The Mystery of the Missing Eyebrows

This is not only one of the shortest "series" I've ever seen (only one book was published in the series), it is also one of the most unusual.  The book is promoted as "The Newspaper Boys' Series" on the cover, yet on the inside book listing, it calls the series the "Renfro Horn Stories."   The cover does not identify the author; rather, it indicates the publisher is "The R.H. Gore Book Co."  The author is not identified until the title page, which lists him at Stephen Rudd.  Now, you may ask what is so odd about any of this ... well, R.H. Gore is actually Robert Hayes Gore (1886-1972), an American newspaper publisher - he owned and published the Ft. Lauderdale Daily News, acquired the DeLand Sun and Daytona Beach Sun-Record, and later started The Pompano Beach Sun Sentinel.  He was born in Knottsville, Kentucky (which is quite a coincidence, since I was born in Kentucky and now live in Florida!).  "Stephen Rudd" was merely a pseudonym, and this book was the one and only book ever published in this series and by that particular publisher. 

 

The Mystery of the Missing Eyebrows is self-proclaimed to be the first book in the Newspaper Boys' Series, featuring Renfro Horn as the main character.  The book is copyrighted in 1921 by the R.H. Gore Publishing Company, which was a short-lived publishing house established by Gore in Terre Haute, Indiana shortly after he became publisher of the Terre Haute Post in 1916.  It should come as no surprise that the book should be so heavily focused on the newspaper world, since Gore himself was involved with the newspaper publishing world for many years, both in Indiana and in Florida.  In fact, Gore (a/k/a Rudd) provides a one-page introduction just before the table of contents that is basically a self-serving advertisement for subscribing to your local newspaper and promoting the hard work of newspaper boys, alleging the "newspaper training is valuable, as much so as school..."  He even makes reference to the "fact" that the Renfro Horn in this book is based upon a real boy by the same name who delivered newspapers in his youth.  Perhaps he is referring to himself (since his first two initials are "R" and "H").

 

The mystery centers around the kidnapping of Helen Weir, the young daughter of a local judge who is known to be extremely stern in his sentencing.  Renfro Horn, who happens to see a shadowy figure lurking around the Weir house on two different occasions, figures out a way to stay out later to keep watch on the house by getting a job as a paper boy (although he certainly does not need the job, since it made clear his family is very upper class, and even his mother looks down her nose at children who get menial jobs such as a paper boy).  When he learns of the kidnapping, Renfro returns to the house to search for clues and finds on the window where he had seen the shadowy man looking into the house two eyebrows stuck to the ice on the window.  He uses a knife to carefully cut off those eyebrows and decides he is going to solve the case himself by simply finding the man who is missing his eyebrows (hence, the title of the book!).  His family's young "second maid," whose name is Mary, ends up lending aid to Renfro, as she had been studying detective techniques in the various stories she had been reading.  In a way, she became the Watson to Renfro's own version of Sherlock.

 

The story is pretty much a standard children's mystery of its time.  The police are inept at figuring out what has happened to Judge Weir's daughter, while Renfro stumbles cross clue after clue, through various circumstances and just plain luck, which lead him to figure out the girl's kidnapper(s) must be hiding out in the old Hall mansion, which is said to be haunted, since its owner, a man by the name of Captain Pete, has made his residence in a shack some ways away.  Renfro learns that Captain Pete's brother has been released from the prison where he has served time, and he thinks that he may be involved with the kidnapping.  Mysterious lights in the supposed empty mansion, the rather rotund man who Renfro sees with the Captain, and the mysterious woman wearing the same scarf he had previously seen on the man all lead Renfro, with Mary's help, to stake out the old house and find out the truth of who is staying there.  In the end, Renfro himself gets kidnapped, which leads him to finding Helen and solving the mystery - making him the hero of the judge and his wife, giving the newspaper a major scoop for a huge story, and encouraging Mary to decide she wants to help Renfro solve more mysteries!

 

And speaking of more mysteries, the listing in the front of the book provides a list of eleven more books "to follow shortly," it proclaims.  The stories alleged to be coming have some rather unique titles, such as The Luck of a Rainy Night, The Long Low Whistle, The Growl of the Lost Dog, The Fall of the East Side Bully, and others.  In the back of the book, there are short synopses given for the next four books that were to be published - The Luck of a Rainy Night (or, Renfro Horn Wins the $10,000 Reward); The Rise of Route 16 (or, Renfro Gets a Regular Detective Badge); The White Bag's Secret (or, Renfro Horn Trails Down the Thieving Dog); and The Clue of the Twisted Paper (or, The Mystery of the Lost Girl).  Sadly, none of those stories ever saw print, and it is unknown (at least to me!) if any outlines or manuscripts for any of these books were ever completed.  vv Broward County in Florida contains an archive for Mr. Gore in their Historical Archives, which include papers documenting his career as the Governor of Puerto Rico, newspaper publisher, real estate developer, and other activites: The Robert H. Gore Papers.  This book appears to be the one and only book Mr. Gore ever wrote, and the archive do not indicate there are any unpublished outlines or manuscripts.  I enjoyed this book sufficiently, I would definitely have read more if there were any written!

 

There is no dust jacket with the book, and I can find no evidence that it was ever published with one.  There are, however, two illustrations - one is the frontis piece, and the other is inserted between 182 and 183.  As can be seen, the illustrations come with rather lengthy taglines, much longer than you might be used to seeing in a children's series book.  The frontis piece depicts Renfro finding the two eyebrows stuck to the Weirs' window; the second illustration, which shows Renfro being kidnapped, is for whatever reason placed in between pages 182 and 183, but the action in the scene does not actually occur until 189; so I'm uncertain as to why the illustration was inserted pages before that, as it does rather spoil such an important scene in the story.  Neither illustration is signed, that I can see, and the book does not give any credit to the identity of the artist.  The title page merely indicates the book is illustrated.  

 

I always find it amusing when I am reading stories that are 100 years old, such as this one (105 years, technically), because the language used can be antiquated - words that were used in 1921 to mean one thing can sometimes mean something quite different in 2026 - which can give an entirely different spin if one were to read it applying today's definitions!  For instance, in the first chapter, when the author is describing Renfro, through the eyes of his parents, it is said that Mr. Horn "knew his son was queer" (p. 14); his mother, too, "that Renfro was queer" (p. 15); Mr. Horn even tells his wife, "Renfro is a little queer.  None of us boys was the least like him.  But he's clever with all his queer streaks..." (p. 15); and Mrs. Horn complained that if her son "had to read such queer stories, he should not do it in the middle of the night" (p. 16).  A child reading the story today might take these descriptions in an entirely different way than they were intended back in 1921 - thus proving that context is definitely required when reading antiquarian books such as this!

 

There is a major continuity error I caught that took me out of the story for a brief moment. Midway through the story, when Mary is helping Renfro by watching the old Hall mansion, she later describes how she cut eye holes into the piece of wood covering a window so that she could see inside (pp. 138-39).  Later in the story, when Renfro goes to the house in order to see if his suspicions are correct about who is living there, the author indicates "Renfro found his peep holes, which he had cut out a few nights before with his knife" (p. 176).  Apparently the author forgot he had written Mary as the one who cut the holes, not Renfro.  However, for a 241-page story, for there to be only one continuity error such as this, I think it can be forgiven.

 

Definitely a fun story, with a perky little hero and his determined sidekick - truly a shame we did not get more adventures of Renfro and Mary!

 

RATING:  9 mysterious lights over the Indian graves out of 10 for damp caves, haunted houses, courteous kidnappers, and fun-filled mystery in one of the shortest series ever published!

Peggy Lane Theater Stories No. 2 - Peggy Plays Off-Broadway

The story of aspiring actress Peggy Lane continues in this second book of the Peggy Lane Theater Stories.  The specific identity of the author, who wrote this book under the name "Virginia Hughes," is unknown, but there are some subtle differences in the style of writing between the first and second books, leading one to believe that they were written by different authors.  However, the characterization remains fairly the same, and the story actually remains in continuity and continues from the first book, which I find refreshing for the series books of this era (which mostly told individual stories with very little continuity among the books in the series).  Like the Judy Bolton series by Margaret Sutton, this Peggy Lane series appears to be one where the time line moves forward as the series progresses, and the characters grow in age, experience, and maturity, with story elements from previous books giving rise to situations in later books.  This gives the series a more sense of the real world than a fictional one!

 

Peggy Plays Off-Broadway picks up some months after the first book ended.  Where the first book took place during Peggy's first semester at the New York Dramatic Academy, this second book jumps ahead in time - Christmas and New Year's have past, and it's now coming to the end of the winter months, as Peggy and her friends prepare for casting of the play written by Peggy's friend, Randy Brewster, and directed by her other friend, Mallory Seton.  The book opens with Peggy anxiously awaiting the opportunity to read for a part in the play, and her best friend, Amy Preston, giving her moral support.  Readers are introduced to newcomer, Paula Andrews, who Peggy is certain will land the lead role in the play, as her appearance and demeanor give Peggy the impression that Randy had written the part specifically for her - even though he has never met her before in his life!

 

The entirety of the book deals with Randy's play, Come Closer.  Readers get a taste of not only what the casting process is like, but also the laborious task of building sets, establishing lighting, running lines, developing characters, blocking, rehearsing, and everything else involved in the production of an off-Broadway play. It is always fun for me to read stories like this; having been in the theater myself for a number of years (not Broadway, of course!), I have a level of understanding about all of these activities, and I can appreciate whether the author actually knows what he/she is talking about.  So far, in this series, the authors have had a fairly realistic grasp on all of the activities associated with putting on a play.  The nervousness, the anticipation, those opening night jitters, the worries of having given a bad performance, etc.  Many of the emotions felt by Peggy and her friends throughout the book (as they relate to the play itself) I have felt myself over the years!

 

A number of elements from the first book come into play (no pun intended) in this second book. The building that Peggy and Amy found in the last book has been fully renovated now by Mal and Randy, so that it not only has a theater and rehearsal space, but also has living quarters for the boys, as well as extra rooms for other actors who need a place to live (allowing them to rent those rooms out to cover the expenses associated with the upkeep of the building).  Peggy is still taking a full course load at the Dramatic Academy, and she still faces that one-year deadline that she set with her parents to find a paying acting gig that will allow her to remain in New York and pursue her dreams. With the introduction of Paula Andrews, though, we get new blood into the story, as well as a slight mystery.  It seems that while Paula is a superb actress, she is hiding a number of secrets.  When the cast is called upon to perform one scene from the play for a potential new benefactor, Paula storms out unexpectedly, crying that she cannot do it for Sir Brian Alwyne, a special British representative for the United Nations (p. 47).  This, of course, piques Peggy's curiosity, and she's determined to learn exactly what Paula is hiding, before it destroys the play's chances of getting off the ground.

 

Peggy actually does some things that I consider to be outside the scope of normal sleuthing - not only does she contrive a surprise party for Paula to convince the superintendent of her building to let her and Amy into Paula's apartment, but she snoops through literally every drawer, closet, and bookshelf in the apartment until she finds something that will give her a clue as to Paula's past.  From there, she reaches out to one of her housemates who just so happens to be on a tour out in California (at exactly the time Peggy needs someone out there - how convenient!) to visit a house she believes to belong to Paula's parents and find out more information about Paula.  She then shares everything she learns with her housemates and house mother before she ever actually approaches Paula with what she knows!  Yes, Peggy does admit to everything she's done after-the-fact, but it still seems pretty underhanded, particularly when she claims throughout the story how much she wants to be Paula's friend.  A true friend does not dig in so deeply into someone's personal life without their permission!  But, as can be expected, Paula forgives her, the mystery reaches a successful resolution, and the play's opening night turns out to be such a success that pretty much everyone involved gets offers in their various fields (with Peggy actually getting an agent - the N.A.R. [National Artists' Representatives], which is a fictional agency, likely taken from the NATR, the National Association of Talent Representatives) (p. 170).

 

The art is once again provided by Sergio Leone.  The cover, while not exactly exciting, does at least offer a bit more than the first book.  In this scene, we have Peggy studying her script, with Randy (?) standing over her.  There is only one full page internal illustration, which is the frontis piece.  The remaining illustrations throughout the book are 1/2-page, 1/3-page, 3/4-page and such.  As with the first book, the characters in the illustrations all appear much older than what they actually are in the story - in fact, the only illustration that depicts the characters in the age group in which they should be are the end pages.  In that rehearsal scene, all of the characters appear in their late teens and early twenties.

 

An enjoyable read, for sure, and now that Peggy has an agent, I'm curious to see where the series will go with the next book!

 

RATING:  9 flat, leather boxes of highly polished calfskin out of 10 for detailing the life of an aspiring actress and the joys (and pains!) of putting together a play for opening night! 

The Brownie Scouts at Silver Beach - Book Five of the Brownie Scout Books

It's a week at the beach for the Brownies in Mildred Wirt's fifth Brownie Scouts adventure (I hesitate to call this a "mystery" series, as the books are more about the young girls' adventures and learning experiences than they are about the actual mystery aspect of the stories).  I have to admit, this series has been a much more enjoyable read than I had originally anticipated.  A series about a group of pre-teen girls who are enjoying outings as Brownie Scouts did not exactly scream out to me as readable stories, and the only reason I actually bought them was because (a) they were all purchased relatively cheap, with their dust jackets in tact, and (b) it was another Mildred Wirt series.  I just assumed they would sit on my shelves, unread.  But, when a friend suggested I read and post about them, I thought, "Why not?"  And, quite frankly, I'm glad I did.

 

The Brownie Scouts at Silver Beach finds out favorite little Brownies enjoying the sun and fun at Silver Beach, said to be "along the Atlantic Coast" (p. 3).  Veve (whose spelling is changed to "Vevi" in this book for some reason) McGuire and Connie Williams are once again front and center in the story, with Jane Tuttle, Sunny Davidson, and Rosemary Fritche rounding out the troop.  Miss Gordon, the troop leader, is, of course, on the scene, as is Mrs. Williams, Connie's mother, who is helping to chaperone the girls.  Vevi and Connie are bunked with Mrs. Williams in the rental, Starfish Cottage, while the other girls are staying with Miss Gordon in a "vine-covered cottage overlooking Silver Beach" (p. 3) that the troop leader owns.  By the end of the first chapter, we get the beginnings of a mystery, when Miss Gordon's watch, which she left in the pocket of her beach robe with the rest of the troop's belongings on the sandy beach while they enjoyed the ocean water, is stolen!

 

Readers quickly learn there have been other thefts recently in that area of the beach, which has caused a number of summer visitors to migrate over to the beach belonging to a nearby hotel.  That mystery, however, is put to the side as the girls begin to explore the beach, discover shells, discuss the various types of water birds seen in the area, watch a turtle race, and discover a small house built to look like a ship not far from their cottages.  Along the way, Vevi and Connie get lost in the fog (which is when they stumble across the ship-shaped cottage and discover another mystery - who is using the small house as a place to stay?), the girls have fun adventures trying to catch a turtle so they can enter the next turtle race, they collect shells so that they can put together and showcase a shell display, and they learn all about carrier pigeons, with Vevi nearly getting her very own pigeon that she names Snow White!  And during all of these fun activities, the girls also hear about more thefts and inadvertently witness the thief on more than one occasion attempting to steal items from tourists who are visiting the beach.  Even worse, poor Vevi and Connie wind up on a boat put adrift at sea, with no one knowing where they are!

 

The mysteries, as usual, are not overly complicated, nor are they difficult to solve (at least, for the discerning reader).  The identity of the thief is not at all hard to spot, pretty much from the get-go.  The identity of the person using the ship-shaped cottage is also easy to figure out, as Wirt does not make it hard to see where the story is going.  The mixture of the two lifeguards, the former ship captain, the young boy whose father is a lifeguard at the other hotel, and the man who handles the homing pigeons are fairly straight-forward characters who may be able to hide all of their secrets from the Brownie Scouts, but none of them are so subtle that even a casual reader could not spot them a mile away.  None of that detracts from the enjoyment of the story, though - it's not about actually solving the mysteries; rather, it's more about following along with Vevi, Connie, and the other Brownies as they hop from one exciting escapade to another.

 

Wirt casually included a moment in the story that is definitely a very valuable teaching lesson for young children.  When Vevi and Connie venture out to find Cabell's pond, where there are said to be lots of turtles to be found, a layer of mist begins to roll in from the ocean as dusk draws near.  As they are walking, a "driver stopped for a moment offering the girls a ride.  Vevi and Connie did not know him, so they turned down the offer" (p. 23).  A shining example of the old maxim, "never get in a car with a stranger."  I smiled when I read these lines, thinking how smart Wirt was to integrate a moral lesson into the story without making it overly obvious and beating you over the head with it.  One has to wonder how many children read this back in the day and took this lesson to heart.

 

There is another scene, however, that caught my attention more than the "stranger danger" scenario.  When Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams take the girls to Brant's Point for a picnic and for an opportunity to search for more shells, the tide starts to come in before they realize it, and soon enough, Mrs. Williams' car is stuck in the sand, unable to get any traction.  As the tide gets closer and closer, my mind kept telling me, "I've read this scene before - but where?"  Thanks to the memory of a very good friend, I found it - in Wirt's Penny Parker mystery, Voice from the Cave.  In that book, Penny and Louise are on a beach near a lighthouse (same as the Brownies are in this book), and like the Scouts, Penny's car gets stuck and the high tide keeps coming in with no help in sight.  The similarities do not stop there:

 

PP 95 - "Even if the car isn't washed away, the salt water will ruin it."

BS 88 - "Salt water ruins a car very easily ... We must get out somehow."

 

PP 95 - The motor began to labor.  Then the car stalled completely.

BS 85-86 - Slower and slower crept the car, its engine laboring ... The car would not budge...

 

PP 95 - "I'll run to the lighthouse," Penny decided desperately...

BS 88 - She glanced hopefully toward the lighthouse.  Connie offered ro un there and ask for help.

 

PP 97 - Penny and Louise seek help from a man they know who is wading through the reef; he sees them, but he turns and walks away

BS 90 - The Brownies seek help from a lifeguard they see in a boat out in the ocean; he sees them, but he turns and speed away in his boat

 

PP 99 - Jerry Livingston shows up on the beach and helps the girls push the car out of the sand

BS 91 - Captain Tarwell shows up on the beach and helps the girls push the car out of the sand

 

The scenes so closely resemble one another, only the names have been changed and some of the wording.  As the Penny Parker book was published in 1944, and this one in 1952, so perhaps Wirt "borrowed" the scene from the earlier book with the thought that readers of this particular book (who would be younger than the intended audience of the Penny Parker book published eight years prior) would not recognize the passage.  (Wirt seems to have had no problem in lifting scenes from previously published books of hers and retooling them into later stories - her Madge Sterling series provided her with a plethora of scenes that she later used in her Penny Parker books, her Mystery Stories for Girls books, and others.)

 

Marguerite Gayer provided both the cover art and interior illustration (the frontis piece being the only interior art) for this book.  The cover art actually depicts a scene related to the mystery surrounding the thefts at the beach, as the girls find a stolen purse buried in the sand (p. 146).  Meanwhile, the interior illustration merely shows the scene where Vevi and Connie happen across the small cottage in the mist while trying to find the pond (p. 34).

 

RATING:  8 dusty old Bibles out of 10 for keeping the Brownies faithful to their code, always helping others, while also learning about nature and valuable lessons at the same time.

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories # 145 - The Missing Horse Mystery

"Danger's riding high ... and Nancy's in its path!" (cover blurb)

 

"A search for a missing horse leads Nancy to a dark discovery!" (back cover blurb)

 

I've noticed a trend in recent digests that I have read that seems to lean toward more mature mysteries, often using deadly weapons and individuals within the stories becoming gravely injured.  Two of the last three books that I've read involved serious attempts on Nancy's life, well beyond the normal foibles of getting knocked unconscious or run off the road - and this book is no exception.  I've often heard people say that once the Nancy Drew Files ended in 1997, some unused manuscripts and plots were integrated into the digests; and, after reading these recent bout of Nancy Drew Mystery Stories (142, 143, and now 145), I would have to agree.  These plots definitely seem more fitting for the older audience at which the Files were aimed.

 

The Missing Horse Mystery takes Nancy, Bess, and Ned to the Illinois Horse Park for the Midwest Grand Prix Dressage Championship. Surprisingly, there appears to be an actual Illinois Horse Park located in Triumph, Illinois, made up of approximately 80 acres of historic farmland about an hour away from Chicago.  Not too often does the Nancy Drew series use actual locations such as this (excepting the use of real cities).  Whether the author intended this to be the same "Illinois Horse Park" or not is unknown.  However, the fact it is specifically set in Illinois once again gives rise to the ongoing consensus that River Heights is located somewhere near Chicago (and since The Case of the Capital Intrigue specifically indicated Chicago is the nearest big city to River Heights, this book simply reiterates it).  George is off-screen in this book, said to be "having a great time teaching at a soccer clinic" (p. 2).  This is another aspect I have been noticing about the series as it progresses:  the ghostwriters appear to prefer using either Bess or George in the stories, not as often using both of Nancy's best friends.  Perhaps the authors simply don't know how to utilize both characters alongside Nancy with these shorter mysteries (this book clocks in at only 147 pages), and so it is easier to use one cohort rather than two.  Even at that, Ned is actually more involved in this mystery than Bess - she meets a foreign competitor named Gunter and spends most of the book going out with him instead of helping Nancy!

 

As with most of these "vacation mysteries," Nancy has come to Illinois Horse Park to enjoy a weekend getaway, not to be involved in a mystery.  Even when she catches wind of a fire in the stables by the end of the first chapter, she resolves not to look for a mystery where there may not be one.  But, of course, as always, there is a mystery, and soon enough, Nancy is in the middle of it.  A valuable horse vanishes, and the groomer is seriously injured and taken to the hospital, where she lies in a coma.  The night before, however, the groomer had given Nancy a small bit of information that plays a very large part in this mystery - in fact, for me, it basically gave away the entire plot and the culprit.  But, I am not the intended age group for reading this kind of mystery, so perhaps the intended readers might not find the clue quite so revealing.

 

The author does throw in a number of possible suspects.  From one of the competitors who has made it clear that he will do anything to win the competition to one or more of the security guards who are not necessarily all they appear to be to rival horse owners who want to win the big prize.  It seems there is quite a lot of money on the line, and the question Nancy must figure out is who benefits the most from the prize horse's disappearance?  Nancy and Ned must face off against some violent rottweilers, and they find themselves at gunpoint, their deaths certain as the real villain lets them know in no uncertain terms that they will not foil his plans.  The grievous blow to the groom's head, the rottweiler attack, the beating of an accomplice, and the threat of gun violence definitely set a much darker tone for this mystery.  The stakes are higher than Nancy Drew's normal cases, and Nancy and Ned take some dangerous chances by sneaking into the security guard's offices, as well as the private offices of another suspect,  However, despite all that danger, Nancy reveals the true criminal by the end of the story (although, surprisingly, she actually believes the crook's excuses several times before realizing what he was truly up to, which is something the Nancy Drew everyone knows and loves is not prone to do!).

 

Interestingly, when talking with their friend, Lee Anne Suna, who invited the girls to come watch the show, Bess makes the comment, "Nan and I have been riding since we were about eight" (p. 9).  I automatically assumed this was a references to the Nancy Drew Notebooks series for young readers, which began about four years prior to the publication of this book in 1998.  In that series, Nancy and her friends are eight years old, and at least two books in that series deal with horses (books 26 and 37).  And, since this book has advertisements in the back for the Nancy Drew Notebooks series, it is an easy assumption that the author, and potentially the publisher as well, wanted to promote that series. 

 

Another somewhat factual point raised within the story is the distance from the Illinois Horse Farm to the Iowa state line, which Nancy and Ned must cross over in order to follow-up on a clue.  Nancy casually mentions to Bess that "Ned and I are going to tour a farm in Iowa," (p. 103), leading one to believe it could not be far, if they planned to simply "visit" the farm and be back the same day.  When the two actually head out, it is stated the farm was only about "a half hour's drive" (p. 110).  In reality, Triumph, Illinois (the home of the Illinois Horse Farm) is approximately 83 miles from the closest point of the Iowa state line - so, for Nancy and Ned to make it to that point in a half hour would have to mean they were driving nearly 160 miles per hour!  (Of course, they are not in the real world, so in the book, the Illinois Horse Farm must have been located considerably closer to the state line...)

 

The ghostwriter for this particular mystery is Alison Hart.  If this is the same Alison Hart who has written a number of horse-related novels, including books in the Horse Diaries series, then it would not be surprising, considering the subject matter of this book.  This is actually the fifth of six books that Ms. Hart has written for the series (the other being Magnolia Mansion, Stranger in the Shadows, Masked Rider, Twin Teddy Bears, and Gold Doubloons).  The cover art is again provided by Ernie Norcia, depicting a scene early on, when Nancy smells smoke and releases a horse from its stall where the first has been set (p. 11).

 

Not a bad read, but as indicated above, the solution was given away too early.  Better than a number of the digests, but not within my top ten.

 

RATING:  7 long metal rasps with blood on it out of 10 for trying to mislead readers with several very unlikable characters who you would almost want to be the villain of the story! 

Peggy Lane Theater Stories No. 1 - Peggy Finds the Theater

What better way to start a new month than with a new series (well, new to me at least ... well, new for reading purposes ... anyway ...).  With my love of theater, my love of vintage series books, and my love of stories with female protagonists, it should come as no surprise that I have all eight books in the Peggy Lane Theater Stories series.  Published from 1962 to 1965, the series follows the adventures of a nearly twenty-year old Peggy Lane, whose desire to become an actress leads her to forego a college education and head off for New York City to fulfill her dreams.  The author is given as "Virginia Hughes," which is actually a house pseudonym.  According to Jennifer White's website, the only known author is Geraldine Wallis, who wrote the third volume in the series; the other four books were likely written by four different men.  It would be interesting to learn just who those men were that authored the books (although judging from the information provided on Jennifer White's website, John Ott may have been one, based on his own background as an actor and director).

 

Peggy Finds the Theater is the first book in the series, introducing readers to the dark-haired protagonist and her rather large supporting cast.   Peggy Lane and her best friend, Jean Wilson, live in the fictional town of Rockport, Wisconsin (p. 6).  While there is a Rockport Park in the State of Wisconsin, and there is a city called Rock in Wisconsin, there is no actual Rockport.  The book indicates the travel time by plane from Rockport to New York City is approximately three hours (p. 22), which would place the town somewhere along the western portion of the state (since standard flight time from Wisconsin to New York City is only about two-and-a-half hours).  The story opens with Peggy working hard to convince her parents to allow her to step back from Rockport Community College, where she has finished her first year, and move to New York City to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.  In the end, she makes a bargain with them that will allow her a year to pursue her dream, and if she has not achieved any level of acting goals in that time, she will return home and finish college before attempting it again.  

 

This was very reminiscent of the Carol Page theater series written by Helen Dore Boylson, who makes a very similar deal with her parents in order to get permission to pursue an acting career.  The Carol Page series was released a decade prior to this series, so it seems the attitudes of parents towards their daughters who want to pursue theater as a career did not change much over that time.

 

This first book deals very little with the theater itself and more with Peggy making the move to the big city, starting a very prestigious acting school, making new friends, and joining an off-Broadway theater group who are working to put together their first play.  While there is mention of Peggy's previous experience on the stage while she was in high school, we never actually get to see Peggy perform (other than a couple of scenes where she is rehearsing the monologues she plans to use when she auditions to be admitted into the acting school).  The author does reference real plays, however, including the classic Twelfth Night (p. 23), a play by Shakespeare; the satire Skin of Our Teeth (p. 24), a play by Thornton Wilder; and the drama, Winterset (p. 24), a play by Maxwell Anderson.  The author also makes reference to Variety magazine, with which anyone in the acting community is well acquainted.  However, in the book, one of Peggy's new housemates indicates the magazine has casting call pages for the theater (p. 70); yet, some quick research online reveals Variety never really had theater casting calls, but focused more on the entertainment industry, i.e. television and film.  Backstage or Broadway World are the magazines more easily recognized for theater casting call notices.  Perhaps the author just felt readers might more easily recognize the Variety name than the others.

 

The rather expanded cast of characters are introduced in chapter six, which is aptly titled "Cast of Characters."  It is here we learn all about the girls with whom Peggy will be sharing a house while in New York.  First, there is Gaby (Gabrielle), whose father works for the UN, is French and learning English so she can hopefully break into the acting world; then there is Dot, a native of California who is a comedienne and eccentric dancer; next is Greta, who is from Boston and is working as a script editor while waiting for her big break;  following her is Irene (not her real name!), who previously acted in some television shows and is currently supporting herself as a model; also in the house is Maggie, a dancer from Ireland, who has been dancing since she was three years old; and then comes Amy, a small town girl from North Carolina who, like Peggy, has just arrived in New York hoping to find success on the stage.  May Berriman is the house mother, who takes care of the girls.  (This set up is also similar to the Carol Page series, where Carol lives in a boarding house with a number of other actresses.)

 

In addition to their housemates, Peggy (and by default her new best friend, Amy) become involved with a group of students at New York Academy who are putting together a play that they hope to have produced off-Broadway.  These students include Peter Piper (yes, they acknowledge the source of the name in the story), known to his friends as "Pip," and Connie Barnes, another comedienne; also a part of the group is Mallory Seton, the director, and Randy Brewster, the producer.  Rounding out the group are Mona Downs and Thomas Galen, both of whom are older actors (neither of whom are students, but both of whom are seasoned actors who do not mind doing off-Broadway shows [p. 91]).  They have the script, the actors, and the financing - all they need to do is find an available theater, which is next to impossible in New York City.  This is where Peggy comes in!  Peggy volunteers to find a theater.  "I used to help out as a reporter on my father's newspaper, and I'm used to digging up facts," she tells the group (p. 99).  Thus, not only is Peggy an actress, but she is a reporter as well!  Talk about your well-rounded career girl! All she needs to do is add amateur sleuth to that resume ... oh, wait, she does!

 

Yes, Peggy stumbles across a very minor mystery while searching for a theater.  She and Amy find the perfect location in a building that houses a theater on the top floor; but the janitor gives them the brush off, which makes Peggy automatically suspect something criminal is going on at the building (because no one would ever be rude in NYC, right?).  She convinces the theater troupe, and before you know it, they are staking out the back alley to see if anything criminal takes place.  Soon enough, Peggy and Amy witness a truck delivering boxes into the building late at night, with an armed guard.  Convinced there is something criminal about the whole affair, they tell the police, who not only give credence to her story, but manage to catch the crooks in the middle of delivering their next shipment of stolen goods into the building!  Not only does the insurance company provide the girls with a rather substantial reward for recovering thousands of dollars worth of furs and silverware and liquor (as well as $20,000 worth of nylon stockings - as the book says, that "is an awful law of nylon stockings" [p. 172]), but the owner of the building, who lives in Florida (of all places!), is only too happy to rent the troupe not just the top floor for a theater, but the whole building (p. 173)!  So, Peggy's three-chapter mystery ends up solving all of the acting troupe's problems - way to go, Peggy!

 

The title of the book has a double meaning:  Peggy does "find" the theater, inasmuch as she takes off to New York City to pursue her dream of being an actress on the stays; at the same time, she literally "finds" the theater that the other students have been so desperately seeking for their play.  The art for the book is provided by Sergio Leone - and no, that is not the Italian film director of the same name.  I could find no information whatsoever about Mr. Leone, other than the apparently provided art not only for children's books in the 1960s and '70s, but he also apparently provided some painted covers to paperback Gothic novels from that same time period.  The painted cover for this book is rather simple, with a headshot of Peggy, and the lights of New York City in the background.  The internal black-and-white illustrations are not overly exciting scenes, but instead pictures of Peggy and Randy dancing, Peggy with her parents at the airport, Peggy and Amy with their dates eating a late dinner.  About the only illustration that could be said to contain any "suspense" at all is the final image of Peggy and Amy on their stakeout, as a cat jumps out beside them, startling them (p. 163).  Oddly, the frontis piece and the first internal (p. 25) are the only two that are full page with captions; the remaining illustrations are half to three-fourth page with no caption.  The end page are by far my favorite, as it depicts Peggy and her friends in a theater and on the stage, in what appears to be a moment from a rehearsal (this scene, however, appears nowhere in this book).

 

While I would not say this was an exciting story, and the mystery was so limited as to barely be there, I did thoroughly enjoy the story. This series might not appeal to mystery enthusiasts, but for those who enjoy career girl stories, or those who love good theater tales, this book will definitely satisfy those tastes!

 

RATING:   10 servings of pheasant under glass out of 10 for providing readers with a somewhat true-to-life look at what life is like for a theater actor trying to break into the field in New York City!

The Mystery of the Chimeric Cornucopia - the Third (new) Three Investigators Mystery

I honestly have given this series a whole-hearted try, as I wanted to like the series, since I enjoyed Robert Arthur's Three Investigators' books so much as a pre-teen.  But this book merely reinforced many of the things that I do not enjoy about the series, and as such, it is the last book that I will read in the series (thankfully, I did not purchase any books beyond this first three breeder set).  I know nothing about the authors, Elizabeth Arthur and Steven Bauer, other than the fact she is the daughter of the original author, Robert Arthur, and is married to Steven.  The author bios in the back of the book provide the authors' educational backgrounds and some writing history; however, none of that supports either Arthur's or Bauer's ability to carry on Robert Arthur's legacy with these characters.  It is a real shame, too, as I would have loved to have seen a truly great series of Three Investigator mysteries for the present day.

 

The Mystery of the Chimeric Cornucopia follows the sequential lettering of the series' titles, with this book being the letter "C."   The main mystery in this book seems to surround Jupiter Jones' family and the real identity of the woman he believed to be his mother.  However, there is a secondary mystery that has a very familiar plot - a counterfeiting scheme, where the counterfeiters have their equipment set up in a cave located at the edge of a property line.  Gee, sound familiar?  (And if it does not sound familiar to you, then clearly you need to go read the early Nancy Drew mystery stories, and you'll quickly learn from where this plot appears to have been derived.)  Honestly, the sub-mystery felt completely unnecessary to the overall story, and while portions of it were weaved into the mystery surrounding Jupiter's mother and her ancestors, they were not so intricate that the same result could not have been had without them.  Instead, it felt as if the counterfeiter elements were inserted to add some "excitement" and "danger" to the story, as the boys go into the cave, are startled by bats, discover the engraving equipment, and face off against a truly vile counterfeiter who had killed his criminal partner nearly thirty years prior!

 

Now, as to the mystery surrounding Jupiter Jones' family - for me, this was not especially enjoyable.  This sudden impulse of Arthur and Bauer to superimpose all of these overly-diverse cultural backgrounds into not only the Three Investigators, but also in every single person they know, meet, and come in contact with is tiresome.  As I mentioned in my reviews of the last two books, the authors' decision to imprint these characters with multi-cultural ethnicities is wholly unnecessary and does nothing to "flesh out" the characters, as the authors' website indicates.  Instead, it feels like the same old forced diversity for the sake of diversity and does not in any way make these characters more relatable or more relevant.  Bob is half-Chinese.  Pete is half-Mexican/American.  Jupiter is half Serbian.  Mallory is Scottish.  Worthington is British.  Mallory's friend, Califia, is half-Spanish, half-African-American.  Arthur and Bauer spend so much time reminding readers of the ethnic background and heritage of each character, that you wonder how short the book would be without all of this extraneous material.  Don't get me wrong - I don't mind knowing that each of these characters has a multi-cultural background; what I do mind is having it thrown in my face repeatedly, and having the characters talk about it pretty much every time they open their mouths.  The Three Investigators are supposed to solve mysteries, not give readers a history lesson on the countries from which their ancestors came.

 

Additionally, the mystery (aside from the threat of the counterfeiter) was a bit too convenient.  Jupiter knows he has a Serbian background.  The family he met in the last book happen to be Serbians.  They go to visit that family, meet another family who happens to turn out to be related to his mother, and Jupiter suddenly discovers he has a ready-made family consisting of his mother's aunt, her son and his wife, and her grandchildren.  Granted, series books rely heavily on coincidences for their sleuths to solve the mysteries, so this really shouldn't be that far-fetched.  However, it may have had a bit more impact if Arthur and Bauer had held off on this reveal for several books, to allow it to build a bit before making such a revelation.  Perhaps if this book had been more about the counterfeiters (even if the plot was borrowed from Red Gate Farm) and less about pushing Jupiter's Serbian roots and missing family, I might have enjoyed it more.

 

With all of that being said, there were some things I did like about the story.  I enjoyed the moments with Bob as he was researching Jupiter's family tree, and his discovery of how Jupiter's mother changed her name.  With the advancements of technology, it would make you think that solving mysteries would be much easier than it was back in the 1930s when Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys were first getting their start; but Arthur and Bauer show that even with all the technology we have at our fingertips, it still requires someone with the knowledge and ability to work with that technology to dig up the information you need.  And Bob was able to do just that.  I am glad Arthur and Bauer gave some of the details of what Bob had to do in order to locate the information and connect the dots, as THAT gives readers a lot more definition of Bob's character and personality than any ethnic background imprints.

 

I also liked the exploration of the cave, the discoveries made therein, and the unexpected turn of events when they come face to face with the counterfeiter.  I think it was these scenes that really allowed Pete to shine as the one who stays calm in the face of danger and is quick-thinking when it comes to defusing what could be very volatile situations.  His attempts to talk down and "make friends" with the counterfeiter, despite having a knife held to his throat, really made me appreciate just how mature he can be when needed - while, at other moments in the story, he embraces his child-like nature with playing games of Go Fish and Slapjack,  Again, these are the things that truly define the boys' characters - not their cultural and family histories.

 

Finally, I did rather find the boys' new car to be fun - the Flex with the Chimera sticker on the back of the car.  Since they no longer had use of the Rolls Royce (after all, that contest won wayyyyyyy back in the first book of the original series) was bound to run out sooner or later.  And this new car is unique in it own way, and the chimera sticker gave the boys a new way of looking at their partnership, even helping them create a new logo to go right alongside the three question marks that have been their trademark for so long.

 

I am disappointed that the series did not meet up with my expectations, but with the cost of each book being what it is, it is simply not worth it for me to continue buying them when I have no intention of reading them.  Perhaps if I ever find them second hand for a few dollars, I might pick them up; otherwise, this is one series that will end with the third book on my bookshelf.

RATING:  5 wax-sealed barrels of wine out of 10 for at least making an attempt to keep the Three Investigators series alive and well. 

The Brownie Scouts and Their Tree House - Book Four of the Brownie Scout Books

After the hints of what was to come with the third book, I have to admit that I was very disappointed with what took place in this fourth entry in the Brownie Scouts series by Mildred A. Wirt (Benson).  For those who read the last book, the Scouts were voted to be Rosedale's representatives in Washington, D.C. after being elected as the "queens" of the cherry festival, and as the story ended, the Scouts were all excited about heading to Washington and the opportunity to meet the President of the United States!  Since the book ended with this huge announcement, it would only stand to reason the next book would share with readers that fantastic trip!  But, alas, such is not the case.  I wonder if, back in 1951 when this book was published, those young readers who bought this book (or, perhaps, were given this book) opened up the pages to the first chapter and discovered that this book has absolutely nothing to do with the Scouts' trip to Washington!  Somehow, it feels like Wirt cheated her readers out of what could have been a very exciting story...

 

The Brownie Scouts and Their Tree House, instead, focuses on the mysterious tree house that the girls discover built in the limbs of a sturdy tree within the metropolitan national part in Rosedale. Wirt opens the book with the girls exploring the various trees of the part, only to discover that the signs identifying the types of trees do not match what the girls and their scout leader know the trees to be.  Someone has been messing with the signs - but who could it be, and why? That mystery is soon forgotten when Veve McGuire wishes that the brownies (fairies) on which the name of their group is based would provide them with a tree house that they could enjoy whenever they visited the park.  Oddly enough, a stone is thrown at them, which bears an odd message - come back in two days to see if her wish comes true!  No one actually believes it will happen - but sure enough, when the girls come back in two days, there is a tree house built right there in the limbs of the very tree where they stood and made the wish!  Thus, the second mystery takes root (see what I did there?), and the Brownies have two questions before them - who is messing with all the signs around the park, and who built their tree house?

 

Wirt does not make the mysteries complicated, and the reader is easily able to discern who is doing what throughout the course of the story.  Even when more wishes are granted (furniture in the house, a warm meal cooked on a cold afternoon, etc.), the girls remain oblivious to the identity of their benefactor (even though they meet him during their many trips to the park).  And, with all of this going on, Wirt manages to throw in a third mystery involving Minnie Myles, an old woman who comes into the park with an empty sack, but leaves with it full.  The girls soon discover that she is extremely poor and about to lose her house - the one person who can help her is her brother, but she refuses to allow it, choosing rather to go to the poor house than to accept a dime from him!  Connie, Veve, and the rest of the Brownies decide they have to help the poor woman before she is thrown out on the street!

 

While Wirt tries to keep the mysteries an integral part of the story, it reads more like a Brownies' adventure tale than a mystery story.  The girls take no real active part in tracking down clues or unlocking secrets in an effort to solve the mysteries; instead, their story involves surviving a storm in the tree house, collecting buttons, figuring out ways to provide food to Mrs. Myles, and the farewell ceremony for Eileen, as she "flies up" to the Rosedale Girl Scout Troop (having aged out of the Brownies).  Yes, all three mysteries get resolved, but very little of those resolutions have anything to do with the Brownies.  In fact, the only one that has any input by the Brownies is the secret that has kept Mrs. Myles from accepting help from her brother - a resentment that gets resolved when Veve buys a pillow from the auction of Mrs. Myles' home that turns out to hold the very thing that clears up a misunderstanding and reunites Mrs. Myles an her brother after all these years.

 

For those who read the previous book, you'll recall Wirt described a number of different quilts that the girls obtained for their quilt show; well, in this book, it's all about collecting old and unusual buttons - from embroidered taffeta buttons made in a star pattern (p. 79) to opaque glass buttons (p. 80) to a coat cuff button in the shape of a horse head (p. 80) to a tintype button popular in the Victorian time (p. 87) to a glass swirlback button, a Czechoslovakian button, and an old Sheffield silver button (p. 164).  Just as Veve was the last one to find a quilt in the prior story, she is the last one to locate a button in this one.

 

Wirt does not forget to include some Brownie and Girl Scout history within the book.  In the first chapter, we get a very brief re-telling of The Brownies, the 1865 story written by Juliana Horatia Ewing (incorrectly identified as "Julianna" in the book) from which the organization took its name (p. 7).  Near the end, when Eileen is inducted into the Girl Scouts, she must recite the Girl Scout Promise (p. 193), which is almost identical to the actual promise one can find at the Girl Scouts website (Girl Scouts Promise).  The Girl Scout Law (which can be found at that same website) is set forth rather differently in the book (p. 194); however, that could have been what is was back in 1951, or it could simply be Wirt taking some artistic liberties in setting forth the characteristics of a Scout.  In either event, Wirt makes an effort to keep her Scout stories grounded with some real Scout history.

 

Marguerite Gayer continues to provide the cover art (her signature is clearly seen on the bottom right hand corner of the cover).  The internal frontis piece does not contain a signature, but it appears to have the same style as Gayer's previous internal illustrations for this series, so one can assume that she also did the internal, as well as the cover. 

 

While not my favorite book in the series (that would be The Cherry Festival volume), this one does have its merit and is a fairly enjoyable read, particularly when one considers the age of the audience for which the book was originally intended.

 

RATING:  7 neat piles of wood and kindling out of 10 for a smidgen of excitement (during the storm), a small bit of drama (with Mrs. Myles' situation), and a successful family reunion!

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories # 144 - The E-Mail Mystery

 "Nancy uncovers intrigue on the internet ... and the password is danger!" (cover blurb)

 

 "Nancy goes on-line and keys into a criminal conspiracy" (back cover blurb)

 

This book is definitely a product of its time!  While it moves Nancy further into the technological age, what with the e-mail and internet usage, it is certainly date specific, with its talk of floppy disks and dial-up modems! First published in August 1998, which was defined by slow, audible 56k dial-up modems, where you had to pay monthly fees for access to the internet through sites such as AOL and where you communicated in group chat rooms or message boards.  The internet was nothing like it is today; so, naturally, a book published in that time and read by today's readers would seem greatly antiquated (even though it was less than 30 years old at this point!).  That being said, it was a fun read, mostly because in addition to the e-mail/internet focus, but also the fact that it is set in Carson Drew's law office and the mystery itself pertains to some of his legal cases!

 

The E-Mail Mystery finds Nancy accepting a short summer position at her father's firm to help transfer some closed files off of the office computer system and onto portable disks.  "Summer vacation at last!" she exclaims at the opening of the story (p. 1), and she is excited at the prospect of going sailing with George up in Bridgehaven (p. 2), a fictional city that is apparently not far from River Heights.  Before she goes, however, she gets caught up in a mystery at her father's office - it seems several recent clients have all demanded Mr. Drew accept exceptionally low settlement offers on their cases just shortly after he starts to represent them.  The only apparent connection between the cases is that all of them have the same law firm representing the insurance companies: Williams and Brown.  While Mr. Drew thinks it is a coincidence, Nancy smells a mystery!  Thus, her summer internship begins, and she heads to her father's law firm to find out what is really going on!

I have to applaud the ghostwriter for this book, Denise Hildago, as she brings back Carson Drew's legal secretary and assistant, Miss Hanson, who long-time Nancy Drew fans will recognize from her appearances in The Bungalow Mystery, The Clue of the Tapping Heels, The Spider Sapphire Mystery, The Mysterious Mannequin, Clue in the Ancient Disguise, and The Mysterious Image.  It is nice to see some continuity with those pre-Simon & Schuster-owned days.  In addition, Nancy does something she says she has not done since she was in the third-grade: brings "out an old blue notebook" and writes down a list of clues and suspects (pp. 112-14).  This, obviously, is a reference to the Nancy Drew Notebooks series, which ran from 1994 - 2005, having been first published just four years prior to this one seeing print.  Thus, the author was definitely tying in some continuity from the various series.  Even the e-mail and cyber cafe plot-points hearken back to the final Nancy Drew Files mystery, Crime at the Ch@t Cafe, published just one year before this one.  The plot of this book, however, differs greatly from that of the final Files book.

 

The mystery gets underway when Nancy discovers that someone at her father's firm has sent e-mails to the Williams and Brown law firm on the very same day that each client engaged her father's services.  She is unable to discover what exactly was sent to the other firm, but the fact that each case settled so quickly thereafter, and each of those clients now refuse to talk with her father sets off any number of alarms in Nancy's mind.  The question is - who did it?  Was it Blaine Warner, Mr. Drew's new associate at the firm?  She graduated top of her class, wrote for the law review, and won a number of mock trials.  Is the fact that she went to school with the son of one of the partners at Williams and Brown a telling clue?  Or was it Henry Yi, Mr. Drew's new paralegal?  He's a hot shot computer whiz, who is also quite nosy, always sticking his nose into everyone else's business - plus, he knows the passwords of everyone in the office!  Or was it Byron Thomas, the summer intern?  He is a quiet, nervous young man who is nicknamed "the poet" because of his name and love of poetry.  Is his nervous nature a product of his shyness, or is he hiding something?  When Nancy, with Bess's help, learns the identity of the e-mail sender was Miss Hanson - does that mean Mr. Drew's secretary, after so many years of loyalty, would betray her employer?

 

While we are on the subject of Bess, let's talk about that sudden knowledge of computers and the internet that Bess has! It appears in this book Bess "has joined an Internet chat group about historical and contemporary romance novels" and that being "on-line was so interesting to her that she earned all about computers, communication systems, Internet links, Web browsers - all that stuff" (p. 10).  With George out of the picture in this story, Bess manages to develop some skills, other than eating, that can help Nancy solve the mystery!  It is funny that Bess gets the computer skills here, but when S&S rebooted the series in 2004 with the Nancy Drew, Girl Detective series, it was George that suddenly had the computer skills, while Bess became more of a mechanic.  Not sure which version I prefer - in either case, it does expand the character somewhat, and give her more depth than just someone who is always on a diet!  Plus, the skill really comes in handy in this particular mystery, as even Nancy admits she knows very little about e-mails and internet (which opens the door for the author to have Bess explain quite a bit about online communication throughout the story).

 

A rather unusual reference in the book is the name of a restaurant that John Brown Jr. suggests to his father as a place for lunch:  Steak and Ale (p. 25).  This is actually a real restaurant, that was founded in 1966 and eventually went out of business due to bankruptcy in the early 2000s (although a quick search online shows that a new Steak and Ale opened in 2024 in Minnesota!).  It's not very often that a Nancy Drew mystery uses real locations, such as restaurants, within the stories.  The restaurant plays a rather important part, as well, as Nancy happens to see some of her suspects at the restaurant, wondering just which one is actually working with the Williams and Brown law firm.  Another name brand reference comes in the form of a joke made by Henry, when he startles Nancy while she is the copy room.  She responds with "Oh, Henry," to which the young paralegal quickly retorts, "No, that's a candy bar" (p. 59).  Oh Henry! was a candy bar containing peanuts, caramel, and fudge that was sold in the U.S. up until 2019 (with a slightly different version still manufactured and sold in Canada).  Again, it is surprising to see the author use specific brand names.

 

The final "brand name" use was when Nancy learns that Byron, the summer intern, has been going online to use Lexis-Nexis to perform legal research (p. 74).  Working as a paralegal myself, I am very familiar with the platform, and I was not aware that it was available online as far back as 1998!  I remember using Westlaw first, and later learning about the online offerings of Lexis-Nexis.  A quick search online reveals that Lexis-Nexis began making legal documents accessible online as early as the mid-1970s!  Thus, I learned something new about my own profession by reading this Nancy Drew novel!  And I will say this was probably what I enjoyed most about reading this book, was the legal aspects of the story.  The author did get most of the facts correct about legal research, the civil process, and client confidentiality.

 

And, okay, I lied.  There is one more "brand name" reference, although whether it was intentional or a joking nod, I'm not sure.  When Bess is helping Nancy find out who was e-mailing the opposing law firm, she sets up a new screen-name for them to use while communicating online.  They debate about whether to use "B and N, for Bess and Nancy" or "N and B, for Nancy and Bess" - and they ultimately settle on "B&N" (p. 82).  I found this humorous, as any book lover will immediately recognize that as the shorthand name of Barnes & Noble booksellers, which actually began using "B&N" in May of 1997, when they launched their online website, BN.com.  I would be curious to know if the author did that intentionally as a nod to the store that sold Nancy Drew books, or was it simply pure coincidence?

 

The cover art, depicting a scene straight off of page 105 when Nancy is being followed as she leaves a cyber cafe, holding a rose and some important papers, is once again provided by Ernie Norcia.  I find Norcia's art to be very detailed, and his renditions of Nancy to be truly beautiful (although I wish he gave her hair a more reddish tint).  The model for this cover appears to be the same model used for a number of the Files covers, making me wonder if perhaps the model was somehow contracted by Simon & Schuster, or whatever company they used to obtain their cover art, since her likeness appears in both the Mystery Stories and Files series.

 

This is another one of those digests that rates high on the scale in my book - great story, some crafty plotting, and the legal-aspect was definitely an added plus!

 

RATING:  9 pancakes covered in motor oil out of 10 for bringing Nancy back into a less dangerous world of legal-intrigue mysteries with a bit of humor thrown in to keep it light!  

 

The Chilling Deception - a Guinevere Jones novel (Book 2)

I hope this series does not make the same mistake Moonlighting and Remington Steele did back in the '80s.  Part of the attraction for both of those shows was the sexual tension between the two lead characters, with the constant question of "will they?" or "won't they?"  The moment the writers put the leads together in a relationship, the shows faltered and were ultimately cancelled (and while I'm sure there were other reasons for the cancellation as well, I believe a big part of it was removing that tension).  With the Guinevere Jones series, a large chunk of the enjoyment in the first book was how reminiscent it was of the early seasons of both Moonlighting and Remington Steele.  The female and male leads clearly had some attraction, but they were also always at odds with one another, having completely different styles for getting their jobs done.  This is exactly what author Jayne Castle has crafted here with Guinevere Jones and Zachariah Justis.  I just hope this book is not the beginning of the end for that relationship...

 

The Chilling Deception takes place some weeks after the events of the first book. Zac is between jobs in his security business, but Guinevere has a rather posh position as a temporary secretary for Edward Vandyke, the owner and founder of Vandyke Development.  But Gwen is concerned something is off with her boss.  He has been overly concerned about an upcoming business deal and trusts no one around him.  He has also been fighting with his wife, and he has shown signs of agitation and nervousness.  The final straw for Gwen is when she finds a gold-plated gun in Vandyke's personal executive restroom just off of his office.  Something is amiss, and she is concerned for the man.  So, when he asks her to go to the San Juan Islands for the final business meeting that will seal the deal with Washburn, she convinces him to hire Zac for his security, to protect the briefcase that contains all of his important papers for the deal.  Zac is hesitant at first, but the thought of a weekend on an island with Guinevere is too much temptation to say no.

 

Castle (also known as Jayne Ann Krentz) builds the mystery rather slowly.  Guinevere and Zac make the trip to the San Juan Islands with Vandyke, with Zac set up in a room next to Vandyke, and Gwen in a room further down the hall.  It's apparent from the get-go that Vandyke is concerned about more than just the papers in his briefcase, since he fairly well demands Zac remain close to him at all times.  They begin to suspect he fears someone may be targeting him.  Is the business deal really so important that someone would want to kill him?  Only one way to find out, Zac reasons, so he opens the briefcase - and inside, he and Gwen find a flight log for one of Vandyke's business planes from way back when he and his partner, Gannon, ran a courier service to the islands.  The only problem is, the last trip logged in by Gannon on the list was dated after Gannon died!  So, how does a dead man make a delivery flight?  It is at this point that the story starts to heat up.

 

Is a dead man coming after his former partner?  Is someone in this whole business deal not who they say they are?  And why would anyone want to go through Gwen's hotel room when she is ... ahem ... otherwise engaged in Zac's room?  The suspects are plentiful.  There is Washburn.  And Washburn's personal assistant, Springer.  And the local pilot named Cassidy, who has taken a liking to Gwen.  And then there is that mysterious person following Vandyke, who keeps to the shadows and disappears before Zac can get a bead on him.  The deal gets made, the weekend comes to a close, and everything appears to have gone off without a hitch.  Until the next morning, when Vandyke disappears.  And Zac finds out some startling information about the accident that supposedly took Gannon's life  And Vandyke's wife reveals something even more important to Gwen about her husband's past.  It all comes to an exciting climax as Gwen and Zac face off on an isolated, uninhabited against an unscrupulous man who is out for revenge and will stop at nothing to get it!

 

Castle, according to her bio at the back of the book, resides in Seattle, Washington, so it makes sense that her stories are set there - write what you know!  The San Juan Islands are, indeed, a real locality located about 70 - 90 miles northwest of Seattle, and, like in the story, you can get to the islands by ferry or plane.  There are plenty of uninhabited islands, ranging in size, so the one such as Castle uses in her story likely exists.  

 

The conclusion to this story takes place a couple of chapters before the book actually ends.  The last two chapters give readers an epilogue of sorts - first, an opportunity for Guinevere and Zachariah to come to terms with the scope and direction of their relationship; and the second, a scenario that appears to be a set up for the next book (at least, I hope, because I like the character this chapter introduces!).  The first book merely gave a previous of the first chapter of this book; but this one seems to have integrated the "preview" into the actual story - sort of like a television episode that wants to provide a lead-in to the next week's episode!

 

The cover art is gorgeous, even with Gwen's very '80s teased hairstyle.  The scene appears to meld some of the story elements together - from the all-important briefcase, to the wooded area of the island, to the fun in Zac's hand (which actually never takes place, since Zac does not carry a gun with him in the story, and when he's fighting the villain, he knocks the gun away and does not pick it up).  I love how the artist has the rays of sunlight streaming through the trees, which gives the scene a rather chilling effect.  The cover has the artist's signature:  CLIFF MILLER. This is a pleasant surprise, as Miller provided cover art for a number of the Nancy Drew Files back in the 1990s (and I actually own several of his paintings that were used for those covers!).  

 

RATING:  9 pairs of nylon panty hose with runs in them out of 10 for a tale filled with intrigue, mistaken identities, and a great soap-opera style return from the dead story! 

A Ted Wilford Mystery, no. 15 - The Greenhouse Mystery

This series has been an unexpected joy to read.  While a few of the books have had less than stellar mysteries, overall, the series has been good, with unique mysteries and characters I have really grown to like.  But, alas, nothing was meant to last forever, and this fifteenth book in the Ted Wilford series is the last that was published, back in 1967.  According to the blog, Beneath the Stains of Time, the author of this series, Norvin Pallas, was a freelance writer who had "a high regard for children" and "their thinking abilities."  This comes across clearly in his writing, as none of the stories were "dumbed down" for younger readers; rather, they in many cases featured rather complicated mysteries that depended more on intellectual processes for deducing clues rather than coincidences and pure luck, as many series books do.  I applaud Pallas for treating his readers as equals, intellectually, and giving them some great stories!

 

The Greenhouse Mystery centers around an upcoming pageant of roses and the highly unlikely coincidence that two separate women have bloomed the same exact "unique" rose.  Pallas likely drew upon the Pageant of Roses Garden in Whittier, California and the Loki rose, which blooms in shades of pink and white, to name the pageant in the book, which is the "Loki Pageant of Roses" (p. 5).  Cub reporter, Ted Wilford, and his ever-faithful photographer/friend, Nelson Morgan, are off to interview various individuals who will be submitting roses to this year's pageant, including Mr. and Mrs. Bowden of the Lady Bee Floral Nursery, who are planning to enter a specifically designed rose, a bluish shade, that is to be named "Governor's Hope" after the state's current governor.  The mystery comes into play when Ted and Nelson are interviewing another rose hopeful in Forestdale, only to discover that she plans to enter a rose she calls "Blue Lady" - a rose that is identical to the one Mrs. Bowden has grown!

 

On the surface, it seems like a simple enough mystery - which woman truly developed the rose, and which one stole it (or received it stolen)?  The mystery, though, is much more complicated.  It seems there have been strange happenings as the Lady Bee Floral Nursery in recent weeks.  A shipment of Canadian rose bush clippings were delivered, but they disappeared before Mrs. Bowden saw them.  The office safe was opened up and rifled through, yet nothing was taken.  Someone gets passed locked doors and windows to get into a cottage on the property and steal food from the refrigerator.  Pages of the Bowdens' record-book as to the grafting of various rose plants are replaced with forgeries. A tank of deadly fumigant is taken out of a locked shed, then later returned unused.  And one of the nursery's employees claims to have seen a wolf come onto the property, jump behind a hedge, from which a man then appears, who walks right through the glass wall into the greenhouse!  That last story is too far-fetched to believe - until Ted and Nelson witness a similar event for themselves! 

 

The trail of clues seem completely disconnected - an employee with a criminal past; a red convertible seen at the nursery, a nearby chemical plant, a seemingly meaningless lie about a jail that does not exist in a nearby town, a competing greenhouse with similar roses, and a small shack found in the middle of the swampy woods just off the Lady Bee property.  Ted has to really put on his thinking cap to sift through these clues to find out which ones are important and which ones are red herrings (no pun intended).  Is it the nursery handyman, who is the only one with a key to the lock on the shed?  Is it the nursery's secretary, who has access to the safe and was supposed to be in the office when the stolen clippings arrived?  Is it the man who owns that red convertible?  Is it the employee with the criminal past (that includes an arrest for forgery)?  Is it the owner of the small, competing greenhouse?  Is it even one of the Bowdens, who are caught in their own lies and secrets?

 

I will admit, this mystery did leave me stumped.  Despite the number of viable suspects, they either seemed too obvious or without any motive, so it was hard to pinpoint it down to just one.  Ted, however, manages to chase down the real culprit, figuring it out after he and Nelson make their way through the woods to find out who it is that is living in that shack (and who has been sneaking into the greenhouses at night, and why!).  Part of the solution was actually rather surprising, as it takes a likely suspect and turns him into a hero, more or less.  It is not what you'd expect, but that is what makes it such a great read.  The ending, on the other hand, is a bit odd, as the governor makes an appearance at the rose pageant, and it ends with Ted and Nelson being asked to join Mrs. Bowden in a picture with the man.  A rather strange way to end a book that concludes a series (unless, of course, Pallas was not aware at the time he wrote the book that this one would be the final mystery Ted Wilford would solve).  One has to wonder if Pallas had any plans or outlines for future mysteries, or even if there is an unpublished manuscript out there somewhere that would have been book sixteen!

 

The cover art is not the greatest (although, looking back, none of the covers are really all that fantastic).  The one man on the cover (not sure if that is supposed to be Ted or Nelson), his face looks too much like "Butt-head" from that old MTV cartoon, Beavis and Butt-head.  As soon as my mind made that connection, I could no longer unsee it, and now I cannot look at this cover without laughing.  Not sure who provided the cover art (or even if the same artist provided covers for all 15 books), but it definitely could have stood with some refinement before publication.

 

And, with that, I have now finished the Ted Wilford series, and will have to move on to some other vintage mystery series (and I have plenty to choose from, so it's only a matter of figuring out which one to start next!).  If you like good mysteries that make you think, then I would recommend this series.

 

RATING:  9 salami-eating werewolves out of 10 for making a seemingly simple mystery into a much more worthwhile read with some surprising twists and turns! 

Lost City of Uranus - the Sixth Dig Allen Space Explorer Adventure

And with this sixth book, we've reached the final Space Explorer Adventure of our hero, Dig Allen.  Six books published over the span of four years (from 1959 to 1962), this series turned out to be considerably better than I had anticipated.  Author Joseph Lawrence Greene (1914 - 1990), who was a prolific writer who also created Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, has given young readers an exciting series of adventures of what the future could have been from a mid-century viewpoint.  The period in which these books were published was right at the end of the over-the-top, campy sci-fi films of the '50s, and so it should come as no surprise that these books are filled with what we now know to be scenarios that are simply impossible to have happen.  But, back when these were written, I have no doubt that young readers fantasized about life on other planets in our solar system and what it would be like to travel the stars.  Well, Greene offered them the chance to see it with this series.   (Special thanks to my good friend, Ray Lambert, who gifted me with a copy of this final book in the series, as I was having one heck of time trying to find a copy of it!)

 

Lost City of Uranus, published in 1962, takes a different direction from the other books.  Sure, we still get a space adventure involving Dig Allen and best friends, twin brothers Jim and Ken Barry; yes, we still follow them as they set off to yet another unexplored planet in our solar system.  But with this book, Greene opens the story differently, with readers being introduced to a ship that has just dropped off the latest settlers to the new colony on Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons that was being settled by daring spacemen and women.  When two of the crew are sent outside to inspect the rocketubes, one of them - a man by the name of Dirk Danton, happens to spot on old-fashioned bottle floating through space. He retrieves it, and inside is a handwritten letter from a pilot who disappeared, along with his ship, decades okay.  According to the letter, the pilot (Steven McKay) was the sole survivor after a meteor struck their ship, and as he was about to crash on the planet Uranus, he decided to send out this message in a bottle in the off chance someone may find it and be aware - for McKay had spotted what appeared to be a shining city on the surface of the planet, a planet always believed to be lifeless!  The crew in the present (our future?!) laugh it off, except for Danton.  Danton believes there is something to it, and thus, his greed gets our story going.

 

And thus, with a bit of a jump, Dig, Ken and Jim are readying to head to Earth for a much needed vacation, only to be given a brief mission while they are on Earth - deliver the letter from Steven McKay to his family - his now elderly wife and their son, with his wife and two children.  There does not seem to be any problem with the delivery - but they are unaware Danton has been following them, determined to get his hands on that letter so he can head to Uranus and find that city.  Through a series of unexpected circumstances, the McKay grandchildren - Jamie and Judy - are tricked by Danton into a smuggler's ship; but when left by themselves for only a moment, it is sufficient time for the children to accidentally start the ship's engines and send it flying off into space!  After they are missing for a couple of days, McKay's son comes to where Dig and his friends are vacationing and begs for their help.  And, thus, it becomes a race against time for Dig to find the children before they crash on the same planet where their grandfather is believed to have died.  Dig enlists the help of the smuggler, whose ship the children are in, and unknowingly take Dirk Danton along with them - with ultimately proves disastrous!  

 

Although the idea of there being an underwater city thriving on Uranus, Greene does actually provide a fairly good tale of morality and the cost of greed.  Dig, Jim, Ken, and the smugglers do ultimately find the city, and even though Dig claims it for the Space Explorers, placing it under their jurisdiction, the smugglers, at Dirk's insistence, decide to sneak in and steal some things from the city for their own benefit.  Those actions have some pretty major consequences, not only for Dirk and the smugglers, but for the entire city and its inhabitants!  It is tragic in a number of ways, and provides a double meaning to the title of the book; yet, at the same time, it provides for a not-so-surprising reunion and some measure of hope for what they have learned to be applied to life on Earth.  As a final story for the series, it is a unique one, and definitely one that is heavy on the heart.

 

There is not a whole lot of science within this story, but Greene does have his characters mention that Uranus "is not as dense as the Earth" and the atmosphere "is mostly methane" (p. 78).  While the first part is true, as Uranus does not have a solid surface, but is more or less an ice giant made up of various "ice" type materials, the second part about the methane is not true.  The atmosphere of Uranus is 83% hydrogen, 15% helium, and only 2.3% methane - so it is definitely not "mostly methane."  Further, the references in the book to the gravity being heavier than that of Earth are also wrong, as Uranus' gravity is about 11% weaker than the Earth's gravity.  This is due to the fact that Uranus' mass is so large and spread out over a large volume, the surface is much farther from the planet's center, and therefore the gravitational pull is weaker.  Of course, this book was written and published in the early 1960s, before much of the in-depth study of the planet discovered a lot of these facts.  Besides, these books are science fiction, and therefore, the details do not need to be factual!

 

This book gives us the fourth artist on the series, Phil Marini. I could not find much information about Marini, other than the fact that he did a number of paperback covers for Dell and other publishers back in the 1950s.  His cover for this book is a bit off, as one cannot really tell who the older characters are supposed to be.  This scene is taken from the moment when Dig, Jim, Ken, and the smuggler captain find the two children on the surface of Uranus, and after reviving them with oxygen, they discover the city under the icy surface (p. 91).  However, none of the men have Dig's red hair, and the man kneeling down and pointing does not look anything like the captain described in the story.  His appearance does not even match Marini's drawing of him in the story (p. 85)!  And speaking of that particular drawing - for some reason, that one is the only one printed in black.  All of the other internal illustrations are printed in a light blue ink.  Not sure why they difference, but it definitely stands out from the others.

 

As I've said before, it is a shame this series ended after only six books.  The stories were actually very engaging and filled with adventure, and the main characters were very likable.  I mean, the publisher could have at least given him two more books, so he could have finished the planets in our solar system - one wonders what Dig and his friends would have found out on Neptune and Pluto!

RATING:  9 English-speaking Uranians out of 10 for giving Dig and his friends a final farewell story that sticks with you in terms of story and impact!