The Secret of Hangman's Inn - A Ken Holt Mystery, No. 6

I always enjoy going back and reading some of the children's mystery series of yester-year.  The original Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins, Dana Girls, and so on can be a real glimpse into the past, reading about a much more innocent time. Yes, there were many stereotypes and in some instances some down right discrimination in the books - but those were the times, and as I read them, it lets me see just how far we've come in some ways (but it also reminds me how many good things we've walked away from in society's effort to be more 'accepting' and more 'inclusive').  Over the years, I have branched out into collecting and reading a lot of lesser-known series, and have even (surprise! surprise!) read some boys' series, which, as a kid, I found to be very boring.  One such series that I've learned about and come to appreciate as an adult is the Ken Holt series by Bruce Campbell (yeah, no, not THAT Bruce Campbell).  Campbell, of course, is a pseudonym, as so many of those author names were back in the day, for a husband and wife writing team.

The Secret of Hangman's Inn is the sixth book in the series about Ken Holt, the young son of a foreign correspondent who has his own aspirations of one day becoming a reporter. This mystery, as well as the previous five, are not exactly overflowing with exciting adventures and spooky mystery elements that fill the Nancy Drew series (which, as anyone who knows me will know, is my favorite); however, it does feature some very well-plotted mysteries that are more subtle than in-your-face. Ken and his best friend, Sandy Allen (more on their relationship in a bit...), usually spend a lot of time discussing the facts, going over theories, and then following-up on the clues that they have uncovered. There is considerable more dialogue than the typical children's mystery books, and the chapter endings are less "cliffhanger-style" than his contemporaries.

Hangman's Inn is the story of a missing man, Joe Driscoll, the newspaper's janitor.  He hasn't missed a day in all the time he has worked there, and Sandy's dad is concerned. So, the boys head over to Joe's house and discover some oddities: dirty dishes in the sink (Joe is a neat-freak); the calendar is marked for two days prior; the front door was unlocked; a suitcase and all of Joe's clothes are in the closet. Something is not right, and the boys know it. They report it to Sandy's father, who sends them back out there - at which point they find the door locked, the dishes inside cleaned, and the suitcase and some books missing. Ken has a very bad feeling about this...

Ken and Sandy end up following clues to a bird-watching site that gives them the perfect view of a train junction, where they observe some odd lights and activity. Sandy's dad gets communications from Joe that are supposed to reassure them, but it only makes Ken and Sandy more concerned, as they pick up on some clues Joe puts in the notes. They are ultimately led to an abandoned inn, known as the "Hangman's Inn" (hence, the title of the book), where they not only find the missing maintenance man, but some other surprises as well. The two of them end up as hostages with Joe and Sandy's father and brother, and the five must figure out a way to escape a locked room.

The mystery is not faced paced, nor is it always exciting - but it is interesting and cerebral in nature, which will make the reader really think as you follow long with Ken and Sandy as they work to solve the crime.

As far as Ken and Sandy's friendship goes - well, let's just say that this series was written in a very different time, and some of the descriptions of what these two boys do  can be very easily misconstrued by today's standards, and there are times where it comes across that Ken and Sandy could very much be more than just "friends." My adult mind can differentiate this, remembering as I'm reading that these stories were written back in the early 1950s, which was a much more innocent time, but I'm sure young readers today might have a completely different take on the matter.

That being said, this is a series I would recommend to those who love mysteries in the vein of Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and so on.

RATING:  8 Gibraltar cigarette butts out of 10 for giving young readers a mystery that will really make them think.