Tom Swift Inventors' Academy, Book 2 - The Sonic Breach

This latest incarnation of the Stratemeyer Syndicate's young boy inventor continues with the second volume in the Tom Swift Inventors' Academy series - The Sonic Breach.  I was never a Tom Swift fan back in the day (my first real introduction to the character was back in the mid-1980s with the Wanderer publication, where Tom Swift was in space in the future), but I did fairly enjoy the 6-book series from the early 2000s - so I figured I would give this series a shot.  The first book was okay, with decent enough writing, and the second book is pretty much the same (making me think it was the same author who wrote both stories). Not sure, though, how I feel about Tom and his friends being so much younger (while they do not specify the characters' ages, the feel of the story is that they are in upper middle school or perhaps the lowest grade of high school - much younger than any of the earlier incarnations of the character).

The Sonic Breach at first seems to focus on an upcoming robot battle among the students - these genius level students are tasked with the job of creating robots that will battle each other in a competition.  Tom, of course, is grouped with his friends Noah and Sam, who believe they have created the ultimate fighting robot.  The story (and ultimate mystery) changes gears, though, when the students all get the same text message, warning them about a pop quiz coming up in their next classes.  You see, the teachers at Swift Academy of Science and Technology have had the sudden inspiration of testing their students on nearly an everyday basis, to see if they are actually studying the material.  And the students are tired of the numerous pop quizzes - so someone developed an app that will allow students to post about the quizzes to their friends and classmates, to give them the heads up before they hit their next class.  But, isn't that cheating, Tom wonders?  Especially when the tone for the incoming texts is set at a decibel that cannot be heard by adults?

As Tom and his friends try to upgrade and prepare their robot for the ultimate challenge, Tom is left in the quandary of what to do about the app.  Who created it? Since it doesn't allow students to reveal questions or answers, is it cheating or not? Should he tell administration?  Should he tell his father?  All of those questions become even more difficult to answer when he finds out who is actually the creator of the app!  Of course, this isn't really much of a mystery, now is it? Well, how about when someone highjacks the app, starts charging for the use of the app, and starts allowing students to post pictures of the quizzes and provide answers to their friends and classmates?!?!  Now that's a mystery that Tom, Noah, Sam, and Amy will have to solve before the true creator of the app takes the fall.

Yes, the mystery does involve a bit of cyber-tech (such as hacking and such), but it's not overly technical, and quite frankly, Tom does very little of the work. It seems Noah is the one who does most of the technical work in this mystery, with Tom sitting on the sidelines trying to catch clues from everything Noah discovers and does.  And once again, with only 130 pages of story, there is little time for true character development (although readers do learn a bit more about Amy's personality and background in this book).  I really wish S&S would allow these authors to flesh out these stories, to provide more character revelations and growth so that readers actually get to know the characters and they are not simply two-dimensional people who could really be just about anyone these days.  Seriously, the idea behind this latest series (Tom and his friends being students at an advanced school of learning) is actually a cool idea with lots of opportunity, particularly if they were high school students with a lot more freedom (and the ability to drive!).  But S&S, along with so many publishers today, seem to think that books aimed at the young reader market have to feature middle school children as the crime-solvers.  Ah, well, it's probably just me wishing for the books of the old days....

Interestingly, there is no author bio at the end of this book, although there is a brief few page preview of the next book in the series, Restricted Access.  I guess since they no longer preview the next book title at the end of the story like they did back in the day, giving a brief preview like this is a way of whetting readers' appetites for the next mystery.

On a side note, the book I have (and not sure if this will be corrected in future printings), but the names of the chapters 3 and 4 in the table of contents are opposite of what they actually are in the book - in the table of contents, Chapter 3 is "The Restoration Deliberation," while Chapter 4 is "The Notification Escalation" - but in the actual story, the names are opposite.  (And yes, the chapter names are still in the same format as the title of Big Bang Theory episodes, so I'm assuming this will be an ongoing thing for this series - which is a plus, in my book!)

RATING:  6 all-white fencing uniforms out of 10 for reminding readers that just because we have the technology to do things, it doesn't always mean it should be used in such a way!

Wonder Woman Graphic Novel - Diana: Princess of the Amazons

What would Princess Diana have been like as a young child?  That is the very question that writers Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrator Victoria Ying answer in one of DC's recent graphic novels for young readers, Diana: Princess of the Amazons.  I really enjoyed the Hales' Squirrel Girl novels written for Marvel, so I pretty much assumed that this story about a young Wonder Woman (before she ever assumed that mantel) would be just as good - and I was right!

Diana: Princess of the Amazons is the story of the Amazon princess facing her greatest challenge as a young person - finding herself too old to be coddled by the adults around her, but too young to be treated as an equal to them.  So, what is a young Amazon to do? Well, Diana knows the story of her own birth: how her mother desired a child, so she formed one out of clay on the beach, and it was given life by the gods and goddesses - so, if it worked for her mother, then surely it would work for Diana so she could have a playmate, right?  Thus, Mona is "born"!

I think we can all agree as children, we were bored when we were the only child surrounded by adults, who were talking about adult subjects or working on adult things - and the moment another child our age showed up, it was immediate friendship!  Such is what happens to Diana when Mona is brought to life - or partial life, may be more appropriate, as Diana's new friend is still clay in nature, but she can talk and think and act like a child.  Diana is thrilled to have someone her own age to play with and talk to about her problems as a solitary child on an island filled with adults.  They begin to explore and to play games, and eventually, Mona starts to open Diana's eyes to how she is being treated by the adults who claim to love her.  She is ignored, she is placated, and she is talked down to - but Mona sees her as an equal and encourages her to strike out on her own; to do things she would have never dreamed of doing before...

Which, of course, leads to trouble!

Diana wants to prove she is an Amazon, an equal to all of the women on the island.  Mona knows exactly how she can prove it - unlock the door to Tartarus, as only a true Amazon can unlock the door that holds back all of the magical and dangerous beasts within.  Diana is unsure, but Mona convinces her that unlocking the door is not actually opening the door, so there is no real danger.  Yeah, I think we all know what happens next!  And, of course, there is the ultimate reveal of who Mona really is and how she came to life that may or may not come as a surprise to long-time Wonder Woman fans.   Overall, this is  sweet tale of not-quite-growing-up and learning that sometimes we really don't have to prove ourselves - we just have to be ourselves!  The story moves quickly, and the art is simple, clear and not overly cartoony (although the art is definitely aimed at the younger audience).  That doesn't mean us older comic fans can't enjoy the book, because I certainly did.

DC is finally starting to get it right with these graphic novels for young readers - there is no reason to dumb down stories and just offer silliness in order to appeal to the younger generation of readers.  This graphic novel is absolute proof that a well-written story about DC's popular characters can be fresh and appealing, yet be open for all-ages without all the dark grittiness of today's standard comics.  Well done, DC - hope to see more like this in the future!

RATING:  9 adorable fluffy animals out of 10 for revealing a very human side of Princess Diana of the Amazons in a format open to comic readers of any age!

Grandfathered In - The Last Silver Peak Mystery

A female detective. A clue hidden in an old clock. An author's name that is really a pseudonym. A mystery involving swindlers and a lost deed. Can you guess the series book to which I am referring?  If you guessed "Nancy Drew," well, I hate to burst your bubble, but no!  Surprise, surprise - this particular book is actually the last book in the Mysteries of Silver Peak series, a series published by Guideposts (which is a Christian publication that I hadn't heard about in years - didn't even know it was still around!).  What is interesting, though, is that with all the similarities, the book, in fact, does feature the Nancy Drew books (and particularly, The Secret of the Old Clock), pretty heavily.  The protagonist, Sadie Speers, even recognizes the similarities between the mystery she is trying to unravel and the first mystery in the Nancy Drew series!

Like the Nancy Drew mystery stories, the Mysteries of Silver Peak are attributed to an author who does not really exist.  Carole Jefferson, like Carolyn Keene, is merely a pseudonym, and just like the Nancy Drew books, the Mysteries of Silver Peak are written by various ghostwriters.  This particular book, Grandfathered In, was written by Anne Marie Rodgers, who claims, in the front of the book, that "[t]his story pays homage to the Nancy Drew Mystery series, a collection that was near to my heart when I was a young girl ... Thanks to Nancy Drew, the Bobbsey Twins, and other fictional characters in the books [my grandmother] bought for a nickel in box lots, I was readily entertained ..." Despite this love for Nancy Drew, the author unfortunately does not seem well versed in the history and background of Nancy Drew - but more on that later.

The story centers around a mining company that claims to own the mineral rights to the land owned by Sadie, and the company intends to start exercising its right to excavate the land with our without Sadie's cooperation! Sadie is suspicious, and she soon learns that the same company has been reaching out to fellow property owners, bullying them into selling their mineral rights, or even their entire property!  One such property owner happens to own a ranch that is suddenly going to be foreclosed upon by the bank, and its owner - a friend of Sadie's - fears he may have to sell the mineral rights to the company in order to save his ranch. Sadie sets about to do more than just investigate, and with the help of her granddaughter and her lawyer/confidant/boyfriend (perhaps), she ultimately discovers that the antique grandfather clock that has been in her family for generations holds the key to solving the mystery before her!

It is nice to read an adult mystery that is not centered around a murder for a change. In fact, reading this book was very much like reading a Nancy Drew mystery, except with a very grown up Nancy Drew. It was fun to follow along with Sadie as she follows up on clues, searches for information, and I thoroughly enjoyed the romp through public records and her discussions with the local government workers about title transfers, title histories, and recorded documents (all things I work with on a daily basis at my job).  The author clearly knew her stuff when it comes to public records and chain of title; but, as indicated above, her knowledge of Nancy Drew facts was clearly lacking (which is sad, since the information is easily discovered with a quick online search).

First, when Sadie and her granddaughter discover a box of Nancy Drew books to be sold at a local auction house, she notes that "it looked like there were at least fifty Nancy Drew books in the box. Even better, nearly all of them still had their dust jackets. As she'd observed when she first saw the box lot, a number of them had the white spine on the dust jacket, which indicated first editions." [pp. 5-6]  This is not necessarily the case, as books beyond the first editions had white spine dust jackets, so that white spine did not automatically indicate a first edition.  Next, while informing her granddaughter about the creation of Nancy Drew, she correctly states that the character was created by Edward Stratemeyer, "who was an American publisher and author of children's fiction." [p. 6] But then she incorrectly says that "Stratemeyer soon turned over the management of the series to his daughter Harriet." [p. 6]  This is definitely a misrepresentation, as Edward did not "turn over" the series to his daughter; rather, he died, and his daughters (Harriet and Edna) had no choice but to take over the business when they could not sell it!  The final nail in the coffin, though, is when Sadie tells her daughter the name of the first ghostwriter for the series:  "An author named Margaret Wirt Benson wrote most of the first two dozen..." [p. 6]  Seriously?  When did Mildred Wirt Benson change her name to Margaret?  Such glaring errors as these, the information for which is easily available on the internet, shows either a lack of research or a simple lack of concern for facts.  In either event, these immediately took me out of the story and interrupted the flow of the book.  As much as Nancy Drew and The Secret of the Old Clock play a part in this mystery, one would think the author would have put forth a bit more effort to have the facts correct.

Nancy Drew errors aside, though, the book was a good read, and the mystery very well plotted - good pacing, a few great Nancy Drew-type foibles (Sadie getting trapped behind a settee on a neighbor's front porch is a real riot!), and a very satisfying resolution.  Plus, amidst all of the mystery, there are a couple of interesting subplots involving Sadie's own relationship with Edwin and the mysterious identity of the Chatterbox author, that add to the enjoyment of the story.  It was worth the purchase and read, and it will certainly make another nice addition to my collection of Nancy Drew-related collectibles.

RATING:  8 slices of homemade rhubarb pie out of 10 for a fun, old-fashioned mystery that does a somewhat good job of paying homage to the most famous teen sleuth of all!

Death at Thorburn Hall – the Sixth Drew Farthering Mystery

Drew Farthering and his beautiful bride head out to Scotland with his right-hand man, Nick Dennison, and Nick's beloved, Carrie Holland to enjoy the 1935 British Open (which, for those who don't know, is a golf tournament that's been around, like, forever...). The last thing any of them want or expect is to become involved in yet another murder mystery - particularly after the not-so-long-ago loss of Carrie's family to such horrific circumstances. Plus, Drew is looking forward to getting to know his relatives a bit more, and Nick is hoping to finally have the chance (and the courage) to pop the question! But, of course, this is a mystery series after all, so it is only a matter of time before a dead body turns up ... then another one ... and then yet one more ...

Death at Thorburn Hall is Julianna Deering's sixth installment in the Drew Farthering mystery series, and I hope it is not the last! I have thoroughly enjoyed these mysteries, with their Christian views, engaging characters, and challenging mysteries. I have had loved reading as Drew's romance with Madeline eventually blossomed into true love and marriage, and how Drew and Nick's friendship has evolved and grown stronger, to the point where Nick has become to Drew what Watson was to Holmes.  I will admit, the character of Carrie Holland is probably the weakest point for the series, but in this book, as she faces another murderous household (and so soon after the death of her own family under similar circumstances!), I could almost feel some sympathy for the poor girl.  And poor Nick, he is torn between his loyalty to Drew and desire to solve the crimes and his wanting to protect the woman he loves.

The mystery is one filled with plenty of twists and turns. The Farthering's host, Lord Rainsby, asks Drew upon his arrival to keep an eye on his business partner, who Rainsby believes is acting suspicious.  No sooner does he share his suspicions with Drew than the next day, he winds up dead from an apparent riding accident. Only, it wasn't an accident. Drew discovers that the saddle was tampered with, and when the police are reluctant to believe it was anything more than an accident, Drew feels compelled to uncover the truth. The suspects are numerous - his business partner, who seems to be way too supporting of Hitler's antics in Germany; one of his houseguests,, who is not who he appears to be and is helping himself to valuables from around the house; the mysterious young woman who has been seen having clandestine meetings with Rainsby's business partner as well as the ne'er-do-well boyfriend of Rainsby's daughter; or quite possibly Lady Rainsby herself, who gets arrested when it is revealed that Rainsby was about to change his well, leaving his wife absolutely nothing!  Rainsby's young daughter, Joan, is so distraught, she begs Drew to find out the truth - but the more Drew, Nick, and Madeline look into things, the more complicated it becomes!

Deering weaves a very wicked tale of deceit and treachery and, quite frankly, pure evil, with a mix of Nazis and undercover agents to keep the reader guessing up until the very end. Normally, I am able to figure out the culprit pretty early on in these stories, but even I have to admit that this one had me stumped. When the killer's identity was revealed, well, it definitely came as a shock - not at all the person I was suspecting. The climax to this mystery provides some very surprising twists, including a major one involving Drew's own mother, for whom he has been searching ever since he discovered the truth about her.  (I just hope that the resolution of that story thread does not signal the end of this series, as I have not seen any further books in this series solicited on Amazon or anywhere else, for that matter!)

This is definitely a series I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.

RATING:  10 highly valuable silver place settings out of 10 for murder, mayhem, and madness, with a lot of misdirection and mirth to keep the story from being overly dark!

The Complete Velda, Girl Detective (True Crime Comics) - Volume 2

I must admit, the first volume of Velda, Girl Detective was not at all what I was expecting, but it was so much fun, I was glad to finally get the chance to sit down with Volume 2 and enjoy some more stories of this faux female detective of the 1950s. For those who don't know (and that's probably most!), Velda, Girl Detective is the creation of Ron Miller, with assist from Walter Mucilage, and is a parody of sorts of the pulp comics from back in the 1950s - where female protagonists were fierce, but at the same time, sexy and quite often scantily clad (if they were clad at all!).  Miller and Mucilage present these volumes as if they are collections of the "original" comics from back in the day, even including photographs of the alleged real Velda Bellinghausen, as if she had been a real-life female detective upon whom the comics were based. They are very tongue-in-cheek, and sometimes the advertisements and one or two-page short stories are very often so humorous, they are more fun to read than the Velda stories!

Volume 2 features three issues of Velda's comics - 3, 4, and 5, presented in their alleged entirety, complete with advertisements and short stories of Neolithica, Girl of the Pleistocene and Hawkshaw the Hawk, the World's Greatest Bird Detective. Velda's adventures include a treasure hunt to find stolen coins; a trip to New Jersey as winner of the Miss Methylated Seed Oil contest of 1954, faces the Curse of Mwawebe-Tutu, goes to the circus, goes to Hollywood, goes out west to help her uncle, deals with Murder on a Shoestring, and in the last story, goes so far as to play chicken! There is even a prose one-page "Minute Mystery" that gives the opportunity for the reader to solve the mystery based on the clues in the short tale - but the solution for this one ... well, I'm not going to spoil the fun for anyone - let's just say it is solved in true Velda style!

As with the '50s pulp stories, the art always portrays Velda in the sexiest of poses, and often she is forced to remove her clothes (but the panels are drawn in such a way to hide the pertinent parts). The background comes and goes, with some panels featuring no background whatsoever, while others feature such great detail, you feel drawn into the setting. Velda, with her short, dark bob and her trim figure, stays consistent throughout the stories, and the artist does manage to give her some great expressions (especially when she smirks or she is deep in thought.

I think my favorite story in this collection, though, has to be "Velda Goes West," in which she travel out to New Mexico to help her uncle, who has invested in a ranch out there. It seems that there are a number of unexplained accidents happening on the ranch, and he is losing reservations left and right - to the point where he may be forced to sell the ranch! Sound familiar?  (a la Shadow Ranch, from the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories?) Of course, Velda agrees to help him find the source of these accidents, and find them she does - villainous cretins who want the property to mine for the molybdenum underneath the ranch!  What is molybdenum you ask?  Well, surprisingly, it is not a made up name!  Molybdenum is an actual chemical element (Mo / atomic number 42). It does not occur naturally as a free metal, however; it is only found in various oxidation states in minerals. The free element, a silvery metal with a gray cast, has the sixth-highest melting point of any element and readily forms hard, stable carbides in alloys - used in steel alloys, including high-strength alloys and superalloys. (And if you are wondering, I found that info on the internet!).  So, see! Velda may be a parody and may be crazy to the point of silly sometimes, but it still holds a kernel of reality.

Now for those ads.  Oh, those ads!  From the very first one, an ad for polio prevention, warning people to "Don't Play with Foreigners!" and "Don't Be Sexually Precocious" and "Don't Swim in the Winter" and "Do Keep Your Bunny Clean!" to the ad for Whiz-O, the breakfast of whizzes, which features the young fellows of Camp Beaver - who are watching Swifty race at a track meet - "What sleek hairless thighs!" and "Check out Swifty's tight butt, too!" and "What a swell manly chest!" and "Wish I could get in those shorts!"  Miller and Mucilage poke fun at so many of those oh-so-innocent at the time ads from the '50s and twist them into humorous, irreverent, and sometimes demented parodies!  As I said above, they are just as enjoyable to read as the stories themselves (and make sure to read some of the fine print in those "ads" - trust me, you won't want to miss a thing!).

RATING:  10 elephant-sized hotels out of 10 for fun, exploitative, mocking, detective tales with a bit of actual murder mystery added in to keep the stories interesting!

Nancy Drew Diaries, No. 19 - Hidden Pictures

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Nancy Drew, whose books first hit the shelves of stores way back in April 1930.  There are very few ongoing book series that have endured continued publication for that many years.  While the Chronicles of Narnia, Little House of the Prairie, the Wizard of Oz, and other classic series have certainly been around for many decades, none of them can boast what Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys can – continued publication of new, ongoing series for 90 years (or more, in the case of the Hardy Boys). That is quite an accomplishment. And, yes, everyone’s favorite female sleuth has certainly undergone a number of changes over the years – from 16 to 18, from blond to titian, from hardcover with dust jacket to picture cover to paperback, from third person to first person – what hasn’t changed is her perseverance, her dedication to helping others, and her ability to solve even the most complex mystery.

Hidden Pictures, the 19th book in the Nancy Drew Diaries series and the first Nancy Drew mystery of 2020 and the first mystery published during her 90th year, certainly presents this pop culture icon with a unique mystery (and it’s not sabotage, a trope that has been greatly overused in recent years during the Girl Detective and now the Diaries series). A museum is hosting a photography exhibit in the nearby town of Shady Oaks – but something is wrong. A museum employee goes missing; but she inexplicably shows up in one of the old photographs!  Nancy receives the clipping of a news article about the disappearance, and never one to turn down a good mystery, soon she, Bess, and George are on their way to Shady Oaks. Upon their arrival, there is another disappearance – a young man goes into the museum, but disappears and never comes out. The next day, he suddenly appears in the background of another old photograph. How is this even possible? And what is really happening to the missing people?

The quality of writing in this particular book is nearly on par with that of A Nancy Drew Christmas, which, by far, was the best Nancy Drew Diaries book to date.  Not just the length (this book clocks in at 182, making it the third longest book in the series, with A Nancy Drew Christmas topping the list and The Sign in the Smoke coming in second.   Of course, with the larger font, the actual page count if the font were normal size would probably be more around 140 or possibly 150 pages, that is still longer than most of the other books in the series, meaning the author has more time to flesh out the story and characters and provide readers with a bit more descriptive storytelling.  In this particular book, readers will enjoy getting to “see” a bit more of Shady Oaks, the museum, and the small downtown area.

The mystery itself is rather intriguing, and even as an adult, I admit wondering how in the world the missing people were actually showing up in photographs that already existed (and it is NOT photoshop, if that’s what you are wondering).  There are definitely clues throughout the story, though, if you are discerning enough to pick up on them.  The culprit, on the other hand, was not really that much of a surprise, and it wasn’t overly hard to figure out why this person did what he/she did. It is a bit unbelievable, though, that even a small town in today’s world would not have cell service, but I can understand why the author did that, as it was nice to see Nancy, Bess, and George resort to solving this mystery the old-fashioned way – without immediate access to the internet and information at the tip of their fingers.

The one thing I did not like about the book was that Nancy lied to Bess and George about why they were going to Shady Oaks. Nancy pretended to be a big fan of the photographer in order to get Bess and George to go with her.  This makes no sense, since Bess and George have been helping her solve mysteries for nearly nine decades, so it kind of goes without saying that if she told them she was off to Shady Oaks to solve a mystery, they would be right by her side.  Not sure if the author did it this way thinking that today’s children could identify with telling white lies to try and get friends to do things, or if the author simply thought it was a great way to show some conflict among the friends. Regardless of the reason, this element strayed away from the true essence of who Nancy is and felt very out of place in the story.

Otherwise, this book definitely rates as one of the best in the Diaries series so far, and I am pleased to see that Simon & Schuster is finally realizing that quality storytelling is much more important than the quantity of books they publish each year.  Personally, I would much rather have one or two really good books each year than to have three or four that are only okay or subpar.  With this book, S&S seems to be headed in the right direction!

RATING:  9 plates embossed with images of dogs out of 10 for bringing Nancy Drew closer and closer to the greatness she once was!

Mixed Signals – A Grace Street Mystery

I’m not one to pick up a book from a series and read it without actually buying the entire series and reading the books in order. However, while browsing the mystery section at a local used book store, I stumbled across this book and just couldn’t help myself. The flashy, four-color cover with the comic book-like images …the reference to a masked superhero trying to help people in the description on the back … and the fact that the main character’s roommate happens to be psychic – all of these things added up to me buying the book, despite it being just one of a series that I had never even heard of, let alone read before.

Mixed Signals by Jane Tesh is the story of private detective David Randall and his roommate, Camden, who happens to be just a little bit psychic (receiving impressions and visions that don’t always make sense at the time).  It’s Christmas time in Parkland, but the joy of the season disappears when Randall and Camden discover the body of Camden’s friend, Jared Hunter, dead, having been stabbed repeatedly. From that moment on, Camden can’t seem to shake the visions of blood everywhere and the strange feeling of enjoyment and satisfaction that goes with it.  Randall decides to help his friend by trying to find out who killed Hunter – was it Alycia Ward? Boyd Taylor? Or was it the mysterious masked avenger that has been spotted around Parkland, trying to help police, but inadvertently causing mayhem instead? And what about the break-ins at the jewelry store … and the record store … and the antique store … ? How do they tie in to the murders – or do they?

Randall finds himself switching gears repeatedly as he tries to figure out who was breaking in to the stores, who killed Jared Hunter, and just who is that masked avenger?  Meanwhile, he has to deal with his feelings for Kary, his overbearing mother who decides to visit for the Christmas holidays, his best friend’s growing psychic flashes, and a sexy reporter who will do just about anything to get a story – but would she create the story to do so?  Author Jane Tesh has created a world of very out-of-the-ordinary characters, each of whom are lovable in their own way. Even the supporting cast are more than just stereotypes – the grumpy old man, the nerdish comic book store owner, the gruff corporate executive, the by-the-book cop. Tesh draws you into her world, and before you realize it, you are sympathizing and identifying with each of the characters, trying desperately to solve the murder before any of them get hurt.

I will say this – Tesh had me guessing on this one. The identity of the killer was not at all who I was expecting, and while I would not quite say it was out of left field, I will say that the clues to the killer’s identity are very, VERY subtle, and I actually wonder if there was any way to truly figure out [his/her] identity before the big reveal.  Of course, it is kind of nice not being able to immediately identify the killer well before the story is finished (one of the drawbacks of reading so many mystery stories over the years, the culprits become easier and easier to spot).

This book has made me curious as to other books in the Grace Street Mystery series, so it’s highly likely I will try and track down some of the other books at some point, even if they don’t involve comic books or cos-play superhero wannabes.

RATING:  9 leopard-print leotards out of 10 for giving readers a unique mystery with some quirky but lovable characters.