A Margin for Murder - the eighth Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery

Are we really up to eight books in this series already?  Geesh, it seems like just yesterday I came across the first couple of books in this series at Barnes & Noble and picked them up, being introduced to Addie Greybourne, her best friend Serena, her then love interest Marc, and the growing cast of characters that support this new bookstore owner.  Now, here we are several years later (both in reality and in the series) and up to book eight (with the ninth book coming out very soon!), and I am still enjoying each book as much, if not more, than the first.  I have been very fortunate with the few "cozy" series that I have picked up, in that the writing has been exceptional, the mysteries very engaging, and the characters lovable (or not-so-lovable, depending on the intent of the author).  The Beyond the Page Mystery series is definitely one of those.

A Margin for Murder finds Addie getting ready to celebrate her birthday in some of the most wonderful ways - heading off for a weekend of book-buying at a "going out of business" sale for a library in the neighboring town of Pen Hollow, as well as a very special birthday dinner with Simon, the man Addie is hoping will finally pop the question.  The weekend becomes even more perfect when Addie and Paige (her sidekick of sorts) are offered the chance to buy the library's bookmobile and all the contents therein!  Addie discovers four very valuable first editions in the bus, and that discovery is only the first domino that starts them all tumbling down, ending with the murder of one Luella Higgins - the town's mayor, president of the town council, and the current head of the library committee!  With so many people at the library sale, Addie and Paige are left wondering who would want her dead?  Well, the small town sheriff has no doubts at all about who did it - and sets about proving that Addie and Paige (the "outsiders") are guilty!

This book definitely has it ALL!  There's a murder where not only do we not know who the killer is, but we don't know how the victim was murdered or what the motive was (there were certainly plenty of different possible motives, that's for sure!).  There's a myriad of suspects - from the town pharmacist, to the disgruntled library employees, to the wife of the man the victim slept with, to just about pretty much anyone in Pen Hollow - Luella Higgins definitely ruffled a lot of feathers, and not in a good way.  There's also the four first edition books that disappeared months ago, turn up in the book mobile Addie is buying, then disappear again.  Then there's the surprise appearance by an old boyfriend from Addie's high school days who happens to be in Pen Hollow - who also happens to be the grandson of the library's biggest donor and who put a stop to that funding the minute he arrived in town!  And that brings up the huge, Gothic mansion where he is staying, the one that belonged to his grandmother and comes complete with a Mrs. Danvers-like housekeeper (you know the one - from Rebecca?).  And there are all of the secrets that are being kept by so many of the townsfolk, and the more secrets that come to light, the more Addie and Paige wonder if they will ever make sense of it all.  Oh, and let's not forget to mention that both Simon and Marc show up in town - but between Simon being so distant and Marc being so suddenly protective of Addie, our poor sleuth is left wondering just where any of her relationships currently stand.  And then there's poor Serena - pregnant with her first child, coming closer and closer to that due date, when Simon discovers there is something important going on with that pregnancy (and that little mystery is probably the ONLY thing I actually figured out right away in this book!).

Yes, Elliott (as in Lauren Elliott, the author) really kept me guessing on this one.  I have to give her the highest kudos, because every time I even got an inkling of who I thought might be the killer, she pulled the rug out from underneath me and gave the story a completely off-beat twist - again ... and again ... and again.  I'll be honest, the ending to this books is one I never saw coming, and I doubt very seriously you will either!  It was truly inspired and, quite honestly, a solution that I don't think I've ever read in a murder mystery before.  But once revealed, it all made sense and actually fit quite well with everything that was going on in this story.  So, way to go, Elliott - way to go!

A few things I did want to make mention of that stood out for me in this mystery (aside from the superb mystery itself!).  First, Elliott gives readers a nice Nancy Drew reference.  When discussing their situation, Paige tells Addie:

Besides ruining your birthday, my sister lives in this town, my brother-in-law is a state trooper stationed here, and me and one of my best friends are murder suspects in the death of a woman we just met.  Now we have to get all Nancy Drew about it and start looking for skeletons in closets in a murder investigation that should have nothing to do with us.  (p. 103)

It's always fun to see a reference to everyone's favorite teen detective - just another reminder of just how much of an American pop icon Nancy Drew has become since her first appearance wayyyyyy back in 1930!  Although, I'm still patiently waiting for Addie to solve a crime centered around a rare edition of a Nancy Drew book (like, say, that super-elusive, never-before-seen alleged first printing/edition of The Password to Larkspur Lane?).

Another incident that  not only had me laughing out loud, but also had me cheering Addie on, saying, "Attta girl,Addie!" was when the Sheriff's wife, who is intent on taking over as the new chairperson of the local garden club now that Luella Higgins, the former chairperson, is dead, humiliates Addie in front of a room filled with women from the community by flat out accusing her of killing Luella.  Addie, never one to back down, happens to recall where she first saw the Sheriff's wife and decides to let the whole community in on that first meeting:

"I know you ... Aren't you the woman I saw on the stairs just prior to the potluck dinner starting?  Yes, I'm certain it was you.  Paige and I were heading down to the book sale for one final look before the dinner commenced, and you were on your way up to the meeting room.  You stopped and asked us if we'd seen Luella upstairs.  I remember clearly now.  I told you she was in her office, and you said, and I quote, 'The poor dear must be starved.  I bet she hasn't eaten a thing all day.  I hope Gretchen has started to put the food out so I can make up a plate for her ... As you are obviously aware, it was something she ate that night that killed her, right?" (pp. 169-70)

It is moments - and lines! - like this that truly make this series so enjoyable to read.  Addie knows how to throw out a zinger when needed, and boy, was this one a doozy!  Of course, it has its consequences, because let's face it - accusing the wife of a small town Sheriff of being a killer is not going to sit too well with the Sheriff!

And finally, there are some moments in this particular book that I believe are foreshadowing of future stories to come.  Addie's old boyfriend invites her to come visit him in England some time (I can picture it now - Addie solving a crime in an old English manor!).  Addie volunteers to put in a good word for the niece of one of the townspeople with the vet in Greyborne Harbor who is looking for help (and this niece happens to have once known a guy named Simon ... which happens to be the name of Addie's current man - yeah, like we don't see the trouble that's going to cause!).  These kind of hints at things to come is another thing I love about this series, as it creates a sense of continuity and provides a bit of real-world feel to the characters.

If no other book in this series can get you interested, this one DEFINITELY will.  You are missing out on a wonderful world of characters, settings, and mysteries if you aren't reading this series!

RATING:  10 chocolate covered cherries out of 10 for keeping the identity of this killer a well-guarded secret up until the very end - a truly surprising reveal that I never expected in the least!

The Clue at Crooked Lane - a Mystery Story for Girls

Moving right along to the next "Mystery Story for Girls" written by Mildred A. Wirt.  These books have been rather enjoyable, if for nothing else but their unique mysteries.  While the stories may feature some of the standard mystery tropes (lost treasures, stolen inheritances, missing relatives, etc.), the plots are rather different than the norm.  For me, that gives them a bit of an added touch of excitement to them, as you (the reader) will not necessarily know where Wirt is going to take the story.  While Wirt's writing for the Syndicate's series was definitely above the standard for those books, I think her own personal books have a creative side to them that is missing from the Syndicate's books.  And in this book, I think Wirt took the opportunity to poke a bit of fun at the Syndicate, particularly with respect to Nancy Drew and the first few books she wrote in that series.  You'll see what I mean as we go along...

The Clue at Crooked Lane was published in 1936 and appears to be the first in her series of "Mystery Stories for Girls."  The unsuspecting sleuth in this book is Margaret (Peggy) Palmer, a high school student who lives with her widower father, Major William Palmer (retired from the army).  He is strict, but has a good relationship with his daughter.  Peggy often assists her Uncle Jack (her mother's brother) with his curio and antique shop, sometimes with the help of her best friend, Rebecca (Becky) Rogers.  Now that you know the cast of characters, you are probably wondering about the mystery.  Well, it begins when Becky convinces Peggy to join her and some other girls on a visit to a camp of gypsies who have set up in town.  Peggy is wary, but eventually gives in.  The other girls all have their fortune told, but Peggy does not believe in that nonsense - a fact the old wrinkled gypsy picks up on.  She gives Peggy a silver bracelet as a gift with a cryptic warning to see if she can hang on to it.  Peggy has only enough time to notice a strange symbol on the bracelet (three interconnected triangles) before the police show up, and Peggy is mistaken to have stolen the bracelet.  The police take her with them to the woman who owns the bracelet - one Marilyn Marlowe, a self-absorbed actress who identifies Peggy as the girl who took the bracelet from her!

And so begins the mystery, which grows only stranger when Peggy is helping her uncle unload some new items at his shop, and she accidentally uncovers a secret drawer in a desk he has just received.  In that drawer is a small onyx box, which just so happens to have that same strange symbol as the bracelet!  Peggy wonders if there is a connection, but her curiosity is not to be satisfied, for a clerk at the curio shop mistakenly sells the box before she or her uncle can discover who is the actual owner of the box - and to make matters worse, Peggy discovers it was Miss Marlowe who bought the box (even though she claims she did not).  Peggy traces the owner of the box back to an abandoned mansion called Sleepy Hollow, where she meets Linda Mason, a young girl with a sad story - she was living with her uncle, who cared for her after her parents died; but one day, her uncle left to take some of his fortune out of the bank and donate it to some local charities, when he simply disappeared.  Many people think he left with the money he took from the bank, but Linda is sure something else happened, and that quite possibly he was no longer alive.  Peggy and Becky feel for the young girl and invite her to visit them in their hometown.

Now, just when you think there are enough characters, Wirt throws in yet another one with a mystery of his own.  Uncle Bug Kelter is a miserly hermit with some very strange ways that keep many of his neighbors away from him.  He lives in a run down shack at the end of a crooked lane, which Peggy and Becky happen to travel down by pure accident.  The girls are first frightened by the man, but quickly realize he is no danger, but merely confused and old and in need of help.  Peggy, being the good-hearted girl she is, makes it her mission to help the man, who claims to be unable to remember his past before he started living in the old house.  (And if you have started to put two and two together, then, yes, it does equal four in this instance.)

Although the "mystery" is not really very mysterious, it is fun to follow Peggy along on her adventures in figuring everything out - from the clue of the triple triangle, to the mystery of the onyx box, to the identity of the old miser, to the whereabouts of that missing will (and yes, you heard that right - there is a missing will in this story) .... which I guess should go ahead and lead me to talk about how Wirt takes elements from those first few Nancy Drew books she wrote and plugs them in here.  Let's see - (1) there's a missing will that could help provide for an indigent relative who is greatly in need of the help ... (2) there's a pious, self-absorbed relative who thinks she is entitled to the estate and will do anything to keep it, even if it means destroying a later Will ... (3) the Will is hidden in an object, and it's up to Peggy to find it - there is even an old clock that Peggy has to go out and pick up for her uncle! ... (4) there is a young girl who is searching for a missing relative she believes may be dead ... (5) the girls are caught in a horrible storm, in which a large tree limb crashed down in front of them ... need I go on?  There are definitely enough similar story elements that it makes you wonder if Wirt did not intentionally throw these things into the story just to poke fun at the Syndicate.  I suppose at this point we will never know.

Something else I did notice, however, was that Wirt gave Uncle Jack a male servant who happens to be Chinese man named "Squint," which is similar the Chinese servant in the Brandon household in Through the Moon-Gate Door, a later book in this Mystery Stories for Girls series by Wirt.  In this book, Squint not only has the same dialect when speaking, but he is also an expert at cooking, as well as baking and decorating cakes, while being very slack on the actual housekeeping duties (which is a pretty much exact description of Lin, the servant from the later book by Wirt).  Were these common perceptions of Chinese men back in the early 1930s?  Or did perhaps Wirt personally know someone with a Chinese servant at the time who exhibited these traits, and so she simply integrated them into her stories?  Again, another mystery that will likely never be solved.

In any event, Wirt does provide some pretty tense moments in the story, from the danger during the storm when the tree limb falls, to Peggy facing off against a hardened criminal with a gun, and other adventures in-between, the action and suspense never falters for a moment.  I do like the character of Peggy Palmer, and while she is similar to Nancy Drew with a widower father and a mother-like housekeeper, I think Peggy's relationship with her father is a tad more interesting to read that the over-indulgent relationship Carson has with Nancy.  And speaking of "Peggy" - Wirt's own daughter, who was born November 1936, was named Peggy - and since this book was published prior to that time, it leaves one to wonder if Wirt liked that name enough to use it for her daughter (perhaps it was a name she already liked, or perhaps after using it in this story, she decided she liked it enough to christen her daughter with the name, or perhaps it was merely a coincidence).  

This was definitely one of the better Mystery Stories for Girls by Wirt ... still have several left to read, so we'll see how they hold up.

RATING:  8 loaves of stale bread out of 10 for a well-written mystery that offers suspense, likable characters, and great resolution!

Nancy Drew Diaries, No. 24 - Captain Stone's Revenge

So, the one and only book in the "Nancy Drew Diaries" series was published this month - yes, that's right, Simon & Schuster has made the decision to only publish one book in each of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series per year, which means after this one, we will have to wait until January 2024 for the next book to come out.  This news comes with mixed emotions - back in the '70s, the Nancy Drew books published by Grosset & Dunlap only came out once a year, and most would agree that they were of a higher quality than the books that S&S have been publishing for some time now.  Thus, if S&S is now going to once a year, perhaps we will see better quality stories and writing; yet, if this book is an example of what is to come with once-a-year books, I'm not holding my breath.

Captain Stone's Revenge has a pretty good plot.  Nancy, Bess, and George head up to Vermont to visit one of Nancy's friends who is opening up an eco-friendly resort on the lake.  But accidents are happening that are increasing in number and intensity, to the point where Megan Cho wonders if she will be able to open as planned.  Nancy learns that the property was built by an old pirate, Captain Stone, and that there is a legend he buried a treasure somewhere in the area.  Years later, the property nearly burned to the ground, and while a toddler escaped the fire, the body of his babysitter was never found and presumed to have died in the fire.  Now, nearly two decades after the fire, Megan Cho is hoping to revitalize the property, turning it into an eco-friendly sailing club and resort.  Only, accidents begin to happen - one of Megan's boats is cut loose to drift away from the dock ... several of Megan's life-jackets for guests go missing ... someone paints a warning sign on the back of Megan's boat ... Megan nearly sprains her ankle from an unexpected hole in the ground ... and when Nancy, Bess, and George find themselves stranded in the middle of the lake during a horrible electric storm, the engine not working and the radio sabotaged, the girls realize the threats are becoming more dangerous.   Who is behind the sabotage and why?  Is someone searching for the lost treasure of Captain Stone?  Is someone not wanting the resort to be re-opened on the property?  Or has the ghost of Captain Stone really come back to take revenge on anyone who trespasses on his property?

As I said, the underlying plot is pretty good, but it's the execution that leaves a little to be desired.  While the author throws in a few possible suspects, it is pretty easy to discern from the get-go that none of these people are the actual villains (although one of the characters has the opportunity, means, and motive, but for me, it was way too obvious, meaning I could remove him from the equation).  This left me feeling like the first Friday the 13th film, where there is very little, if anything, to give a clue as to the identity of the villain of the story.  In fact, it's not until page 152 that the very first clue as to the saboteur's identity is actually given.  In fact, now that I think about it, there are several similarities to that first Friday the 13th in this book ... the setting is on a lakefront property where someone is trying to re-open a place that burned down years ago (on page 127, Megan even talks about the fact that others have tried and failed to re-open something on this very property) ... there's a disgruntled old man that is warning everyone away from the place ... there is someone unseen that is threatening the people there (although no one is actually killed in this book, as in the movie) ... there is a scary legend of someone who died many years ago ... and the identity of the villain is a complete surprise, with very little, if any, clues to the identity throughout most of the story leading up to the revelation.  Makes you wonder if perhaps the author was not a bit of a Friday the 13th fan.

I did, though, enjoy the use of George's computer/technical skills in this book.  Her constant hunger and desire to eat anything and everything in sight felt a bit out of character, and based on the long history of these characters, it should have been Bess that was the one fascinated with food.  It felt a bit like the author was trying to over-compensate here by taking away the cravings for food from Bess (who was always teased in the original series for being hungry all the time and being "pleasantly plump") and putting them on George, the thin, athletic one of the pair.  Otherwise, I though the actual personalities of Nancy, Bess, and George were captured pretty well.

One thing I want to note is about the cover.  I realize this series has rarely, if ever, actually depicted an actual scene from the story, but has merely created images based on the title or plot; but this cover left me a little bit annoyed.  The scene seems to be taken from chapters nine and ten, when Nancy, Bess, and George are trapped in the middle of the lack during a horrific storm.  First, where are Bess and George on the cover?  (For that matter, where are the two of them on ANY cover of this series?  why does S&S refuse to allow Nancy's best friends, who are in every book, to appear on the covers of this series?)  Second, where is the engine on that boat?  And third, this small sailboat in which Nancy is sitting is nowhere near the boat described in the book.  As much as I love Erin McGuire's art (especially compared to the clip art and live-model covers of the previous series), I really wish we could see Bess and George with Nancy, at least once in a while, and that the scenes would be a closer depiction of what is happening in the book.

Now, I know, I know, it seems I'm being nit-picky.  But I did not completely dislike this book. In fact, there are a couple of lines that brought a real smile to my face when I read them.  On page 11, for example, while the girls are enjoying some local crepes, Nancy watches as Bess pours half a container of syrup on her crepes and wonders, "if the reason Bess is so sweet is that she's 99 percent composed of sugar."  Definitely speaks volumes of Bess's character, and s pretty spot-on.   Much later in the book, when Nancy and Bess are searching for information at the local library, they discover they will have to view old newspapers through microfiche (and the author gives a pretty good description of how that works), and the scene on page 144 reads:

"Unfortunately, it's not quite like an internet search-you actually have to go through every date to find what you're looking for."

"Wow," Bess said.  "Can you imagine George's face if she saw this?"

"I was thinking the same thing," [Nancy] said with a grin.  "She'd probably self-implode."

"I should introduce you to our old card-catalogue system next," Mrs. Sofferman said.  "We still have it up in the attic.  It used actual cards!"

Not only does this scene remind old readers like me just how much things have changed (yes, I'm old enough to remember the card catalogue system and used it at the library quite often to find things!), but it acknowledges that it's been a while since Nancy even used a microfiche machine (p. 143, when Nancy is asked if she has ever used a machine, she responds, "Long time ago ... Might need a refresher.").  Perhaps this was a nod to the fact that back in Nancy's early days, she actually did research the old fashioned way - first with card catalogues, later with microfiche, and today - viola! - it's at the touch of your fingers on the internet!

As always, Nancy ultimately solves not only the mystery of who is sabotaging her friend's efforts to open the sail club, but she also manages to help out a local family by finding Captain Stone's hidden treasure.  

Sadly, there is no picture of the cover to the next book on the back cover, as has been the practice for this series since its inception.  This, at first, led fans to believe the series was over, but it's been revealed that it is simply because production is slowing down to just one book a year, so I suppose S&S does not have painted cover ready for the next volume in the series (let alone a title).  I guess we'll be keeping a watch on Amazon to see when book 25 is listed and keep our fingers crossed that with so much time between books, we'll start getting longer and better mysteries in the tradition of the original series!

RATING:  7 small bottles of paint thinner out of 10 for taking Nancy and her friends to a new locale to solve a mystery.

The Nice House on the Lake - A DC Comics Black Label Maxi-Series

Ten people are invited to a beautiful lake house for a vacation.  The house is isolated, alone overlooking a quiet lake with a magnificent view of mountains and woods all around.  The ten people know each other somewhat (some better than others), but they all have one person in common.  Walter.  An enigmatic man with glasses, who in one way or another has touched each of these people's life and loved them in a way no one else has.  Walter.  A man of mystery who they can't help but love and for whom they are willing to do pretty much anything.  Including walk away from their life for a vacation that he promises will be one they will never forget.  And he's right.  NOW, doesn't that sound like the perfect description of a horror film?  That's what I thought, and that's why I picked up the series.  A 12-issue comic book series published under DC's "Black Label" imprint, likely because of the darker nature of the story.  But it turns out this tale was much more than horror.  Oh, sure, it definitely had the horror elements; but it also had elements of mystery ... elements of suspense and humor ... and elements of science fiction that came as an unexpected surprise.

The Nice House on the Lake is everything you want to read in a great story, but nothing at all what you would expect from the opening issues.  Writer James Tynion IV and artist Alvaro Martinez Bueno, who created the concept and brought it to life on the comic page, have a true masterpiece on their hands here.  I can't even begin to tell you how drawn in I was with the characters, with the story, with the twists and turns, with the cliffhangers, and ... well, you get the idea.  I am familiar with Tynion's work from DC's Justice League Dark series not so long ago, and I loved his writing on that series.  Obviously, Tynion is skilled at writing dark stories.  I am not familiar at all with Bueno's work, but his art clearly fits for this series.

As I indicated, The Nice House on the Lake tells the story of ten very different individuals - Norah Jakobs (the writer); Ryan Cane (the artist); Sarah Radnitz (the consultant); Naya Radia (the doctor); Molly Reynolds (the accountant); Veronica Wright (the scientist); Sam Nguyen (the reporter); Arturo Perez (the acupuncturist); Rick MacEwan (the pianist); and David Daye (the comedian).  Ten very different people with very different backgrounds, both culturally and professionally.  But all ten of them know Walter, and through Walter, they have connections - some slight, but some much stronger and deeper.  Walter invites all ten of them up to that very nice house on the lake for a vacation get-away, and while at first, it seems like a week of fun and games, it quickly turns to terror when they suddenly start seeing messages and reports on social media of the world beyond that lake facing utter destruction - fire raining from the sky, people literally melting in the streets, destruction happening all around the world, and friends, family, and loved ones dying in such horrible ways - all just beyond the reach of these ten people (well, eleven, counting Walter - but he doesn't really count).

And when Norah gets angry enough at Walter for trying to calm them all and encouraging them to be grateful that they were spared the destruction of the world out there, she grabs a fire poker and slams it right through Walter's head!  The only problem is, it doesn't kill him; rather, it reveals to the ten unsuspecting guests that Walter is not at all who they though him to be.  In fact, Walter doesn't appear to be human at all!  And with that concluding shock of the first issue, readers are left to wonder just what is really going on at the nice house on the lake?  Is this some kind of nightmare they will wake up from?  Is it actually some supernatural force that has taken control of them?  Is it some governmental experiment gone wrong?  Is it an alien experiment gone wrong?  Or, is it something that none of them can begin to comprehend?

Tynion slowly builds the story throughout the 12-issue series, with each of the cast revealing how they met Walter, how they engaged with Walter, and how they were ultimately pulled to the lake house.  Their memories of Walter provides background on why Walter specifically chose these ten individuals to survive the destruction that was to come - but there are also the memories that Walter took from them, and continues to take from them whenever they get too close to the truth.  Like when they discover the weird statues scattered on the grounds that surround the house ... and when they find the strange house made of black glass with no doors or windows ... and when they accidentally uncover the fact that they can hurt themselves (or each other) and heal as if they were never hurt at all!  With each issue, with each new discovery, the suspense builds, the terror builds, and their distrust of Walter builds.  Until they find a way to open a door into that strange building - and their friend Reggie bounds out, grateful they finally found the way to let him out of that place!

But, with Reggie there, that makes eleven people at the nice house on the lake - and according to Walter, there can only be ten ...

Some of the characters you will like ... some of them you will dislike ... some of them you won't really get to know as much as others ... some of them you will root for ... some of them you will realize are not who you think they are ... but one things is sure, you will definitely want to make it to the twelfth issue, because there are some major surprises in store about Walter, about the cast of characters, and about the entire situation that is happening to them and the world.  Because this is definitely not over, and sadly, one of them won't make it out of this alive.

 

This series will definitely make you think, and it will definitely make you question - if you had the opportunity to live out your life in the perfect paradise while the rest of the world (and humanity!) perishes, would you?

RATING:  9 copies of Action Comics No. 1 out of 10 for a truly unique apocalyptic tale of tragedy, friendship, survival, betrayal, and love.

Murder of a Movie Star - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 5

Finally got around to reading the fifth book in the Posie Parker mystery series.  I have been thoroughly enjoying this series, written by L.B. Hathaway.  Set in the early to mid-1920s, it features a very strong female lead in a time when women were still trying to assert their independence in a world ruled by men and men's expectations.  Hathaway expertly portrays this prevailing belief at the time regarding women's place in the world, and I absolutely love how Parker breaks away from the mold of that time and not only asserts her independence, but also manages to earn the respect of the men around her while doing so.  This latest mystery is by far the longest to date, coming in right at 400 pages (398 if you want to be exact), but it is so engaging that I finished it pretty much in the same amount of time it took me to read her other books!

Murder of a Movie Star is the story of Silvia Hanro, a famous English movie star whose time is nearing its end - in more ways than one!  Hanro is nearly 30 years old, and her fear of being forced out of the limelight is first and foremost in her mind.  But also on her mind are the death threats she has been receiving.  At first, she laughed it off, but when she receives a final note with a severed finger, her film producer, Brian Langley, decides it is time to call in help; rather than the police, though, he calls Parker (in definitely the most dramatic way).  Parker is reluctant to become involved, but her best friend, Lady Dolly Cardigeon, who is totally enthralled with the film industry (she herself having been a make-up artist and costumier for the theater before she got married) and convinces Parker to take the case.  But Parker only has twenty-four hours to figure out who is behind the threats and stop him (or her), because the latest threat has made it clear Hanro will die the next day - which also happens to be the last day of filming for her latest film and the day of the wrap party.

And before I say anything else about the story, I must give kudos to whomever designed and/or provided art for the cover of this book.  The face of the woman on the cover is posed so that she is looking at the reader back over her shoulder - such that the right half of her face is in shadow, while the left half is in the light.  This face may seem trivial, but it holds OH SO MUCH importance to the story!  First, it pays homage to the comedy/drama theater masks - portraying the two extremes of emotions set forth in any theater production.  Second, it points out the duplicitous nature of the film industry, where nothing is as it seems - everything is fake and merely acted out such that the audience is drawn in and believes what is really happening on screen, when in reality, it is merely actors reciting lines in front of fake backdrops.  Third, it hints at the two-facedness of pretty much everyone involved in this mystery - from the actress receiving the threats, to the producer, and all of the other players in this game.  Everyone has a secret, everyone is telling only half-truths, and everyone - and I mean everyone! - is playing some sort of game.  Fourth, it unveils a carefully hidden secret about the first murder, one which Posie is the first to figure out.  Fifth, and finally, it provides a quite literal clue to the identity of the killer.

Now, that being said, let's go back to the mystery.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I could not figure this one out.  There were so many suspects, so many motives, and so many clues and red herrings, that I'm amazed Hathaway herself could keep track of them all!  But she did, and wove them all into a very intricately woven tale of lies, blackmail, love, hate, guilt, and ultimately, murder.  Silvia Hanro may at first seem to be a victim, but make no mistake - she's no one victim.  Is this all a huge scam as a way to draw attention to herself before her career fades away?  Brian Langley will do anything to complete this film and save his nearly bankrupt film studio - but will he result to murdering his own star just to gain publicity for the film?  Robbie Fontaine is the leading man and also the love of Silvia's life - or so it seems.  In reality, he and Silvia cannot stand each other, and he is tired of playing second fiddle to Silvia, who is the real star.  Would he kill to get back in the spotlight?  Pamela Hanro is Silvia's forgotten sister, the suffragist who has always been a blight on the family name - and she harbors a hatred for her sister for something that occurred some years back.  Is that secret and her hatred enough to spur her on to murder her own sibling?  Tom Moran is a man behind the scenes at the studio, and having suffered a grievous injury during the war, he's not the same man he was. But is he man enough for his true love, Silvia Hanro, or would he kill the woman he loves rather than be an object of her pity?  Then there's also Robbie Fontaine's real-life wife, Sheila, who seems to stay completely behind the scenes; the studio's cook, who seems to know everyone's secrets and isn't above a little blackmail; Silvia's dresser, Elaine, who appears completely obsessed with the movie stars and their glamorous life; and the man who has been stalking Silvia Hanro for some time, managing to disguise himself again and again to get past the studio's security and get close to the object of his obsession.  So many suspects, so many motives, so many opportunities - but only one of them is a killer, and if Posie Parker doesn't figure out which one it is before the wrap party, Silvia Hanro may end up dead!

Hathaway truly has written a masterpiece of murder mystery fiction with this book.  There are tons of plot twists, character surprises, and red herrings that will lead the reader (as well as Posie!) down a number of rabbit trails, before finally leading to an explosive climax that sees the return of a major player in this series.  It also, unfortunately, sees the exit of a lovable character that, quite frankly, I was very saddened to see.  This character, albeit a supporting cast member and not a major player, was one I had grown quite fond of and was hoping to see more of in future books - but, alas, that was clearly not meant to be.  And, while dealing with all this film industry madness, Posie also finds herself saddled with another mystery - what threat is there against Rufus Cardigeon, and why is he asking Posie to watch Dolly carefully and protect her at all costs?  When Posie finds out the truth of that one - well, let's just say the reader will see Posie's true nature come to light as she does exactly what she has to do in order to protect her friend - and before you think about it, know this: it will not be what you expect!

If I hadn't already been hooked with this series before, this book would definitely do it for me.  So many surprises, so many twists and turns, so many exciting moments, so many big reveals - I had a hard time putting this one own at night just to get some sleep.  Now I need to get on Amazon and order the next books in this series (I am SOOOO far behind - I think there are already 13 books out in this series) so I can find out what happens next in the life of Posie Parker (although I suspect there are several carefully placed hints in this story as to some of the adventures to come...)

RATING:  10 bright lemon-colored outfits from the House of Harlow out of 10 for such a superbly written mystery that truly had me guessing up until the very end!

Through the Moon-Gate Door - a Mystery Story for Girls

Okay, while reading this particular "Mystery Story for Girls," I had to keep reminding myself repeatedly that this book was published in 1938, and as such, I needed to read it with that particular time period in mind.  Otherwise, I would probably find this book to be one of the most xenophobic and racist books that Mildred Wirt (Benson) ever wrote!  While I can normally just overlook a comment or two within these series books of the last century, since I know they were written at a time when society had a different view of Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans and African-Americans, this one made it a lot more difficult to overlook, as the book is quite well permeated with bad dialect, racist themes, and misconceptions regarding the Chinese beliefs and way of life.  I would actually love to find out just where Benson got the idea for this book, and whether the representations within the story were a result of common views in America at that time, or if she actually believed the things set forth in the book.  I guess at this point, we will likely never know...

In any event, Through the Moon-Gate Door is not your typical mystery story.  Instead of your more common mystery themes of lost inheritances, missing heirs, swindled fortunes, long-lost relatives, or haunted houses, Mildred Wirt instead wrote a mystery that was very topical for its time - a story involving smuggling of weapons!  Yes, there were also stolen jewels, but as theorized by the protagonist of this tale, they "...will be used to purchase more guns and ammunition" (p. 175).  The villain of the story has only one purpose, as explained by his niece: "He has one aim in life and that is to establish his power in China.  Totain that end he sacrifices everything, even his own flesh and blood" (p. 188).  While the sleuths in this tale certainly encounter their fair share of standard children's series tropes - from close calls, to an attack on their car, to threats, to being bound and gagged, the ultimate revelations at the solution to this mystery certainly show a much darker and seedier side of life than the normal mysteries of this time did.  Again, this leaves one to wonder what state of mind Benson was in when she wrote this.

The two amateur sleuths in this book are Sally Brandon and Thelma French.  The name of the main character, Sally Brandon, sounded so familiar to me, and I wracked my brain trying to figure out where I had heard of it before - and then it dawned on me.  The name is a combination of two other fictional series characters of the time - Sally (from Sally for Short and Sally Found Out) and Nancy Brandon (from Nancy Brandon and Nancy Brandon's Mystery), two 2-book series written by Lilian Garis, all of which were published prior to this book.  Now, it was likely just a coincidence as to the names, but, hey, let's face it - what would these children's mysteries be without coincidences?  Now, back to the two main characters - Sally is definitely the Nancy Drew of the story - strong-willed, unafraid, and more than willing to step up and help someone in need, no matter the cost to herself; Thelma, meanwhile, is more like Bess Marvin - she's timid, reluctant to take any chances, and more than a little afraid when it comes to stepping outside of her comfort zone just to solve a mystery.  The two characters play well off of each other, and it's rather enjoyable to read how Sally sometimes has to forcefully drag her friend into some not-so-safe situations!

The mystery begins when Sally and Thelma visit Mr. Chan's Oriental Shop in San Francisco's Chinatown to attend an auction that is being held.  The girls are attending merely as good fun, having no intention of buying anything.  While there, they run into Li-la Wing, a girl who used to attend classes with them at school, but who suddenly dropped out two years ago for unknown reasons.  Li-la's reaction to the two girls is mixed, and Sally and Thelma are left wondering what is behind her hot/cold reactions.  Through inadvertence, the girls happen to witness the owner, Mr. Chan, removing what appears to be a large, green emerald from a hidden place within a Buddha statue - and this leads to their becoming involved in the nefarious plans of Li-la's villainous uncle, Mr. Wing.  The emerald is stolen, the Buddha statue goes missing, and when Sally returns home with a box of mixed items she bought for only one dollar, she finds the statue and the emerald hidden therein!  Before she can return the stolen items, they are stolen yet again, and this time, Sally has reason to believe her family's Chinese servant, Lin, knows more about what is happening than he lets on.  The girls soon discover that Li-la is being mistreated by her uncle, being held against her well at the Moon-Gate Estate, where her uncle has established a Chinese amusement park of sorts; but Sally suspects there is more going on at that estate than just entertainment for the locals and tourists.  When Li-la gives them a reluctant tour of the estate, Sally becomes intrigued with a Moon-Gate door that Li-la refuses to open and claims no knowledge of what lies beyond.  But Sally is determined to not only help rescue Li-la from her uncle's clutches, but she also resolves herself to find a way to get through the Moon-Gate door and discover what waits on the other side!

Now, with respect to the portrayal of Chinese men within this story - the dialect is something else.  "Me velly solly," the male servant says to Sally on page 25, "Me think Missee gone all day on gad-trip.  So makee cake to fill up time."  This is the manner in which Lin speaks throughout the book, as to some of Mr. Chan's, as well as Mr. Wing's, employees.  Geoffrey Lapin one indicated that Benson once informed him that she was never good with dialect, so her husband (Asa Wirt) would write the dialect needed for her stories.  One must wonder if he provided this Chinese dialect, or if it was the work of Benson herself.  Additionally, she is not afraid to use some rather derogatory terms when it comes to the Chinese - a policeman asks Sally, "Having an argument with a Chink?" on page 31, and later, Mr. Brandon informs Sally that the owner of a ship that is to be anchored at the Moon-Gate Estate has been suspected "..of transporting Chinese coolies to this country illegally" (p. 97).  Some online research shows that during this time (mid-1930s), there was a definite division between white Americans and the Chinese Americans, and that while the Chinese were views as "exotic and different," they were also looked down upon by white American society due to alleged illegal activities that seemed to be prevalent within the Chinese communities (Depression Era: 1930s: Chinatown: De Facto Segregation).  Therefore, when read in the context of the time period within which this mystery was written, the attitude toward the Chinese should not come as so much of a surprise.

Putting aside the xenophobia and racism, the underlying story was actually pretty good. And the severity of the danger that Sally and Thelma ultimately find themselves, at the mercy of a ruthless man who would think nothing of throwing his two captives overboard to their deaths (p. 185), truly amps the suspense.  There is really no doubt as to the identity of the villain in this story, but it's the suspense and mystery that builds as Sally and Thelma try and figure out a way of rescuing Li-la and finding proof as to Mr. Wing's illicit activities that makes this such a great read.  With of Mildred Wirt's Mystery Stories for Girls behind me, I'm left wondering just what the remaining four books in this series hold in store!

RATING:  7 handsomely decorated Ming Dynasty bowls out of 10 for crafting an oddly unique mystery for its time!

Ticket to Danger - A Cassandra Mystery #1

Sometimes you come across a series, and despite your promises not to pick up any new series, you just can't help yourself.  This series is one of those times.  I came across the first book at a used book store, and the cover art and the lettering of "A Cassandra Mystery" caught my eye, and the description seemed too good to pass up.  And after a quick search online revealed there were only four books in the series, I figured I might as well.  Needless to say, it didn't take me long to find the other three books on eBay, and I now have the complete series.  So, I figured it was time to start reading them.

Ticket to Danger is the first book and introduces readers to Cassandra Best - an eighteen-year old girl whose real name is Cassandra Best Jones.  "Cassandra Best" is the identity she has created for herself while writing to her pen-pal in England, a fellow teenager by the name of Alexandra Bennett (a name that we will look more into later).  Alexandra's family is quite wealthy, having their own estate, and Cassandra wanted to create a life where she was of similar stature in society - it's not like she was ever going to cross the ocean and meet her pen-pal face-to-face.  Until, of course, Alexandra invites her to England to attend her debut ball, set to take place in just a few weeks!  Cassandra is debating on how to tell her new friend the truth, that she can't afford the trip, when Alexandra sends her a round-trip ticket (first class!) to England, along with some cryptic messages about a possible mystery afoot!  Cassandra desperately wants to go, but she is afraid the truth will come out and her pen-pal will hate her for lying.  Her grandmother convinces her to take the trip, so off she goes, hoping she can pull off the performance of her life as Cassandra Best!

The mystery comes into play immediately upon Cassandra's arrival, when she learns that Alexandra has gone missing, not long after Cassandra talked to her on the phone to confirm she was coming!  Her father, grandmother, aunt, and cousin have no idea what has happened to her, and her friend, Peter Wentworth, who writes for Mr. Bennett's newspaper, is also concerned about her disappearance.  Cassandra finds herself suddenly thrust into this strange, new world, with people she's never met in a castle-like manor filled with hidden passages and bumps in the night!  Sound familiar?  (More on that later....)

The author creates quite a Gothic element to the story, with the young woman far from home, placed in a completely new setting where shadows and danger lurk around every corner, and where she has no idea who she can trust.  The book shows the author as Jennifer Austin, but nothing online verifies this is an actual person.  Jennifer White's blog lists the name as a pseudonym (Series Books for Girls), and since there seems to be nothing to be found on this "author," I'm likely to agree.  It would be interesting to find the creator and/or author of this series, as there are some elements to it that could potentially be homages to other series - such as the Inspector from Scotland Yard is "Inspector Crandall" - and Crandall is the last name of the headmistress from the Dana Girls series (another series for girls published by Grosset & Dunlap previous to this).  

 

But an even greater homage is the name of Cassandra's pen-pal - Alexandra Bennett.  In the original Dark Shadows television show, which was a Gothic soap opera in the late '60s about a young woman who travels to a place she's never been, to meet people she's never seen (see - I told you it sounded familiar!) and ends up in a castle-like manor with plenty of dark shadows around every corner, the main character was portrayed by actress Alexandra Moltke - and the matriarch of the family in that show was portrayed by actress Joan Bennett.  So, when I see the name "Alexandra Bennett" connected with a story about an old English manor where a young woman has shown up and must solve the mystery involving the disappearance of an heiress, well, it's only natural that I would question whether the author was a fan of Dark Shadows!

All of that aside, the mystery itself was quite engaging.  Like any good British mystery, there are secret panels, hidden passages, characters that take an instant dislike to Cassandra, a skittish groundskeeper, an Inspector who wants Cassandra to stay out of the investigation, and plenty of cultural differences to keep Cassandra just a bit off-balance as she tries to figure out what happened to Alexandra and how it connects to the family's heirloom - a ruby and diamond necklace that once belonged to Anne Boleyn!  The author manages to throw in some great misdirection, and with several possible suspects and motives, it is not an easy solve.  There are a number of typical foibles (Cassandra gets knocked out, she gets run off the road, she gets kidnapped, etc.) and plenty of danger and excitement (Cassandra drives a car directly into the path of an oncoming plane in the hopes of preventing it from taking off!) before she manages to find Alexandra, locate the stolen necklace, and bring the criminals to justice.

This series seems to follow on the footsteps of other attempts to create new female detectives around that time period, such as Susan Sand (eight books published from 1982-84) and Diana Winthrop (six books published from 1983-85).  But, as with the other two series, it was not destined to last, and it only managed to see four books published.  The writing is not bad, and the main character is actually rather unique (basically coming into being as a detective through a fantasy-life created for a pen-pal).  Unlike so many young adult detectives, who either have lost one or both of their parents, Cassandra has a full family - mother and father, as well as a younger sister and a grandmother - to support her.  But, for whatever reason, the series did not make it, and we are left to enjoy the ones that we have.

Something I did enjoy about the book is that there were internal illustrations (similar to the Susan Sand books).  Ann Meisel provided the cover art and the interior illustrations, and she IS a real artist, who is still around today.  The black and white penciled interior illustrations remind me of Ruth Sanderson's work in the Nancy Drew books from the early '80s, insomuch as they are very full and detailed, and there are no harsh angles or lackluster backgrounds that some of the later Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books published by Grosset & Dunlap featured.  

 

I'm curious to see if the remaining three books of the series are as enjoyable as this first!

 

RATING:  8 servings of Yorkshire pudding out of 10 for introducing readers to a unique, new amateur sleuth in a great first mystery!

Senorita Rio - Volume One (a Golden Age Classic)

Ah, the joys of the Golden Age of comic books.  Back in the early days of comic books, there were a plethora of choices for the young fans of comics - from westerns to superheroes to science fiction to war stories to adventure stories to crime/detective stories - just about every genre one can imagine was depicted in comic form.   While I am familiar with most of the superhero titles from back in the '30s and 40s, I am still learning just how little I know about the various other genres that were being published at that time.  Thankfully, PS Artbooks has been offering fans like me a chance to delve into those various other books from back in the day.  Not so long ago, I purchased and read the two volumes of Phantom Lady that PS Artbooks published, collecting the various stories of the original Phantom Lady published by Quality Comics and Fox Feature Publications (as well as later by All-Top Comics and Ajax-Farrell Publications).  I was already familiar with the character from DC Comics (who acquired her when they purchased the Quality characters), so it was interesting to see those pre-DC stories.  So, I've kept an eye on the PS Artbooks offered through Previews, and when I saw a solicit for a new collection of stories starring "Senorita Rio," well, I knew I had to give it a try.

Senorita Rio is the code-name for actress turned secret agent, Rita Farrar (not to be confused with the actress turned weird superhero, Rita Farr, who became Elasti-Girl in the Doom Patrol over at DC Comics).  Senorita Rio first appeared in an eight-page story in Fight Comics #19 (cover dated June 1942), published by Fiction House.  From what I can find online, the character appeared in quite a number of issues of Fight Comics, starting with issue 19 through issue 68, then making her final appearances in issues 70 and 71.  The page-count for the stories varied, starting at eight pages, then increasing to ten pages, then reducing back to nine pages (and that is just within the first sixteen stories represented in PS Artbooks first volume of Senorita Rio).  According to the introduction to this collection, Senorita Rio is one of the first female and Latin characters in American comics, and she is the first female character to appear on the cover of Fight Comics.  (NOTE - Wonder Woman made her debut over at DC Comics in October 1941 in All-Star Comics #8, so it was a little less than a year later that Senorita Rio made her debut in Fight Comics #19 in June 1942).  Thus, this character plays an important role in comic book history!

Our sultry secret agent was created by none other than Nick Cardy (who comic fans will recognize as the artist of the the original Aquaman series in the early '60s and all 43 issues of Teen Titans series back in the late '60s).  Cardy provided the art for the first eleven stories, from June 1942 through December 1943.  He both pencilled and inked the first nine stories, while Art Saaf provided the inks on the last two tales drawn by Cardy.  The stories were signed as "N. Viscardi," which was his real last name (later shortened to simply Cardy for his professional work).  When Cardy left, the art was taken over by Arnold HIcks, and then Alex Blum, and the Lily Renee.  The writing of the stories are credited to "Morgan Hawkins" (although the first tale indicates it is "by Joe Hawkins"), but this does not necessarily appear to be a real person.  I find conflicting information when I research the name - some websites credit Nick Cardy as the author of the Senorita Rio stories under the Hawkins pen name, while other sites credit Max Elkan as the real name for Morgan Hawkins.  I suppose this is a mystery lost in time...

The stories are very fast-paced (which they would need to be, since they are only eight to ten pages in length!) and pretty much follow the same format - Senorita Rio received a mission to stop a German / Nazi operation, she heads out to a South American location, she gets captured or kidnapped, and she escapes and defeats whatever operations the Germans / Nazis are up to and saves the day.  While the stories are pretty simple and straight-forward, they are enjoyable in the fact that the men in these tales greatly underestimate Rio's ingenuity and skills.  She's a sharpshooter and excellent hand-to-hand fighter, and her feminine wiles beguile many a lusting man.  She is also quite handy with a knife, for in the August 1944 issue (#33), Rio manages to take down a wild jaguar who is ready to attack a fellow agent!

 

A number of male supporting characters do end up getting killed or severely injured in the stories, but Senorita Rio manages to escape them unscathed and triumphant, reinforcing the idea that good always overcomes evil, although not always without a cost.  And since these stories were published during a time that the United States was at war, it is likely they were written to encourage the youngsters reading them that good would eventually overcome the evil of the Nazi menace.  Rio's stories extended well beyond the end of World War II, so I am curious to see what kind of adventures the sultry spy went on after the war ended.

Readers who hope to see the first story tell the origin of this mysterious spy will be disappointed - there is no lengthy origin story, such as those depicted in today's comics; rather, Senorita Rio's origins are told gradually throughout those initial stories, with small tidbits dropped here and there that readers will have to put together.  The second panel on page 3 of that first story provides probably the largest part of her tale, with a small newspaper article telling how motion picture actress Rita Farrar leapt to her death while traveling by ship to Rio de Janeiro for the opening of her latest film.  The snippet says the actress was depressed following the death of her fiance at Pearl Harbor.  Otherwise, readers never actually see how Rita Farrar becomes Senorita Rio - instead, readers are simply thrown into the action of Rio's latest adventure (it is clearly not her first), wherein she assumes the identity of a countess in order to steal some forged papers that could destroy relations between the U.S. and Brazil. 

One thing I love about this collection is that it includes four pages of house ads that Fiction House published to advertise their new character.  "Sing a song of sudden death..." headlines one ad - - "Senorita Rio ... svelte, daring ex-Hollywood starlet turned U.S. Secret Agent..." describes another - - "Senorita Rio ... daring, glamorous U.S. spy queen, fights the tarantula web of axis treachery" advertises another - - "Senorita Rio: The World's Most Devastating Secret Agent! Nightmre of Axis Operators ... Toast of Latin America's Gay Caballeros!!" exclaims the fourth!  The only thing missing from this collection are the covers to each of the issues in which Senorita Rio appears.  Even though she may not have appeared on the actual cover, it would have been nice to see the covers for these issues.

As a final note - Senorita Rio (Rita Farrar) first appeared in June 1942.  Elasti-Girl (Rita Farr) of the Doom Patrol over at DC Comics did not appear until June 1963 in My Greatest Adventure #80, some twenty years later.  It must be more than a simple coincidence that the characters have similar names (Rita Farrar / Rita Farr); both characters have the same career (actress / actress); and both characters were in a foreign country when their lives changed (South America / Africa).  This makes one wonder if perhaps Arnold Drake, who created Elasti-Girl, was a fan of Senorita Rio and his creation was an homage to the earlier character...

RATING:  9 white gods of Inca legend out of 10 for some wonderfully action-packed stories featuring a strong, sexy female lead!