Devo Mannix the Sorcerer’S Apprentice

Book excerpt: An accidental slip of the tongue while sitting in his magical 1925 Rolls Royce Phantom 1 automobile transports Devo on an unexpected adventure. Devo is accidentally struck on the head, suffers a temporary loss of memory, and forgets where he is, who he is, and how to return home. While still suffering from temporary loss of memory, Devo meets a young girl sitting on a bench in a cemetery. Devo helps the girl recover from the calamities that have occurred to her, and she, in turn, helps Devo regain his memory. A gift of a golden necklace and a diary from the girl starts Devo Mannix on a quest to solve a 120-year-old Civil War mystery in an attempt to clear her family name. Upon returning home, Devo finds he has inherited a 1,016-pound antique magical steamer trunk without the key to open it. In a search to find the key, Devo; his talking dog, Speeler; and his friend Julie are held captive by an unscrupulous ex-convict. Speeler, the talking dog, comes up with a plan for escape that sends their captive to the hospital, seeking medical attention. Eventually, the plan backfires, resulting in Devo being thrown into the magical streamer trunk and held prisoner. Devos eventual escape from the trunk solves one of the mysteries of the trunk concerning its contents and the original owner.