Tom Swift Inventors' Academy, Book 4 - The Virtual Vandal

The young inventor is back in the fourth novel of his latest series from Simon & Schuster. While it has been a number of years since the last Tom Swift series (the Young Inventor series back in the mid-2000s), it seems S&S is hoping that this one will fare better than the previous one, which only lasted six books before it was cancelled.  Like both of the current Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series, this one is in first-person narrative and usually runs 150 pages or less - which means the stories are quick, leaving little room for in-depth descriptions or much characterization.  Yet, despite these drawbacks, this series has actually been pretty fun to read so far.

The Virtual Vandal finds Tom and his friends, Noah, Sam, and Amy, preparing for a summer camp, where the students of Swift Academy of Science & Technology will field test their inventions in a competition against other advances technological schools to see who can come up with the most ingenious tech to help better the world.  Tom and Noah are hard at work on a device that will help seed clouds to create rain, while Sam and Amy are working on a secret project that they won't even tell their best friends about. And while all the other students from the three schools are working hard to perfect their own inventions, the one thing that everyone is raving about and can't get enough of is Noah's latest creation - a virtual reality world that is set up to look like Swift Academy - only, the kids are able to make their own modifications and create their own features in the game - from making the second floor into a zombie apocalypse to having a dinosaur poster come to life and attack the players!  But Noah, Tom, Amy, and Sam have a secret of their own within the game - for only they know how to get into the basement of the "school," and it is there that they have set up the means to leave messages for one another...

What I find interesting is that the title would seem to indicate that the vandal is somehow attacking through the virtual world, or that he or she is somehow disrupting the virtual game - but nothing could be farther from the truth.  The mystery, instead, focuses on the inventions on which the students at Swift Academy are hard at work.  Before the camp even begins, some of the students face problems with their creations.  They appear to be simple mishaps, or perhaps misplaced parts.  But soon enough, the problems get bigger and more students are affects.  And when everyone gets to camp, it seems all of the students are Swift Academy have had their inventions tampered with, including Tom and Noah's!  Well, all except one, that is.  It seems that Sam and Amy's invention has not been tampered with at all. And a rumor is quickly spreading that Sam is the one behind all of the vandalism in an effort to ensure she wins the competition!

The identity of the vandal doesn's really come as any big surprise - however, that is not to say the book doesn't offer up a big surprise for long-time Tom Swift fans.  The book features the return of an old Tom Swift character, someone who was a sometime nemesis of the genius inventor - Andrew Foger! For those who don't know (and I was one of those!), online research reveals that Andy Foger was Tom's antagonist in the early books of the first Tom Swift series, and the character popped back up again in the Tom Swift, Young Inventor series in the mid-2000s (which I did read, but I didn't recall Andy from that series).  It's nice to see that the author at least brought back some of Tom's history into this series - I guess we will have to wait and see whether Andy pops up again in this series to create trouble for Tom and his friends...

At only 141 pages, the story moves long at a pretty swift pace (pun intended!), but I think had the author been given more pages to work with, the story and characters could have been fleshed out more to create a great tale with more suspects and some additional time for the vandal to create havoc among the students.  Maybe now that Penguin has purchased Simon & Schuster, the Stratemeyer properties (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Tom Swift) will be allowed to have longer stories that will allow for more characterization, more plot development, and richer, detailed descriptions to help make the story even more engaging.

RATING:  8 survival cabin shipping containers out of 10 for showing readers just how ingenious Tom Swift and his friends can be!

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #31 - The Ringmaster's Secret

Another month means another Central Florida Sleuths gathering, which in turn means another Nancy Drew book read!  With so many books to choose from, it's always fun to see which one the members of the CFS will choose to read next, and this month, Geoffrey Lapin suggested we read The Ringmaster's Secret, which is the 31st book in the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series, first published back in 1953.  Of course, all of the first 34 books in the series had two versions - an original text with 25 chapters and a later, revised text with only 20 chapters and less pages (updated to speed up the action and remove stereotypes and, of course, to save money - less pages printed means less cost to the publisher).  While a couple of people in the group chose to read the revised text, I opted for the original text story so I could get the full flavor of writing in the 1950s.

 

The Ringmaster's Secret is said to have been  originally outlined and written by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams (with the revised text written in 1974 by June Dunn); however, there was some discussion in our group meeting about whether this is accurate, since elements of the story and characterization did not align with the way Ms. Adams wrote Nancy Drew.  Regardless, the story was chock full of mystery, adventure, and dangerous foibles that make the Nancy Drew books so entertaining.

The mystery begins when Nancy receives a mysterious gift from her Aunt Eloise (her father's sister). It is a bracelet with five horse charms - but a sixth one is missing, and therein lies the mystery. It seems the bracelet belonged to a circus performer (a woman) who did not want to part with it, for it had special meaning.  Hannah Gruen, Nancy's kindly housekeeper who had helped raise her since her mother died (c'mon, who hasn't read that exact description a hundred times in the Nancy Drew series?!), readily surmises that Nancy intends to locate this circus performer and help her out of her troubled times.  And, as luck would have it, a circus had just arrived in River Heights and Nancy had promised to take her young neighbor to watch the tents and displays being set up.

Meanwhile, Nancy goes for her riding lesson with Senor Roberto, who happens to have been involved with the Sims Circus that has come to River Heights.  After receiving a warning from the stablehand, Hitch, to stop with the "circus riding" and being thrown from her horse when someone throws a rock at it, Nancy questions Senor Roberto about the necklace and the story relayed to her by her aunt. Senor Roberto vaguely recalls hearing a story while in the circus, but he cannot recall the specifics.  Hitch, on the other hand, tells her that he remembers hearing about a horse bracelet while he was working with the Sims Circus!

Needless to say, Nancy is all set to solve the mystery while spending time at the circus.  There, she meets the lovely young Lolita, who is an expert aerialist - a woman whose parents had died years ago and she was now the ward of the very cruel ringmaster, Mr. Kroon - and the love of her life, Pietro, who is a clown in the circus.  Pietro recognizes the bracelet, saying that Lolita has a necklace with a horse that matches the charms on Nancy's bracelet!  From that point on, clues seem to fall in Nancy's lap one after another, all of which lead her to suspect Hitch, as well as the Kroons, on somehow being involved with swindling poor Lolita out of her rightful inheritance.  Plus, Nancy begins to suspect that Lolita's mother may not be dead after all!

While one would think that a mystery involving a circus would pretty much keep Nancy busy beneath the big tent, but no! Not only does Nancy travel with the circus from River Heights to Danford (she has no choice, since she has to take over the role of one of the stunt women who was injured during a performance - Nancy's expert-level skill at trick horse riding quickly earns her a place in the circus - more on that later!), but she takes a rather abrupt trip to New York to visit her Aunt Eloise, and then takes a last minute trip with her father and Pietro to London to help search for the woman that could be Lolita's mother!  Oh, to have the unlimited freedom and funds that Nancy Drew has to travel the globe for the righteous cause of helping those in need!

Ultimately, Nancy solves the mystery (was there ever any doubt?) and helps reunite mother and daughter, save Lolita's inheritance, and save the Sims Circus in the process!  All in a day's work for an amateur sleuth like Nancy Drew!

Now for the fun observations that were never really considered when reading this book as a child.  First, Nancy's unbelievable skill at trick riding is just that - unbelievable.  While the author clearly knows a lot about horse-riding, based on the detailed descriptions of the various trick riding techniques and horse riding in general (which, in and of itself is a clue to the fact that it is unlikely Harriet Stratemeyer Adams wrote this book, since [according to Geoffrey Lapin] her daughter had indicated that Ms. Adams did not like horses and was afraid of them), having Nancy be such an expert at the trick riding, so much so that the circus would ask her to join them, is a bit over-the-top!  Also over-the-top is the scene where Bess stands in for Nancy to avoid detection by the evil ringmaster, but when Nancy appears again, she must look like Bess - so the circus make-up artist does a quick number on Nancy's hair and face and remarks, "You could pass for Bess's thinner sister at a short distance" (p. 87 OT).  Wow, poor Bess!  That girl can never catch a break from these authors who always want to poke fun at her weight!

Then there is the matter of the police in every city Nancy visits being more than willing to help out this teen sleuth - whether it's in New York or Melville, London or Danford, it seems that Nancy has such a presence that the police have no problem bending over backwards for her.  And in her own hometown, well the River Heights Police Department are more than willing to overlook Ned speeding well over the speed limit when he is aiding Nancy in a case, and in fact, they are happy to give her a police escort to where she is going (pp. 114-15 OT)!  Then there's the lion attack in the last chapter, where Ned pushes Nancy out of way, only to have his own hand slashed by the lion's large claws, raking it badly (p. 208 OT) and causing it to bleed profusely (p. 209 OT).  Apparently, though, it wasn't bad enough to keep him away from the police station just a short while later when the police interrogate the Kroons (p. 210 OT) - which brings up a point - why in the world would the police allow Nancy, Ned, Pietro, and Lolita to observe the interrogation and to even participate?

And speaking of Pietro - is that his first or last name?  All through the book, I had assumed it was his first name, but when they met his father in London, they referred to him as Mr. Pietro (indicating it was his last name).  What's up with that?

At any rate, the overall plot was good, and overlooking the zaniness of some of these things, the story was enjoyable.  The original cover art was provided by Rudy Nappi (his second cover in the series), and for the first time ever, I noticed that Nappi provided much detail to the cover, since if you look closely at Nancy's right wrist, just next to where Lolita has her hand, you will see the horse charm bracelet - something I never noticed before.  I do have to wonder, though - why did he put a flower sticking out of Nancy's dress, just above the top button in the front?  An odd place to put a flower, don't you think?  Nappi also provided the cover art for the revised edition in the 1970s, but we won't discuss here the things the CFS group noticed about that cover!

RATING:  8 helicopter jaunts to Newark out of 10 for giving Nancy Drew the chance to work in a circus, help an unfortunate young woman, and become Bess's twin even if only for a few moments!

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth (A DC Black Label Mini-Series)

I can't help but love female comic book characters.  Huntress, Power Girl, Supergirl, Batgirl, Batwoman, She-Hulk, Hellcat, Black Cat, Vixen, and so on.  Ever since I first started buying comics back in 1979 (I was 10 years old at the time - do the math, and you can figure out my age!), I have been drawn to the female-led comics.  It should came as no surprise, therefore, that the Wonder Woman title was one of my first comics headlined by a female superhero.  I watched her television show on TV (c'mon! who didn't see Lynda Carter and think that she WAS Wonder Woman!?!?!), and I had seen her on the Super Friends cartoon for years.  So, the transition to comic book form was not much of a jump.

Flash-forward 40-ish years. Wonder Woman is STILL being published, which for a female comic book character is a major accomplishment.  Sadly, DC does not give her the star billing she deserves - Batman gets a plethora of books every month, and Superman gets a minimum of two; but Wonder Woman? She has a single title that is nearing its 700th issue.  But, occasionally, DC offers up a mini-series starring the amazing Amazon, some good, some not-so-good, and some truly exceptional.  The most recent take on the star-spangled super-hero puts Diana in a post-apocalyptic setting where she must find her way again.

 

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth was written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson.  It is a four-issue mini-series published under DC's "Black Label" ... uh, label ... which pretty much means that the series is darker than the standard DC comics and is not necessarily in continuity with the DC Universe proper.  Basically, it allows the creators free reign with the characters, and Mr. Johnson definitely takes Wonder Woman on an uncertain and frightening journey into a future she could have never expected.

Johnson opens the first issue with a brief glimpse into Diana's past - her mother showing her of the power and hope that she has to bring to the world. But very quickly things change, when a nuclear holocaust forever changes the landscape of the Earth. Flash-forward, and a group of scavengers are out searching for food. They stumble across a hidden cave, where they accidentally crack open a glass-enclosed chamber.  Just as a horrific spider-like creature is about to attack them, a dark-haired woman of immense power jumps out of the chamber and saves them (most of them, anyway).  She is confused, and although she knows who she is, she is unsure where she is or what has happened to her.  But she recognizes the cave. And heading topside, she recognizes the skeleton in the bat costume leaning back on the couch in the crumbling mansion.  Gathering an outfit, the bat belt, and some needed supplies, she joins this group of scavengers to see what this new world holds for her...

The one thing I can say about Dead Earth is: expect the unexpected. As with any post-apocalyptic world, no one seems to trust one another, and those in power are quick to lord it over those beneath them.  Deadly monsters abound everywhere, and there does not seem to be any superheroes anywhere to be found. The truth about what happened to the Earth seems to be shrouded in mystery, long forgotten by the people who now populate it.  Diana sets about to not only create a better way of life for these survivors, but to find out the truth about what happened to all of her friends and to the world itself.  What she finds out, however, will shock the readers pretty much as it does Diana herself!

Johnson holds back no punches with this story, and not even Diana herself is 100% purely good.  There is no guarantee for anyone to survive in this story, and when the truth is finally revealed, Diana must make a choice that no one should ever have to make.  While I am not one to like all of the dark, gritty worlds that exist in comic books today (wishing for the days when comic stories were more light-hearted, more good vs. bad with little gray areas, and more fun!), I have to admit that the world Johnson has created within these four issues intrigues me.  I like the characters, I like this totally different take on Diana, and I would definitely like to see some more stories in this universe at some point in the future.  Not sure whether DC will revisit it or not, but we can certainly hope so!

Darren Warren Johnson is a newcomer to me.  I've never seen his name on any comics I've read in the past, but he definitely knows how to write a good tale.  His art reminds me somewhat of Keith Giffen's work on the Legion of Super Heroes back in the day, but it definitely fits the mood and tone of this story very well.  This is a frightening world and his art definitely portrays it as such.  This is one mini-series I would definitely recommend to Wonder Woman fans and just comic fans in general if you want a good, self-contained story to read.

RATING:  10 robot Superman out of 10 for showing the world just why Wonder Woman truly is the most powerful superhero in the DC Universe (and why she deserves a second ongoing title!).

Domino Lady: Money Shot

I have been a fan of Domino Lady since I was first introduced to the character in the pages of Moonstone Publishing comics.  Created in the vein of The Shadow, Doc Savage, and other "pulp" heroes, Domino Lady has no super powers, nor does she live in a world populated with strangely powered beings. No, Domino Lady deals with the gritty underbelly of society in 1930s' Hollywood.  Domino Lady is actually Ellen Patrick, a high-society, well-loved member of the royal class in California's land of make-believe; and while most of the world considers her only in terms of her beauty and glamour, only her best friend knows that she has an alter-ego that has taken down some of the toughest criminals in Hollywood.  And in this new novel, Ellen discovers just how tough some of those criminals can be...

Domino Lady: Money Shot is written by Bobby Nash, with whom I was not really familiar until I met him at DragonCon in Atlanta in 2019.  I picked up his Nightveil novel, based on the character by AC Comics, and which was a thoroughly enjoyable book. So, I was curious to see how he would handle a non-powered female character and picked up his Domino Lady novel.  It has taken me more than a year, but I finally sat down and read it. And I enjoyed it for two reasons.

First, the story captured the essence of the pulp era. Crime is everywhere, cops are on the take, mafia control the city, and hit men are seeking their targets. Ellen's own father was taken out years ago, which caused her to don the Domino Lady persona in the first place - and while she has taken down a number of crime lords over the years, her work is not done. But, as Ellen, she has finally fallen in love, and possibly, she can have a life for herself outside of the vigilante work she does at night. Everything is perfect - until a day at the beach ends in the death of her fiance and the beginning of a hunt for his killer.  Was it the opposing candidate in the race for governor for the State of California? Or was it someone he had put behind bars when he worked for the state attorney?  Or was it someone on the police force afraid he might out them for being on the take?  Domino Lady will use every means at her disposal to find out who it was and bring them to justice.

Nash doesn't pull punches when it comes to the fights, the chases, and the deaths.  Domino Lady herself faces the grim reaper a couple of times in the story, but she manages to escape its eternal clutches and lives to fight another day.  She takes on hit men, evades cops, and even has a vicious fight with a naked assassin (you have to read it to believe it!), but ultimately she uncovers the truth - and it definitely ain't pretty.  The story provides a satisfying conclusion, but definitely leaves it open for more stories that, perhaps, one day Nash will tell.

The second reason I enjoyed the book is that Domino Lady was not the only star. Domino Lady had 94 pages (13 chapters), so that begs the question - what was in the remaining 111 pages (21 chapters) of the book?  Well, that's where readers get a taste of a character known as The Golden Amazon.  In a reprint of story entitled "Ripper, Burning Bright," author Howard Hoplins (who passed away in 2012), readers meet Violet Ray Brant, the adopted daughter of a wealthy couple who have kept her past a secret from her. But there is something important about that past she can't remember - because from that past, somehow, in some way, Violet gained the power that burns within her.  A power that has a personality and agenda all its own.  A power that is so great, it takes over when she sees people in need, and that's when The Golden Amazon appears!

The story centers around a young burlesque dancer named Belinda, who Violet vaguely recognizes from her past. The Golden Amazon saves Belinda from several thugs who threaten to do unspeakable things to her, and now Violet fears the girl recognized her. When Belinda comes to her for help against the husband who beats her, Violet has to control the urges of the power within her to make the right decisions that will not put Belinda in a worse position.  Oh, yeah, and along the way, Violet must deal with Chris Wilson, a not-so-slick private detective who is working for a secret organization that wants to capture The Golden Amazon and harness her power. And before you think that's all, there's also the little matter of Jack the Ripper, who touched a strange glowing power in the past and was thrust forward into the year 1939, where he has decided to carry on his work. Only now he has an odd power with him ... a power that seems very similar to that of The Golden Amazon ...

Both characters are unique, both worlds are dark and gritty, and both stories leave you wanting for more.  Two great books for the price of one!  I have no doubt we will see more of Domino Lady forthcoming from Moonstone Publishing (although not necessarily by Nash), but I'm not so sure about The Golden Amazon.  Guess it's time to take a trip on the internet and see what I can find out about this new (to me, at least!) hero!

RATING:  9 shiny but deadly .45s out of 10 for hard-hitting, pulp story-telling with strong female leads that make for great reading.

The Pathfinders Society, Vol. 1 - The Mystery of the Moon Tower

I keep telling myself I won't be picking up any new series.  I repeat to myself over and over that I collect enough series right now, so many that I can't read all the new books that come out fast enough. I think to myself that I will have enough willpower to say "NO" to any new series that comes along and strikes my interest.  Then, of course, I see something, and all those thoughts just disappear! Such is the case with this first volume of The Pathfinders Society series of graphic novel mysteries for young readers. 

"The Mystery of the Moon Tower" is an introduction to the characters and world of The Pathfinders Society. Written by Francesco Sedita and Prescott Seraydarian and illustrated by Steve Hamaker, the story centers around a group of young pre-teens at Camp Pathfinder who set out on a scavenger hunt that quickly leads to a search for a long-lost treasure by the man to established by the camp's founder, Henry Merriweather.  Five unlikely kids get thrown together as a group and quickly find that they each possess skills that compliment the others, which, of course, will ultimately help them on their quest to find the lost treasure.

Kyle is the new kid who has an aptitude for drawing. Beth is the history expert who also happens to be extremely organized. Harry is the kid-clown of the group, always teasing, but who has the inane ability to see what others may miss. Victoria is a popular cheerleader who has a hidden talent with math and puzzles. And Nate is the kid genius who loves to invent things from whatever he has at hand.  Each one on their own is not particularly special - but throw them together, even unwillingly, and suddenly you have a team of treasure-hunters who can pretty much conquer any obstacle and solve any riddle thrown before them!

The story centers around the mysterious treasure that Henry Merriweather is claimed to have been searching for in the town of Windrose - but he never found it (at least, not that anyone is aware of). When the five pre-teens are thrown together at camp and given a scavenger hunt to locate local landmarks, the adventure turns into something far more than any of them anticipated when they begin to uncover clues that Merriweather placed so that others that came after him could follow in his footsteps.  Their search leads them to Merriweather's castle home, where his great-niece gives the group free reign to explore the castle (since it is set to be foreclosed, along with the camp, due to a lack of money).  They unexpectedly discover hidden rooms and as they search through old Merriweather's belongings, they are literally transported into the past where they see what happened to Henry Merriweather when he first introduced the townspeople of his time to the mysterious Moon Tower that he had built.

Part mystery, part supernatural, part adventure - "The Mystery of the Moon Tower" is a well-written, perfectly-paced tale of fun and suspense that introduces readers to the Pathfinders Society and its amazing world.  The art is somewhat cartoony in nature, but it still retains the spooky elements to create a Scooby Doo-ish feel that will leave you smiling by the time you read the last page.  The book ends with a "To Be Continued..." so here's hoping the creators are able to produce at the very least a second volume in the series, if not more!

RATING:  8 black-tie and black-out affairs out of 10 for opening up a whole new world for mystery and comic fans to enjoy!

In the Hall with the Knife - the first Clue mystery

You recognize the character names. Plum. White. Scarlet. Mustard. Green. Peacock. You are familiar with the weapons. Knife. Lead pipe. Revolver. Rope. Candlestick. Wrench.  And you have visited those rooms countless times. Library. Study. Conservatory. Billiard room. Kitchen. Lounge. Hall. Ball room. C'mon. You know the game. Everyone knows the game. Everyone has played it at some point. And for those who are old enough, you remember going to the movie theater to see all of these things brought to life on the big screen (wondering which ending you would get to see!). And more recently, perhaps you read the two comic series published by IDW Publishing.  Now, there's a young adult mystery series that gives readers a whole new look at this old favorite...

In the Hall with the Knife is the first Clue mystery. Written by Diana Peterfreund and published by Amulet Books, this new series was a huge surprise to me when I happened across this book at my local Barnes & Noble.  I saw the title and thought, "that's funny - sounds like something from Clue." So, I pulled it off the shelf, and imagine my surprise to find that it WAS indeed based on Clue.  Obvious.y, I couldn't pass that up.  Being a young adult book, it is set at a private school hidden away on a small, New England coast.  Mister Boddy is the headmaster, Mrs. White is the house-mother for Tudor House, the dorm for the upper echelon of young ladies who attend Blackbrook Academy.  Then there is Rusty Nayler, the school custodian.  And, of course, there are all the students...

Orchid McKee ... she stays out of the limelight, disguising herself behind the long bangs and glasses in the hope that no one will recognize her ...

Beth "Peacock" Picach ... the star tennis player who has a quick temper and a secret that could get her kicked out of the academy ...

Finn Plum ... the super-smart, super-quick witted science major who will turn on anyone if it will get him further ahead - and who has his own reasons for all the lies he tells ...

Vaughn Green ... he's attending Blackbrook on a scholarship, and he helps out the custodian, the headmaster, and everyone else ... but his brother is a reminder that everything is not what it appears ...

Scarlett Mistry ... a girl of wealth and stature, she keeps her eyes and ears on everyone and everything - nothing goes on at Blackbrook that she doesn't know about - or so she thinks ...

Sam "Mustard" Maestor ... a former military school student who transferred to Blackbrook under mysterious circumstances, which he will do just about anything to keep a secret ...  

Kayla and Karlee Gould ... twins who appear to be flightly and self-absorbed, but like everyone else at this school, they have their own secrets ...

It's like a good, old-fashioned teen soap opera-turned-murder mystery when a deadly snow storm traps everyone at Tudor House.  That first night, with everyone scattered throughout the house (the library, the billiards room, the study, and so on), a murder occurs - and when they wake up in the morning, they discover the body (yeah, that pun is intended) of Mr. Boddy in the conservatory with a knife protruding from his chest!  So, right away we know the where and the how - all we need to do is figure out the who.

Peterfreund tells a superb tale of intrigue, mystery, lies, betrayals, and secrets as these students have to put aside their differences and work together to figure out who could have killed their headmaster. Was it an unseen looter?  Was it an enemy of Mr. Boddy's? Was it a suicide?  Or - a possibility that none of them want to consider - was it someone that was in the house?  The game's afoot, so to speak, and Orchid and Mustard seem to be the ones who are truly determined to get to the bottom of things.  Scarlett and Plum have their own issues, Green sets off with Rusty to see if they can make it through the storm to the nearest village to summon the police, and Peacock wants nothing to do with any of them.  But the questions remain:

Why was Peacock called to Mr. Boddy's office the day the storm hit, and why had she thrown the candlestick at him?

Why was Plum called to Mr. Boddy's office, and why is he so protective of the bag he brought with him to Tudor House?

Why was Orchid called to Mr. Boddy's office, and why does she seem to intent on making herself look plain when others can see the beauty in her eyes and face?

Why was Green acting so strange lately - one minute he's nice and helpful, the next he's mean and spiteful?

Why has Rusty not come back with the police?

Why does Mustard have so much knowledge about the type of knife used to kill Mr. Boddy?

Now, being a fan of Clue and of murder mysteries in general, the identity of the killer was not so difficult to pin point early on; however, it's not really the revelation of the killer's identity that is the joy of the story - it's following the characters along as they start to discover one another's secrets (as well as the secrets of Tudor House itself, including the hidden passages that lead from one room to another - I mean, this is Clue, after all, did you really think they wouldn't be there?).  And while I will admit the story did seem to drag in a few places, over all it was paced fairly well, and the characters are diverse and each have their own story.  Not all of their secrets are revealed in this first book, but some of them (such as Mustard), it's pretty easy for the reader to figure out what the secret is.

As with the game itself, it's a matter of crossing off names until you finally have only one left.  But once the murderer is revealed, that's the end, right?  Nope, not for this series!  It seems that the murder of Mr. Boddy is only the beginning.  Someone has set their sights on Blackbrook Academy, out to get revenge, so it's only a matter of time (like the second book, perhaps?) before someone else falls victim to another killer...

RATING:  7 broken pairs of glasses out of 10 for spinning a new twist on an old board game and making it a good read!

Friday Barnes, The Plot Thickens

I honestly didn’t think I would be getting any more of this series.  After the first four books were published here in America, I found no further solicits for the remaining books in the series on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or any other online retailer that sold books.  Eventually, books 5 through 8 of the British version of the series showed up on Amazon, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to order imports, as the prices would be more expensive.  So, I’ve had those last four books on my Amazon watch list for quite a while.  Then, quite unexpectedly, while browsing books at Barnes & Noble recently, I stumbled across the British paperback versions of books 5 and 6 on the shelf!  Now, I am one of those readers who absolutely hates it when a publisher changes format of a series – and up until now, Friday Barnes had been published in hardback, picture-cover format with brightly colored covers.  Now, here are the rather drab, mainly-brown paperback versions of the series for books 5 and 6.  Yet, I refused to pass them up, as who knows if I would see them in store ever again.  So, after God-knows how long, I finally got to read the next chapter in the lives of Friday Barnes and her fellow classmates…

Friday Barnes, The Plot Thickens picks up right where the previous book left off. In fact, just like with the last three books, the story opens with a quick recap of the last moments from the previous book.  In this case, Friday, Ian, and Melanie are enjoying their ice cream after Friday cleared Ian’s name from the charges brought against him – when suddenly, Ian’s father, Mr. Wainwright, shows up to take his son home!  Now, I know it’s been a while, but for those keeping track, the last time we saw Mr. Wainwright, he was being carted off to jail for stealing a diamond, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer.  So how, pray tell, did he get released well before his sentence was complete?  Well, before you know it, Friday’s keen sense of observation and deductive reasoning reveals the truth behind Mr. Wainwright’s sudden interest in his son, and when the truth comes out, Ian and Friday once again become enemies, despite their clear attraction for one another (just ask Melanie!).

The author, R.A. Spratt, provides a frolicking foray into the worlds of art and fitness as Highcrest Academy gets two new teachers – a highly acclaimed artist who has no interest in teaching school and a fitness instructor who is determined to whip the over-privileged children of Highcrest into tip-top physical shape, whether they like it or not!  Plus, there’s a new student, Epstein Smythe, who proves his worth to Friday when he rescues her from drowning after she is pulled into the lake by a motorized picnic table (yeah, don’t ask – you have to read it to believe it).  The mystery this time around involves the mysterious theft of one of the art teacher’s prized paintings, as well as the vandalized art throughout the school.  Someone is up to no good (of course, at this school, other than Friday, is there anyone really up to ANY good?), and Friday is determined to get to the bottom of it.  As always, along the way, she solves a number of minor little mysteries, such as who locked Travis in the art room closet? who knocked out Friday in the classroom? did Tom really cheat in his game of golf against Stephan? who cheated Mr. Maclean out of $10,000 for a new car? who was cutting holes in the fence to sneak out each night?  Friday answers these and more questions as she tunnels through all of the distractions to find out exactly what is going on with the stolen and vandalized art.

I had forgotten just how much Spratt makes me smile with these stories of Friday Barnes, and it finally dawned on me what, exactly, it was about Friday Barnes that I find so amusing.  Friday Barnes reminds me very much of Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory.  Friday is full of knowledge, and she is quick to correct others, but she has absolutely no people-skills whatsoever.  And, despite how much everyone around her hates it, she is almost always right.  And her sidekick, Melanie, reminds me of Penny from Big Bang Theory.  She is clueless to  a lot of what Friday talks about, but she goes along with her, and her mind is always on the most trivial, superficial things.  These polar opposites come together to make a humorous and unlikely pair who manage to solve every mystery put in front of them, which makes for some really great reading. 

And, of course, this book ends with yet another cliffhanger, which once again involves poor Ian, leaving him with an all-important decision to make that could affect his life in countless ways!

RATING:  8 wheels of brie cheese out of 10 for continuing the inane antics of the Highcrest Academy students and their resident girl detective, Friday Barnes.

A Blake Harte Mystery, Book 7 - Skeletons

These mysteries by Robert Innes are so good, I couldn't wait any longer to read the next book that I have, which is the seventh in the series. These "impossible" crimes are so well-plotted, one is left to wonder just how much time Innes has on his hands to come up with these unique and innovate ways to kill off people! Of course, Innes has created a just-as-unique detective that is able to look beyond the obvious and normal and deduce the strange manner in which these murders take place.  And this time around, whoo-wee, does Innes provide a doozy of a case!

A man known the Harte and the police force dies in a car accident, with numerous witnesses watching the car explode with him in it.  They were barely able to pull his wife out of the car before it went up in flames, and luckily, the only injury she sustained was a broken arm. Inexplicably, the widower thinks she sees her deceased husband, and when she runs off at his funeral (attended by a number of people, including Harte), Harte and his boyfriend follow to make sure she is alright. But when they arrive at her house, they are shocked to discover the very man they just buried choking his wife!  He takes off, and everyone wonders if what they saw was real.  Only one way to figure that out - exhume the body.  Under the cover of night (to avoid the prying eyes of the nosy townspeople), Harte and his fellow police bring up the casket from the ground.  The coffin is opened, and to everyone's shock, it is the wife's body inside!

Skeletons definitely provides an ever-twisting mystery of who is dead, who isn't, who killed them, and how?! The solution is not completely a surprise (at least, not for me), but it was rather ingenuous - I have to give Innes credit for coming up with something this unique. And the fact that the first victim is the town's undertaker, and thus someone who is well known throughout the community, adds to the mystique of the crime, since the chief of police and others seem to see a very different side to the man who Blake sees harassing and belittling his wife. Of course, it is those very differences that gave me the first clue as to what may be going on with the case...

Aside from the murder mystery, Innes continues the ever-continuing drama that is Blake Harte's life. Having recovered from his surgery in the last book, Harte and his boyfriend, Harrison, are trying to rebuild their relationship, with Harrison coming to terms with the amount of time Harte's job takes him away. But just when Blake things are beginning to settle, a call from someone in his past turns his whole world upside down! Now, not only does he have to deal with the baffling mystery of the dead seemingly coming back to life, but he has to face a possible consequence of his past that could have a devastating and deadly impact on his present.  (And no, I'm not going to spoil it and tell you what it is - but let's just say that Innes handles it in a very realistic way - Blake's reaction and turmoil over what to do is exactly the way I've seen people act when faced with the same possibility...)

Oh, and just in case you thought all of the above was more than enough for Blake to handle in one book, there is also the unexpected arrival of his landlord's son, Tom Roberts - a handsome young man who strikes up a friendship with Harrison. Blake has been concerned that Harrison doesn't really have many friends with whom he can socialize while he is at work, but as Blake watches Tom taking Harrison out night after night, seeing Harrison come home drunk, he begins to wonder if Tom doesn't have ulterior motives.  Yes, Blake's life is a regular soap opera with a seemingly unsolvable murder thrown in just to keep things interesting.

I just cannot recommend this series enough. I am always telling my friends about it and trying to convince everyone who reads mysteries to pick up the series. Can't wait to see what Innes has in store for Blake in the next book!

RATING: 10 small red books out of 10 for creating the most unique and enjoyable "impossible" crimes and writing characters that the reader truly cares about!

Adventures of the Dover Boys - an Archie Comics One-Shot (1950)

As a huge collector of children's mystery series, while I may not collect ALL of the series that were put out back in the day, I still recognize the names of many of those series - particularly those published by Edward Stratemeyer and his Stratemeyer Syndicate.  One of the earliest series he published was The Rover Boys, written under the pseudonym of Arthur M Winfield.  The series was published from 1899 to 1926 and originally featured the three Rover brothers - Tom, Sam, and Dick.  And the whole reason I mention this historical information is to give you some background on why I ordered from Amazon this reprint comic from UP History and Hobby (whose website, www.goldenagereprints.com is no longer viable, as a quick search brought up a message that indicates the owner of the website failed to pay invoices for the domain use, and thus, it was suspended).  Oh, and what would that reprint comic be, you ask?

Adventures of the Dover Boys #1, published in 1950 by the same company who was publishing Archie Comics and all of their related titles.

A few interesting things to note about this particular comic.  The story itself is actually 30 pages of story and art, with very few ads (being pretty much the last two pages of the comic, as well as the inside and outside of the back cover).  The story is broken up into six chapters, each chapter varying in length from 4 to 6 pages - and each chapter ends with a cliffhanger note, as well as a third-of-a-page advertisement for a various Archie comic title (such as Archie, Wilber, Super Duck, Suzie, etc.) - only the first and last chapters have no ad at the end.  The comic is also not numbered, per se; rather, with no issue number on the cover, the publishing information located at the bottom of the first page merely labels this as "Adventures of the Dover Boys, 1st edition, published by Close-Up, Inc., 420 DeSoto Ave., St. Louis, Mo."  No future issues were specifically planned, although the last panel of the comic, after the story ends, gives out the call: "Adventure-lovers! Would you like to see more breath-taking stories about the Dover Boys? If so, drop us a postcard right away and cast your vote...and we will get right to work on another jam-packed yarn of deep mystery and intrigue!" Thus, we can only be left to guess that not enough readers wrote in to request further adventures, as no second issue of the comic was ever published.  There is no specific credit given to the creators of the comic, although research reveals that Harry Lucey provided the art for the book (nothing I could find revealed the author of the story).  Unlike today, many comics in the past did not feature credit boxes, listing the writers, pencillers, inkers, letterers, etc., so trying to locate the creators for offbeat titles like this is not so easy.

Anyway...getting back to the comic story and the characters.  The inside front cover gives readers the necessary information they need to know about the Dover Boys and their supporting cast so that whey they are dropped into the story on page one, they don't have to worry about tons of exposition to bring them up to speed. The Dover Boys are Dan and Tim Dover (instead of Tom and Dick Rover...), who are 18 and 17, respectively, with dark brown and blond hair, respectively (similar to Frank and Joe Hardy). Their parents disappeared on an expedition, so they are living with and being raised by their Uncle Bill Dover and his wife, Martha.  Silas Croombs is the town miser, and his son, Claude, is a thorn in the Dover Boys' side.  And with this information, readers are ready to read the first comic adventure of the Dover Boys, "The Dover Boys and the Treasure of Death."

The mystery centers around an ancient Inca treasure for which their Uncle Bill was searching.  He came back to obtain more funding, and Silas Coombs pretends to be interested in sponsoring the trip (but in reality, was simply tricking Bill into drawing the map for him so he could find the treasure for himself!). As with your typical children's series book, each chapter ends with a cliffhanger, and this comic is no exception - as Uncle Bill is attacked by a shadowy figure and the small part of the Inca treasure he had brought home is stolen! Needless to say, the Dover Boys are soon on a trip to Peru to continue their uncle's search for the lost treasure. Their plane is nearly shot out of the sky, they and their guide are attacked by tribesmen, the daughter of a university professor in the jungle searching for the treasure is kidnapped and readied for sacrifice, the boys are captured and must face down the Indian chief, and they race against time to avoid being killed in an exploding volcano! All the while, they must avoid and stay ahead of Claude Coombs and his cohort in crime, Mike Foster.  Unlike your standard children's mystery, however, the comic is not afraid to show some of the characters being killed (I won't spoil the fun by revealing which ones); but, otherwise, it is a very clean-cut, fun-filled adventure that reads very much like a fast-paced mystery that might have been put forth by the Stratemeyer Syndicate or one of its competitors.

The art is not too bad - with backgrounds that are fairly simplistic and not overly detailed, and colors that are vibrant while the Dover Boys are in their hometown, but which darken when they head into the jungles of Peru. Some of today's comic readers might find the characters a bit roughly drawn, but for me, I liked the standard art of having people look like people (unlike some of today's comics, where the artist's "style" renders people who look far from human at times).  The artist had a pretty good handle on expressions, such as Tim's shock on page 5 when his Uncle is stabbed, or the boys' glee when they are told they can head down to Peru on page 9 - although I think Tim's shock/surprise on the middle panel of page 18 is probably the best in the entire issue!

An interesting side note - while searching for some information on this comic online, I discovered that this comic is not the only version of "The Dover Boys" out there.  Apparently, WB's Merrie Melodies cartoons did their own "Dover Boys" take on The Rover Boys series back in 1942 with a cartoon short called The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall. The title of the cartoon is interesting, as a lot of series books back in the early 1900s had double titles like this, so it gives it an even strong feel of one of the children's mysteries of that era.  The cartoon was closer to The Rover Boys books, as it featured three brothers: Tom, Dick, and Larry, who attend Pimento University.

I wish the demand had been enough for Archie comics to do a follow up, or even several follow-ups, to this one adventure of the Dover Boys.  Having my two favorite things (comic books and children's mystery) come together like this is always a true joy for me!

RATING:  10 craters of a live volcano out of 10 for everything that makes a children's mystery book exciting, only in comic book form!

Premediated Myrtle - a Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #1

Trying a new series can always be chancy, since you never really know if it's going to be good or not - particularly when it is from an author that you've never read before and know nothing about.  So, when I first stumble across the Myrtle Hardcastle series on Amazon, I added them to my "want list" to keep an eye out for.  I didn't purchase them right away, mind you - I mean, after all, they were in hardback and by Elizabeth C. Bunce, an author that I had never heard of before.  But the titles were enough to catch my interest, and the cover art and design was eyecatching as well.  I mean, seriously - Premeditated Myrtle and How to Get Away With Myrtle! How could you pass up books with titles like that?

As with nearly all young adult and children's series these days, Premeditated Myrtle is written in first person, and Myrtle Hardcastle is 12-years old.  But she is a very intelligent, observant 12-year old that, that, in a number of ways, reminds me of Nancy Drew. She is an only child. Her father is a lawyer, and he is a widower, Myrtle's mother having passed away some time ago. They have a woman who lives with them, who helps take care of Myrtle (she is supposed to be Myrtle's governess and teacher, but in many ways, she is more of a friend to Myrtle than anyone else!). The only differences are in the age (12-years old instead of 16 or 18) and the time period (this series is set in the 1890s).  Myrtle carries a magnifying glass and is obsessed with solving crimes! So, when one happens right next door to her own house, how can she help but get involved?

 

Bunce provides a well-crafted mystery about a cranky old woman who is found dead in her own bathtub. But nothing makes sense. For instance, why was she covered in mud? Why was her prized garden of lilies gone, with nothing left but trussed-up dirt where it appears a scuffle took place? Why was her gardener burning what could potentially be evidence the morning her body was found? Why were there dirt tracks leading into the house? Why was the woman's niece meeting with someone late at night and handing him a mysterious package? Why was her nephew hiding the fact that he argued with her the day before she turned up dead? And why, oh why, was the old woman's cat covered in syrupy goo that seems to have poisoned the poor thing? Well, if there's one thing Myrtle doesn't like, it's unanswered questions!

A former private attorney turned prosecutor, Myrtle's father does not think that anything untoward happened. She was an old woman and her heart simply gave out. But Myrtle knows otherwise, and following in her father's footsteps, and with the help of her governess, Miss Judson (who, by the way, she believes would make the perfect wife for her father, but that's a whole 'nother thing...), she sets out to track down the clues, uncover the evidence, and find out what really happened to Miss Wodehouse and who killed her! But, what happens when not only does the wrong person end up accused of the crime, but that person also confesses!  How in the world will Myrtle free an innocent person and ensure the real killer is caught?  And all the while, she is doing everything in her power to keep Miss Wodehouse's niece away from her father, as she seems intent on becoming his next wife!  (And we won't even spoil the surprise there by revealing what shocking secret Myrtle discovers about Priscilla Wodehouse!)

I am going to say it outright - I absolutely LOVED this book! It was a superb read, well-written, exceptional characters, a fantastic mystery, and quite frankly, readers of any age can enjoy the story.  There is humor, there is sadness, there is shock and surprise, there is doubt, there is revelation - there is just about anything and everything you could ever want in a great story, and then some. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who wants a good mystery to curl up with, because I can guarantee you, once you start this, you won't want to put it down.

RATING: 10 fancy microscopes with interchangeable lenses out of 10 for giving readers what is, without a doubt, the BEST mystery book of the year, if not the decade!

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #21 - The Secret in the Old Attic (Revised Text)

Now that our “Central Florida Sleuths” group has begun getting together again (having taken a break to protect ourselves from the pandemic that shall not be named!), it has been rather fun to re-read some of these Nancy Drew books.  Many of them I have not read since I first read them as a child (we will NOT talk about how many years ago that was), so it’s almost like reading them all for the first time.  If nothing else, I’m definitely reading them with a fresh perspective as an adult, rather than through the innocence of childhood.  Thus, some elements that may seem a bit far-fetched or outright crazy and unbelievable now were likely exciting and fun to read as a child.  That being said, our November get-together centered on the 21^st book in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, The Secret in the Old Attic.

Now, right off the bat, how can you not enjoy a book where one of the characters is named “Bushy Trott.”  Just say the name out loud, and you can’t help but giggle.  And, as with pretty much any Nancy Drew book, with a name like that, you just know he’s up to no good.  Of course, he doesn’t actually come into the story until later, and he actually has nothing to do with the main mystery that Nancy sets out to solve.  No, the mystery that Nancy actually stumbles upon involves one of her father’s clients who needs help finding some music that his son allegedly wrote before he died.  The aging man is in need of money to help support his young granddaughter, and he is confident that his son’s music will supply the much needed funds. Nancy agrees to help (of course!), and soon she, Bess, and George are searching the man’s once-grand estate to find the missing music.  Along the way, Carson asks for Nancy’s help with another client who believes that his secret formula for creating silk cloth was stolen and is now being used by his competitors! Nancy happens to be a former classmate with the alleged copycat’s daughter, so she finagles her way into the factory, where she comes face-to-face with Bushy Trott!  As usual, the two mysteries ultimately intertwine, and Nancy faces some daunting challenges – such as being trapped in the factory, getting locked in the attic with a black widow spider, and facing off against a skeleton in a wardrobe!

The version I read is the revised, but apparently there are few differences between the original text and the revised text.  It seems the revised text drops the romantic entanglement between Nancy, Ned Nickerson, and Diane Dight (who has set her eyes on winning Ned’s heart in the original text).  The original text was written by Mildred Wirt, based on an outline by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams (the daughter of Nancy Drew’s creator).  That text was later revised by Priscilla Baker-Carr, who shortened the book by five chapters, bringing it down from 25 to 20 chapters, tightening the story and giving more focus to the action and the mystery than to the romantic antics of Diane Dight.  This book does give a good example of how the Nancy Drew series manages to integrate a lot of Gothic elements into the story to keep readers on the edge of their seats.  The dark attic, with Nancy exploring by candlelight; the skeleton they find hanging in the wardrobe that seems to reach out to them each time the door is opened; the old, once-stately mansion that is worn and filled with shadows; the secret entrance into the attic; the sad story of relatives who have died, leaving behind a hidden legacy to be uncovered; the young woman (or in this instance, girl, since she is only 6 years old) who lives within the mansion and is in need of “saving.”  Despite the faster pacing of the revised text, the story retains those spooky elements that make it good reading, particularly on a dark and stormy night!

One surprise I did find in reading the story was the mention of the antique dealer, Mr. Faber.  Other than in the first few books, it is rare for a Nancy Drew book (particularly in the first 56 books) to have any supporting character reappear in another book.  Other than her standard supporting case of Carson, Hannah, Bess, George, Ned, Burt, Dave, and Chief McGinnis, readers almost never see any other character appear more than once (with the exception of Helen Corning Archer, who was Nancy’s friend in the first four books, and who made appearances off and on through the remaining books in the series).  However, in this book, Nancy takes some antiques she finds in Mr. March’s house to the dealer, Mr. Faber, to buy.  For those familiar with the Nancy Drew series, you might recall that Mr. Faber was also in the preceding book, The Clue in the Jewel Box, and it is speculated that his name “Faber” is perhaps taken from Faberge, who created the jeweled eggs that bear the same name.  So, his name is easily recognizable and stood out when he appeared in this book.  And, if one returning character wasn’t enough, another one surprises readers with an appearance as well – Effie Schneider!  Yes, that skittish, goof-ball of a maid is asked to help out at the March mansion, and needless to say, she stays scared most of the time (although you have to give her credit – she gets bitten by a black widow spider, but she still has the fortitude to return to the mansion and help take care of Mr. March and Susan until Nancy solves the mystery!). She is definitely the comic relief of the story and resembles very much the Effie from the 1930s’ films with Bonita Granville.

One last thing to mention is the fact that none of Nancy’s prior mysteries are mentioned at the beginning of the book.  Usually, in the first or second chapter of each book, there are references made to the fact that Nancy is an amateur sleuth who has solved many mysteries, and in the Grosset & Dunlap books, there always seems to be a reference to her first mystery (Old Clock) as well as the most recent one that she solved (which, in this case, would have been Jewel Box).  However, for some inexplicable reason, the revised text makes no reference to any prior mysteries whatsoever.  Readers are treated to the standard teaser for the next mystery, The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, at the end, so there is that!

While some of the books do not necessarily hold up as well when read from an adult perspective (Crooked Banister and Thirteenth Pearl come to mind), this one definitely holds up and is one I would recommend to readers of any age.

RATING:  8 yellow silk dresses out of 10 for proving, once again, that Nancy Drew is definitely worthy of her pop cultural icon status!

Murder in the First Edition - the third Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery

Time to find a cozy place to curl up and read the third "Beyond the Page Bookstore" mystery by Lauren Elliott.  It's funny how quickly this series and its characters have become a comforting place to visit - like settling down with old friends and hearing all about the latest adventures in their lives.  Only, with Addie Greyborne and the citizens of Greyborne Harbour, it's all about the latest murder in what used to be a quiet little New England town.  (It's almost like Murder, She Wrote - you love Jessica Fletcher, but you really don't want to go anywhere near her, because everyone around her seems to get murdered!)  But, with my love for mysteries and Elliott's fantastic writing, plotting, and characterization, it's a perfect match!

 

Murder in the First Edition is set right at Christmas time, so I guess this was the perfect time for me to read it, what with Christmas just around the corner. With two murders now solved and behind her, Addie is hoping to settle down for a nice, quite holiday. There's still that small matter of Marc being mad at her after saying her dead fiance's name when they kissed ... and her conflicted feelings over Simon, who is showing her all the attention she craves.  But all of that goes to the backburner when Jonathan Hemingway shows up unexpectedly in her bookstore - the father of her now deceased fiance.  A father who had little time for his son, and who Addie has always known to be a bit of a womanizer. Everything suddenly becomes a jumble for poor Addie, and when she stumbles across the body of Teresa Lang at the bottom of the hospital stairs, she once again finds herself in the middle of a tangled mess of a mystery.

Elliott does a superb job of intermingling Addie's past with her fiance and his father with the present, as well as Addie's own indecision about Marc and Simon and how she can possibly have a romance with either one when she is still hung up on her own past.  All of this, plus throw in the murder mystery with all of its suspects (including her own almost-father-in-law!), her ongoing feud with the baker next door, her friendship with Serena, her managing of the bookstore, and her concern for her friend, Catherine, who has developed feelings for Jonathan Hemingway! You'd think with so much going on in this one book, the reader would get confused as things jump from one to another; but Elliott blends the action, romance, mystery, and subterfuge so smoothly, it's like watching a well-written soap opera with a murder mystery for the characters to solve!

As for the mystery itself, it is rather a tricky one. Teresa Lang was heading up the fundraiser at the hospital, and Addie had donated a first edition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It was going to be a big event for the small town of Greybourne Harbour - until Teresa turns up dead at the bottom of the stairs, smelling of alcohol, and Addie's book is oddly missing from Teresa's office. At first, it appears to simply be an accident, with Teresa having one too many and falling down the stairs. But Addie knows something is wrong. What happened to her book? And is it just a coincidence that her almost-father-in-law shows up in town just before this happens - and he just so happens to know Teresa and had a meeting with her before her untimely death? And how could the fundraising committee be so badly in the red, when the hospital board had been informed by Teresa on many occasions how well funded it was?  And whose lipstick was on the Styrofoam cup left in Teresa's office?  So many unanswered questions, and Addie is not one to rest until she has her answers. Marc warns her repeatedly to stay away from it, and even Simon is not certain there was a murder until he gets the toxicology report back. But Addie has always learned to trust her gut instinct, and this time, she's sure something is wrong.

One thing I have to make a note about, considering what a huge fan of Nancy Drew I am - Elliott manages to squeeze in not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR references to America's favorite teen sleuth into this one book!  On pages 79, 82, 115, and 203, Addie references, is referred to, or is directly called "Nancy Drew" by other characters in the book.  Considering the iconic status of Nancy Drew as the epitome of all female detectives, I would say Addie should take this as a compliment to her amateur sleuthing skills!  (And just in case anyone feels left out, there are two references to Jessica Fletcher in the book as well - but I don't know that I would want to be compared to Ms. Fletcher, as it seems everyone she comes in contact with is murdered!)

I am thrilled this series is still going strong, as the author has indicated she is working on book seven right now!  So that means I have a few more books to read before I get caught up with this series...

RATING:  10 twinkling white fairy lights out of 10 for giving readers an amazing world of characters and a wonderful Christmas mystery that truly is "A Dickens of a crime..."

Modern Love - The Complete EC Series (Dark Horse)

When I first started reading and collecting comics back in ... well, no, that would be telling - let's just say my first comic book ever was a Super Friends comic - back when it was first published and on the spinner rack at the convenience store ... anyway, I was never a fan of the romance comics. Even though I liked soap operas (All My Children, General Hospital, Santa Barbara, Passions, Dynasty, Dante's Cove, etc.), I could just never get into the romance comics. They were way too cheesy for me. Flash forward quite a few years, and now, as an adult (uh...hmmm), I have discovered romance comics in a whole new light! Private Secretary by Dell, Soap Opera Romance and Soap Opera Love from Charlton, Night Nurse by Marvel, Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love and Secrets of Sinister House by DC, among others - and so it is that I came to purchase this Dark Horse hardcover collection of the EC Comics' romance series, Modern Love.

With only eight issues, Modern Love was not a long-running series, but each issue featured three stories of 7 or 8, or even more, pages, as well as a prose story or two, including features such as "Dear Diary" and "Advice from Adrienne..."  While the lead/cover story for each issue was allegedly a "true love story" as told by readers, there was always a blurb on the first page indicating that "the names in this true love story have been fictionized for obvious reasons!"  I had never heard of this series before seeing the solicit for this collection in Previews magazine, but then again, I was never really one to pick up EC comics.  The writers and artists for the eight issues worth of tales are mostly unknown to me, with the exception of Gardner Fox and Wally Wood, who contributed as writer and artist, respectively, for several of the stories.

The series was originally published from 1949 through 1950, published bi-monthly by Tiny Tot Comics, Inc. under the "EC" label ("An Entertaining Comic").  As the inside front flap for the dust jacket of this collection proudly proclaims, Modern Love was ahead of its time in a number of ways - the artists for the series were allowed to draw in their own style and not be forced to draw in a similar style to every other artist in the company.  The stories also featured some, what would have been at that time, highly controversial subjects, such as racial bigotry and strong-willed women who put their career above their men!  Of course, most of the stories featured your standard soap opera, romance tropes - cheating boyfriends/husbands, conniving sisters/best friends, thought-dead husbands returned to life, long-buried secrets come to light, and just about any other ideas that you can imagine that would throw a monkey-wrench into what appears at first to be the perfect romance.

The first issue starts off with a bang, featuring a story of a mean-spirited woman who tries to steal her younger sister's beau away!  It is the third story, however, that really caught my eye, as it not only features a young girl searching for love, but also involves a mystery surrounding muggings that happen just outside of a dance hall where the girl works! It's Nancy Drew ... er, Nina Foster! ... to the rescue! The second issue's strongest tale is about a meddling aunt who believes her niece should only marry for money - and when Janet Mason falls for a kitchen worker, her Aunt Mary will do whatever it takes to keep them apart!  For the third issue, it's mining family vs. farming family in a Romeo & Juliet type tale of star-crossed lovers from two very different families.  The fourth issue, surprisingly enough, features a lead story about an older sister who tries to steal her younger sister's boyfriend - very similar to the one in the first issue.  Of course, it's the title of that story, "Three-Cornered Romance" that caught my eye, since it reminded me of the Dana Girls' mystery, A Three-Cornered Mystery. As far as romance stories, though, it's the last story in that issue, "I Gave My Love Away" that is by far the best one - a female author is looking for new inspiration for her latest romance novel, so she takes a bum off the street, cleans him up, and has him pretend to be the hero of her latest adventure - the only problem is, she never expects to fall for him!  And, of course, as with any good soap, he is not everything that he seems, providing for a rather unexpected outcome to this tale.

The fifth issue features a rather controversial tale called "Shame." While it never comes out and directly says it, the heroine of the story ends up pregnant by a man who takes off and leaves her, so she turns to the neighbor she's known all her life, where she knows she can be safe and secure - but what happens when the baby's father returns? An interesting story for the time, since an unwed mother (and a man marrying a woman pregnant with another man's child) was not your typical comic story fare!  That same issue also features a story about a woman on a game show who wins $45,000!  Yes, you read that right.  Can you imagine the value of that back in 1950?  And yet, in the story, she manages to blow through all that money, but still find love by the end of the story ... and then there's the story of the woman released from jail, who takes a job in a city where no one knows her.  She falls in love, only to have her past come back to haunt her, threatening to expose her and destroy her happiness!  Issue six has another career girl story, but it also features one of the first tales without a happy ending - a woman who falls in love again after her husband dies - only to come face to face with him again, and must give up the one she truly loves now in order to stay faithful to the husband she thought was dead.  Issue seven gives readers a repeat of the dead husband come back to life story with another sad ending, but it also features a tale of bigotry and racial bias, when a father refuses to allow his son to become involved with a Mexican girl who works for the family.

The eighth and final issue of the series has a few surprises.  One is a third tale of a widowed woman who finds love, only to have her "dead" husband come back to claim her - only this time, a second tragedy gives Katha Trenton the happy ending she longs for.  Another is a mystery at a ranch, where someone keeps causing dangerous accidents - and it's up to the new girl to figure out who before she becomes the next victim! And the issue (and series!) ends with a satirical tale that pokes fun at the whole romance comic genre, allegedly written by (and starring) the office boy of the T. Tot Comic Magazine Publishing Company - a story about a comic book publisher that decides to take on romance comics after falling in love himself; but when that love turns out to be a lie, he puts an end to the line of romance titles (just as it signals the final issue of Modern Love comic magazine...)

The stories are fun, serious, sad, happy, over-the-top, and subtle - just about covering anything and everything you'd expect to find in a regular soap opera-type story.  The art varies from issue to issue and story to story, by artists such as Al Feldstein, Graham Ingels, Johnny Craig, Ed Waldman, Lou Morales, John Sink, Harry Harrison, Rudy Palais, Wally Wood, Jack Kamen, and S.M. Iger, but it despite the different styles, there remains a consistency of bold colors, simple backgrounds, and outstanding expressions on the characters (so easy to see what they are feeling just by looking at their faces - you don't even need to read the word balloons!).  All together, the writing and art make this book a fantastic read, and leaves the reader wishing there were more stories to come...

RATING:  9 mine cave-ins out of 10 for telling truly "modern" love stories, highlighting topics and issues that weren't necessarily so open for discussion back in the day.

A Ted Wilford Mystery, no. 7 - The Stolen Plans Mystery

Time to take another trip into the small-town world of Ted Wilford and his best friend, Nelson Morgan.  I've never seen these books out in the wild, nor have I actually ever seen any of the original editions on eBay (although, to be quite honest, I haven't really searched too hard for them on eBay, ABE, or any of the other online used book sellers).  So, I am glad that Wildside Press has been reprinting the series - I just wish they reprinted the entire run, and not just select titles (more on that later...).

The Stolen Plans Mystery is the seventh book in the series, and as with the Judy Bolton series by Margaret Sutton, the main character in this series - Ted Wilford - and his friends age as the series progresses.  When I started reading the first book, Ted and Nelson were still in high school, and Ted worked for his school newspaper.  Now, in this seventh book, Ted and Nelson are returning home after their first semester in college, and although they are looking forward to the Christmas break and spending time with their respective families for the holidays, Ted can't help but hope there is some work for him at the Town Crier (the Forestdale newspaper).  And, of course, there is, as his somewhat newspaper nemesis, Carl Allison, is out of the office for the week, and Mr. Dobson (the editor for the paper) was hoping Ted would be willing to take over his regular work load.  This, of course, is what causes Ted to stumble onto his latest mystery.

 

Author Norvin Pallas provides his readers with a rather complicated mystery involving a brand-spanking new computer named "Lulu" (remember, this was 1959 when the book was first published!); the sudden resignation of the new circulation manager, Mr. Sawyer; the numerous toys and other items reported missing from the various stories involved in the newspaper's promotional contest for the holiday; and the jolly old man playing Santa, who seems to be more than what he first appears!  To be quite honest, it is a bit of a stretch to try and figure out how any of these things are connected; however, as the mystery plays out, and as Ted and Nelson investigate first the stolen items, and then begin surveillance on Mr. Sawyer's home, it begins to all come together.  And while there are not too many dangerous situations in this one, other than Ted getting locked in a freezing meat locker (from which he has a very ingenious way of escaping), the mystery itself is very engaging, and I found myself reading faster and faster.  Even though I had figured out many aspects of the mystery, it was still fun to follow along with Ted and Nelson, and their friend Cliff, as they worked out all of the clues and eventually helped reveal what was really going on!

I admit to being rather fascinated by the whole computer aspect of the story.  "Lulu" is a huge contraption in the back of the editor's office, and it works by being fed information so that it can calculate results at a faster rate of speed than if done by hand.  In the story, it is being used to sort through all of the contest submissions from the citizens of Forestdale, who are competing in a holiday contest set up by the newspaper (and which, to a small degree, plays a part of the mystery, since items are stolen from each of the businesses in downtown that are participating in the contest) and determine the winner of the contest.  By today's standards, this "computer" is very VERY old school - but in 1959, this was probably something very unique and new, and to a lot of people who read this book at the time, it was almost science-fiction in nature.

Sadly, this book appeared to be the last book reprinted (with the exception of The Baseball Mystery) - however, a look at Amazon.com just now reveals that Wildside has issued a number of other books in the series, including the next several books, up through book 14, in paperback!  So, now I can purchase those and continue reading the series in order without missing a beat!  Good news, indeed.

RATING:  7 coins stuck into a light socket out of 10 for making a complicated mystery not quite so complicated for its readers to enjoy!