Tuesday, February 25, 2020

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!

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

A Nicky & Noah Mystery, No. 3 - Drama Cruise

That definitely not ambiguously gay duo, Nicky and Noah, are back at it again, setting the stage for their latest production and solving the latest series of murders - this time on board a luxury cruise ship!  First, it was the Drama Queen...then there was the Drama Muscle...and now, all set to produce a murder mystery show on what is supposed to be a relaxing vacation cruise, Nicky and Noah find themselves caught up in a Drama Cruise!

You have to wonder, sometimes, how it is that these (somewhat) normal people in murder mystery series books manage to always stumble across dead bodies and be involved with solving one murder after another.  Sooner or later, you would think people would realize (like viewers did with Jessica Fletcher eventually) - you don't want to be a guest of these people, because those around them have a tendency to be killed off!  At least with these Nicky and Noah mysteries, author Joe Cosentino manages to interject quite a bit of humor, sarcasm, and just plain wicked fun into each book.

Drama Cruise starts off well enough - Nick and Nora...er, I mean Nicky and Noah...have been invited on a cruise by the entertainment director, Aurora Star, to direct a murder mystery show, utilizing various theater professors as their actors for the production. Nick is excited at the prospect, but he quickly discovers that the professors, with all of their individual quirks, are not necessarily enthusiastic about the whole thing.  Before you know it (and before the end of the first chapter), not only do both Nicky's and Noah's parents appear on the ship to surprise their respective sons, but one of the theater professors turns up dead - with a name tag that reads, "Who's next?"

The ship's captain (who happens to also be a bigot when it comes to gay, lesbian, transgender people) assures the troupe that his ship detective has the matter under control and to go on with things as usual.  With a spot to fill, entertainment director Aurora (who can't help but tell anyone who will listen about her college days as a theater major) takes over the role of the deceased.  And then another professor turns up dead.  And another.  Nicky and Noah realize that if they want to survive this cruise (and see their production completed by the final night of the cruise), they had better get busy and solve the murders.

All the while, dealing with two sets of parents who are making all of the plans for Nicky and Noah's upcoming wedding...

Cosentino gives readers no shortage of suspects, that's for sure.  In fact, the only people who are guaranteed not to be the murderer (besides Nicky, Noah, and their parents, of course) are the murder victims themselves!  There are the other theater professors, of course, who each seem to have a grudge against the others; there is the ship's captain, who harbors an intense hatred for gays; there is the ship's massage therapist who has a rare condition that has him mimicking anyone he is communicating with; there is the ship's entertainment director who can't seem to let go of her college days in the theater; there is the ship's doctor, who is definitely more than what he appears to be; there's the ship's porter, who seems to have a penchant for sneaking into the passengers' drawers; and that's just the tip of the iceberg (with no relation to the Titanic, thank you).

In all honesty, I was debating on whether to continue with this series or not - I read so many series, and I have so little time to truly keep up with all of them - - but this book pretty much clenched the fact that I have to keep reading these books.  The Nicky and Noah mysteries are fun, well-plotted, with sometimes over-the-top yet still believable characters, and completely engaging to the point where you want to finish it in one sitting!  So, I will be returning to the theatrical antics of Nicky and Noah so long as Cosentino keeps telling their tales...

RATING:  10 slices of pineapple blueberry cheesecake out of 10 for making drama, well, so much fun to read!

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

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!

Friday, February 7, 2020

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!

Sunday, February 2, 2020

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!