The Scarlet Rose GN No. 2 - I'll Go Where You Go

Eighteen year old Maud de Laroche has learned the identity of her hero, the Fox - Guilhem de Landry! The man she thought was her friend. The man who had been teaching her how to use a sword and how to defend herself. The man her father had hired to watch over her. The man she trusted. And so, this second graphic novel in The Scarlet Rose series picks up exactly where the end of the first book ended - with Maud in a complete state of shock!

With "I'll Go Where You Go," writer and artist Patricia Lyfoung expands the world of Maud de Laroche, as her protagonist learns more about Guilhem and the Fox, as well as uncovering secrets about her father's killer and the secrets behind his murder. The art, while very detailed in places, particularly with the spectacular view of several of the cities Maud and Guilhem visit, appears to be rushed in a number of places. The characters' faces and expressions are not quite as defined in some of the panels, especially when compared to the art of the first graphic novel. Not sure why the difference, when Lyfoung did the art for both, but it was a bit jarring.

Otherwise, the story was just as fun and as engaging as the previous book. Maud has to get over the shock of discovery Guilhem is the Fox, and at the same time, Guilhem struggles to convince Maud that his identity as the Fox is nothing more than a way for him to escape the boredom of his life - he is not interested in justice, nor does he specifically give the spoils of his adventures to the poor; rather, he simply gives them to the first person he comes across. With her entire image of the Fox spoiled, Maud lashes out...but not for long! The Baron de Huet sneaks into the house and discovers Maud - the girl he has become infatuated with. She awakes with a scream, bringing Guilhem into the room, and the chance meeting starts off a chain of events that leads Maud and Guilhem (as well as Scarlet Rose and Fox) to Venice, to a party in honor of the Scarlet Rose and the Fox, to join a ship of pirates, and ultimately to Istanbul, where they will begin their search for the fabled."place of God."

Through the diary of Maud's father, and through information provided by Guilhem's friend, the "archivist," readers are provided with some of the intrigue that will set the stage for Maud and Guilhem's further adventures. It is a quest, of sorts, for a fabled place that can grant the power to change the world - but in order to do so, three things are required - a ring, a key, and a drop of blood. The ring and the key are said to have been safeguarded by the famed Templars, whose descendants still keep the items safe. As for the blood, well that requires a drop of blood from an actual descendant of one of the Templars...

So why are the de Huet's chasing after this fabled place? Who is their mysterious benefactor? Will Maud and Guilhem be able to track down the artifacts and get them before the de Huets? How will Maud react when she finds out that the Baron de Huet has a twin brother with a scar across his face that was the true murderer of her father? And when will Maud and Guilhem just admit their feelings for one another and move one?!

So many questions, and a few actually get answered this book - but, hey, you've got to save some for future stories, right?  Lyfoung knows how to keep the story moving, how to break from one scene to the next without it being jarring, and how to insinuate subplots into the tale without being overly obvious about it.  I look forward to where future books will take these characters!

RATING:  8 red chests with locks shaped like a dragon out of 10 for keeping the story interesting, mixing in just the right amount of drama along with a pinch of humor, and making me want to know what happens next!

A Ted Wilford Mystery, no. 5 - The Empty House Mystery

Like the Judy Bolton series, the Ted Wilford series finds its lead character (and his friends) growing older with each book. While so many children's mystery series have the protagonists at a stagnant age (forever eighteen in the olden days, and now it seems the lead characters are fifteen, fourteen, and or some cases, even younger!), author Norvin Pallas decided to allow Ted to age naturally, and in this fifth book of the series, Ted and his best friend, Nelson, are graduating high school with all of their classmates.

The Empty House Mystery actually has a really interesting, and surprisingly political, plot that kept me guessing. Pallas begins the story with Ted and Nelson helping a stranger search for his missing dog outside of the local theater - a stranger who oddly enough recognizes Ted and begins to ask him questions about a new highway that is being planned to come through the nearby town. Ted doesn't really have any information, but finds it strange the man knows him. When he follows up on it, however, he discovers the man doesn't exist!

And with that, readers are off to the start of a mystery that winds its way through the newspaper, where Ted is helping out for a few weeks while Mr. Dobson is in the hospital, to an empty house with a ringing phone, to an allegedly haunted house where Ted and Nelson get stranded, to a new housing development with yet another empty house and ringing phone. And be prepared, because it seems everyone in this story is harboring one secret or another. First, there's the stranger with no dog. Then there's the man who places an ad for a lost red leather notebook, followed by the nervous woman who turns in the lost notebook. Let's not forget the state auditor, who is filled with anger and sarcasm. And finally, there is the man from the Highway Department, who seems just a bit too authentic to be true. Poor, Ted - he's stuck in the middle of all of this drama, and one innocent attempt to be helpful by personally returning the lost notebook to its owner proves to be the catalyst that sets off a chain reaction of events like you wouldn't believe!

What I did think was a bit odd about the story, however, is that for all the sleuthing Ted and Nelson do throughout the book (I mean, let's face it - any good sleuth worth a grain of salt will stay in a haunted house overnight for the sake of solving a mystery!), it is ultimately not Ted at all who solves the mystery and figures out not only the importance of the stolen notebook, but also who was involved and why. Rather, it is Ted's newspaper rival, Ken Kutler, who makes the final revelation, in a several page monologue setting forth all the details. Of course, this isn't the first time that Ted did not solve the crime - in The Star Reporter Mystery, the story was centered around Ronald, Ted's older brother, and not Ted at all. This leads me to wonder if the author never intended for the series to be solely focused on Ted, but on the entire cast (almost like a soap opera).

In any event, it was still a really good mystery, smooth story-telling, and enjoyable characters. For someone who is not a huge fan of boys' mystery series, this one has really grown on me, and it's a shame the entire series has not been reprinted (as I have been purchasing the paperback reprints from Amazon and reading them).  If you like mysteries, then I would definitely suggest you check these out.

RATING:  9 mislabeled, penciled-in headlines out of 10 for reminding me just why the children and young adult mysteries of the '60s and '70s are still some of the best out there.

Doctor Who - The Shining Man

With the new season of Doctor Who just around the corner, and the introduction of the Thirteenth Doctor, I thought I should probably read the last novel of the Twelfth Doctor and his companion, Bill Potts. I was sorry to see Peter Capaldi's run as the Doctor come to an end, and even more disappointed to see that Pearl Mackie's Bill would not be around for more than just the one season. It seems the more I enjoy a character on this show, the shorter period of time they stay.

Ah, well, after all, this show is all about change, if nothing else.

The Shining Man finds the Doctor and Bill back on Earth, this time in the small town of Huckensall, where there has been an unusual number of sightings of the mysterious "Shining Men," described as tall and thin, with shaggy long hair and bright lights for eyes. No one takes them too seriously, but for young Noah Holland, a run in with one scares the living daylights out of him. No one believes him.  Not his school teachers. Not his sister. Not even his grandmother. But, his mother - well, that's a different story. She believes he saw something. So, when she sees a Shining Man outside the window of her flat, she goes out to confront him. She firmly believes whoever is dressing up in these costumes and scaring children should be taught a lesson. However, Sammy Holland quickly discovers she is the one to be schooled, when the Shining Man turns on her, his eyes brighter than ever, and swallows her up into the night...

As usual, the Doctor and his companion step off the TARDIS and right into the middle of things. Author Cavan Scott gives Doctor Who fans a roller coaster ride of what's going to happen next! And, befitting of the upcoming holiday, the tale certainly has its fair share of scares. Sammy Holland is missing, and her children think a Shining Man took her. Charlotte Sadler thinks the Shining Men are just what her vlog needs to get more followers - until she meets the Doctor and Bill. Hilary Holland thinks it is all one big hoax and that her daughter will be back home any moment. But Bill suspects there is something alien, something sinister hiding in the woods of Huckensall, and if even the Doctor is unsure, then everyone would do well to be frightened.

And when the Doctor and a local constable are pulled into the faerie realm - well, let's just say that's when the adventure REALLY begins!

I can easily envision this book as a television episode, and because of that, it makes me long all the more for Capaldi and Mackie, as they really had such a wonderful rapport on the show, and I'm going to really miss them. Thankfully, there will always be more opportunities to see them (or, at least, read about them) in future books - I hope! But, if this turns out to have been the final adventure of the twelfth Doctor and Bill, then a fine adventure it was. Scott captured every element that makes Doctor Who the successful show that it is - there is adventure, fun, some scares, aliens, believers, disbelievers, awe-inspiring moments, daring rescues, and a victorious Doctor who proves that, once again, nothing can keep a good man (or soon to be, woman) down!

RATING:  10 camera phones out of 10 for giving Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie a very nice send-off!

Nancy Drew Diaries, Special - A Nancy Drew Christmas

This book took me completely by surprise for so many reasons. First, this was advertised late, and it was solicited as the 18th book in the series, but somehow it suddenly was pushed for publication prior to the 17th book. Everyone was wondering how this would work out - until the book hit the shelves and we discovered a number of things...

First, there is no number for this book; rather, it appears to be a special, sort of like the Super Mysteries were for the Girl Detective series.

Second, the book has red endpapers with snowflakes, and the green boards for the book also have the snowflake designs.

Third, the cover to the book has raised lettering, as well as silver sparkles on the tree for the snow.

Fourth, and probably the most surprising, the book has 341 pages of story.  Yes, you heard that right. Three hundred and forty pages of actual story in a Nancy Drew Diaries book! For Nancy Drew fans, this is quite an accomplishment for Simon & Schuster, for the Diaries, as well as its precursor the Nancy Drew, Girl Detective series, have averaged 115 to 140 pages in length, with very few exceptions getting near or going over the 200 pages count.  And with the large font, it makes the actual story page count even less.  But with large font, 341 pages would still be approximately 250 or so pages of story - which means, the author actually has plenty of time to flesh out a decent story, provide some characterization, and simply put - tell a good story!

And A Nancy Drew Christmas does just that. It tells a good story, with plenty of characters who are more than just cookie-cutter stereotypes, and in my opinion, the story has a very Alfred Hitchcock Rear Window feel to it - with Nancy stuck in a wheelchair due to a skiing accident her very first day at the resort! It definitely goes to the author's creativity and Nancy's skill as a detective to be able to solve a mystery while crippled by an accident. In addition to all of this, the Hardy Boys make a guest appearance in the book, and there is even a Tom Swift reference (but I won't spoil it by telling you how he is referenced...)

As for the mystery, that is the one thing that I wish could have been changed a bit. Sabotage is the key here, yet again, and this is a tired trope that S&S cannot get away from. Throughout the Girl Detective series, and now within the Diaries series, it seems 90%, if not more, of theirs mysteries center around sabotage. In this instance, someone is sabotaging the grand opening weekend of the Grand Sky Lodge ski resort on the border of Montana/Wyoming, which promotes itself as being the most-green resort to exist. Its two owners have even lured a famous chef to run the resort's restaurant with locally grown food. Nancy is a guest of one of the owners, for whom she helped her father win a big case. But, from the moment Nancy arrives, things begin to happen.

Nancy is asked to fill in for the chef on a beginner's slope for the opening ceremony - but something goes wrong, and Nancy ends up wiping out on a patch of ice, injuring her ankle and hip.  Someone moved the warning flags, causing the accident. With a cast on her leg and stuck in a wheelchair, Nancy is afraid her entire week's vacation will be ruined. But when she witnesses someone snooping in one of the owner's cabin, and then overhears concerns regarding the big oil company that is trying to bully the resort into selling part of its land to allow a pipeline to run through town, Nancy smells a mystery.

A red pepper scare in the dining room, some malfunctioning electric menorahs, a dangerously-placed bear trap, moved warning flags on a dangerous slope, and a runaway sleigh (not to mention an avalanche, a fierce snowstorm, and a deadly chase through a maze with men bearing chainsaws!) all  place Nancy, Joe, and Frank in terrible danger. But, this being a Nancy Drew mystery, she simply has to follow the clues: an impression left on a message pad, a hidden passage behind a bookcase, and an item left on a staircase lead to a climactic confrontation with the culprit that leaves Nancy hanging (literally) on for dear life!

Plenty of characters (I, for one, thoroughly loved the chef!), lots of action, and more mystery and suspense than all of the Diaries books to date make this special mystery well worth the purchase and read.  For those who have never picked up one of the Diaries books - trust me, this is one you don't want to pass!

RATING:  9 crocks of rotten sauerkraut out of 10 for finally providing Nancy Drew fans with a book that is deserving of the Nancy Drew name!

Supergirl, Book 2 - Curse of the Ancients

Supergirl soars back into action in this second young adult novel based on CW's television show. And quite frankly, this book was much, MUCH more enjoyable than the first book, and it definitely had a stronger feeling of the show. While it is written by the same author, J.D. Whittemore, the overall characterization and storytelling was far more on point, and I was smiling pretty much the entire time I read the book.  It was like watching an episode of the show, but in word format!

Curse of the Ancients is not a continuation of the previous story, but rather, an entirely new disaster that introduces readers to the female Doctor Light (which I was glad to see happen from the moment they introduced Dr. Hoshi in the first chapter!) and brings in a surprising villain from the comics. Plus, Winn really gets to shine in this one, with some awesome Dr. Who references that brought a smile to my face.  Mon-El, Alex, J'onn, and even Lena have a part to play, and they literally lept off the page and visually into my mind - I could see the actors actually playing out the parts exactly as written.

So, what happens when a comet comes close enough to Earth that it is not only visible to the naked eye, but it shoots down a blinding flash of light that literally changes everything?  Well, for one thing, you get a city that is suddenly thrust back into ancient Rome, filled with people who are slowly reverting to that time. You also get some aliens who must try and make sense of what is happening around them, as well as a techie and a guardian who find themselves stuck on the outside, looking in. Plus, you get a brand new hero and a surprise villain (who, honestly, I didn't even realize was the character from the comics until I looked it up later - I had completely forgotten that this villain was known by a completely different name during the Peter David run of Supergirl in the comics...).

The story is fun, but with a serious side - Supergirl only has four days within which to find a way to end the curse over National City, or it will forever remain in the ancient Roman state, and its people will completely revert to citizens of that period.  Supergirl and J'onn are completely unaffected, as they are alien to this world, which turns out to be a saving grace, since the DEO just happens to have quite the stash of alien technology.  And knowing that Winn and Jimmy are outside of the dome separating the city from the rest of the world gives them hope that they will find a way inside.  And, well, Winn being who he is, does manage to come up with some great ideas - but it is ultimately Supergirl who finds a way to get Winn and Jimmy inside.

Oh, and did I mention that a certain Jason Blood is in this story?  If you are a fan of DC Comics, then you'll know who that is, and you know that is pretty much a guarantee that a certain other character is bound to appear at some point in the story!d  Between Madame Xanadu's appearances in the Flash books and now Blood's appearance here, it makes me wonder if there isn't some kind of supernatural crossover planned for the books?  (Although, from what I have been told, these two series are only trilogies, which would kind of kill that idea - a shame, though, as I would love to see these as ongoing series...)

Guess it's another game of wait and see!

RATING:  9 domes of doom out of 10 for keeping Supergirl super-fun to read, super-faithful to the character and show, and super-easy to recommend to every fan of the TV show and comic!

Lilly Long Mysteries, Book 3 - Murder Will Speak

In 1880s Chicago, Shakespearean actress turned Pinkerton detective Lilly Long must play the part of a soiled dove to find a missing friend...

With a tagline like that, how could you not pick up this mystery? Well, I, for one, picked it up because it is the third book in a series with which I am already in love, and also because it takes two of my favorite pastimes - theater and mysteries - and merges them into a great series of novels! Lilly Long is a former actress who, out of necessity, has become a detective with the Pinkerton Agency in the late 1800s. She has been paired with Cade McShane, a somewhat jaded, tough-as-nails detective who has slowly, over the past two books, been warming to his partner's unique perspective on things. They have solved a couple of difficult cases, but now they are facing one that hits way too close to home for both of them.

Author Penny Richards opens up the doors to McShane's past and personal life in Murder Will Speak, and readers also learn more about Lilly's friend, Nora Nash, who ran off to become a mail-order bride and begin a new life out west. As is the case in most murder mystery books, nothing is ever quite what it seems. When Lilly and McShane are called into the Pinkerton offices, they expect to be given their next case - instead, Lilly is handed a letter from her old friend and is aghast at what she reads. Nora's dreams of a husband and new life are gone, and in their place is a nightmare world of "soiled doves" and tortured children.  (And in case you're wondering, a "soiled dove" is a polite way of saying "prostitute"!) It seems Nora was tricked into going out west, where she was immediate sold to a house of ill repute and has been forced into a life of selling her body for the profit of her madam. To make matters worse, she has discovered that the same people who are forcing her into this life are also doing the same for children!

Lilly must go and help her friend, but the Pinkerton Agency cannot provide services for free. Lilly is determined to go on her own, unpaid, but Mr. Pinkerton has other plans. Nora sent a small sum of money, which could be used for a short time to fund the trip - if McShane will go with her. And, of course, they will need a cover story to get into Hell's Half Acre, which means utilizing the services of McShane's younger sister - who happens to know all about prostitution!

Long-buried secrets, not only about McShane's family, but also about his relationship with his sister, what happened to his wife all those years ago, and the part his sister played in that death all come to light. Lilly's own faith and resolve are put to the test when they reach Hell's Half Acre, where she discovers that men are not the only ones willing to use women for their own profit.  One woman has already been found murdered, and Lilly and McShane discover another has been killed.  Someone is desperate to keep "business" as usual in Hell's Half Acre, and they don't take too kindly to strangers sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.

Richards' previous two books were fantastic, perfectly paced, with satisfying conclusions.  The story and characterization in this one were definitely on par - up until the conclusion, that is. The resolution to the story and the revelation as to the killer and the mastermind behind the murders was somewhat anticlimactic, with no real discovery, but rather a dramatic capture of a henchman who simply reveals who the killer is. No big revelations, no big stand-off, no big last-minute save. Richards' writing and storytelling was so engaging up to that point, I'm surprise she concluded the story this way.

No word on Amazon or other sites about a next book (which I hope there will be!); however, the author's bio in the back of the book states that she lives in Arizona "where she is hard at work on the next Lilly Long mystery."  So, there is hope!

RATING:  7 slices of buttered bread wrapped around peaches out of 10 for writing a murder mystery about prostitutes and child slavery, yet keeping it clean and enjoyable.

The Virginia Mysteries, Book 6 - Shadows at Jamestown

This series has really grown on me.  I was a bit hesitant at first, when I picked up this series, as I'm not a huge fan of boys' mystery series, as they tend to be more about adventure and less about mystery. Plus, the historical aspect about the series was something I thought would border on the boring side of things. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I was completely wrong! Author Steven K. Smith, with his Virginia Mysteries series, has created some very well-rounded characters, placed them in some very interesting and often dangerous situations, and provided readers with well-plotted and engaging mysteries.

Shadows at Jamestown is the sixth book in the series, which, in and of itself, is a huge accomplishment, since so many series on the market today rarely make it past three or four books. In this mystery, Sam and his older brother, Derek, along with their friend Caitlin, head off to Jamestown at the invitation of Professor Evanshade to join an archaeological dig for a week at the Jamestown Field School. For Derek, it's a time to pretend like he's a college student and perhaps have some college girls fall madly in love with him. For Caitlin, it's an opportunity to study and learn more about the history of the site. For Sam, though, it's a chance to show he's no longer a child - he can handle being away from home and can take on the responsibility associated with an important historical dig like this.

This is a mystery series, so before the kids even have a chance to start digging for treasures, they overhear Professor Evanshade on an angry phone call; however, when they ask him about it, he tells them it's nothing to worry about, just school business. But these kids are smart, and even they notice the concerned looks on the faces of Toby and Grace, the two college students who will chaperoning the kids to the dig site. There is no time to look into it, though, as Sam, Derek, and Caitlin are shown their dorm rooms then taken to the "West Wall," where the group of professors, teachers, and college students are digging carefully or artifacts.

Smith's own experience raising three sons clearly shows his knowledge and understanding of children, as his writing of the characters is natural and believable. Sam, Derek, and Caitlin each have their own unique personalities, and as the series progresses, so do they. They have begun to mature, they have learned from their experiences, and they have even begun to develop a bond that only siblings and their friends can do. And they use that to not only tease each other, but to work together to solve the mystery surrounding the Jamestown dig.  An artifact sent to the Smithsonian has been determined to be a fake, much to the surprise of the Professor and his assistants. If they cannot figure out what happened, the Professor's reputations, and the entire Jamestown dig could be on the line! Away from their parents and with more freedom than they expected, Sam, Derek, and Caitlin put their sleuthing skills to the test to figure out what is going on.

No spoiler here, but being as it is their mystery series, it's a given that the three kids do end up solving the mystery, putting themselves in danger, and worrying the heck out of their parents! But Smith provides a logical resolution, and at no time does he have any of the children do anything that ordinary pre-teens wouldn't do. In fact, it's fun to read Sam's concerns with their decisions, Caitlin's determination to be cautious, and Derek's carefree attitude of "jump right in and worry about the consequences later." But, in the end, each of them shine in their own way, making the book a fun read.  Glad to know there is already another book out there, with more on the way!

RATING:  8 small worthless pieces of iron out of 10 for proving a children's mystery series can be continuing without losing, but rather, with gaining quality!