KIRKUS REVIEW
Crossman draws on his knowledge of Maine’s Penobscot Bay for his third installment of the Bean and Ab mysteries, featuring teenagers who are “magnets for mischief.” Previous adventures included a kidnapping, a sunken submarine and long-dead pirates. Now Ben’s best friend Spooky is missing and is later found clinging half-dead to a buoy 15 miles out. Bean risks his life to save his friend and now must solve the mystery of what exactly happened. Rooted in Maine history and legend, this is as much a story of friendship as it is a mystery. Though characterization is solid, the third-person narration is distancing, with too much explaining that diffuses tension and kills momentum. Though it’s an ambitious novel that doesn’t quite succeed in orchestrating the exciting tale it might have been, there’s plenty for the dedicated reader to like. (Mystery. 10-14)