Review of Mrs. Murray's Hidden Treasure by Emily-Jane Hills Orford

Welcome to the review tour for Mrs. Murray's Hidden Treasure, the second book in the Piccadilly Street Series by Emily-Jane Orford. And while it is a sequel, you can still read it as a standalone book. Please check out an excerpt and then my thoughts on the book. Leave questions and comments for the author and then follow the tour for even more reviews. Remember to enter the giveaway at the end!

Mrs. Murray's Hidden Treasure

There is a hidden treasure in the grand old mansion on Piccadilly Street, in a place called London, but not the real London of English fame. There’s also a lot of mystery and a murder that’s been unsolved for decades. But it’s the treasure that captures Mary’s interest. Mary lives in this house along with her family, her Brownie friends and a ghost. When the ghost reveals her secret about the hidden treasure, there’s no stopping Mary, her Brownie friends, or her enemies from searching for this treasure. Why the intrigue? Apparently there’s a little bit of magic connected to this treasure. And so the adventure begins. Who will find the treasure first?

Read an excerpt:

“Ah! So this is where it’s hidden.” It was the unmistakeable voice of Miss Penelope. The girls shuddered as Mrs. Murray faded into the fireplace and disappeared. Brunny and Briddie turned around slowly to face their opponent. Mary hesitated before taking a cautious, timid look over her shoulder. Rosie moved closer to her friend and looked as well. There she was, in all her evil splendor, Elizabeth and Stocky standing on either side of her.

“And you thought I wouldn’t be watching.” She cackled loudly. Not the cackle that Mrs. Murray did when she tried to laugh, but a distinctly evil cackle that sent shivers up and down Mary’s spine.

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**My thoughts**

While this book is the second in the series, it could potentially be read as a standalone story. You get a lot of information from the first book in the beginning of this book. I felt like there was more recap than was actually necessary, which made the story drag on a bit in the beginning. But I think had you not read the first book, you would not necessarily feel this way.

This book was different than the first in that it focused more on the harassment of the witch Penelope, who is determined to just be terrible to Mary and her friend. I can't remember, but feel like the story takes place some decades ago, especially considering the methods of discipline being used by Penelope as the teacher. Yes, she is ridiculed for what she is doing, but if it was current day, she would have been fired on the spot. She is truly a terrible, terrible woman and Mary needs all the help she can get from the Brownies and her other friends.

Penelope is determined to find this mysterious hidden treasure left behind by the ghost Mrs. Murray some years before. But even Mrs. Murray doesn't remember where she has it hidden. And Penelope is using her powers to mess with the minds of the people and creatures involved, so it can be hard to tell whom to trust.

It's a lot of dialogue to absorb throughout the story as it unfolds, but there are a lot of twists and turns that will intrigue a lot of kids who read it.

Read my review of the first book here.

About Emily-Jane Hills Orford

An avid gardener, artist, musician and writer, Emily-Jane Hills Orford has fond memories and lots of stories that evolved from a childhood growing up in a haunted Victorian mansion. Told she had a ‘vivid imagination’, the author used this talent to create stories in her head to pass tedious hours while sick, waiting in a doctor’s office, listening to a teacher drone on about something she already knew, or enduring the long, stuffy family car rides. The author lived her stories in her head, allowing her imagination to lead her into a different world, one of her own making. As the author grew up, these stories, imaginings and fantasies took to the written form and, over the years, she developed a reputation for telling a good story. Emily-Jane can now boast that she is an award-winning author of several books, including Mrs. Murray’s Ghost (Telltale Publishing 2018), Mrs. Murray’s Hidden Treasure (Telltale Publishing 2019), Queen Mary’s Daughter (Clean Reads 2018), Gerlinda (CFA 2016) which received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, To Be a Duke (CFA 2014) which was named Finalist and Silver Medalist in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received an Honorable Mention in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards and several other books. A retired teacher of music and creative writing, she writes about the extra-ordinary in life and the fantasies of dreams combined with memories. For more information on the author, check out her website at: http://emilyjanebooks.ca

Author Links:

Website: http://emilyjanebooks.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realpeoplestories

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ejhomusic

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1732544.Emily_Jane_Hills_Orford

Emily-Jane Hills Orford will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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