Escaping Dreamland - a novel of friendship and children's mystery books

People who know me know that I'm not a fan of "one-off" books. I don't normally buy or read books that are not part of a series.  But, once in a while, a book comes along that piques my interest due to its connection with comics, super heroes, or, as in this case, children's mystery books.  While there are plenty of books out there that reference or utilize Nancy Drew as a part of the plot; but recently, someone mentioned this book to me that referenced not only Nancy Drew, but also Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, Rover Boys, and so many other old Stratemeyer series books.  In fact, the entirety of the book is based upon the main character's love for children's series books!  Well, in that case, I had to have it.

Escaping Dreamland, by Charlie Lovett, tells two stories simultaneously - which, I'll admit, is a bit difficult to navigate in the beginning.  The book is not just the story of Robert Parrish, a best-selling author who has a love for children's mystery series, but which love comes with a heart-breaking secret; the book is also the story of Magda Hertzenberger, Thomas De Peyster, and Eugene Pickney, three children who grew up at the turn of the century and whose lives eventually collided, the results of which have lasting impacts well into the next century!  The chapters alternate between Robert Parrish (the odd-numbered chapters) and Magda, Thomas, and Eugene (the even-numbered chapters).  Not going to lie here - about the first third of the book reads like a simply "day in the life" kind of tale, making it somewhat difficult to truly get invested in the book.  But I stuck with it, and by the mid-way point, I was definitely all in!

The story of Magda, Thomas, and Eugene begins just before the end of the 19th century.  Three very different people from very different backgrounds - one, a German immigrant who is assimilating herself into the American way of life; one, an upper class member of society who desires nothing more than to experience the freedom of the lower classes; and one, an analytical lover of science who is just beginning to discover what his feelings for the same sex mean and how those feelings will change his life.  All three live within the small confines of New York City, but it is not until they are adults that their lives intersect.  Magda is a secretary for a small publishing firm trying to make its mark in a difficult market of publishing children's series books; Thomas is a reporter whose outlook on life has changed drastically after seeing death and destruction up close and personal in the big San Francisco earthquake; and Eugene has seen a dream come true while working for Tesla, while spending his night living an entirely other (and very secret) life.  The trio happen to meet one afternoon when Tom appears at Mary's place of employment ... and the two of them share a lunch at Child's, where Eugene happens to be and overhears their discussion of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells and joins in the conversation.  Pure happenstance sees the birth of an amazing and wonderful friendship that brings forth the most amazing stories...

Meanwhile, in the 21st century (2010, to be exact), Robert Parrish is dealing with his emotions after the success of his first published book.  It seems all of his dreams have come true - he is a published author, he lives in New York City, and he has the most beautiful, smart, amazing girlfriend.  So why, then, can he not get out of this rut he's in?  He can't seem to get anything new written.  He can't seem to communicate with Rebecca any more.  And when she decides to take a break and go move in with a friend for a while, Robert realizes he needs to do some soul searching.  While he may want to admit it, he knows part of the problem are the children's mystery series that he has kept hidden from Rebecca.  From the moment Rebecca first told him of her own love of reading Nancy Drew as a child, Robert thought he finally had someone with whom he could share his love and joy of children's series with - until she remarks how she has outgrown such things and moved on to real literature.  Which forces Robert to keep his continued love of those books a secret.  But it's more than that.  His love of those series books goes all the way back to when he first discovered those Tremendous Trio books in a box of his grandfather's belongings.  His father had read those books with his father, and Robert suddenly had a connection that he and his father could share.  And share they did!  Until Robert was a teenager.  And teenagers don't read such books, do they?  Robert had made a promise to his father all those years ago, and if he has any hope of getting Rebecca back, he realizes he has to not only fulfill that promise, but he needs to tell Rebecca the truth - no matter how much it hurts!

 

Escaping Dreamland follows Robert's journey as he tracks down the authors of those Tremendous Trio books - Dexter Cornwall, Buck Larson, and Neptune B. Smythe, who wrote the Daring Dan Dawson, Alice Gold, and Frank Fairfax series, and jointly, they wrote the Tremendous Trio books. Who were these authors?  Why are their books so hard to find?  Why does it seem no one has ever heard of them?  And whatever happened to the final Tremendous Trio story - the one that Robert's grandfather had the first chapter for which stuck inside his own books?

The author, Charlie Lovett, is clearly a huge enthusiast of children's series, or did a considerable amount of research.  While I will admit, it's a little unbelievable that a character such as Robert Parrish, with the availability of information on the internet at the touch of his fingers, would not know that the authors of Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, Bobbsey Twins, etc. were not real, but just pseudonyms for a plethora of ghostwriters, it was rather nice to see his reaction when he does find out the truth (which, I think, is the same way most of us fans first felt when we learned that Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon and Victor Appleton and Laura Lee Hope never really existed).  It was also great to see the Stratemeyer Syndicate and its numerous publications get the acknowledgement is deserved.  Sure, the books churned out by the Syndicate may not have been literary masterpieces as idealized by society, but there can be no denying that those series books made a great impact on countless generations of boys and girls.  And the fact that Lovett includes not only the well-known series such as Hardy Boys and Tom Swift, but also references many lesser known series, such as the Rover Boys and Ragged Dick (which came as the biggest surprise to me, as I had never even heard of that series until just a few years ago - and I am privileged enough to have obtained a complete set of that series!).

There were also some great mentions by the author about these books and characters.  On page 23, Robert reminisces about the old-fashioned language of the series "especially the almost obsessive need by the writers never to use the word said."  And he is right!  The Hardy Boys exclaimed or declared; Nancy Drew cried out or announced; Tom Swift demanded or retorted; and, as the author references here, some characters "ejaculated."  Which, back in the day, did not necessarily have the connotation that it does today, and it's pretty funny that Lovett has Robert acknowledge his own thoughts of that particular word at twelve years old, which made him laugh.

The Ragged Dick series gets its mention on page 75.  Obviously, Dick refers to the name of the title character; however, the title certainly has its own hilarious connotations.  And the fact that Lovett chose this particular book as the inspiration for Thomas De Peyster's own desire to discover what life on the streets was like is a nice way to honor the importance of those series books of yester-year.

There are so many other references throughout the book to various real series books (the Tremendous Trio and their individual series are, obviously, fictional creations for the story) that it brings to life the story, making ti feel more biographical in nature than pure fiction.  Robert's search for the identity of the authors and his (and his father's) hunt for the real-life locations that were utilized in their favorite books definitely draws parallels to the fun I and my fellow collectors have had over the years following in our favorite series characters' footsteps.  And, I'm not going to lie here, by the end of the book, I became attached to Magda, Thomas, and Eugene so much so that I hated the idea that they were now long gone, having lived their lives in the past and for whom no more stories could be told.  Or could they?  (Ask Robert!)

As far as how the title of the book fits in with the story?  Well, that definitely took quite a while to come into play, but there is a definite connection, a bittersweet one that ties all of the characters together.  Lovett has given series book collectors a definite love letter with this book, and I am definitely glad that I picked it up and read it. 

RATING:  9 conversations on the Bow Bridge out of 10 for honoring children's series and recognizing their place in history with the respect they so richly deserve!

The Gemini Mysteries No. 2 - The Cat's Paw

The latest group of young detectives are back in their second adventure!  After locating a stolen necklace being auctioned off at a charity event in the last book, twins Zach and Evie, along with their best friends, Vishal and Sophia, and ready to delve into another mystery, this time involving a missing (and very valuable) red panda!  Author Kat Shepherd treats readers to another fun mystery that not only tests the value of friendship, but also reminds readers to never judge someone based solely upon what you see!

The Cat's Paw (which turns out to have more than one meaning in this mystery!) begins innocently enough - the kids are attending a benefit at their local zoo where Sophia has been volunteering her time.  Before the night is over, Marvin the red panda goes missing, and the only clue is a large paw print in the dirt - a print that seems to be from a bobcat!  The authorities believe that a free-roaming bobcat in the area named B-17, which is currently being studied by an animal-rights organization, somehow got into the zoo and killed the panda.  Sophia, though, doesn't believe that.  She has also been involved with the organization tracking B-17, and she know that the cat would never do that.  But how can she prove it?  Well, that's what she has three mystery-solving friends for!

The Gemini Detective Agency is on the case, and it proves to be much harder than the could have imagined.  The obvious suspects turn out to be not quite so guilty after all, and before you know it, every clue is leading back to the benefit at the zoo and all of the people in attendance.  Shepherd takes her young protagonists down a twisting trail of clues and suspects, and half the fun of reading the book is not just trying to figure out what happened by reading the story, but also by picking up on the clues within each of the pictures at the end of each chapter!  Artist Damien Jones provides 29 black and white illustrations, and each one contains a clue that the reader can discover before moving on to the next chapter!  I enjoyed this in the first book, and now find it even more fun in the second.  I think it's an amazing way to help young readers not only with analytical thinking (solve the mystery!), but also help them improve their observational skills (finding sometimes very subtle clues within the scenes depicted!).

Now, as an adults, the culprit was not so difficult to discern; but for young readers, I have no doubt that Shepherd has provided an intriguing mystery that isn't the most obvious to solve.  Plenty of red herrings throughout the story, a number of possible suspects to weed through, and a mysterious thief known as "the Cat's Paw" that could potentially be involved.  Plus, since the four junior detectives are teenagers, there is typical drama that comes with that age, leaving one of the four wondering if they truly are a part of the group or just an object of ridicule!

This series has proved to be a lot of fun, and I'm hoping Shepherd has more books in the works.  I'm not seeing any evidence of a third book yet on Amazon, nor do I see anything on the author's own website, so it's possible this will only be a two-book series.  I hope not, as I see a lot of great potential with this series, and I, for one, would love to read more!

RATING:  9 blonde wigs out of 10 for continuing a tradition of mysteries with young sleuths in a well-written, fun series!

Vampirella: The Dark Powers - a Dynamite Entertainment mini-series

Some years ago, when Harris Publications came out with the Vengeance of Vampirella comic book series, I picked it up simply because it was a female-led comic.  I stuck with it for a few issues, but eventually gave it up, as I lost interest.  However, the character of Vampirella has stuck around, albeit via different publishers.  Currently, Dynamite Entertainment has the rights and has been publishing many varied series about Vampirella.  One of the most recent series presented a team-up between Vampirella and some of the public domain characters that Dynamite has been using in their Project Super Powers series.  As a fan of the Project Super Powers characters and series, I decided to pick it up and see how it faired...

Vampirella: The Dark Powers is a twist on the "fish out of water" tales, placing Vampirella into the world(s) of superheroes and multiversal crises.  The idea behind the book is that there is a multiverse of Earths out there, and so the heroes of all these Earths have united to defend their planets against the various threats that seem to pop up on a daily basis.  Whenever an Earth is discovered to have a super hero presence, the Project (as they are called - get it? Project Super Powers?) reaches out to that Earth and inducts one or more of its heroes into the Project to help defend the multiverse.  Thus, as Vampirella exhibits which might be considered superpowers, she gets inducted into the group (whether she wants to or not - and quite frankly, she's none too keen on being there...)

I readily admit, I find the concept to be mildly intriguing - Vampirella is a vampire (sort-of) that has no issues releasing her bloodlust to kill those who would threaten her or others; and here she is, teaming up with a bunch of do-gooders who abhor killing for any reason, and who are doing their best to tame Vampirella and teach her how to fight the "good fight" without killing.  Her probation does not seem to be going so well - she helps the team battle a dangerous villain; she goes to Plural World 5192 with The Flame and Flame Girl in order to prove herself worthy of being a member of the Project; and she ends up on her own world (conveniently called Plural World 0666) with Black Terror in tow to keep watch over her.  But what happens when the Terror gets a transmission from his own world, where his sidekick is crying out for help? It leaves Black Terror and the rest of the Project wondering - is Vampirella really on their side, or is she a daemonic terror that has unleashed unspeakable horrors on their worlds to destroy them all, starting with Black Terror's own Earth?

The story is a great mix of super-heroics and horror, and it definitely raises some very good points about comic book heroes in general.  While on the Flame's Earth, Vampirella discovers that the Flame has had sidekicks before Flame Girl - sidekicks who have been killed by the villains of that world.  When the Flame reminds Vampirella that they never use lethal force, Vampirella asks the question:

"You spare his life, and he returns to kill all over again ... If you'd killed him the first time, how many lives would have been saved? ... How many more victories will it take before you realize that you actually keep losing? How many more sidekicks before he finally wins and destroys you? Him, or any of the others you round and round with? ... You've enabled mass killers by playing their game."

And Vampirella has a point.  In these fictitious worlds of super heroes and super villains, how many innocent lives have been destroyed and lost, all because the "heroes" are unwilling to take the life of these villains - villains who have absolutely no qualms about taking lives, and they often do. Obviously, I'm not saying that super heroes should all act like Marvel's The Punisher and go out shooting and killing every villain in site.  However, if a super-villain is using deadly force, killing innocent people again and again, and a hero has a chance to put an end to that once and for all - which is more heroic?  Not killing the villain, putting him in a jail, only to have him break out and kill again - OR - killing the villain, and ending his murdering cycle, thus saving who knows how many lives?  Definitely food for thought.

While the writing is fairly strong, the art comes across somewhat jumbled and inconsistent, which is a shame.  Paul Davidson provides the art on the first two issues, but by the time we get to the third issue, the art is suddenly shared between Davidson, Jordi Perez, and Lee Ferguson.  Then, the fourth issue suddenly has art by Jonathan Lau, Alessandro Miracolo, Vincenzo Federici, and Jordi Perez! By the last issue, the art is provided solely by Federici.  I have no idea why the shuffle in artists - whether it was because of problems with meeting deadlines, or if there were other behind-the-scenes issues, but the constant change in artists caused a complete lack of consistency in the book, and sadly (for me), that detracted from the over all enjoyment of the series.  I mean, when you have an ongoing series that is lasting for 50 or more issues, you rather expect the artists to change at some point.  But, for a five-issue mini-series that couldn't even keep to a monthly schedule, you would think they could keep one artist on the book so that the art and the look of the characters remain consistent.

Overall, it was a pretty good read - and, oh, you should probably be aware - the last issue ends with a rather surprise guest appearance that leaves off with a big cliffhanger - - and leads directly into the fifth and final issue of the Red Sonja: The Super Powers mini-series, being concurrently published by Dynamite Entertainment (fortunately, I have been picking up that title as well, so I'll be able to read the conclusion to this series there!).

RATING:  7 multiversal-crossing super hero teams out of 10 for giving fans a story that questions both the hero-side and supernatural-side of comic fandom and makes readers actually stop and think for a  moment!

Peace Talks - A Novel of the Dresden Files (Book 16)

When I picked up Storm Front and Fool Moon, the first two novels in the Dresden Files series way back in 2001 (both of which were first printings, as Storm Front had come out in 2000, while Fool Moon was a new release in 2001), I certainly never expected that I would be here, 20 years later, still following this series of a wizard living in Chicago in the present day, trying to stop the supernatural world from taking over this one.  I will be the first one to say that, for me, I definitely judge a book by its cover.  Those first printings of Storm Front and Fool Moon had some great, stylistic covers with art that quickly drew you into the scene.  The fact that the stories involved vampires and werewolves only cinched the deal for me, having always been a huge fan of the supernatural worlds since watching my first episode of Dark Shadows back in the day.  Over the years, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files has expanded and evolved - starting out as only paperbacks, but eventually changing into hardcover editions first, with paperback versions being published a year later (which annoyed me at first, since that meant I had to wait nearly two years between Blood Rites and Dead Beat to read the next book...); going from covers that never featured the lead character to covers that focused solely on Dresden in his beat up coat and staff; expanding into comic book stories, collections of short stories, and even a one-season long television show.  It's clear that author Jim Butcher created a character that resonated with tons and tons of fans (and having met Butcher multiple times at DragonCon in Atlanta, I can attest to the enormous fan-following this author and series has!).  However, after Skin Games came out back in 2014, Butcher took a break.  And that break continued ... and continued ... to the point where six years passed with absolutely no Dresden book being published! There were a couple of comic book series published by Dynamite Entertainment that helped soothe fans' need for more Dresden, but quite frankly, I was beginning to give up.

Then came Peace Talks in 2020 (a year when we definitely needed something good to happen!).  And if that weren't enough, a few months after Peace Talks came out in hardback, it was followed up by Battle Ground!  After such a long gap, I was overjoyed to see not one, but two new books come out in the same year!  Of course, both came out in hardback, and being the cheapskate that I am, I was willing to wait for paperback versions.  And Peace Talks finally made its paperback appearance last month, so I snagged it the first day it was on the shelves.  Normally, I put my new books on a shelf in the order that I buy them so that I can read those books I bought previously - but with Dresden, I couldn't wait, so he immediately moved to the top of the stack!

Peace Talks picks up a bit after Dresden's gang descended into Hades' vault to steal the Holy Grail.  Karin Murphy is still recovering from the severe injuries she received during that heist, and Dresden is coming to terms with all of the changes in his life - he is now the Winter Knight; Molly is the Winter Lady; Karin is gravely injured, likely to never fully recover; Butters is a Knight of the Cross; his basement apartment is destroyed; his Blue Beetle is gone, replaced with a hearse; he has a brother who is a vampire in the White Court; and probably the biggest of all of his changes is the fact that he is the father of a little girl, for whom he will do just about anything to protect.  Dresden is hoping for just a little bit of down time, but of course, we all know that will never happen!

This book brings together the various factions of the supernatural world at a summit for the Accords, in which the various supernatural nations hope to reach and agreement for peace.  Dresden is called in by the Council to help provide security for the Accords, which doesn't sound too difficult.  Until his brother breaks into the svartalf embassy in Chicago (which happens to be where Harry and his daughter are living to keep her protected) and kills on of the svartalf guards.  One who was very important to the svartalf royalty.  And this places Dresden in a very precarious position.  The svartalf laws dictate that Thomas be put to death for his crime.  But Thomas is Dresden's brother.  He can't just let him die.  But if he takes action to rescue him, he could place himself at odds with not only the svartalf nation, but with the wizarding council as well, and he could destroy any chance the Accords have of brokering peace.  Just another typical Tuesday in the life of Harry Dresden!

It was such a true joy to fall back into the world of Harry Dresden - just like catching up with old friends that you haven't seen in a while.  The sarcasm, the tricks, the determination, the battles, the surprises, the plots, the villains, the twists, the allies, the enemies, and the sexual tension... wait, what? Sexual tension?  Since when did the Dresden Files heat up like that? I can honestly say the amount of sex and sexual tension in this book eclipses that of all the previous books combined!  Obviously, I never though Harry Dresden was celibate, but man - my friends and I wondered if perhaps Butcher was going through a dry spell in his life and compensated by releasing all that pent-up energy through Dresden in this book.  While none of it is explicit, it definitely heats up quite often in the book, leaving the reader rather ... uhm ... exhilarated? ... by the end of the book.  (Oh, and in this context, let's just say that Butters finally gets his due in this aspect - you'll definitely have to read the book to see what I'm talking about here!)

The battle between Dresden and McCoy has been a long time coming, and it was actually good to see that finally come to head in this book.  And I'm glad that Butcher has kept Dresden true to his nature by doing whatever it takes to protect his family, while juggling the Accords, the Council, and the city of Chicago (not to mention, the world!) at the same time.  If anyone can manage it, it's Dresden, and his multi-tasking capabilities and tactical planning really shine through in this book.  There are quite the number of subplots building in this book, and considering the cliffhanger at the end, I have no doubt many of them will get resolved (or at the very least, moved forward considerably) in Battle Ground. 

I also like the direction Dresden and Murphy's relationship is going.  That has been building for 20 years, and it's about darned time they started to build something.  And I absolutely love the fact that Murphy has no problems standing up to Dresden and the supernatural ilk of his world (including a Valkyrie that Murphy actually outsmarts and defeats!), proving that even a normal human being can have what it takes to defeat otherworldly creatures.

Overall a very satisfying read and a more-then-welcome return to the Dresden Files.  The only drawback to the book is that I managed to read all 455 pages in just a few days, leaving me now without a Dresden Files book to read until Battle Ground comes out in paperback!  ARGH!!!!

RATING:  10 pancakes made from scratch out of 10 for satisfying the Dresden-craving that has been growing for the past seven years with a spectacular new tale filled with more danger and disaster than every before!

Fence: Striking Distance

Fence is a comic book series published by BOOM! Studios - it is about a group of students at an all-boys academy where fencing is the sport everyone is talking about.  There is a new student at the school - Nicholas Cox - who is a bit rough around the edges and is there on a scholarship (unlike the rest of the boys, who are all trust-fund, rich kids who are there at mommy and daddy's expense!).  The comic series does delve into the world of fencing, and it's clear the author of that series, C.S. Pacat, is familiar with (or least did considerable research into) the world of fencing.  But the comic is more about the relationships of these boys, their conflicting personalities, and their competition with each other and other schools.  I enjoyed the comic series, so when I saw that a prose novel was advertised, I knew I was going to pick it up.

Fence: Striking Distance is a novel by Sarah Rees Brennan, a name that is not familiar to me.  I'm not aware of other works she may have written, but I do have to say - she captured Pacat's characters very nicely.  Each of the main characters - Harvard (the captain), Aiden (the looker), Seiji (the serious one), and Nicholas (the wildcard) - reads pretty much the same as the do in the comic, which makes for a great read!  The supporting cast is there - Eugene, Bobby and others - but they are not integral to the story, as Striking Distance is definitely about the main four.

Brennan provides alternating points-of-view to tell the story, shifting from Aiden to Harvard to Nicholas to Seiji, back and forth, so that each character not only gets equal time, but also so that the reader can get inside each of their heads and hearts to see exactly what they are thinking and feeling.  While I am not exactly fond of this type of storytelling when it comes to the Hardy Boys' current series, I must admit that it works pretty well here.  By the end of the book, the reader has a strong feel for each of the characters, and you end up finding yourself rooting for each of them (although, let's face reality - this is basically a soap opera set at a fencing school, so there will always be drama, and just when you think something will get resolved, a monkey wrench gets thrown into the works....).

Surprisingly, the plot of this book has very little to do with fencing and more to do with friendship, teamwork, and building relationships.  There is an obvious subplot for a fencing championship that is building in the background, and perhaps Brennan is planning that for a future story.  For now, though, it's all about the characters, their interactions with one another, and their relationships.

For Nicholas, it's all about fitting in.  He is the fish-out-of-water character, being a lower class member of society that is trying to fit in at a school full of rich kids.  And while he certainly is not refined, the other members of the team, as well as their coach, all recognize his potential and skill, and his roommate (Seiji) is the one person who Nicholas thinks could potentially be his best friend - something he has never had in his life!

For Seiji, it's all about coming to terms with the fact that he left his prior academy, which from all indications, was a much better school with a much better fencing team.  But Seiji does not want to live under anyone's shadow, and that's what he was doing at the other school.  He is determined to show everyone he is the best, particularly his parents.  Nicholas, however, has created a conundrum for Seiji, as he doesn't know how to react to someone who is not structured like he is.  Perhaps this whole idea of "friendship" could change things for them.  After all, how far is Seiji willing to go to protect his "friend."

For Aiden, it's all about Aiden.  He can have any boy he wants (and usually does), but he never goes on a second date with any of them.  He rarely shows up at the fencing matches, only when he is scheduled to be in it.  He's an excellent fencer, but he seems to have no time for anyone other than himself.  The coach is determined to do that by using the one thing that Aiden does care about - Harvard.  Aiden could never imagine losing his best friend - while secretly wishing that one day they could be so much more (not that he could ever tell Harvard that!).

For Harvard, it's all about leading by example.  He wants to encourage his teammates, to build them up and watch them succeed.  He wants the best for everyone, and will always go out of his way to help others.  The only problem is, he seems to neglect himself.  So, when the coach encourages him to go out on a date, he finally gives it a chance.  After one date with a girl, he realizes that may not be for him, so he goes out on a date with a boy ... and suddenly his entire world changes, and with it, his relationship with Aiden is put to the ultimate test!

Four boys, four stories, all intertwined and building upon one another.  By the end of the book, all four boys learn more about themselves and each other, and they discover that maybe - just maybe! - they might actually have a chance at being a winning team!  Striking Distance was an enjoyable read, worth the time spent, and I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series when it comes out.

RATING:  9 broken watches out of 10 for giving us a well-written, character-driven story that doesn't focus too much on the angst, but provides plenty of fun and drama to enjoy!

The Return of Sexton Blake - New & Classic Crime Stories

"As brilliant as Holmes, as daring as Bond, the Jack Reacher of his day returns!"  The tag line on this cover of this magazine size collection of stories and comic tales definitely tries to draw in fans from detective, spy, and action genres - but after reading the stories in this special edition, I have to say - whoever came up with the tag isn't really far off from the truth!  To be honest, I had never heard of "Sexton Blake" prior to seeing this magazine advertised in Previews some months ago, but being a fan of detective stories, pulp-style tales, and comic books, I thought I'd give this one a chance.  Glad I did!

The Return of Sexton Blake is the perfect "jumping-on" point for people like me, who have never heard of the character and what to know more.  The magazine opens with a publishing history of Sexton Blake, written by Mark Hodder.  The history is much more extensive than one would think - with the first Blake story having been published in December 1893 in a cheap penny dreadful  ("cheaply produced newspaper-format weeklies," as described by Hodder) called The Halfpenny Marvel.  The author and creator of Sexton Blake was Harry Blyth, under the pseudonym of Hal Meredeth.  A year later, Blake stories began to appear in another one of those dreadfuls called Union Jack.  Because Blyth had sold his rights to the character when he was paid for the first story, the publishers of these dreadfuls were able to publish multiple stories of Sexton Blake by various authors.  Blake evolved over the decades, going from stories in those penny dreadfuls to having his own weekly booklet called The Sexton Blake Library, with each issue featuring its own novella-length tale.  Blake, who started out similar to Sherlock Holmes, eventually became more like James Bond.  He was featured in his own comic strip, and even had a multi-episode serial on BBC (which, according to Hodder, failed miserably).  With the television show a failure, that seemed to mark the end of Sexton Blake - until 2014, when Hodder (yes, the author of the article) authored the first sanctioned Sexton Blake story since 1978.  And now, here we are in 2021, and it appears there is yet one more attempt to breathe new life into Sexton Blake for new fans (which, I guess, would be me!).

The magazine features a multi-part comic tale called "Sexton Blake and the Terror of Troll Island," written by Bill Henry (whose real name was Chris Lowder) and drawn by Mike Dorey.  The story is very much in the vein of Holmes, insomuch as Blake and his assistant race to Troll Island after receiving a call from someone on the island claiming to be in danger.  Upon arrival on the island, they not only come across a dead body, but they find that the famous writer, Edgar Hollis, has gathered all of his ghost-writers on the same evening.  And that, of course, is when one of the butlers reveals to Blake that Hollis and his ghost-writers plan to kill him that evening!  Blake, of course, works his way through all of the suspects - another body turns up - a murder attempt is made - plenty of dangerous action and cliffhangers - and ultimately, Blake uncovers the truth and gets his man!  The art, in complete black and white, is filled with lots of shadows and shading, keeping the mood of the story very dark, which, of course, fits well with the whole murder-on-a-secluded-island-at-night-in-a-dreary-castle scenario.  It's an enjoyable tale for mystery fans - but what is truly interesting about the whole thing is that when it was originally published in Tornado magazine back in the late 1970s, it was a "Victor Drago" story and not "Sexton Blake"!  

As revealed in the next article in the magazine, by Karl Stock, the publisher known as IPC, wanted to revive Sexton Blake, and Lowder (Henry) and Dorey actually finished the first story, "Troll Island."  However, for reasons unknown (inability to secure the rights is the likely cause), at the last moment, just before it went to publication, the names had to be changed, and so Sexton Blake became Victor Drago.

Now, next in the magazine came a ten-page story starring Sexton Blake titled "The Death and Life of Sexton Blake."  Written by George Mann and drawn by Jimmy Broxton, this brand new comic tale of Sexton Blake features an old ploy - the detective fakes his own death in order to capture a criminal who will reveal himself once he thinks his nemesis is gone for good.  The artist renders Blake in the same fashion as the early comic artists did back in the day, and while not in black-and-white, the story is not told in full color either - instead, it features a duo tone (which I first experienced back when Renegade Press was publishing Ms. Tree comics back in the '80s), which is a process that uses limited use of only one or two colors - in this instance, orange and red.  It is a short story, relatively speaking, but it is fast-paced and filled with plenty of action, which makes you feel like you read a lot more than just 10 pages!

After a brief interview with George Mann, Mark Hodder returns to pen another article, this time focusing on the various artists who drew Blake throughout the years.  There is also an article that looks at the redesigning of "Sexton Blake" for the modern era, and finally, two reprints of stories from Penny Pictorial (1908) and Union Jack (1925).

The Return of Sexton Blake is a well-rounded introduction to the character, providing history, stories both old and new in both comic and prose format, and a look at the evolution of the character through the years.  I definitely felt much more knowledgeable about Blake after reading this magazine, and it definitely whet my appetite for more stories.  I hope Rebellion publishing will offer up more issues like this, with both old and new tales!

RATING:  9 misfired crossbows out of 10 for reviving a detective from the past and introducing him to a whole new world of fans like me!

Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen - Book One: The Body Under the Piano

What if Agatha Christie had actually solved some crimes when she was only twelve years old?  What if her penchant for writing stemmed from the fact that she had been instrumental in solving murders when she was but an early teenager?  Author Marthe Jocelyn answers that question in this new series, "Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen."  As the tagline on the cover of the book reads, "Inspired by the real-life Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie," it's a murder mystery that features not one, but two budding sleuths - Aggie Morton and Hector Perot (gee, can you guess where those names came from?).

The Body Under the Piano introduces readers to young Aggie, an almost-teen who lives with her widowed mother and grandmother in the town of Torquay in the year 1902.  Aggie has a fascination with death, which, of course, worries both her mother ("Mummy") and grandmother ("Grannie Jane").  Aggie has even started a pet cemetery in the back of the garden, where she has carefully buried her pets that have died, giving each one a gravestone.  But, they needn't worry.  Aggie's fascination with death is what actually helps her solve the crime even the police can't seem to get right - the murder of Irma Eversham - a cantankerous old woman who also happens to be the bitter old sister of Aggie's dance teacher.  And Aggie happens to be the one who discovers the body.  In the dance classroom.  Under the piano (hence, the title of the book).

Jocelyn has a great, whimsical way with her characters, breathing such unique, individual life into each and every one of them that you, the reader, can't help but love them all.  Even the annoying Florence Fusswell and Lavinia Paine (and yes, clearly the names are somewhat representative of the characters' personalities).  But it's the fast-forming friendship of Aggie and her cohort in the crime-solving business, Hector Perot, that really warms the heart.  Hector is an immigrant, having been sent by his parents from Belgium to England.  While many are not as welcoming to the immigrants, Aggie has an immediate kinship with the boy and appreciates his analytical way of seeing things and thinking things through.  The two compliment one another nicely and make a fabulous detective duo!

As far as the mystery goes, Irma Eversham was a woman that no one liked.  She was unkind to her sister, controlling of her daughter, and wholly unfriendly to everyone she meets. So, no one is really saddened by her death.  I mean, sure, her sister Marianne and her daughter Rose are distraught over the fact that Mrs. Eversham was murdered - but for Roderick Fusswell, it could mean he might marry into riches if he can convince Rose to marry him ... for Rose Eversham, it could mean freedom at least from her mother's controlling nature ... for Augustus Fibbley, it could mean the story of a lifetime ... for Marianne Eversham, it could mean she inherits a fortune ... and for Aggie and Hector, it could mean the chance to show all of these stuffy adults that they are quite capable of solving a murder!

Whodunnit?  It's a classic Agatha Christie-style murder mystery with plenty of suspects, plenty of motives, and plenty of secrets.  Aggie's governess, Charlotte Graves, has a difficult time keeping Aggie out of the investigation, as do the Morton's groundskeeper, Leonard Cable, and the local Constable, Beck, who continually warns Aggie to stay out of it.  But she can see that the police have absolutely no clue as to what is really going on, and when they arrest the wrong person, Aggie knows she has to prove that person innocent.  Of course, it becomes all the more complicated when she discovers a blackmailer's message has been hidden inside her notebook.  It's a definite race against time for Aggie and Hector to catch a ruthless killer before he ... or she! ... strikes again!

This book was truly a wonderful read.  The characters are extremely likable (love Grannie Jane!), and the story is perfectly paced.  I definitely can't wait for Aggie and Hector's next mystery!

RATING:  10 woolly red cardigans out of 10 for introducing the world to a wonderful new young sleuth who I hope has many more mysteries to solve in the coming years!