Ashley Enright and the Darnell Diamonds

In the latest book in the Ashley Enright series, twelve-year-old Ashley Enright lives in Donnybrook, Maine, with her parents and younger sister, Kelly. In the summer, she loves to wear her New York Mets baseball cap, ride her bicycle and write stories. Her best friend, Josh Stewart, draws comic books featuring superheroes. She enjoys solving mysteries and is becoming well-known in town for her Ashley Enright Investigations.

One summer morning, Ashley and Josh help Ashley’s grandmother, Gram, transplant a rose bush in the Enright’s backyard. Gram always said that the rose bush has never grown properly where it is in the backyard. Ashley and Josh dig up the rose bush and make a sparkling discovery: a velvet bag filled with diamonds! They soon discover that these are the Darnell Diamonds that were stolen more than sixty years ago.

Can Ashley, Josh and Gram help police unravel the oldest unsolved mystery in Donnybrook history?

Ashley Enright and the Brand New Year

The next afternoon, Ashley received a call from Kaitlyn who excitedly told her that they’d better come to the university to see what they’d found under Gram’s painting.  Mr. Enright drove them all to the university.  Kaitlyn greeted them at the door to the art department.

“Here, let me show you,” said Kaitlyn as she ushered them into a room. They walked in and saw a painting of a man dressed in black and white. “This is what we found under your lighthouse painting, Mrs. Waterford,” said Kaitlyn.

“I have to admit,” said Gram looking over the painting. “I prefer the lighthouse painting!”

Kaitlyn laughed and said, “I agree, the lighthouse painting was beautiful, but it was painted over a much older painting.”

“So,” asked Mr. Enright. “Who is this guy?”

“Well,” Kaitlyn answered. “We did some research at the library and, thanks to Kathleen, we believe that it’s a painting of William Justice.”

“William Justice?” asked Ashley.

“Yep,” Kaitlyn answered. “Donnybrook’s very own pilgrim.”

“Wow,” said Ashley. “First, we found his home in Justice Woods and now we know what he looks like.”

“That’s amazing,” said Mrs. Enright. “What happens to the painting now?”

“I spoke to my art professor, Mr. Powers, and he asked if you would consider donating the painting to the university, Mrs. Waterford?” asked Kaitlyn.

“I don’t see why not, “said Gram. “I certainly don’t want his picture handing over my fireplace!”

“That’s fantastic,” said Kaitlyn. “This will add to the university’s exhibit about Donnybrook’s pilgrim.”

“It’s my pleasure, dear,” said Gram.

“Well,” said Mr. Enright. “It looks like another case solved by Ashley Enright Investigations.”

“Not really, Dad,” said Ashley. “It was Gram’s painting, after all.”

“That’s right, dear,” said Gram. “But, I’ll leave the investigating up to you and Josh. I’d just like to go home and enjoy my photo of the lighthouse painting.”

“I still think that the ‘Dogs Playing Poker’ would look great over your fireplace,” said Mr. Enright.

“Oh, Dad,” said Ashley. “Give it up!”

“That’s right, dear,” said Gram. “It simply isn’t funny.”

Mr. Enright chuckled and said, “Well, it’s a little bit funny”

Ashley Enright and the Brand New Year

The doorbell rang an hour later and Ashley greeted Kaitlyn at the door.

“Come on in, Kaitlyn,” said Ashley. “Everyone’s in the kitchen.”

“Thank you,” said Kaitlyn as she followed Ashley into the kitchen.

“Everyone,” said Ashley. “You all remember Kaitlyn, right?”

“Of course, dear,” said Gram. “Thank you for taking the time to come over and look at my painting.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, Mrs. Waterford,” said Kaitlyn. “It’s nice to see you again and Mr. and Mrs. Enright, too. You have a beautiful home.”

“Thanks, Kaitlyn,” said Mr. Enright.

“We’re glad to see you, Kaitlyn,” said Mrs. Enright. “How are things at the university?”

“Things are going well, Mrs. Enright,” answered Kaitlyn. “We’re on winter break right now. Classes start up again next week.”

Gram pointed to the painting on the kitchen table. “Here’s the painting, dear. As you can see, it could use some cleaning.”

Kaitlyn slowly looked over the whole surface of the painting. She said, “It’s certainly a very nice painting, but…”

“But?” Gram asked anxiously. “But, what?”

“Well,” Kaitlyn said slowly. “I can’t be absolutely certain, but I think this painting has been painted over another painting.”

“What?” asked Gram. “How can you tell?”

“The painting does have some dirt on it, but, do you see those chips on the bottom right corner?” asked Kaitlyn. They all leaned over the table and looked to where Kaitlyn was pointing.

“Doesn’t that just mean that the paint has cracked with age?” asked Gram.

“It could be, “said Kaitlyn. “But, when you look closer, there’s a different paint color underneath. See? It’s a dark brown.”

“I’ve heard of artists who reuse canvas,” said Mrs. Enright.

“Yes,” said Kaitlyn. “That’s very common in the art world because fresh canvas can be expensive.”

“I get it,” said Ashley’s father. “Starving artists, right?”

“I guess so,” Kaitlyn laughed. “If you look at the top left corner of the painting, you can see a lighter brown showing through those cracks.”

“So, dear,” said Gram. “What do we do now?”

“If you want to,” said Kaitlyn. “I can take the painting to our art department at the university and we can see if there really is a painting under this one.”

“I hate to lose my beautiful painting of the Donnybrook Lighthouse. It’s so peaceful and it would look great hanging over my fireplace,” Gram said with a sigh.

“Why don’t we take a picture of it, Mom?” said Ashley’s mother. “Then you can enlarge and frame it.”

“That’s a good idea, dear,” said Gram.

“I’ll get my digital camera,” said Ashley as she ran out of the kitchen.

“I really think that’s a good idea, Mrs. Waterford, “said Kaitlyn. “It’d be really cool if there was a valuable painting underneath this one.”

“Or it could be a painting of ‘Dogs Playing Poker’,” Ashley’s father laughed.

“That would not be funny,” said Gram.

“Well,” Ashley’s father winked and said, “It would be a little bit funny!”

Ashley came back in the room with her camera and handed it to Kaitlyn. “Here,” she said. “You’re the artist,  you should take the picture.”

Kaitlyn laughed and said, “O.k., if you insist.”

“Yes, dear, we insist!” said Gram. “If my son-in-law takes the picture, we’re liable to wind up with a picture of a giant thumb.”

Everyone laughed and Mr. Enright said, “Oh, come on, I’m not that bad.”

Ashley laughed and said, “Dad, we have an entire photo album full of pictures of your thumb, ears and the ground!”