The Mystery of the Pirates of Discovery Bay: A Merlin Brothers Mystery (The Merlin Brothers Mystery Series Book 2)

One gold coin. A secret buried for centuries. Magic is about to rise from the soil.When farmer Paul uncovers a gold doubloon glinting beneath his plow, it seems like just another odd trinket from the past. But when a mysterious older woman and her magical raven invite him and local children for tea, he and the children are swept into a pirate mystery that has been sleeping beneath his field for more than 150 years. Guided by riddles, old maps, and the ravens' cryptic clues, the unlikely team follows a trail of secrets through foggy forests and ancient times that is worth far more than gold.The woman recounts a tale of pirates who lived in the area in the 1850s and buried their treasure nearby. These Pirates were from a different land. Kidnapped from home and lost across the world. They rewrite their destiny on the open sea.In 1850, fisherman Aitor and his wife Gracia Libe and their children are kidnapped off the coast of Spain. They are torn from their fishing boat by a ruthless British frigate and forced into hard labor at sea. Their chance of a decent life is all but lost when the ship visits the North West Pacific coast. When a violent storm drives the ship toward the misty islands of Haida Gwaii, the family seizes their chance to escape—only to find themselves stranded on a wild, uncharted shore.With danger and mystery all around, they form an unlikely alliance with the local people and discover that freedom isn’t found—it’s fought for. As whispers of lost treasure and ghost ships spread across the coast, Aitor and his family and cousins take to the waves once more, becoming pirates of their own making. They have a destination but must fight off bounty hunters and foreign sailors to reach a new life in the vast deserts of Oregon and Nevada. They steal a small ship, find treasure from a Spanish shipwreck, and head to freedom.The mystery is solved? Only the Raven knows. The farmer is more than surprised. Treasure awaits.The second book in the Merlin Brothers Mysteries series, this book continues the story of two brothers and their friend, who love to solve mysteries. It is a sweeping tale of courage, family, and survival, where history, myth, and adventure collide.The author and illustrator, Ellen O’Shea, has included 106 self-produced illustrations for the story. Children will love the exciting story while learning about Northwest Coast environments. Includes information about indigenous people, local protected environments like the Islands of Haida Gwaii, and the very old, beautifully constructed long houses and totems of local people. The author has included several learning pages that explore local wildlife, plant life, and the surrounding environment. She has also included learning pages on pirate culture and mystery-solving techniques.The learning pages of this book feature eight pages of illustrated birds, amphibians, and plants found on Haida Gwaii. Learn about the tall ship culture, anatomy of a pirate ship, and a pirate code of ethics, how to talk like a pirate…. plus much more.This book is appropriate for children seven and above who will enjoy reading it. The Author, Ellen O'Shea is an accomplished author of children's books and has received awards for her illustrations and her books "Piper and the Red Boat" and “The Adventures of Thunder the Wonder Puppy”. This is the second in the series, The Merlin Brothers Mystery series. The first book is called The Mystery of the Red Sailed-Ship.The author, Ellen Margaret O'Shea, is a naturalist, watercolorist, and accomplished illustrator who has been writing and illustrating children's books since her youth. She currently lives on an organic farm on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State with her husband and a menagerie of plants and animals. She is a great lover of the natural world and has a deep love of biodiversity and wildlife. Read more