The Anna-Mae Mysteries Bk. 1:
The Golden Treasure
by L. S. Cauldwell

    THE GOLDEN TREASURE by L. S. Cauldwell
    Category:  Mystery/Thriller
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  10/24/08
    Publisher:  Star Publish
    Reviewed by:  Allison Fraclose
    Rating:  4 Stars


    An outcast in her highly segregated school in Georgia, 12-year-old Anna Mae Botts spends most of her time with
    her little brother, Malcolm, and her best friend, Raul.

    The start of a new school year promises that things won’t be any different, when, already late for school on the first
    day, the trio is waylaid in the school yard by a ginger root with a mind of its own and a disembodied, floating black
    hand. Both mysterious and mischievous, the hand drops clues in the form of scraps of paper, all with the same
    message: “Find the gold!”

    Unfortunately, Anna Mae’s rival, Stanley Paxton (AKA “The Pit Bull”), also finds himself at the receiving end of the
    black hand’s antics, and his embarrassment brings on a whole new wave of trouble for Anna Mae. Between the
    hand’s actions in dropping more clues in the middle of the classroom and the determination of her classmates to pin
    all of the recent happenings on her, Anna Mae has trouble enough just getting through the first week of school and
    maintaining her friendship with Raul.

    Things get even more stressful when Grandma Zora shows up to watch over Anna Mae and Malcolm, and she’s
    constantly reminding Anna Mae of her paranormal heritage. With the help of her grandmother, friend, and brother,
    can Anna Mae find the missing confederate gold of Jefferson Davis?

    I had a difficult time following along with this story, mainly due to the fact that the author skirts around key
    background information that would give the reader a greater understanding of the characters’ motivations. (For
    example, why is Anna Mae so shunned to begin with? Why is her school so incredibly segregated? Does Grandma
    Zora practice voodoo, or something else?) Nevertheless, one has to admire the blend of Civil War history and
    mystery, and the author’s promise of more books in this series that will expand the world of Anna Mae for the
    reader.