We’re really enjoying reading your books – my daughter, Ada, is reading “The Mariner’s Secret” and I am reading “Danger in the Jeweled City” which were given to us by Nancy Walker. I enjoy books about time travel such as those by Jane Langton, and Ada has read 40 of the Magic Tree House books where a brother and sister go back in time and encounter different historical figures.

In your books it’s especially interesting to read about places and events in the San Francisco Bay Area! I love it when you make reference to local cities and towns and events that occurred in my lifetime like the 1989 earthquake. Then, it’s exciting to go back in time and see things that aren’t there any more – what used to be on a given site. I liked to hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains – such as the hills around the Novitiate winery and the flumes that carried water down from the reservoir. I remember looking at old farm implements and digging for bottles with my dad, Robb Walker, on weekend hikes. There was a swimming pool built into the hillside with stone walls around it. It just made my mind wonder – what was it like living here a hundred years ago and what work were they engaged in? Your books bring back that memory.

It’s great that you’ve written these books, and we’re looking forward to your next one. The description of the interiors of the Victorian homes makes me homesick for the Bay Area and all of its history.

Gianna Walker and Ada Walker

As a teacher, I recommend this book for pre-teens or young teens that not only enjoy adventure/mysteries, but want to learn some about San Francisco and maritime history. The reader will move along easily with the main characters in the pull of time throughout this enchanting book.

Pat Lang.