Roberta Writes – Book review: The Bloody Shoe Affair: A Daring and Thrilling Adventure with the Jailer’s Daughter by Joy York #bookreview #readingcommunity

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What Amazon says

A daring and thrilling adventure with the jailer’s daughter

In this mystery set in 1968, Christi, a shy and awkward teenager, never expected to get sucked into helping her cousin, Lily, the “double-dare-you” daughter of the county jailer, try to solve the grizzliest murder the town of Roselyn, Mississippi, had ever seen. Then again, Christi had been entangled in her misadventures before. So a whirlwind week of spying, lying, crawling through tunnels and sneaking into the jail should have come as no surprise to Christi.

Lily, a vivacious prankster, loves adventure. It’s not hard to find when you live in a house connected to the jail. Christi, a city girl, is self-conscious and afraid of everything. Still, she’s drawn to the excitement and adventure that Lily always seems to provide. Christi arrives for a visit in time to help her cousin discover what happened the night Lily observed a county deputy drop a pair of women’s bloody shoes from a bag. After a chance meeting with the accused, they learn new information that sheds doubt on his guilt. Seeking justice, Lily sets a plan in motion that takes them on an adventure of risk and surprising twists. They not only discover unexpected truths about the case, but about themselves as well.

My review

I really enjoyed this entertaining and fast paced story about two young cousins, Lily and Christi, who become embroiled in a murder investigation.

Lily is the daughter of the head warden at a large prison. Her home is attached to the prison, and she has interacted with prisoners and the legal system all her short life. Christi is her less confident and more introverted cousin and is visiting because it is the two girls’ grandparents 50th wedding anniversary celebration. The night before Christi’s arrival there is an upheaval at the prison and Lily glimpses some compromising and fascinating evidence in the form of a pair of bloody woman’s shoes. Lily is determined to learn more about these shoes and drags Christi with her along the investigatory path.

This book is a great mystery and is also an excellent read for teenagers with its sub-themes which revolve around issues like trust, family relationships, boyfriends, and respect for authority. I liked that these important concepts were woven into this story in an interesting way that helps set a good example and standard to young readers without being remotely preachy. You hardly realise these subthemes are there and that subtlety makes the writing and storyline of this novel perfect for its intended audience.

In addition, Lily is a strong female character who is determined to follow her instincts. Christi acts as the voice of reason, a sort of Jiminy Cricket (talking cricket from The Adventures of Pinocchio), and tempers Lily’s impulsive strong headedness. Christy grows a lot as a character during the course of this story and learns to be brave and take a stronger stance on issues that concern her.

As an adult, I enjoyed this story, and I would certainly give this book as a gift to young readers.

Purchase The Bloody Shoe Affair: A Daring and Thrilling Adventure with the Jailer’s Daughter by Joy York: https://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Shoe-Affair-thrilling-adventure-ebook/dp/B00TUJTWEC

Joy York Amazon US Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joy-York/author/B094NX7H8Q

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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55 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Book review: The Bloody Shoe Affair: A Daring and Thrilling Adventure with the Jailer’s Daughter by Joy York #bookreview #readingcommunity”

  15. There’s some good stuff out there for kids of all ages. I read most of the Gallagher Girl series. I’m a huge Barbara Park fan. And since I hooked my granddaughter up to my Kindle, I see a wide range of YA. A good deal of it well written if not borderline blatantly derivative. Like how many ways are there to rewrite or sub in “new” characters to the Harry Potter template? It’s nice to see things like this that happen in almost the real world with everything from feminism to bullying to it’s okay to be good at something besides video games.

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