Kirkus Reviews

A tale bursting with intrigue and adventure finds its setting deep in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Twelve-year-old Abbey Force has had a rough time of things lately. Her beloved father has suffered an accident and now lies in the hospital in a coma. Meanwhile, he has been accused of stealing from a client named Miss Lydia Jenkins, and his law firm, in an attempt to salvage its reputation, has sold the Force family home, Reward Plantation, in order to repay her. Abbey is forced to go and live with her good-for-nothing Uncle Charlie and his wife, Ruth. Her luck begins to change when the new owners, also named Force, well-to-do descendants of the slaves who once lived at Reward, take up residence at the plantation. She and new best friend and neighbor Bee Force stumble upon a mystery--someone is digging holes at Felony Bay, perhaps in search of buried treasure. Soon, they are neck deep in a dangerous mess involving Abbey's father's so-called crime, her Uncle Charlie, Miss Jenkins' riches and possibly the town sheriff. A predictable outcome, lengthy final explanations seeking to tie up loose ends and one too many subplots weigh this one down. Bee and Abbey are amiable protagonists, though, and their spunk and perseverance, combined with the realistic and richly developed setting, deliver considerable appeal. A successful turn by a promising new author. (Mystery. 9-12)

Horn Book

With her father wrongly accused of theft and lying defenseless in a coma, Abbey Force and her new friend Bee seek to uncover the truth behind her father's "accident," the stolen jewels, and the mysterious happenings in Felony Bay. Despite a predictable plot, unexpected dangers hold interest, culminating in a reflective narrative on character, courage, and human motivation.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Thompson's children's book debut offers mystery and adventure, while simultaneously exploring the far reach of history, justice, race, and family. Narrator Abbey Force begins the summer before seventh grade on Leadenwah Island, living with her conniving uncle and aunt, working on the horse farm her family used to own, and visiting her comatose father in a Charleston hospital. Determined to clear him of charges of malpractice and theft, Abbey finds an unexpected ally in Bee Force, the daughter of Reward Plantation's new owner and a descendant of slaves Abbey's family once owned. "Oh my gosh.... I'm sorry," Abbey says at their initial meeting, to which Bee responds, "It was a long time ago.... Had nothing to do with the two of us." Upon learning that her father had planned to deed Felony Bay to other descendants of Force slaves, Abbey discovers a motive for why someone might have framed him. The girls make clever sleuths, well-drawn supporting characters offer both farce and intrigue, and the snake- and alligator-infested swamps provide sultry local flavor in this ethically nuanced and suspenseful whodunit. Ages 8-12. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media. (May)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7 Spirited Abbey Force, 12, is the only child of the former owner of Reward Plantation, near Charleston, South Carolina. After a curious accident 18 months before, Abbey's father was found in a coma, surrounded by stolen jewels. Now Abbey lives with her cruel uncle and is determined to prove that her father is not a thief. Help arrives in the form of the daughter of the new plantation owner, Bee Force. The plot is clever, with clues dropped in each chapter and a surprising betrayal at the end. Suspense builds steadily, fueled by buried treasure, villains, and old-fashioned sleuthing. Thompson writes with plenty of dialogue, and the action is nonstop, but there is attention to detail as well. The landscape of Felony Bay-complete with alligators, mosquitoes, and a derelict cabin-creates a setting central to the story. With mixed success, Thompson takes Southern gothic tropes and incorporates them into a fast-paced mystery with subplots that tackle tough issues. Abbey is sensitive to Reward Plantation's slaveholding history. She is aware that her friend Bee, who is African American and shares her last name, is descended from people who were once slaves there. The story is a little heavy-handed, but tenacious Abbey makes it appealing to readers. Martha Baden, Prescott Public Library, AZ

ALA Booklist

Twelve-year-old Abbey Force doesn't know who caused her father's "accident," which has left him in a coma for the past nine months, but this spunky sleuth aims to find out. Because her incapacitated father was also blamed for the theft of a wealthy socialite's jewels, Abbey's beloved 300-year-old Reward Plantation, nestled in the South Carolina Lowcounty, had to be sold. Now Abbey must live with her no-good, gambling uncle Charlie. When African American Beatrice Force, also 12 and with family woes of her own, moves into Reward, it not only raises the issue of former slavery on the plantation but also gives Abbey a partner with whom to explore the suspicious activity around the plantation's bay. Abbey's first-person narration, combined with pirate folklore and the possibility of poisonous snakes and hungry alligators at nearly every turn, heightens the suspense and gives this debut novel a decidedly Southern flair. The story never forgets that at its center is a little girl who has lost everything and is more determined than even Nancy Drew.