The Law of Finders Keepers: 12/19/18

The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage is the fourth of the Mo & Dale mysteries. Tupelo Falls is abuzz over the news of pirate treasure. Meanwhile, the Colonel and Miss Lana have given Mo a pair of vital clues regarding the identity of her upstream mother now that she is old enough to handle the information.

I'm going to admit that I've never read this series for the upstream mother side plot. That Mo is a foundling is neither her nor there. Lots of kids are raised under unusual circumstances. She is loved and well cared for. I also never expected there to be a solution to this on-going mystery, but there is.

The fun part of this book is the pirate treasure mystery. It involves old attics, buried treasure, mirror writing, multiple maps, and numerous people racing to find the treasure. It reminds me of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World (1963). The differences are: it's a middle grade mystery, the caper is set within the bounds of a single city, the treasure is historical rather than contemporary.

This is the conclusion to the series, ending with the truth behind Mo's birth and appearance in Tupelo Falls. There's nothing about Mo and Dale's friendship or their underage detective agency that couldn't continue to solve mysteries in the town. Therefore, it wouldn't surprise me if a few years down the line a new adventure or two are written.

Five stars

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