Fourteen-Year-Old Mystery Writer Takes Area By Surprise
Pamela Hall
The Ashland Beacon
Every writer dreams of being the author of the Great American Novel. Some work for many years honing his/her craft and fine-tuning a manuscript in order to have an opportunity to publish the story. To some, it is a laborious task but to others, it seems easy. Most never get to experience the realization of being a published author.
That is not the case for Abigail Nickell. She has just published her first book at the age of 14!
Abigail is from Greenup County and loves to read as well as write. She is home-schooled, along with her four siblings, and has just finished ninth grade. She began writing her book, which is a teen mystery, at the age of 12. She got the idea after reading another mystery story.
“The inspiration came mostly from the book that got me into reading and writing, The Mysterious Benedict Society,” Abigail said. “I loved the mystery and the personalities of the characters.”
So, Abigail went to work writing her own mystery story.
“She came up to me during quarantine with a notepad,” Abigail’s mother, Amanda, explained. “She said, ‘I’m going to write a book.’ I told her to go for it.”
Of course, the story didn’t come together in just a short period of time. Abigail worked on her manuscript for about 18 months while also doing her schoolwork.
“I went through about six or seven drafts,” Abigail remarked.
The result is a 93-page paperback book called The Great Bilton Caper. It is available for purchase on Amazon, or at personal appearances and book signings at various local events where Abigail has a booth. It can also be checked out at the Greenup County Public Library.
The Great Bilton Caper is a story about a priceless trophy that is stolen under mysterious circumstances. Sophie Whitman, who is 13 years old, has always wanted to solve a mystery, so she and her friends decide to investigate. They have fun at first, gathering clues and following them to find the culprit who has stolen the trophy. However, the investigation soon becomes very dangerous and their safety and even their very lives are in jeopardy.
The Great Bilton Caper is a wonderful book that is age appropriate for pre-teen and teen-age readers who love a good mystery. It has a five-star rating on Amazon with great reviews. It is noted as being well written and clean and wholesome with distinct personalities of the characters, and a well-developed plot with intriguing twists and uplifting messages weaved in throughout the story.
“It’s really nice to have a book that the parent doesn’t have to read to make sure there’s nothing bad in it before giving it to the child to read,” Abigail’s mother, Amanda remarked.
Congratulations to Abigail Nickell on the publication of her first book, The Great Bilton Caper. It will be interesting to see how her writing develops as she matures. We are expecting great things, even a national bestseller in the future! And, it all started when she had an idea for a story when she was 12 years old!
