Matt McNeil and the Lost Idol

By Beau Lightning

Enter into the thrilling world of Matt McNeil, a brave and daring young man, who discovers a tale about the lost Golden Idol and sets out on a journey with his friends Lily and Tom to find it. Their journey takes them to Cairo, where they narrowly escape a deadly trap in a

• Language: English
• Publisher: Siesta Book Company
• Release date: Aug 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988683599

Beau Lightning

American writer of resoundingly popular children's books which were known for their inspiring characters, thrill-driven drama, and nail-biting cliffhangers.

Book preview

Text (C) 2023 by Beau Lightning.

Editing by Mia Pierson & Samantha Aramburu (C) 2023 by Bonnie Book LLC.

Illustrations by Anna Kuptsova by Bright Group Publishing.

Story Revisions by Danielle Marietta.

Matt McNeil & all related characters and elements are TM of and (C) Beau Lightning.

Matt McNeil Publishing Rights (C) Siesta Book Company.

All Rights Reserved. Published by Siesta Book Company.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

For information regarding permission, write to Beau Lightning.

Attention: Permissions Department, P.O. Box 22049, Sarasota, FL 34276-5049.

ISBN 979-8-9886835-0-6

Printed in the U.S.A.

August 2023

Dedicated to Owe-e, Cora Jean, and Mugs.

Chapter One

MISSING GRANDPA

Matt McNeil sat in his small apartment on the coast of Florida, processing the news his mom had just told him.

He’s…missing? he stuttered.

Yes, his mom nodded with tears in her eyes. He hasn’t been responding to any of my calls or my letters. At first I thought he might be in a remote place, but now I’m not sure. I thought you should know before you went to school today. She looked away from him for a moment. The gold ring grandpa gave her glinted in the sunlight. One of the many things he’d brought back from his travels.

Matt didn’t want to go to school. He didn’t want to do anything until he figured out where his grandpa could be. The truth is, he could be anywhere. The last Matt heard from him, he was in China, trekking along the Great Wall. He had sent Matt a postcard, with an I love you scribbled on the back. As he put it up on the wall in his room with the rest of grandpa’s postcards, Matt promised himself that one day, he’d be brave like his grandpa and travel the world.

But now grandpa was missing! Matt looked at his mom as she tried to hide her tears from him.

I’m sure he’s okay mom, Matt whispered. We’ll find him.

School that morning was a blur. Matt had a difficult time paying attention to anything - even history, his favorite subject. His best friends, Lily and Tom, noticed something was up and confronted him at lunch.

Matt, what’s going on? Lily asked a little too loudly. Other kids at the table looked up from their mashed potato lunches and stared at him.

Embarrassed, Matt quickly looked down at his food and started playing with it. He could feel the heat on his cheeks. He tried to stab his fork into a pea with no luck.

Nothing, he muttered.

Tom nudged his foot under the table. C’mon, Matt. We know you’re not that interested in your mashed potatoes. Tom smiled at Matt as he looked up. He was wearing a blue t-shirt with khaki shorts that looked brand new. Tom always looked put together.

My grandpa is missing, Matt said quietly so the other kids wouldn’t hear.

He WHAT? Lily yelped, her bouncy yellow hair jumping in shock. Tom elbowed her.

I mean…sorry. He what? Lily whispered.

He’s missing, Matt sighed. He’s normally gone for long periods of time, but mom says he hasn’t responded to any of her calls or letters for a month now. That’s pretty unusual for him. He started playing with his potatoes. Nothing sounded good right now.

I’m so sorry Matt, said Lily in the quietest voice she could muster.

Me too, added Tom.

The three of them sat in silence, unsure of what to say next.

∆ ∆ ∆ o ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆

Matt walked home from school slowly. He didn’t pay attention to the humid Florida air or the palm trees swaying