SuitabookThe phantom surfer
Leslie McFarlane
- Reading
- Read it as a clue-led mystery, pausing to note what is observed separately from what is inferred. Before beginning, mention that the resolution and the explanation for the surfer remain unclear.
- Themes
- Mystery and investigation: Jean and Louise Dana and their friends become involved after witnessing a lumber theft and noticing signals from an abandoned lighthouse. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Change and preservation: Horizon is being restored to its original Victorian-era character while thievery and sabotage interfere with the project. The setting creates a possible tension between preserving a place’s past and dealing with present disruption, but the book’s position on restoration is unclear.
- The unexplained and uncanny: The group sees a nocturnal surfer who repeatedly disappears before reaching shore and discovers signals from an abandoned lighthouse. These details create suspense and apparent mystery; whether the events receive a realistic, supernatural or otherwise explained treatment remains open.
- Worth knowing
- The book offers a chance to discuss how restoration can change a place’s character, and how witnesses decide which apparently separate clues deserve attention during an investigation.