Whispering Darkness

Hank Baker is alone in his belief that his father is still alive. Corporal Baker was declared missing-in-action seven years earlier, after the fierce fighting of the Battle of Belleau Wood in France at the end of World War I. When Hank finds a skeleton in the woods near his family’s property, questions arise about who it was. He decides to investigate the mystery on his own with the help of his two best friends. Will he discover the skeleton is his missing father or someone else? In 1925, South Arkansas is in the middle of an oil boom of worldwide proportions, and the woods are filled with stills that reek of homemade, bootleg whiskey. It is the backdrop for more adventure than Hank bargains for as he, Daniel, and Beth Ann uncover the truth about the skeleton.


Brenda Hutcheson Fickey was born and raised in Camden, Arkansas, growing up in the Frenchport community, where her Arkansas Oil Days novels are set. She earned her BA in education from East Texas Baptist College and her MEd in language arts from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her teaching specialties are English, history, and music. She has taught on public and private elementary, secondary, and university campuses in Texas, Alaska, Colorado, and Arkansas. She has also earned two diplomas from the Institute of Children’s Literature in Connecticut. After more than 25 years as a writing teacher, she published her first novel in 2007. She writes specifically for middle reader boys and girls (ages 8-12) who are considered reluctant readers. Having been a reluctant reader herself, she has a passion for helping them build their reading skills to enjoy the written word. Her unique storytelling has successfully reached those in her target audience as well as avid young readers and adults alike. Her fans span a wide range of ages from all around the world.