Tom Swift Inventors' Academy, Book 6 - Augmented Reality

Technological whiz-kids meet reality television in the latest Tom Swift adventure.  Sure, this latest incarnation of Tom Swift may not be on part with the original series from the early 20th century, or even the second series of the '50s and on, but I do have to say, the stories are rather fun in their own way.  And with the series set in a school of advanced young minds who are always creating new inventions or coming up with ways to improve on existing ones, there is definitely plenty of material for stories. Now, with the seventh book already published and the eighth book solicited, this series has already outlasted the last one - now I'm holding my breath to see if it outlasts the prior two series before that (which had 13 and 11, respectively).

 

Now, back to this series and book six - Augmented Reality.  With technology advancing as quickly as it does these days, this series has to stay on top of the ball with keeping up with the current trends and tech.  This sixth book deals with an app created by Tom's friend Noah, which allows his fellow students to collect cartoonish food by using their cell phones and hoping to collect enough as a group to feed the hungry giant reptilian monster and satisfy it before it attacks the school (virtually, of course - not in the real world!).  It seems like a fun and inventive way to get the students at Swift Academy to work together for a common goal, and the principal couldn't be more thrilled.  Of course, part of that may have to do with the fact that a television crew has caught wind of this invention and would like to film an episode of their reality TV show at the school!

The mystery this time centers around the fact that all of the students are getting into arguments, accusing one another of backstabbing, lying, and outright sabotaging their reputation and their skills - and it seems the only one benefiting from all of the drama is the reality show crew!  Tom begins to have his suspicions, but when he is shown footage of Noah - his best friend! - criticizing him and calling him out for being the son of the man who owns the school, Tom forgets about his suspicions and makes his own thoughts known about Noah and his projects.  The next thing you know, these best friends are at odds with one another just like everyone else at the school.  And when Swift Enterprises' new P.R.woman convinces the students to share with her their personal ideas and sketchbooks/notebooks for their projects so that they can be animated for the upcoming reality show, things only go downhill from there.

Although the resolution of the mystery comes as no big surprise, the fun comes in watching Tom, Noah, Sam, and Amy work their way through all of the drama to not only figure out what is going on, but who is causing it and how to stop it.  Plus, for this book anyway, it was nice to see the behind-the-scenes of reality show filming. I've always said that there is no "reality" in reality television, and while this book is a work of fiction, I have no doubt there is a lot of truth to the idea that these reality shows everyone watches are edited in such a way so as to convince viewers that there is considerably more drama going on that what really is!  And kudos to whomever came up with the name for this book - Augmented Reality.  The title not only refers to Noah's app, which creates faux food items for people to collect in the real world and feed them to a faux monster to stop him from destroying the school; but, it also refers to the television crew and the reality show being filmed, since it is supposed to be filming the reality at the school, but by the director's actions and the editing of the footage, it "augmented" the reality of what was truly going on at Swift Academy!

Thus far, this series has produced some very fast-paced stories - and with 150 pages or less in each book, it's no wonder the writer has to keep it moving quickly to reach resolution.  While the Nancy Drew Diaries series has expanded the length of their stories, both the Hardy Boys Adventures and the Tom Swift Investors' Academy seem to keep their books on the shorter side.  I'd love to see these series expand their page count as well, to allow the author to start to really develop the main characters more, so that we know more about Tom and his father's home life; Noah's, Sam's, and Amy's home lives (as we have pretty much seen next to nothing of them outside of the school setting), as well as more about Swift Enterprises.  While we have been fortunate thus far with this latest Tom Swift series with some pretty good stories, I just think some more depth to the characters, setting, and stories could result in more readers - and, of course, some marketing would help, too!  (I mean, let's face it - this series had absolutely no marketing whatsoever when it first hit the shelves, so I'm actually surprised that it has managed to hold on this long!  Perhaps with the upcoming TV show on the CW, we might see some marketing....)

RATING:  9 cartoon pork chops out of 10 for providing some proof that "reality" television is not actually "reality" after all - it is merely an "augmented" version of reality!

Flash: Crossover Crisis - the YA Novel Book 3 - The Legends of Forever

Okay, I am not ashamed to admit - I did not see this ending coming.  I mean, I guess technically, considering the name of this trilogy, I should have seen it - but, quite frankly, I did not at all expect author Barry Lyga to go in that direction.  But, it makes sense in a number of ways.  It brings both Flash trilogies full circle. It ties up a lot of loose ends (while certainly leaving the door opened for more stories - more on that later). And it answers a number of questions regarding things that have been happening since Lyga's first Flash book several years back.  Between all the surprise guest appearances, the so-on-par characterization, and the climactic conclusion to this story, I can say without a doubt that this was by far my favorite tale that Lyga has told yet!

The Flash: Crossover Crisis - The Legends of Forever concludes the big Time Trapper crossover story that Lyga has been building up.  Owlman and the rest of the Crime Syndicate escaped their Earth to come to Earth 1.  Team Flash and Team Arrow put a stop to them.  But then the Anti-Matter Man threatened Earth 38.  So Team Flash and Team Arrow crossed over to Supergirl's Earth to help her put an end to that threat.  All the while, Madame Xanadu has been providing cryptic clues as to something else.  And, of course, there's the lunacy of Ambush Bug, driving everyone in Star City crazy as he takes control of the Bug-Eyed Bandit's mechanical bees, causing them to multiply at a rapid rate for some unknown purpose.  Oh, and let's not forget that Curtis and Cisco were rescued from the past, only for Cisco to be plucked out of time by the Time Trapper.  And what happened to those on the Waverider when it exploded?  Well, with all of that in mind (you can keep it all straight, can't you?), Lyga treats fans to the thrilling conclusion of the Crossover Crisis!

So, Supergirl is now depowered after sacrificing all she had to stop the Anti-Matter Man.  Cisco is missing.  Ambush Bug is building up for something big, and Joe West, John Diggle, Wild Dog, and Black Canary can't get their hands on him.  White Canary and Heatwave wake up in the 30th Century, where they meet the Legion of Super-Heroes.  And Flash, Green Arrow, and Superman must figure out a way to get to the End of Time in order to put a stop to whatever Time Trapper has planned.  Unfortunately, there is a wall that seems to be stopping anything trying to get through.  This book is full of non-stop action, as the heroes of several worlds (including the James Jesse and literal thousands of other speedsters from the now destroyed Earth 27) must work together to save not just their multiverse, but the fate of two multiverses!  That's right, folks, Lyga doesn't make it easy on these guys and gals.  It seems the Time Trapper is not looking simply to put an end to this multiverse, but he has his eyes set on the TV multiverse (you remember that one right?  the Transuniversal Version of this multiverse, as Cisco called it - thus, the "TV" universe, were Barry Allen went back in time to save his mother and created the Flashpoint, which changed the timeline in that multiverse).  And Cisco plays an important part in Time Trapper's plan, since Cisco has the ability to reach out and contact that multiverse.  Oh, and what about that speedster in yellow that is forever running to keep Time Trapper's machine going?  Well, let's just say, it's not who you think it is!

The opening prologue by the Phantom Stranger (thanks, Lyga, for bringing him in!) says it all: "Worlds will live. Worlds will die. And the DC Universe - this one, at least - will never be the same again."  And he's most definitely right.  What happens in this book changes everything - big time!  After all, it is a huge crisis, and we all know in DC Comics what happens any time there is a huge crisis - there is a huge sacrifice.  But not before we have an unbelievably crazy battle at the end of time!  Flash, Green Arrow, Superman, White Canary, Atom, and Heat Wave face off against the unstoppable Time Trapper - who brings in the Legion of Super-Villains! The League of Assassins! The Khunds!  The Fatal Five!  Oh, and a regular ol' guy by the name of Lex Luthor!  It's six heroes against a literal legion of villainy, and the face of the multiverse and all history are in their hands.  But remember - you've got the super-smarts of Barry Allen, Ray Palmer, and Cisco Ramon, and they manager to come up with a plan to save everything and get back home (well, most of them anyway....)

And did I mention that super-sized Cosmic Treadmill, big enough for a plethora of speedsters?  Or the ring of Volthoom that Heat Wave puts on his finger and uses?  Or the fun-filled return of Toy Boy (read it to find out just who that is!)?  Or the sudden glimpses of a decaying Flash that keep appearing to various people throughout time?  Like I said, this story definitely has it all, and from the very first page, it is NON-STOP!  You better be prepared and have the time to read for a while, because once you start it, you won't want top put it down until you've reached the end and found out exactly how and why one of the characters ends up living in the 30th Century and which hero joins the Legends of ... Forever?!?!

 

And I cannot possibly finish this post without mentioning how dead-on perfect Lyga is on the characterization for these heroes and their supporting cast.  The perfect example is when Felicity meets the Earth-38 Superman for the first time...

 

"Oliver," Felicty said into the solemn moment, "I love you dearly, but if you don't come back, am I allowed to marry him?" (p. 52).

 

It is so keeping in line with her character, making me think of her reaction during the "Invasion" crossover story on the CW shows when all of the characters get together for the first time, and Felicity gets all giddy and says, "Best team-up ever!"

Oh, yeah, there is no possible way that Lyga could ever top this story.  Unless, of course, he gives us a trilogy of books set on the Waverider, perhaps????

RATING:  10 phase-centric photonic array guns out of 10 for proving that even serious, sometimes sad, super-hero stories can still be fun and exciting without being all dark and gritty!

The John Steel Files - a Thriller Picture Library collection

Before I saw the solicit for The John Steel Files in Previews some months ago, I had never seen, nor even heard, of the character before.  But, as a comic fan who enjoys mysteries and adventure stories as well, I figured I would give this a shot.  As explained on the inside front cover of this collection, John Steel was a secret service agent during World War II, but once the war ended, Steel became a private detective and eventually went back to the world of espionage who worked cases involving blackmail and political intrigue.  This collected edition, published by Rebellion as a part of the Treasury of British Comics, features two stories starring the determined detective.

Interestingly enough, as with some American comics back in the Golden Age of comics, credits were not always set forth in published comics, so it is unknown who wrote these stories; however, the front inside cover indicates that Luis Bermejo provided the art for these two tales.  The cover also gives credit to Pippa Bowland, and although there is nothing in the book that actually says what Bowland did, an online search reveals that Bowland is a colorist, and so Bowland provided color to the never-before-reprinted stories contained in this book.

The first story in The John Steel Files is "Bullets in the Sun," finds Steel assisting an old friend from the military, who is being blackmailed into staying silent about information he has about a coup set to take place in a South American country trying to gain their independence from a tyrannical ruler.  It seems someone has kidnapped Paul Vallance's son in an effort to keep him quiet.  Steel and his young protege, Riff Morgan, are soon on the case.  They head off to New York, where they make contact with a jazz musician who may able to assist them - only, he betrays them, and Steel and Morgan find themselves in some very dangerous escapades as they narrow down the search for Keith Vallance.  The story is gritty, filled with violence and death, but Steel is not the kind of man to back down from a fight, and he sticks with it to the very end.

The second story is "Play It Cool," in which Steel is hired by Senator Harding to track down his son.  He hasn't heard from his son in over six months, and he's fearful that his son could be mixed up in something criminal.  The Senator can't go to the police, as it could create a scandal that he is hoping to avoid.  So, he turns to Steel. With Riff Morgan once again in tow, Steel heads off to Paris, France to begin his search for Robert Harding.  Along the way, he discovers a con being played by the criminal element of the great city, where they ply an unwitting victim with drinks, lead him to a faux fight, and then the victim wakes up with a bloody knife in his hands and a dead body next to him!  It seems a man named Bobo has set up this con to entrap young men with money into doing his bidding - and when they are of no more use to him, he uses them as the next body!  Morgan becomes bait, and soon enough, Steel is able to track down this mysterious Bobo and confront him once and for all to find out the truth of what really happened to Robert Harding!

Bermejo's art is a bit "rough," but that pretty much fits with the stories.  It's interesting that he alternates between some highly detailed panels, with backgrounds completely filled in (from the woodlined walls of the jazz bar with posters and liquor bottles to the sights and sounds of New York City) to other panels that are completely bare except for the characters in the scene.  I imagine it was to keep focus on the characters in those particular panels, rather than detract from them with their surroundings.  I would be interested to know who the author is, though - as Steel and Morgan come across in many ways as a sort-of "Batman and Robin" duo - the grown man running around fighting crime with his teenage protege who really shouldn't be involved in such dangerous situations (such as being used for bait to catch the crooks in the second story!).  I would love to see more of these stories reprinted, as they were actually rather good, and based on the info provided on the inside front cover, Steel was a regular feature in Thriller Picture Library comics back in the 1960s.  (I'm assuming that is a British comic series, since this reprint was provided by the Treasury of British Comics.)

Would definitely recommend this book for comic fans who like gritty crime tales!

RATING:  9 golden horns playing the heart of jazz out of 10 for sharing some great vintage comic stories with today's readers - making me long for the days when comics were actually packed with story and not just 20 pages of splashy art!

A Page Marked for Murder - the fifth Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery

You don't know what the murder weapon was. You don't know who the murderer is. You don't know where the murder took place. So how in the world are you supposed to solve this crime? Well, Lauren Elliott shows readers exactly how it's done in her fifth Beyond the Page Bookstore mystery!  This series has been thoroughly enjoyable from the get-go, and as Elliott continues the series, it's nice to see the characters learn and grow and to the see the cast continue to expand. I still keep hoping that sooner or later Addie and Marc will wake up and see that they were made for each other (not that I have anything against Simon, but to me, Addie and Marc actually fit together better).  Oh, well, that's neither here nor there - for now, I will just follow along as Addie continues her amateur sleuthing adventures...

A Page Marked for Murder brings the mystery closer to home when Addie finds a body behind Martha's bakery next door to her bookstore.  And when the deceased turns out to be the father of Martha's granddaughter - a man with whom she has recently been seen having some very public arguments and about whom Martha told Addie she would take care of - well, let's just say that things do not look good for poor Martha.  Of course, Addie doesn't believe for a second that Martha is the killer, but since all of the circumstantial evidence points to her, Marc and his former-FBI partner, Ryley, focus all of their attention on her ... which leaves Addie free to explore all of the other possibilities.

There are plenty of people with motive.  Brett Palmer was not a popular man by any means. Yes, Martha certainly had reason to hate him - after all, he got her daughter pregnant and then left. But Martha's ex-husband also has issues with him, and he was even seen arguing with him the week before he turns up dead.  But he has an alibi.  Then there is Brett's latest girlfriend, with whom he has an argument the night his body is found.  But she has an alibi.  Then there is that mysterious new man in town, who happens to be dating Addie's cousin, Kalea - he is overheard arguing with Brett's girlfriend about money.  But he also has an alibi.  In fact, every suspect on Addie's whiteboard seems to have an air-tight alibi, except Martha.  Could she have done it?  Addie refuses to believe it and sets about to prove her innocence.

What makes this murder mystery so interesting is that Elliott not only obscures the identity of the killer, but she also makes it difficult to figure out what the murder weapon was and where the murder actually took place.  Without any idea of where it happened or how it happened, Addie, as well as the police, are completely stalled in their ability to track down the killer.  But Addie knows someone who holds the key to figuring it out, if she can only convince him to reveal what he knows!

And, oh, yeah, in the middle of all this, Addie discovers that Martha's granddaughter has possession of a first printing of The Secret Garden that could be worth as much as $25,000.00!  When the book disappears at the same time as Brett Palmer is found murdered, Addie has to wonder if there is a connection.  And if she can figure out who took the book and where it is now, will it lead her to the murderer?

This was definitely a cleverly plotted mystery, and while I began to suspect the real killer about half-way through the book, I had no way to really connect the dots until Addie herself stumbles across the murder weapon (and a rather ingenious one it is! kudos to Elliott for coming up with something this creative!).  So, it was fun to fight off my own frustration in trying to figure out whodunnit right along with Addie, knowing that Martha is innocent but no way to prove it.

And with all of this going on, Elliott does not shy away from addressing the personal lives of her characters, such as Kalea's irresponsibility and lies, as well as the police sergeant's birth right in the middle of Martha's bakery.  Things like this are what keep the stories grounded in reality and help build a very "real" world in which Addie lives, and thus, make it all the more enjoyable for the reader to feel like this is a full, fleshed-out-reality and not just a murder-by-the-numbers mystery with the same old characters in the same old situations book after book.  (And, since Elliott admits in her bio paragraph at the end of the book that she grew up reading Nancy Drew, I'm waiting for the day when Addie gets involved with a mystery where she has to find that elusive first printing of Nancy Drew #10, Password to Larkspur Lane, that most collectors believe to be a phantom printing!)

Can hardly wait to see what Elliott has in store for Addie and her friends in book six!

RATING:  10 small solar garden lighthouses out of 10 for making an unsolvable crime not quite so unsolvable, but definitely a fantastic read!

The Virginia Mysteries, Book 9 - Pictures at the Protest

Thus far, "The Virginia Mysteries" series by Steven K. Smith has been a great little series to read.  The two brothers, Sam and Derek, along with Sam's classmate and best friend, Caitlin, have had some fun adventures where they have not only solved mysteries, put some crooked people behind bars, and discovered some truly amazing treasures, but they have provided readers with some fantastic looks back at the history of our nation and its founding fathers.  The one thing that has remained consistent, though, is that each book features a mystery for which the three young sleuths must dig out clues, solve codes and puzzles, and ultimately stop the "bad guy" from stealing a piece of history.  Those are the things that have made this series, and its educational backdrops, so enjoyable.  Thus, I opened the pages of this ninth book expecting to find more of the same great reading.  Unfortunately, such was not the case.

In his acknowledgements at the end of the book, Smith indicates Pictures at the Protest was the hardest book he has had to write.  It definitely deals with a "hot" and sensitive topic, especially in today's climate, and considering the subject matter, I do give Smith props for even daring to approach the subject.  Instead of founding fathers and pre-20th century history, this time Smith broaches the fight for civil rights from the late 1950s and into the '60s.  In the book, a university librarian is putting together an exhibit to showcase the protests from back in 1959, when the Prince Edward County, Virginia schools were closed simply because the residents did not want to desegregate their schools - they would rather close the schools than have the races mingle in the same school.  Caitlin's father is helping the librarians with identifying individuals in the photographs uncovered, and naturally, Caitlin, Sam and Derek jump on board to help out.  They start with one picture of a young girl holding a sign that says, "Educate don't segregate!"  And that right there is the "mystery" to be solved in this book.

Now don't get me wrong.  I like the fact Smith has been utilizing this series to help share a lot of history that young readers may not be paying attention to in school.  And I especially like the fact he is willing to tackle the topic of racial injustice.  The problem I have with the book is that there is no real mystery at all for the children to solve - they manage to uncover the identity of the young girl in the photo within just a few chapters, they meet her daughter and grandson who are still alive and live in the area, and the only danger / trouble they face is on their way to what they hope is the home of the girl in the photo, when they run into a group of kids spraying graffiti on the stones near a bridge they are crossing and Sam is forced to swing off the rocks into the water below.

As with the previous books, Smith does an excellent job of intertwining the fictional story with historical facts, including true stories about real-life activities Barbara Johns, Oliver Hill, and Maggie Walker.  But instead of focusing on a mystery, Smith instead focuses more on the headlines of today with regards to the toppling of statues, the ideas of white privilege, and the idea that being "white" should come with a feeling of guilt (as Sam is forced to reckon with throughout a good chunk of the book).  I like that Smith addressed the issue of the kids' biker friends being Confederate supporters (this was the perfect book to do so), and also the fact that he showed the criminal nature of utilizing protests as a cover to loot and steal - both of these are very good points.  He also addresses the need for protests at times to truly raise awareness and seek change.  But I think the racial injustice and civil rights issues could have been better addressed through a mystery that the kids had to solve (such as, perhaps looking for the diary of one of the protestors that would reveal some unknown secret about those days, or maybe a lost deed that would provide new ownership for the cemetery where the civil rights activists and their families lay buried and nearly forgotten).  Without the mystery, the book feels like nothing more than a political platform being pushed rather than a story for kids to enjoy and learn from.

This isn't to say there aren't good moments in the book, nor to say that there is not good historical information in the book, because there are both.  It's just the fact that this book is completely lacking in mystery and does not fit with the previous eight books that come before.  I agree with Smith when he says in his acknowledgements at the end that "remaining uneducated about a topic is often the easiest way to 'innocently' ignore injustice."  There's no doubt about that at all.  But I don't necessarily agree that utilizing a children's mystery series for the political platform that he pushes forth in this book is the proper place.  I think he may have had a bigger impact if he had simply written a separate, stand-alone book about the topic, or, as I said above, had he integrated these things into a real mystery for the kids to solve.  As it is now, I'm not sure the age group of readers for which this series is aimed will find this book as interesting or as engaging as the previous books, and for them to lose interest in the story would also defeat the underlying "cause" Smith is hoping to raise awareness for in the book.

 

(SIDENOTE - I should make it perfectly clear there that I don't disagree with many of the points that Smith raises in the book.  There is certainly racial injustice in the world, and it's sad to see that there are still people who seek to divide us simply by the color of our skin.  We all, as a society, have the responsibility to do what we can to put an end to inequality between races, between genders, and between any other line used to divide us.  But my point in this blog post is that children's mystery books are not the appropriate forum for the full force of these topics and societal problems, and when such a topic becomes the sole focus of the book, with the mystery non-existent, then it sidelines the series and lessens the impact of the intended purpose.)

In any event, I can't fault Smith for writing as he feels compelled to do, and I know the 10th book in the series is already listed on Amazon, so there's more mysteries for Sam, Caitlin and Derek to solve.  I hope Smith in future books is able to return to that perfect balance he has found in prior books with factual history and fictional mystery that is what draws readers into his stories and makes his books so engaging and fun to read.

RATING:  6 lost pairs of glasses out of 10 for choosing to tackle a tough issue and introducing a (hopefully) new friend with whom Sam, Caitlin and Derek can solve mysteries !

Short Lived Comic Series #17 - True Love (Eclipse Comics)

It's funny - I was never a fan of romance comics at all growing up. Even as an adult, I pretty much shied away from any series that was more focused on romance than super hero action, supernatural/horror, or mystery.  But, in recent years, as I have gradually learned to appreciate a lot of the medical and soap opera-themed comics (from Charlton, Dell, and other non-mainstream publishers of yester-year), I have also developed a taste for some of these romance titles.  While at the huge flea market up in Mount Dora last year, I stumbled across this little two-issue series from Eclipse Comics, published back in the mid-1980s.  I picked them up based on the covers alone - magnificent art by Dave Stevens (issue 1) and Brent Anderson (issue 2).  What I did not realize, until I finally opened them up to read them recently, is that these two issues provided reprints of some much older work out of the '50s.

True Love may have only been two issues, but Eclipse provided comic readers with a great look at some of the amazing talents of days gone by.  The issues reprinted stories from New Romances, Thrilling Romances, Popular Romance, and Intimate Love, all of which were published under the Standard Comics imprint back in the 1950s.  With art by some very recognizable (today!) names such as Alex Toth, Vince Colletta, and Nick Cardy, the stories are definitely beautiful to look at.  The character's expressions literally come to life off the page, tugging at the emotions of the reader to feel what the characters are feeling.  The writers of the stories are not credited (which, as sappy as some of the tales are, I can imagine the authors may not have wanted their names attributed to such stories!), but the art more than makes up for what the stories lack in originality or depth.  The tales are very soap opera-ish in nature, with woman taking on the role of victims, swooning over the men they want or can't have, or the problems that they create for themselves, causing them to nearly lose the man they love.

Issue One features four short stories.  "Stars in My Eyes" tells the story of Ginny, who is unsatisfied with the mediocre life provided by the man she married, and she convinces him to take a higher paying job - but she quickly finds out that money isn't everything!  "Wrong Way to Happiness" finds young Sandy in love with a man who keeps pushing her away, thinking that no one should have to be burdened with loving a cripple - but she is determined to help him see that love can conquer all!  "Heart Divided" is the shortest of all the stories, at only three pages - but it actually packs quite a punch, as Marian's boyfriend feels like he is always competing for attention with her kid brother - but a near-accident involving the brother opens Brad's eyes! And "Chained to My Past" feels most like a soap opera, where Louise Carr has a secret in her past, a scandal involving her parents that could destroy all chance she has at happiness with her fiance, Todd!

Issue Two also features four stories.  "Blinded by Love" is the story of Debby Rainey and her two male friends, Paul and Lon.  She loves them both, but when an accident forever scars her face, she quickly learns that true love really is blind!  "Unwanted Love" features the unhappy Nancy, whose husband is taking a job that will take her away from the life she has always known - but when she tries to discover what life may have been like had she married one of her other high school sweethearts, she learns very quickly that the grass is not always greener! "Two-Timer" is actually an interesting tale of Marni, who is supporting her husband as he returns to engineering school to finish his degree - but in order to get a job, she must pretend to be single and soon finds herself entangled in a web of lies that could cost her not only her job, but her marriage as well!  And "My Other Love" rounds out this issue, with a story about poor Lenore who elopes with a man who her parents don't approve of - and after he dies, she finds new love, but can't face the fact that she has a secret marriage that could destroy everything!

As can be expected from stories like this, they all have happy endings, with the woman usually realizing the mistakes she has made, or in a couple of instances, the man coming to the realization that he has misjudged the woman who is so madly in love with him.  Most of the characters and stories are fairly stereotypical romance fare, with no unexpected twists or surprises - but "Chained to My Past" in the first issue and "Two-Timer" in the second issue actually provide tales that a bit more than two-dimensional and provoke the reader to think a little bit about what they would do in the same situation.

Again, the art is probably the biggest selling point for these two issues, as both the covers and the interior art are gorgeous to look at (and believe me, this is rare for me to say, because in most cases, I'm the person crying for more story in the comics and less focus on the art!).  It's almost a shame that they didn't continue this series of reprints, as it is doubtful the actual comics from which these stories first appeared can be easily found (and since the comics and stories seem to be in the public domain, from what I could find online). I would have loved to have seen what other big name artists offered their talent to these little-known romance titles of the past.

RATING:  8 broken hearts out of 10 for sharing some comic book history with fans who were not around to see them when they first came out.

Fortune Favors the Dead - Pentecost and Parker, Book One

I love mysteries.  Anyone who has seen this blog for any length of time, or anyone who actually knows me, knows how much I love mysteries.  I have loved them ever since my mom first introduced me to Nancy Drew, the Bobbsey Twins, and other children’s mystery series back when I was in third grade.  As an adult, I read a wide variety of mysteries – I still read a number of the children’s mystery series (for nostalgia reasons), but I read quite a few adult mystery series, such as Odelia Grey, Drew Farthering, Bay Island Psychic mysteries, Beyond the Page bookstore mysteries, among others.  I keep telling myself I won’t start any new series, but invariably, one comes along that catches my eye and I just can’t pass it up.  The first Pentecost and Parker mystery is one of those. 

 

 Fortune Favors the Dead stood out to me at my local Barnes & Noble for several reasons.  Number one was the cover, which obviously was the first thing I saw.  It was clearly set in the early 20^th century, based on the clothes and art style.  Number two, and probably the most important reason, was the name of the family involved in the mystery and the elements surrounding the case.  But, more on that later…

 

 Author Stephen Spotswood provides readers with some very unconventional crime solvers.  Willowjean (a/k/a "Will") Parker is a former circus performer turned private investigator who is more comfortable in a pair of overalls and a man's t-shirt than she is in a pencil skirt and blouse.  Her boss, Lillian Pentecost, suffers from multiple sclerosis but is an utter genius when it comes to seeing through people and uncovering the truth.  While performing her duties as a security guard for a construction site, Parker saves Pentecost's life, which leads to the offer of a job as an assistant to help the ailing detective with her caseload.  Three years later, and Parker now has her own license, her own gun, and she has acquired quite a bit of learning with the aid of her boss and mentor.

 

Now, in 1945, Pentecost and Parker take on a new case involving the locked-room murder of a business tycoon's wife.  Abigail Collins was found dead in her locked study, her head bashed in by a crystal ball.  The room was locked from the inside, and there was no one else in the room when the guests broke in and found the matriarch dead at her desk.  Her two children, Rebecca and Randolph Collins, and their "uncle," Harrison Wallace, come to Pentecost to ask her aid in solving a crime the police seem unable to figure out.  It seems Abigail Collins' husband, Alistair Collins, dead of an alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound some years before, and Mrs. Collins was determined to see their family business move away from selling to the military.  Some of the Board of Directors were not too keen on the idea, but Mrs. Collins' confidante, a self-proclaimed spiritual advisor by the name of Ariel Belestrade, was encouraging her to move away from the production of weapons for the military.  Randolph Collins does not want Pentecost and Parker involved, but Rebecca Collins seems to develop an attraction for Parker ... and Wallace sets his foot down, as the Board has demanded that Pentecost be brought in to make quick resolution of the crime.

Now here's where I will side-step for a moment to talk about that second reason why I picked up this book.  When I saw on the front inside flap of the dust jacket where the synopsis of the book indicated that Pentecost and Parker are "on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a  crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home ... With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband..."  Well, this description alone was enough to sell this book to me!  Either Spotswood is a fan of Dark Shadows, or it is an unbelievably huge coincidence that the murder victim's family name is Collins (the name of the family in Dark Shadows) and the victim's name is Abigail Collins (the name of the spinster aunt from Dark Shadows' 1795 storyline),  and the time is Halloween with talks of ghosts, psychics, and spiritual advisors (all of whom were prevalent in the 5-year run of Dark Shadows).  Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who knows me knows how much I love Dark Shadows - so a mystery that involves so many elements and nods to my favorite all-time television show is definitely going to be a must-read!  That being said, now back to your regularly scheduled blog review...

Spotswood does an excellent job of plotting the crime.  There are plenty of suspects, plenty of motives, and plenty of misdirections to keep the reader guessing all the way up until the big reveal.  The identity of the killer is not the only surprise, as there are a few other things that get revealed in the end that, looking back, the clues for which are obviously right there, but they get overlooked as Pentecost and Parker stay focused on other things (and, thus, so does the reader!).  I love the fact that Parker is not some stereotypical lesbian, but rather, a multi-faceted character who can easily switch between comfortable pants and a t-shirt and a dressy skirt and blouse and act whatever part is needed for the moment.  And Pentecost's slowly failing health adds a unique dynamic to the partnership, as she refuses to be mothered, yet allows Parker to provide assistance when needed.  Despite the rather swift introduction and three-year time-shift, the reader can easily pick up on the growing bond between Pentecost and Parker, and I, for one, look forward to seeing it develop more in future books!

Definitely recommend this one for mystery fans, and I am anxiously awaiting release of the second book in the series!

RATING:  10 dime novel detective stories out of 10 for creating a fantastic new detective duo who stand out from their peers and know how to solve a complex crime with flourish!

Whitman Mystery Stories - Peggy Parker, Girl Inventor

To be honest, there are two main reasons why I picked up this book.  The first is the title character, Peggy Parker, sounds so very similar to a series written by Mildred Wirt called the Penny Parker mystery stories.  The second is that recently I read Escaping Dreamland by Charlie Lovett, in which one of the fictional series mentioned in that book was "Alice Gold, Girl Inventor."  With these two similarities, I had to give it a shot and see exactly what it was about.  I knew nothing about it when I bought it (I didn't even know who the author was, since nowhere on the dust jacket is the author's name displayed!), so when I finally opened it up and began to read it, I wasn't sure what to expect.

It turns out that Peggy Parker, Girl Inventor was most definitely a product of its time!  The story was written by Ruby Lorraine Radford, who wrote a number of other stories for Whitman, including Nancy Dale, Army Nurse and Kitty Carter, Canteen Girl, among others.  Radford (1891-1971), accordingly to what I could find about her online, wrote more than 50 books for young adults, as well as some magazine serials and even some plays.  Most of her books had female protagonists, and it should come as no surprise that Peggy Parker, Girl Inventor was set in Georgia, since she appears to have taught in the public schools in Georgia for eight years and even co-founded the Augusta Authors Club in 1928, becoming the group's first secretary.  She was named Author of the Year by the Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists in 1969, just two years prior to her death.

 

Peggy Parker, Girl Inventor was published in 1946, and thus, it was not long after the end of World War II.  Thus, the idea of a young woman working in an airplane parts plant would not be so surprising at the time, and the fact that this fictional young woman was an inventor of many time-saving inventions for her employer is probably not so far-fetched either.  Radford does not waste any time with any backstory as to how Peggy gained all of her skill and knowledge, other than to say that right after high school, Peggy got the kind of job she wanted with an airplane parts factory.  It is here that her inventing skills are put to good use, and she creates several time-saving inventions that help save the company money (and earn her not only the accolades of her employers, but monetary bonuses as well!).  Unfortunately, her younger brother is in poor health, so her family's finances are stretched thin supporting his recovery in a "sanatorium" in New Mexico.  (NOTE: at the time this was written, sanatoriums were long-term care facilities for patients with tuberculosis - and while it never comes out and says it, there are hints that the Parker family has always been worried that Joe suffered from this disease).  With their father deceased, it is up to Peggy and her mother (who is a secretary) to handle the burden of the finances.

The story quickly moves away from the cold northern city of Eastman (in an unnamed State - however, an internet search reveals that Eastman is located in Georgia, and (a) it is well below Atlanta and Macon, so (b) it would not be as cold and detrimental to Joe's health as is described).  Thus, the reader must assume Radford used Eastman as a city name since it was familiar to her as a Georgian, but she intended the reader to believe the city was somewhere in a Northern state with cold and snow.  Regardless, once Joe is determined to be healthy enough to return home, Peggy and her mother realize they have to move to warmer climates - and, as luck would have it, Peggy and Joe's great-uncle has passed away, leaving him his island plantation just off the coast of Georgia.  "Pine Island" is the name of the small plantation, and there does exist such an island in Chatham County, Georgia.   And it is the family's move to Pine Island that begins the mystery...

Great-Uncle Joe Parker was a farmer, mostly of cotton, but of vegetables as well.  The only thing is, in recent years, he has not had the finances to properly run the farm, so the plantation has fallen into disrepair.  When Peggy and her family arrive, they are greeted by Ben and Teneh Grubbs, their Great-Uncle's handyman and housekeeper.  BE WARNED - this story was written back in the mid-1940s, so there are terms used to describe Ben and Teneh, as well as other farm workers in the area, that are most definitely not acceptable in today's vernacular, such as the following examples:

 

"You mean old Ben?  Why, that' nigger's got one foot in the grave already." (p. 68)

 

"People who aren't accustomed to lots of Negroes have difficulty in distinguishing one from another." (p. 140)

 

 "These Negroes round here wouldn't realize the value of an invention - or know how to cash in on it if it was stolen." (p. 164)

 

Looking at it from today's perspective, it is sad that people ever thought in these terms.  However, the story is a product of its time, so when read with that in mind, the dialect used by Radford and the derogatory terms and descriptions should be viewed as coming from a different time when people did not know better, and that we have risen way beyond that now!  Ben and Teneh turn out to be actually very helpful to the Parkers, and the family grows very dependent on the couple and view them almost as family more than just employees.

But something is not right on Pine Island.  A ghostly figure is said to haunt the island.  A man disappears right in front of the other workers.  An invention Peggy is building to save their family's new home is stolen.  Someone is scaring the local men from coming to work on the island.  And a mechanical cotton picker Peggy and her brother invest in mysteriously breaks down so it can't be used.  Both Peggy and her brother suspect sabotage by a local man who has his eyes set on purchasing Pine Island, but they can't prove it.  Thus, the book delves into these unfortunate events and follows Peggy and Joe as they try to uncover the truth behind everything.  Along the way, Peggy discovers that she can create a time-saving improvement to the mechanical cotton picker, but she must work fast, because the deadline to repay the loan they took out to buy the machine comes due in just a few days!

Overlooking Radford's view of non-white people in the book, the story itself was actually pretty enjoyable.  I found myself rooting for Peggy to get that invention done so that she could save the family's plantation and farming business, and so the villainous man behind all of their troubles could be brought to justice.  I even was able to overlook the fact that nowhere in the story does Radford actually describe any of the details regarding Peggy's invention - Radford is careful to always speak about Peggy's inventions in the most general terms, with no details as to how she builds them, or how she installs them into the existing machines.  I think this likely stems from the fact that Radford herself had no idea, so she was just making it up as she went along - she may have known the geography and lay of the land (the description of the hurricane that whips through the island near the end was pretty intense), but she clearly had no intricate knowledge of the inner workings of the machines she used in the story.

 

I would be remiss if I did not mention the numerous illustrations throughout the book by Dorothy Colburn (notice that the book has a female protagonist, written by a female author, and illustrated by a female artist - talk about ahead of its time!).  I couldn't find much about her online, except that it appears this is the only Whitman book that she illustrated.  I did find an obituary for a Dorothy Colburn, 1926 - 2021, which, if this is the correct woman, means that she would have only been 20 years old when this book was published!  That being said, I enjoyed the internal illustrations (20 in all, one for each chapter).  The style was very much like what you would typically see in a newspaper comic strip, and while not all are necessarily action oriented (one of them was simply Peggy and the lawyer driving to his house), they do enhance the reading of the story very nicely.  I think that is one thing sorely lacking in today's books for young readers and young adults - internal illustrations add a certain level of enjoyment to the story!

This book was a one-off wonder in the series of Whitman Mystery & Adventure Stories for Boys and Girls, and Peggy Parker did not have any further printed adventures, which is rather a shame.  I think it would have been nice to see a female rival to Tom Swift!

RATING:  7 dirt-stained coveralls out of 10 for showing the young readers of the 1940s that a girl really could do anything a boy could do and encouraging an entire generation of woman!