The Vanishing Young of Rydal Cave

In the intriguing series mystery novel The Vanishing Young of Rydal Cave, sisters pursue the truth behind the inexplicable lights in the sky above their town.

Enchantments abound in Warren Cabral’s mystery novel The Vanishing Young of Rydal Cave, in which unexplained lights unsettle a small town in the days before Christmas.

Smart, proper Mae and free-spirited Isla share a remarkable telepathic bond. In this series instalment, they are drawn into a baffling mystery in the scenic Lake District: Eerie blue rays paint the sky in a strange pattern; their electronic devices fuzz out, except for their iPad, which displays the same pattern as the lights. Next, the girls discover that a group of special agents disappeared near the legendary Rydal Cave while investigating UFO phenomena. With the help of their gruff but well-meaning grandfather, the sisters decode cryptic messages, uncover the true identities of suspicious newcomers in town, and confront shifting adversaries.

The story begins and resolves in the span of just over a week and is told across chapters that read like vignettes, following the girls’ daily lives and their attempts to understand the lights in the sky. The lights make it hard for them to focus on anything else, though more strange events arise: A newcomer has sharp teeth, and a science class recording of dolphins repeats the same pattern that the girls recorded.

Mae and Isla’s relationship is developed in terms of ordinary sibling bickering and teasing, though it is also amplified by their gift: They have a silent mental connection. Others around town are underdeveloped in comparison to the sisters, aside from the girls’ grandfather, who teaches them how to build a radio from scratch. He also supplies necessary background information, filling them in on colorful life at the local RAF base and a case of missing children from decades ago.

In addition to a detailed, colorful map of the town with key locations from the story marked (implied to be the product of Mae’s fastidious hand), the book includes scattered illustrations—both small representations of key moments and images of important characters. Hand-drawn in style, they have exaggerated features and vibrant colors; these seem to represent artistic Isla’s attempts to capture details in her unique way.

However, an uncovered secret leads to the book’s abrupt ending. Indeed, the truth about the lights, the newcomers, and the strange pattern in the sky is somewhat unanswered; Mae suggests a fanciful solution, but the lack of true resolve hampers the story on the whole.

In the imaginative mystery novel The Vanishing Young of Rydal Cave, telepathic siblings witness strange lights in the sky and seek out the truth behind them.

Reviewed for Foreword Clarion by John M. Murray
October 25, 2025

"This is a mystery that will appeal to readers who have an interest in history, spies and alien communication." LoveReading4Kids