The Lost Treasure of Casa Loma: A Tom and Liz Austen Mystery

Lisa Arsenault is a high-school English teacher who is involved in
several ministry campaigns to increase literacy.

Beginning with a raging storm, lights blinking out, lightning flashing,
and the sudden appearance of a supposedly dead body, this Tom and Liz
Austen mystery possesses all the attributes of the classic whodunit.
Tom, his sister Liz, and their uncle have been asked to look after Casa
Loma, a castle in downtown Toronto that’s owned by Sir Nigel, their
cousin. Sir Nigel has mysteriously disappeared, rumoured to have been
kidnapped by thieves over diamonds that were hidden in the castle. When
Sir Nigel’s valet turns up dead in the castle’s study, Tom decides
to investigate.

The text is replete with cryptic clues, secret hiding places, and
suspicious characters. Luckily, Tom is a resourceful boy who survives
kidnapping, a night alone in the wilderness, and a boat set adrift
dangerously close to Niagara Falls. He is able to put the pieces of the
puzzle together, locate their missing relative, and help to foil the
criminals responsible for stealing the diamonds.

The novel contains many references to Toronto landmarks and
institutions—Fort York, Kensington Market, the Toronto Blue Jays—and
Wilson uses the fact that Tom and his family are from Winnipeg to
produce virtually a travel brochure of Toronto tourist sites.

Packed with action, as well as many twists and turns (such as a jewel
thief/sports commentator who pretends to be a Mountie, and crooks who
double-cross each other), this mystery-adventure is a good page-turner.
Recommended.