Holly Beth Walker - Meg and the Mystery in Williamsburg

25. Meg and the Mystery in Williamsburg by Holly Beth Walker (1972)
The Meg Duncan Mysteries Series Book 6
Length: 140 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 29 May 2017
Finished: 14 June 2017
Where did it come from? This was a birthday present given to me by a friend when I was twelve years old.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 1990
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Holly Beth Walker is a new author for me.

The Meg Duncan Mysteries - also occasionally known as The Meg Mysteries Series - is a series of six juvenile mysteries originally published between 1967 and 1972. In each book, Margaret Ashley Duncan - a girl of indeterminate age - solves mysteries with her best friend Kerry Carmody. Four of the books are set in Meg and Kerry's hometown of Hidden Springs, Virginia; while the last two take place when Meg and Kerry travel with Meg's uncle Hal. The authorship of the series is credited to Holly Beth Walker - which is actually a pseudonym for multiple authors.

In this last book of the series, Meg and Kerry travel with Hal Ashley to Williamsburg. As soon as the girls arrive, they eagerly sign on to become junior hostesses for a Colonial Era toy exhibition. The curator of the exhibit was actually the childhood best friend of Meg's mother and is absolutely delighted to have both girls involved in her showcase.

In between carrying out their duties for the toy exhibition, Meg and Kerry also stumble upon a mystery that involves the disappearance of two wooden dolls from one of the toy collections being showcased in the exhibit. The collection belongs to the matriarch of the town, and a member of one of the most prominent families in Williamsburg - the Collins family. The elderly Mariah Collins is extremely proud of her collection and is thrilled to donate it to the exhibition.

However, she is also worried that someone is out to steal two of the most precious items in her collection - Charity and Mercy; also known as the 'George Washington Dolls.' Miss Mariah soon enlists Meg and Kerry's help in protecting the rest of her collection. She also wants to know if the amateur detectives can solve the mystery behind why her most favorite doll - an antique French doll named Paris - hasn't been able to talk since Miss Mariah was a child.

I must say that I really enjoyed reading this book. I was slightly surprised at how intricate the mystery actually was given the reading level. In my opinion, while the story was somewhat dated, I would still give it an A! I'm definitely going to be keeping this book on my childhood favorites shelf.

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often