome. I highly recommend this book.

A wonderful read!

Luisa Scala Buehler originally hailed from the Chicago suburb of Berkeley, Illinois, on Victoria Street. She was a Nancy Drew and animal aficionado and spent time in both the public libraries and Brookfield Zoo as a Docent. She wrote for the Proviso West High newspaper in Hillsdale, IL, but had problems with deadlines. She's been involved with her son Christopher's Cub Scout pack and continued with scouting, even as her writing finally took off. Her first book is entitled: THE ROSARY BRIDE. Grace Marsden is a female Monk. She has violet eyes like Elizabeth Taylor; a handsome and devoted ex-spy husband named Harry, and oodles of loving family members and friends to watch over her when her mind fragments, which often happens. When a crate is found in the spooky Robinson Woods with "Property of the United States Army" stenciled at the side, many people immediately take interest. The box contains the bones of a dead cat and various other trinkets, bringing to mind visions of Satan worshipers who at times inhabit the woods. But when Grace is attacked after taking her nephews into the woods and two bodies are found in an old hole, Grace's husband, Harry Marsden has his hands full indeed looking after his wife: "I heard them before I saw them. I started to rise and the strangest thing happened. It was as if an occult hand held my shoulder for the briefest of moments. Then the pressure lifted. In those moments, I realized the noise I heard came from the wrong direction. I stayed still, thankful for my woods-colored clothing and dark hair. Thank God I'd silenced the metal detector. I still had a problem; they were on the path behind me coming straight at me." Luisa Buehler weaves a fascinating tale, full of men who haven't forgotten the chivalrous ways and the power of family; with a dark narrative that constantly takes the readers through a woods which is probably haunted with the ghosts of past wrongs; strange chantings; and holes full of the bones of ghosts that appear before Grace's brilliant but tortured mind. Her characters crackle with life and love; and the nasty guys brim with evil and malice. THE SCOUT MASTER is hard to put down once started, and the reader will find themselves up until the wee hours pouring through Grace Marsdens' adventures. A wonderful read! Shelley Glodowski Senior Reviewer