Operation Diamond

Adventure Island Book Six

The Mystery of the Vanishing Skeleton

Lashings of Ginger Beer

You might have guessed by now that Enid Blyton is one of my favourite authors.

One of the things I love best about The Famous Five and The Five Find-outers and Dog is that, in between tracking down baddies, they’re always having fabulous picnics or midnight feasts, with loads of cakes and sandwiches and, of course, lashings of ginger beer.

When I started the Adventure Island books I thought that Scott, Jack, Emily and Drift deserved plenty of yummy treats to keep them going as they pursue their investigations too. So I made sure that there was a café  - Dotty’s Tea Rooms – in Castle Key, where they could have fish and chips or ice cream whenever they needed some sustenance. And the boys’ Aunt Kate just happens to be an excellent cook who specializes in delicious cakes and cookies.

But I hadn’t realized quite how much food I’d included until a friend pointed it out to me. Don’t those kids ever stop eating? she asked.

Anyone for another jam tart?

 Well, I replied, crime-fighting is very hungry work!

The Mystery of the Vanishing Skeleton is a particularly baffling case. The friends have to work out the connection between a series of seemingly unrelated crimes and uncover the truth behind the sightings of a strange glowing skeleton. So it’s more important than ever that there are plenty of snacks to keep their strength up. But it was only when I looked back through the pages that I realized my friend might just have a point. It’s one long scoff-a-thon! Let us consider the evidence.

1. Jack and Scott arrive at Stone Cottage for the holidays. Aunt Kate greets them with a batch of her famous gingerbread.
2. All go off to Roshendra Farm to round up missing rabbits. Hot chocolate and cakes in the farmhouse kitchen.
3. Emily shares her toast and marmite with Drift. (Drift is always happy to share the friends’ food, although he draws the line at cucumber.)
4. Attend the Castle Key Feast, the big parade on the island. Surprise, surprise; it involves a lot more food! Jack orders two burgers before he ventures alone into the dark, deserted ice factory (What could possibly go wrong?)
5. Jack has been injured in the line of duty. (Remember that ice factory. Something went wrong! Very wrong!). He makes the most of his recovery time, scoffing tubs of ‘medicinal’ raspberry ripple ice cream. Oh, and here comes Aunt Kate with some more cupcakes.
6. To Dotty’s Tea Rooms for hot chocolates as a reward for helping Old Bob the fisherman unload his catch of mackerel (solving mysteries isn’t all about thrills and glamour – some of it is about very smelly fish!)
7. Off to the moors for a lovely picnic . . .

Phew! I’m feeling a bit peckish now. Are you?

Maybe it’s time for a snack.

After all, treasure-hunting is hungry work too!

Hmmm, what would you order if you could have any meal or snack you wanted right this minute?

PS. If you’d like the recipe for Aunt Kate’s delicious gingerbread, have a look at Jack’s blog on the Adventure Island website!

OPERATION DIAMOND

Question 6: In the ADVENTURE ISLAND book, what is the name of the café in Castle Key where Jack, Scott and Emily go to eat if they get peckish?

Roshendra Café (Y)

Dotty’s Tea Rooms (A)

For your next clue, visit:

http://achuka.co.uk/achockablog/

On: Tuesday 29 May