Curse of the Bayou

Mary Cunningham's Curse of the Bayou is full of tail spinning adventure. From the swamps of the Louisianna Bayou to a Southern Indiana farm - our dynamic duo of Cynthia and Gus are never far from the dangerous hook of the evil pirate, Jack LaBuse. Each action packed chapter is crafted with colorful characters and suspenseful cliffhangers. Pages turn quickly as we must find out the secret of the disappearance of Cynthia's great grandfather, Beau Conner! A very satisfying ending with a surprising revelation has us all wanting to see what Mary comes up with for her next book in this series! WARNING - Do not read this book if you are hungry! Mary's vivid descriptions of the delectible dishes of Louisiana will make your tummy rumble even more!!

Curse of the Bayou is the third book in the charming Cynthia's Attic series. Gus and Cynthia are off on another crazy-cool adventure that takes them from alligator-infested swamps to pirate ships! The girls sparring friendship is fun and believable. Oh-so-perfect Cynthia with her wrinkle-free clothes and perfect nails vs. Oh-whatever Gus with baloney stuffed in her pockets. I loved the character of Mud Bug who goes from an 80-year-old cackler to a 10-year-old Cajun kid in just a few chapters! Add an accused witch, a scraggily parrot, a shape-shifting Puma, and a villanous pirate and this book has more twists than the Bayou itself. I recommend this book to girls who enjoy adventure stories and good friendships.

In Indiana in 1964 best friends Cynthia and Gus decide to learn what happened to the former's great-grandfather Beau who vanished in 1915 while on a business trip. The two best friends enter the attic of Cynthia's home and the trunk sends them through time where they avoid being alligator bait thanks to some bologna Gus had. The quickly learn it is 1914 when they meet octogenarian Mouton" Mud Bug" Boudreau who warns the two young girls to avoid pirates like Buzzard Jack LaBuse. He begins taking them by canoe to New Orleans when he and his boat vanish. The two buddies find themselves in 1844 where Jasmine is quite nice to them and so is her ten years old son Mooty called Mud Bug by everyone. From there the clues take them to 1915 and the farm of Samantha Connor whose spouse Beau vanished last year on a business trip in New Orleans. The girls know they are getting closer to finding Beau but wonder where they will go next in time. The third Cynthia's Attic young adult time travel mysteries (see Magic Medallion and MISSING LOCKET) is a fabulous tale as the two intrepid best friends journey back and forth through time. The preadolescent pair remains consistent even with Gus having some non hunger moments while the support cast especially Mud Bug as an elderly person and a child make for a fun Bayou adventure with a fantastic final twist setting up the next entry. Harriet Klausner