The third installmentof Ray Mirra's beautifully illustrated, hard-to-put-down, and wildly enjoyablemystery series begins with “Ray and Jane” at the top of page one. Thetitle character of this book continues his quest to find the owner of amysterious old lighthouse which rests at the base of Hillsboro Beach. In thisexciting conclusion to the first part of this two-part mystery series, we meetagain Ray Mirra, this time in a hotel room, where he meets the woman of hisdreams, Mrs. Grant. They become acquainted with each other and have a lovely,romantic dinner before leaving for their honeymoon. This part of the book alsoincludes an incredible cliff-jumping sequence that will leave readersbreathless. By the end of the book, readers are left begging for more…
As the mystery book continues, we discover that Ray ismissing money due to some unknown “accident”, and enters a world ofmagic, strange beings, and haunted places. This book is just as fun to read asit was to read in the first part. The writing style is still informative andcaptivating. I especially enjoyed Mirra's descriptions of Hillsboro Beach andher vivid illustrations of the natural scenery. Ray is now joined by his newfriend, Jane.
Vacation
Part two takes place on the beach at night, as thecharacters walk along the shoreline and encounter people walking along thebeach, a boat coming in to view, and more. We also learn about the strangebeach life that is now a thriving tourist industry, as well as the manyinteresting shops the area offers. Mr. Grant also comes back from his “vacation”,now a business owner, where he meets his new associate, Mr. White.
At this point in the book, we learn that Mr. Grant andMr. White are actually partners in this new venture: Mirra Imler's WaterfrontPark. Ray and Jane continue their stroll down the beach, this time accompaniedby a newly arrived Mr. O'Brien. The businessmen introduce Mr. Grant and Jane'sfriends to their newest client, Mr. White. The book shifts to part time, asthey work to set up the park.
Part three takes place a few weeks later, as Ray, Jane,and Mr. O'Brien are invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening.Ray enters the park with his new friend, Mr. O'Brien, while Jane and Mr. Whitewait outside in their car. Mr. O'Brien starts to feel uncomfortable witheverybody around, so he decides to talk to Ray about his concerns. During theconversation, it becomes obvious that Mr. O'Brien is jealous of Ray's newgirlfriend, so he decides to sabotage the new business venture. This turns outto be good for Ray because Mr. O'Brien is revealed to be good at copywriting,so he turns the job over to him.
Notebook
Part four takes place one month later, as the twocelebrate Mr. Grant's birthday. They all go to a party that Mr. Grant's bossthrows for his employees. As the night goes on, Mr. Grant starts to feel morejealous of Ray's new girlfriend, so he decides to sabotage the Waterfront Parkfor her. Finally, Ray realizes that Mr. O'Brien is the same person who wrotethe book about his own success, so he sets out to get his old notebook and killhim. Unfortunately, Ray's boss manages to escape, and he sets up a shoot outbetween the two groups.
In the end, Ray finds out that Mr. O'Brien was framed bysomebody else, and that he is now the owner of the Park. It turns out that Mr.O'Brien has been having secret meetings in the park with two other men, so Rayand Beth decide to investigate. As they are driving, they encounter a strangeman with a shotgun who wants them to meet him there. Once they do, he makesthem promise to help them if they want to win the lottery, and they go off tofind Mr. Grant, who is hiding in the bushes.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book to read. Some of thestories were predictable, but it did not ruin the book for me. I liked thecharacter development, the twists, the adventure, and the story. For readerswho enjoy romance and adventure stories, this is a great pick. I wouldrecommend this to readers with above average senses of humor and who like tothink about their past history.
