First published 2004
Portia Blake returns with her brother Foster and their cousin Julian for another summer of exploration. The three children stumble upon something extraordinary during their wanderings: a forgotten resort where Victorian houses stand empty around what was once a lake but now spreads as murky swampland. The crumbling buildings hold secrets from decades past, and each room the children enter reveals new mysteries about the families who once vacationed there. As they dig deeper into the resort's history, the siblings and their cousin must decide how far they're willing to venture into the decaying structures and whether some discoveries are worth the risks they bring. Their investigation becomes more than simple curiosity as they uncover connections between the abandoned place and their own family's past, turning a summer adventure into something that will change how they see their world.
Genres: family-life, historical-fiction, adventure
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, mystery-investigation
Setting: Gone-Away, Victorian Houses, Swampland
Period: Decades Past
4 pages · Audio CD · Listen & Live Audio