The Mystery of Melbrook Manor

By Ernest Douglas Hall

Ex captain Martin Winston has returned home to run his fathers book shop, he soon becomes involved in a treasure hunt after finding a rare book.
There are others interested in the book and the treasure.
Things get out of hand when gangsters enter the story.
but Martin has two people on his side dick and rose soon become more than just friends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ernest Douglas Hall
• Release date: May 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301227143

Ernest Douglas Hall

I am 77 years of age and I live in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne England. I was born on the 14 September in the year 1935. I am a married man and have five children and 35 grand children and great grand children. I have written 55 books and my one aim in life is to see my work published.

Book preview

The Mystery Of Melbrook Manor

By

Ernest Douglas Hall

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2013 Ernest Douglas Hall

All Rights Reserved.

CHAPTER 1

When Captain Martin Winston was about to leave the officers Mess, his friends Captain Jimmy Hogg and Major Thomas Jenkinson had found the time to come and say goodbye to their dear friend who was going home on his De-mob leave.

Jimmy was the first to say ‘Well Martin its not going to be the same around the mess any more but I want to say your time here in this mob has made my time here a lot better and good luck to you.

I have your address and when I’m up your way I will look you up.’

Then Tom said ‘I feel the same as Jimmy old lad, its not going to be the same, well I still have Jimmy to put up with but he is not too bad but I to want to wish you all the best and I too have your address.’

The three men shook hands then a private soldier came into the mess and said ‘I am your transport sir and we should leave straight away if you are to catch your train.’

Martin said ‘Well private take my bags to the jeep and I’ll be right behind you.’

Martin turned back to face his friends and just saluted and went out of the door.

Martin was thirty years old, and he was five foot ten and a very big framed man, and he had thick black hair. Martin had always been a very fit man because he loved sport and would join in on anything that went on at camp, but his true love was swimming.

When Martin’s train pulled into Newcastle station he was hanging out of the coach door and he could see his Mom and Dad standing on the platform.

When his Dad saw Martin he waved his hand to catch his eye.

Then Martin jumped down from the coach and he kissed his Mom and then he put his arms around his Dad and gave him a big bear hug.

His Dad said ‘Well Martin how do you feel now that you’re home.’

‘Oh it’s great Dad, but I do feel a little sad because I left two very good friends back at the camp.’

His Mom said ‘Oh enough of that Martin Winston It’s my turn now for a while, now come on Harry lets get him home before he want’s to go back into the army.’

Martin had been back home for two weeks and one night while sitting at the family table eating their dinner his Dad said ‘Martin have you given any thought to what you are going to get a job at.’

‘No Dad not yet I suppose I will have to take a walk to the unemployment bureau and if I cant get something there that I like then maybe I’ll have to look at the adds in the evening papers.’

‘Well Martin your Mom and I have had something on the back of minds for a couple of years now, you know that I am getting on for sixty seven and we were wanting to give you the shop. That’s if you want to take it over, and that will give me a chance to retire and take it easy.

It will mean the shop is all yours we will not expect anything from it, all the takings will be yours alone.’

‘Well Dad it is very good of you but I know nothing about selling books.

I mean apart from going to the shop on my school holidays I never did get to learn about books, and when I left school I went straight to university.

And after that I went to Sandhurst to train as an officer and that’s how I landed in the Army and well Dad you know the rest.’

‘I want to tell you this son, the shop gave me and your mom a good living and a comfortable life, and we cant see why it wont do the same for you.’

‘I cant get over it here I am just out of the army and end up with my own business, I cant thank you two enough.’

‘Well Martin you don’t know how happy this makes us feel, now good luck, but how much longer are you planing to have on holiday.’

‘Oh another week I think will do it Dad, I have seen most of my old friends and I think after another week I will start to get bored.’

‘Ok Martin after next week you can come down to the shop with me to learn the ropes.

And I will introduce you to the sellers who bring in the books from time to time.

You will learn everything in a week its not hard to do.

Just say if somebody brings in a book all you have to do is give him or her a price."

But make sure that when you give them a price make sure you can sell it and make a profit on it.

And if you see a book that looks like its very old but looks out of the ordinary the then go to the books we have for that reason.

There are four or five books in the shop that will tell you if they are worth anything or not.’

Martin said ‘Right Dad I think I have got the gist of what you are telling me.’

‘Right son we will start you on Monday morning.’

It only took Martin a couple of days, then his Dad let him run the shop by himself for the rest of the week.

Martin only made one mistake.

He bought a old book from an old man and paid fifty pounds for it, the old man had told him the book had been printed in the seventeen hundreds.’ His Dad said ‘Oh dear what a booby.’

‘What do you mean a booby.’

‘Well Martin have you not heard the old saying don’t take a book by its looks, well you paid fifty quid for a book I doubt whether its worth five pounds.’

‘Why did you not stop me Dad.’

‘Because you have paid for your mistake’.

And I don’t think you will make the same mistake again. Remember what I told you if you are in doubt go to the reference book’s, the best thing I used to do was tell them to go away and you can look the book up to find out what it is priced at.

Then tell them to come back on your next working day.

Then if he leaves the book with you, you can look it up in one of the index books that you have in the shop.

You can look it up in your own time, but if he tries to take it home you must try to read the stamps at the bottom of the first page as you are handing it back then when he goes you can take a look at the index book.’

‘Oh I see Dad but that was a costly lesson.’

‘Well son that’s the best way to learn when it cost you money.’

The next week on the Monday morning Martin opened his shop and as he pushed up the shutters he glanced up and down the street and he could feel his chest bulging with pride.

Martin was getting used to the shop and as he was making money he was quite happy.

A couple of weeks later his Dad came to the shop to see how he was getting on.

When he found that Martin was doing fine he said ‘Well do you