ALEXANDER HICKORY

A middle-grade fantasy/mystery with gothic overtones by debut author Kieson.

Eccentric Alexander Hickory, in the unusual habit of faking his death, finally succumbs in 1849, leaving a will as peculiar as he was. Rather than bequeathing his impressive estate to his toddler son and namesake, Hickory established a lease agreement allowing tenants of his mansion to search the home for treasure he hid–as long as they follow his rules. Fifty-one years later, his young son is dead and his orphaned 12-year-old daughter–named Alexander Hickory as well–is a servant in the Hickory estate. Assisted by young Henry, another orphaned servant, Alex tries to solve the elaborate scavenger hunt her manipulative grandfather designed. Conniving and vicious fellow employees, most descended from the original Hickory’s servants, impede Alex and Henry’s progress, while the current tenants, Mr. Evans, Miss Chamberlain and Mr. Carol–believing that Alex’s genetic tie to the house’s original owner gives her insight into the mystery–closely monitor her actions. In the Dickensian atmosphere of the Hickory estate, young Alex and Henry suffer frequent abuse from evil housekeeper Mrs. Finley; they don’t know who they can trust and sneak around in the dead of night searching out clues. Young readers will be suitably outraged by the unmitigated evilness–if one-dimensionality–of some characters, but those accustomed to more varied action and interesting settings may find Alexander Hickory less engaging than its competition. Further, it may be too disturbing for younger readers but has themes that are slightly immature for true YA readers. Still, the book is consistently well-written and suspenseful, and any young reader who enjoys a good puzzle will be challenged by the one the batty Mr. Hickory has devised.

Unique, if sometimes slow moving.