The Vanishing Young of Rydal Cave
A Lakeland Mystery: Book 5
In the intriguing series mystery novel The Vanishing Young of Rydal Cave, sisters pursue the truth behind the inexplicable lights in the sky above their town.
Enchantments abound in Warren Cabral’s mystery novel The Vanishing Young of Rydal Cave, in which unexplained lights unsettle a small town in the days before Christmas.
Smart, proper Mae and free-spirited Isla share a remarkable telepathic bond. In this series installment, they are drawn into a baffling mystery in the scenic Lake District: Eerie blue rays paint the sky in a strange pattern; their electronic devices fuzz out, except for their iPad, which displays the same pattern as the lights. Next, the girls discover that a group of special agents disappeared near the legendary Rydal Cave while investigating UFO phenomena. With the help of their gruff but well-meaning grandfather, the sisters decode cryptic messages, uncover the true identities of suspicious newcomers in town, and confront shifting adversaries.
The story begins and resolves in the span of just over a week and is told across chapters that read like vignettes, following the girls’ daily lives and their attempts to understand the lights in the sky. The lights make it hard for them to focus on anything else, though more strange events arise: A newcomer has sharp teeth, and a science class recording of dolphins repeats the same pattern that the girls recorded.
Mae and Isla’s relationship is developed in terms of ordinary sibling bickering and teasing, though it is also amplified by their gift: They have a silent mental connection. Others around town are underdeveloped in comparison to the sisters, aside from the girls’ grandfather, who teaches them how to build a radio from scratch. He also supplies necessary background information, filling them in on colorful life at the local RAF base and a case of missing children from decades ago.
In addition to a detailed, colorful map of the town with key locations from the story marked (implied to be the product of Mae’s fastidious hand), the book includes scattered illustrations—both small representations of key moments and images of important characters. Hand-drawn in style, they have exaggerated features and vibrant colors; these seem to represent artistic Isla’s attempts to capture details in her unique way.
However, an uncovered secret leads to the book’s abrupt ending. Indeed, the truth about the lights, the newcomers, and the strange pattern in the sky is somewhat unanswered; Mae suggests a fanciful solution, but the lack of true resolve hampers the story on the whole.
In the imaginative mystery novel The Vanishing Young of Rydal Cave, telepathic siblings witness strange lights in the sky and seek out the truth behind them.
Reviewed by
John M. Murray
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
