Fire Mask - Hardcover

Grant, Charles L.

3.23

13 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 055307167X ISBN 13: 9780553071672

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1991

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Cliff's premonitions and dreams about a mysterious fire lead him and his friends into a fatal confrontation with perpetrators of a terrifying evil

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 6-10-- A story that contains the makings of a good mystery--strange characters, suspense, unexplained happenings--but one that requires readers to take giant leaps of faith to get through the gaps in the plot. The mystery revolves around a hotel fire that Gil thinks is suspicious. He enlists his new girlfriend (in one sentence he's moaning about never having a girlfriend, then suddenly she's hanging on to him. If life could be so easy!); they initiate the help of his best friend, Del, and his girlfriend. They are followed by a mysterious man in a white linen suit who shoots at them (or does he?). There's a gold mask that lots of people wear, but only two are villains--an old man and his daughter (or is it his wife?) who never age (or never die?). In the midst of the drama Gil worries that his parents are strange (although they're not). He has a parrot that talks like a person and he has a mummy in the basement to be fed (big loopholes here). Unfortunately, although the suspense is well-paced, this far-fetched tale doesn't live up to readers' expectations. --Judie Porter, Media Services Center, Portsmouth School Department, RI
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

This unusual mystery features a suspenseful plot with a supernatural twist. Cliff Abbott and his friend Del are coming home from town, where one of Rushmore's oldest and finest buildings is on fire. As they are walking, they spot a man covered with burns lying in the driveway of Rushmore's wealthiest resident. The man murmurs a few senseless phrases and dies. Driven by a supernatural impulse, Cliff is determined to discover the meaning of the man's words. The lives of Cliff, Del and two girls from school are threatened when they become entangled in a dangerous, intricate investigation. Sometimes confusing descriptions of the action and several unanswered questions may prove bewildering. Still, the plot development is absorbing, as each chapter's ending will compel readers to continue on to the next. Cliff's curious, colorful family laces the mystery with humor, and dramatic details bring the story to life. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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