Reviews of The Kidnapping: A Hunter & Holmes Mystery

Aiden Vaughan captivates readers with a new team of young detectives...

Aiden Vaughan captivates readers with a new team of young detectives in The Kidnapping, the first installment of the Hunter & Holmes mystery series.  The story commences as Jason Hunter, an affable and admired 14-year-old, is suddenly kidnapped from a Silicon Valley park to later be returned at a $50,000 ransom. Jason’s kidnapping is only the start of the strange sequence of events, which generate an inexplicable case that even dupes the police force.  Fueled with insight from literature detective icons and sparks of inner creativity, Jason and his forever faithful best friend Daniel Holmes take the case into their own hands to see if they can solve “the $50,000 question.”

The young duo introduces readers to reinvented, modern heroes, who put social responsibility, loyalty, and safety above all else as they strive to return peace to their shaken community and own minds. Jason and Daniel form an unbreakable team, reinforcing the strong connection that the boys quickly developed after bonding over a mutual love for Chuck Taylor high-top sneakers.  With Jason in red chucks and Daniel in a matching black pair, the shoes symbolize their quirky friendship and allegiance, while invoking the uniqueness and originality of the characters.  The sneakers act like a superhero’s cape, and young readers can easily don their own pair to capture the essence and positive traits of the characters.

Throughout the book, Jason is encouraged to not hide his inevitable emotions stemming from the kidnapping.  Both family and friends generate a support system that allows him to face his demons and begin the healing process, first by solving his own crime.  Here is where a modern day hero is created; one that does not behave overly tough, resilient and independent, but realistic and in tune with his feelings.  Readers will learn from Jason that there is nothing emasculating from expressing yourself after such tragedy, and Daniel plays the loyal friend that stands beside Jason in every step of the recovery and investigation.  A major theme builds around the power of friendship, family, and working towards the greater good, which can all be applied to the personal lives of young readers.

The book is strategically organized into three overarching sections, each containing short chapters with periodic graphic images.  Each section opens a new door to the story as more details unfold and throw readers for a loop.  The succinct chapters keep readers interested, with each chapter often transitioning the character focus, location, or topic of conversation.  Readers are exposed to the thinking and actions of Jason while held hostage, while simultaneously learning the thoughts and proceedings of his family, friends, and police team.  The ability to infiltrate the minds of all characters, even the detectives, fosters an interest in the police system and encourages both out-of-the-box and logical thinking.  The dynamic allows for readers to be omnipresent through all aspects of the detailed case, creating a personal involvement so intertwined that they can’t help but try to solve the mystery themselves.

— Taylor Bathel

Dive into The Kidnapping, and see for yourself!

The Kidnapping: A Hunter & Holmes Mystery, the first installment of the “Hunter & Holmes” series of mystery novels, is an enthralling entrance into the adventures of Jason Hunter and Daniel Holmes, the young detective duo extraordinaire. Jumping right into tense action, Jason Hunter, a young man leading a respectable and seemingly average life, is abducted by unknown perpetrators. The story develops in two directions: the horrifying experience from the perspective of Jason in his captivity, as well as the stresses and copings of his best friend, Daniel Holmes, his parents, his friends and the Missing Persons Unit that is investigating the crime. After Jason sees his dream of being freed become reality, the story dives into “The Aftermath” of the situation; coping with the after effects of such a stressful and life changing situation. After receiving a seemingly endless amount of support, Jason builds up enough courage to challenge those who did him harm, and along with the assistance and companionship of his best friend Daniel, decides to take matters into his own hands and solve the mystery of the kidnapping himself. Thus, The Hunter & Holmes detective team is born. With incredible drive and impressive critical thinking skills, along with the help of their friends and important supporting characters (such as Joe Connor, an ex intelligence unit member), Jason and Daniel begin to piece the puzzle together. Can you keep up with these two bright, young detectives and crack the case open? Dive into The Kidnapping, and see for yourself!

One of the most influentially important aspects of this novel is its focus on enlightening young readers how to properly address stress and grief. All of the protagonists and associated characters highlight the utmost importance of coping with stresses, depression and grief in positive and constructive ways. These important players really drive home how crucial it is to learn to control ones emotions; to find ways to positively release stress and tension in order to avoid bottling up ones feelings. Such practices can help young people sidestep the pit of disparity and depression they so closely dance around with in each stressful and daunting task they face over the course of their blooming lives. Jason, Daniel and the rest of the supporting cast succeed in keeping cool, calm and collected, while also staying keenly observant. Embodying fortitude and strength, the dynamic duo successfully feed off their drive and motivation, and challenge themselves to think outside of the box, to work relentlessly to obtain the answers they so badly crave. Such a work ethic will stick in the absorbent minds of youthful readers, and should help them develop positive practices and work ethic that can help them succeed in a variety of areas; whether it is school, sports, creative outlets such as music and art, or even fixing problems that may be present in their familial and friendly relationships.

Since the book is packed full of mature themes and imagery, the graphic component of the novel needs to be addressed. The novel comes equipped with an abundance of manga inspired illustrations to spice up the readers experience. The drawings are extremely well executed and utilize vivid imagery and color schemes to make the world of Hunter & Holmes really come to life. They succeed in giving the reader a break from the 200 plus pages of text they typically read, but some readers might see such artwork as a challenge to their maturity. Since they are experiencing mature situations along with the characters in the book, the illustrations may strip some of the credibility of the novel for some young readers. As a teenager continues to grow out of adolescence and into adulthood, they crave to be treated as intelligent and capable individuals. Some readers may have a negative reaction to the drawings and may feel they give the gripping story an unnecessary and elementary “picture book” quality that they have long outgrown. Encouraging the readers to appreciate the artwork, but to take control and create the universe within their own imaginations will be most beneficial for those who pick up this novel. That said, the book is tense and gripping, and should easily draw readers in and keep them coming back for more exciting mysteries through the lens of The Hunter & Holmes mystery team.

You never see the end coming, but along the way, you learn valuable lessons about being a good friend and an honorable person.

Jason Hunter, a cool and collected California teen, seems to be living a normal, happy life. But when he mysteriously disappears from City Park, his personal life and that of his family are brought into question. With the clock ticking, a team of police work quickly to discover Jason’s whereabouts, but have little success. With no leads, and emotions running high, Jason’s parents and best friend Daniel Holmes are forced to wait for any news from Jason or his kidnappers. With demands finally on the table, Daniel and Jason’s father must act quickly and silently in order to save Jason’s life.

Once free of the kidnappers’ control, Jason is left tormented and confused by what the police say is the strangest kidnapping case they have ever worked. It just doesn’t add up, and Jason is left to wonder why anyone would attack him and his family. When Daniel comes to Jason with a challenge that will test both his mental and emotional strength, Jason is unsure if he wants to relive his recent horrors. However, with the help of Daniel’s compassion and motivation, the Hunter & Holmes detective team is in business. Both boys are determined to find the kidnappers and discover their true motives, finally lifting the veil from such an unusual case. Not knowing where to start, the boys pay a visit to a family friend, who offers them the advice they need to finally piece the case together. But can the teens handle the constant influx of information, all while coping with the disturbing reality behind it?

Proving to be more complicated than they could have ever imagined, the case begins to spiral outward, involving people and places that you never see coming. While everything starts to fall into place and a conclusion is at last in sight, the cunning and courage of the Hunter & Holmes team is truly tested. The boys must come face-to-face with the very criminals who kidnapped Jason, leaving the reader wondering if Jason will finally be able to even the score. It seems that surviving their own investigation is their biggest challenge yet.

Just when you think the case is closed and Jason can go back to living the life of a carefree teen, yet another twist is woven into the story. It seems that the whole ordeal was worthwhile, but for whom? In order to make things right, Jason must once again rely on the help and counsel of his friends and family. His strength is tested in a different way than before, and it is up to him to put this new development in its place once and for all.

Author Aiden Vaughan takes you on a detailed journey of the kidnapping and all that follows, allowing the reader to fully grasp the thoughts and motives of each character. Unlike other mysteries, you never see the end coming, but along the way, you learn valuable lessons about being a good friend and an honorable person. All characters set the tone for a candid conversation about honesty, loyalty, and courage, and the importance of never wavering from your values. Both Jason and Daniel employ self-discipline, compassion, love, and appreciation for their lives and those in them. They are also supportive of each other’s emotions and are committed to discovering the truth no matter the cost. Rewarded for their valor and acts of goodwill, they remind all of us that good things come to those who are good to others. And most importantly, a trustworthy friend is the best asset of all.

The author deploys just enough red herrings to keep even alert readers guessing until almost the last page.

When a teenager is kidnapped and then mysteriously released, he and his best friend are determined to figure out why. The first Hunter & Holmes Mystery quickly introduces us to its two young protagonists—straight-laced, methodical Jason Hunter and impulsive, emotional Daniel Holmes—and gets right down to business: Jason has been kidnapped, and as his parents, Daniel and his other friends slowly realize this, they contact the police and wait nervously for some progress. It comes quickly; after only a few dozen tense and well-orchestrated pages, Jason is released. He’s physically unharmed, but an angry Daniel sees that his friend’s confident personality has changed, and at Daniel’s urging, the two teens decide to solve the mystery of why Jason was kidnapped in the first place. There follows the benign clue-hunting and adult-outwitting that will be familiar to fans of the hobby-investigator sub-genre, all of it brightly illustrated with dozens of richly colored, manga-inspired drawings by Ricardo Carmona. The plot moves forward smoothly, and the author deploys just enough red herrings to keep even alert readers guessing until almost the last page.

The mystery of Jason’s kidnapping is solved in due course, but this book has other mysteries, perhaps not so easily unraveled. Our young protagonists wear Converse All-Star “Chuck Taylor” shoes, for instance (they feature prominently in Carmona’s illustrations), and when a police detective notices this fact, he says, “I had a pair of chucks when I was your age…I see they are still considered cool today.” This book and its sequels are produced by The ChucksConnection, a subdivision of Hal Peterson Media Services, whose aim is to promote the “chucks club culture” (forceful Jason, for instance, always wears red high-top chucks, whereas rock-star rebel Daniel always wears black high-top chucks). Subtle product placement is still product placement, and that may lead some readers to wonder whether this is a mystery novel or an extended shoe commercial. Younger readers may enjoy the book’s combination of action and deduction—they’ll certainly finish it wanting a pair of Chuck Taylors, in either red or black.

— Kirkus Reviews

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