Dark Shadows Audio Tales, Vol. 5 - Love Lives On

After a two-and-a-half year break, I finally had the chance to start listening to more of the Dark Shadows audio tales.  The CD player in my car had stopped working, so I was not able to listen to any CDs (driving is my best time to listen to them); but, now that I have a new (relatively speaking) car with a CD player that actually works, I can listen to the continuing stories of some of my favorite characters.  In a way, I'm glad I had the break, as it means I still have "new" stories to listen to - since Big Finish has not any new Dark Shadows audio stories in quite some time.  But, after this one, I still have one more audio tales collection, along with the Quentin/Maggie set of stories, and the three Tony & Cassandra Mysteries series - so I've got plenty more Dark Shadows goodness enjoy for months to come!

Love Lives On is the fifth collection of short audio tales (released in 2017), and this set features Professor Stokes, Gerard Stiles, Hallie Stokes, Jessica Griffin, and Sabrina & Cyrus Longworth.  Each story deals with love on some level - whether it's thought long-forgotten love, or the unknown desire for love, or sought after revenge for lost love, or a unfulfilled wish for more love.  And, in its usual way, each story builds upon the multitude of Dark Shadows audio stories that have come before, ever expanding the continuing stories of some of daytime drama's most popular Gothic heroes and villains...

 

"Tuesdays and Thursdays" features Matthew Waterhouse (best known for his role as Adric, one of Tom Baker's companions in the Doctor Who series back in the '70s) as Professor T. Eliot Stokes.  Written by Cody Schell, the story finds Professor Stokes attending an auction in order to bid on an item that he knows to be supernatural in nature.  But a mysterious woman at the auction outbids him, and Professor Stokes is determined to find out why.  It turns out the woman is a psychic, and she has had some very pointed visions ... and when Stokes runs into the woman again ... and again ... and again ... the two of them must work out the nature of these fated meetings.  I must say, Matthew Waterhouse has done an outstanding job assuming the role of Professor Stokes.  Thayer David, the actor who portrayed Stokes in the television show, had a very distinctive voice and manner of speaking, and while Waterhouse does not match it exactly, he does manage to make the character his own, and he gives listeners the feeling that he IS Professor Stokes.

"The Velvet Room" features James Storm as Gerard Stiles, returned from the dead, and also features Hallie Stokes (although, sadly, not performed by Kathleen Cody - these short tales only feature one actor in each).  Written by Antonio Rastelli, this story sees Hallie leading Gerard to New Orleans to investigate a potential supernatural force.  They discover an old warehouse that has been converted into something else entirely - a place where stories are more than they seem - and deals made with the owner come with a deadly price!  Gerard watches in horror as some new acquaintances pay the prices for their stories told, and as he thinks he and Hallie are about to escape, he finds that everything is not what he thought - and that his past may have very well caught up to him!  Storm gives the character of Gerard a mixture of good and evil, leaving listeners to debate as to whether he truly deserved the fate he received!

"Behind Closed Doors" features Marie Wallace as Jessica Griffin, the owner and bartender of The Blue Whale.  Written by Paul Phipps, the tale is one of past regrets, new love, and one's past never truly staying dead.  Jessica is happy about her impending nuptials with Willie Loomis, but some photos from their recent trip begin to take on an eerie life of their own - and before you know it, Jessica is forced to face a past she would have just as soon forgotten!  A former love is hell bent on coming back for her, and Jessica must not only face her past, but find a way to put it behind her and let it go once and for all!  Of the four stories on this CD, I think this was probably my favorite, as it deals with a subject I think most of us can identify with and turns it into a terrifying supernatural battle for freedom.

"The Suitcase" features Lisa Richards as Sabrina Longworth, the bride of Cyrus Longworth.  Written by Alan Flanagan, this final story of the CD centers around a mysterious woman who arrives in town with a suitcase that she never lets leave her sight.  The Longworths now own and run the Collinport Inn, and the woman shows up unexpectedly on their doorstep one day to rent a room.  Sabrina is uneasy for some unexplained reason, but Cyrus and the other townspeople seem to like the woman.  Soon enough, Sabrina sees through the facade and discovers that the woman is granting wishes that have the most devastating results!  Sabrina has to stop the woman before Cyrus makes a wish for something that could destroy their lives forever.  Richards reads this story with fervor, as you can hear the anxiety in her voice build as the story progresses - first leading the listener to wonder if Sabrina is just imagining things in her own mind because of her past, but ultimately hitting the high note as Sabrina reveals the woman for who - and what! - she truly is.

While the stories all deal with love in one fashion or another, they also deal with considerable psychological terror - which, in most cases, can be more terrifying that actual physical horror.  Yes, three of the four stories do have a somewhat violent, horrific climax to them - but those elements are minor compared to the terror that builds within the characters minds leading up to those final scenes.  I think all four writers did an excellent job capturing the psychological side of Dark Shadows, and not focusing on the visible horrors.  Vampires, witches, werewolves, and the like are easily seen and feared - but personally, I think it's the unseen and the unknown that instills a greater fear in a story, and these four managed to capture that perfectly!

RATING:  10 long forgotten photographs out of 10 for reminding listeners exactly why Dark Shadows has endured for so many years with so many fans - the characters, the stories, and the sheer terror of it all!

Helen in the Editor's Chair - a Goldsmith Book for Boys and Girls

I supposed I never really paid much attention to "career girl" books over the years, because most of them were published by companies I thought to publish "inferior" books - often, the art was not the beautiful paintings you would find on Grosset & Dunlap and Cupples & Leon covers, and the paper quality was nowhere near as strong as those in the G&D and C&L series.  Even when I got into heavy collecting of various series books as an adult, I paid little attention to those career girl books.  But recently, I've become more aware of them, particularly as I have discovered that some of those so-called inferior companies - such as Whitman, Goldsmith, Saalfield, etc. - actually published some really great stories.  This happens to be one book that I picked up at an estate sale last year - and having been enjoying the Penny Parker series by Mildred Wirt, in which the stories all involve the newspaper that Penny's father runs, the newspaper-related title caught my attention.

Helen in the Editor's Chair was written by Ruthe S. Wheeler, who wrote several other girls' books for Goldsmith (including the two Janet Hardy books).  This is the first of her books I've read, and I must say, it was rather enjoyable.  While it was not heavy on mystery, it certainly had some suspenseful moments thrown in there.  In fact, while the first chapter does a good job of introducing readers to Helen and her older brother Tom, it also sets up the drama to unfold, as the siblings discover that there is something wrong with their father (Hugh Blair, the publisher of their small town weekly newspaper).  A visit from the town doctor (back when doctors still did house calls!) reveals that Mr. Blair suffers from "lung trouble" (p. 30).  I find it interesting that a number of children's books I have read from back in the first half of the 20th Century give characters vague illnesses, for which the cure is always a prescribed rest in "some southwestern state" (p. 29).  The illness is rarely given a name, and in this book, that ambiguous lung trouble is more of a diagnosis than I've seen any other book provide.  With Mr. Blair sent out of the picture, this paves the way for Helen and her brother to take over their father's newspaper - with Helen as editor (gee, bet you'd have never guessed that one from the title of the book, eh?) and Tom as the printer.

The story is a bit of a roller coaster of events ... first, Helen and Tom have to figure out how they will get the news they need to publish each week's edition of the paper, and then, wouldn't you know, a major storm hits the small town of Rolfe, resulting in a tornado that ravages across the area.  Helen throws herself into danger in order to rescue a lone boater caught out on the lake as the storm hits, and she and Tom manage to get him to safety just in the nick of time.  And while Helen assists Doctor Stevens, as he travels the community to treat those who were injured in the storm, she also gains an all-important story that not only provides headlines for her father's paper, but opens the door for her to become a correspondent for the associated press!  Her on-location reporting of the storm impresses the big city press, and they offer her the opportunity to provide them more stories from her area (which, conveniently, provides her and Tom with the necessary additional funds to keep the newspaper and their own household going while their father is away).

From here, the story alternates between the daily struggles of putting together a weekly newspaper and the various catastrophes that provide more stories for the paper - including the disappearance of a girl on a school trip, a plane accident on the water, the near sinking of an old ferry boat, and the attempts to sabotage Helen and Tom's attempt to secure more subscribers for the newspaper.  Along the way, Helen even manages to obtain a major scoop that has eluded reporters across the country - and secures her position as a correspondent with the Associated Press as soon as she finishes high school!

The writing is smooth and easy to read, with believable dialogue and engaging characters.  The events that take place are not overly dramatized, but at the same time, they do build sufficient suspense to keep the reader turning page after page.  I was easily caught up in the siblings' efforts to not only keep the newspaper running, but to improve its content and subscriber base so as to make a greater profit for the family and provide more news for the community.  I found myself cheering for them at each success, and by the time I finished the book, I was left wanting more.  Wheeler definitely knows how to breathe life into her characters, and I hope her other books are as enjoyable as this one.  (There is one scenario that is a bit over the top, wherein Helen is asked at the last minute to step into a major role in the school play, which she pulls off like a pro despite no rehearsals and no time to actually learn the lines - but this is a children's book, after all, so Wheeler can be forgiven for the impossibility of the situation.)

The cover art is provided by Marie Schubert (based on the author's signature on the cover), depicting Helen hard at work behind her father's desk.  Schubert appears to have been a somewhat prolific artist for children's books published by Whitman, Goldsmith, and even Grosset & Dunlap (having provided art for a number of the Honey Bunch and Bobbsey Twins books).  Oddly enough, the lists of her book covers I found did not identify this book as one of her works - but, based on the signature and even the art style itself (extremely similar to those Honey Bunch covers), there's no doubt Schubert painted the cover.

One final thing I do want to mention is Goldsmith's tendency to start the first chapter of their books on page 11 or page 13 (this book starts on page 13).  I have yet to figure out why their pages are numbered such, because if you count backwards all of the pages leading up to that first page of the first chapter, it never matches the number given.  In this particular book, there are only five sheets (10 pages) prior to the first page of the first chapter, meaning that should be page 11 and not page 13.  It begs the question of whether there were frontis piece illustrations originally intended for these books, but they got omitted for some reason before publication, and they simply did not change the page numbers.  OR, does Goldsmith count the cover itself as the first two pages, and the go from there.  I've seen this issue with every Goldsmith book I've read, and it would be interesting to find out exactly why the publisher did this.

Overall, this was a great book, an enjoyable read, and book I'd definitely recommend for those who enjoy series books and the like.

RATING:  10 sandwiches with a glass of milk out of 10 for showing that even in 1932, a teenage girl could do a man's job even better then he could do it himself!

Friday, Book Two: On a Cold Winter's Night

With the second collection (collecting chapters 4 through 6 of the series), author Ed Brubaker and artist Marcos Martin continue the story of the jaded young Friday Fitzhugh, the girl detective who returns home to find her partner in crime-solving, Lancelot Jones, has been working on a case of his own - one that definitely had deadly consequences.  It's been over two years since I read the first book, and so I had to take a quick re-read of the first volume in order to refresh my memory.  At the end of the first collection, Friday was shocked to discover that Lancelot had been killed - the smartest boy in the world lay dead in the burning building, and there was nothing she could do to save him.  But here, in book two, Friday decides that if she could not save her best friend, then the least she could do is solve the mystery he was working on.

On a Cold Winter's Night picks up shortly after the end of the last chapter.  Friday is still trying to make sense of Lancelot's death, but it is not until her ex-boyfriend, Danny Buttons, reveals that the police are ruling his death an accident and closing the case.  Say what?!?!  The smartest boy in the world was experimenting with something and "accidentally" killed himself?  Friday does not believe that for a minute, and as she soon finds out, neither does the sheriff - but the county detective made a compelling case, basically shutting it down, no questions asked.  Well, that's enough to get Friday moving, and although she has no clue what case he was working on, she is determined to get to the bottom of it.  And when Lancelot's father hands her a wrapped Christmas present, left under the Jones' tree for Friday, she knows she holds in her hands the very thing she needs to uncover the truth behind his death.

Brubaker definitely pushes the story forward in this volume, as the reader (along with Friday) discovers there are definite supernatural elements at work, and there are some very dangerous people right under the townspeople's noses.  And remember how Friday got knocked out at the end of the first volume, right after she saw someone outside the treehouse?  Well, we find out who that "someone" is, and let me tell you - it's not at all who you will be expecting!  I was very much surprised by this twist, and I'll be curious to see where Brubaker takes the story from here. 

Martin's art is a bit more colorful in this volume (I don't remember there being so much color in the first book), and some of his pages just really stand out - such as the one where Friday opens the Christmas present from Lancelot and the reader sees Friday holding that present - yes, it's a full page splash, but that simple image holds a lot of power in it, as it impacts not only Friday, but for the reader, it reinforces the fact that Lancelot is gone for good, and now it's up to Friday to uncover the truth.  It's almost like seeing a final scene of an episode that leaves the viewer anxiously waiting for the next week's episode - but thankfully, I didn't have to wait a week - I could just turn the page to keep on reading!  And yes, once the supernatural elements in the story showed up, there were definitely some crazy stuff, but Martin handles it well - even the two page spread on 110-11 that reminds me so much of ... well, no, that would be giving it away (let's just say James Darren, Robert Colbert, and Lee Meriwether would probably recognize the homage on those pages...).

I'm anxious for the pace to pick up a bit now ... the first two books only encompass the span of a few days, so we know it's going to take much longer for Friday to get the bottom of things and solve this case.  Brubaker is an excellent writer, so I have no doubt he has the whole thing planned out, but I can't help hoping this first story does not keep going indefinitely, as I'd like to see Friday move on to some other cases (at least - I hope Brubaker has plans for more cases after this one!).  Friday Fitzhugh is a creative new take on the whole young girl detective genre, and I would hate to see it come to an end after this first story is resolved.

Now to impatiently wait for book three...

RATING:  9 well-hidden watches out of 10 for a story filled with some completely unexpected twists and turns and leave you wondering what could possibly happen next!

A Murder Most Unladylike Mini-Mystery - The Case of the Missing Treasure

The cases of Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have been so much fun to read, and I'm glad that even though this is a British series, the books continue to be republished here in America so that I can read and enjoy them.  However, some time ago, I came across a "mini-mystery" that was only offered in Kindle format here in the States - which thoroughly annoys me, because I do not read books on a computer.  I much prefer (and will only read) books printed on paper.  I love the feel of a book in my hands, the sound of pages turning, and the smell of that ink.  So, I figured that I would never get to read this short story starring my two favorite sleuths.  Then, on my trip to Ireland last year, while in a Chapters bookstore in Dublin, I chanced upon this actual hard-copy, printed version of the mini-mystery I could only get on Kindle in the States!  Thrilled to death, I bought it (of course!).

The Case of the Missing Treasure takes place between books 6 (A Spoonful of Murder) and 7 (Death in the Spotlight).  The sixth book having been the last one of this series that I read, last May, I figured I'd better read this one before delving into the seventh Wells and Wong mystery.  And the "mini-mystery" not only describes the length of the story (less than half the length of a regular Wells and Wong story), but also the size of the book, which measures only 4.37" x 6.34".  Another fun difference about this book is that Hazel, the Secretary and Vice-President of the girls' two-person Detective Society, is not the one telling the tale - no, in this short story, readers are told the story through the eyes of Daisy Wells, which provides for a thoroughly entertaining perspective, as we see exactly how Daisy thinks as the girls venture through an investigation.  And yet one more variation from the regular series is the fact there is no murder to solve in this one; instead, the girls must crack a series of codes in order to stop the ongoing thefts of London's most famous museums.

Because the story is shorter, the pace is much faster than a normal Wells and Wong mystery - but it is not any less exciting, nor is it any less intriguing.  The girls discover a coded message hidden in the British Museum, and along with George and Alexander (the young Pinkertons-in-training), they set about laying a trap for the would-be thieves.  Daisy knows her Uncle Felix is investigating, but he won't give them any information and basically wants them to stay out of it.  Well, anyone who knows Daisy and Hazel knows that nothing will keep them from solving a case - even if it means Daisy will have to climb inside an empty sarcophagus to hide out and wait for the thieves to appear!  The real question is - does the mummy's curse actually exist, and will Hazel and her friends find themselves in dire trouble for ignoring the warnings about the curse?

It's a fun story, and as usual, Daisy and Hazel have to face the consequences of disobeying their elders in order to sneak off and solve the mystery.  And one of the really great things about this book is that it fills in some of the gap between books 6 and 7, picking up after the end of 6 and ending with the direct lead-in to 7!  I know there are other short stories out there (being collected into the Once Upon a Crime  - A Murder Most Unladylike Collection 1), and I look forward to getting them and seeing just where they fit into the grand scheme of things.

As far as I can tell, there are only nine books in this series, which means, aside from the short stories, I only have three books left before I reach the end of the Wells & Wong case files.  Perhaps author Robin Stevens will step back into the world of this wonderful detective duo and continue the adventures of Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong - at least, I can hope so!

RATING:  10 first English editions of Vidocq's book on detecting out of 10 for a fun little scavenger hunt turned mystery without having to face down dastardly murderers!

The Satan Sleuth #3 - Devil, Devil

The third and final entry into The Satan Sleuth series of novels is probably the most gruesome of them all - and I'm not just referring to the blood and gore content.  This series, from the very beginning, has been one filled not only filled horrific acts of violence, but with psychological terror as well.  The criminals have been brutal and sadistic, and Philip St. George has been surprisingly creative and vicious when meting out justice to the perpetrators.  Author Michael Avallone definitely pays wonderful homage to those classic pulp tales of mystery, suspense, and horror of the past, rolling them all into one with each of the three books in this series.  It's just a shame this was the final book in the series (whether that was the author's choice or the publisher's choice, I have no idea), as The Satan Sleuth is some of the finest pulp fiction I've ever read.

Devil, Devil takes Philip St. George on a journey into the true depravity and duplicity of human nature.  It all starts with the beheaded bodies of young females being found throughout New York City, each body carved with markings of the devil.  The police are baffled, and only one FBI agent is willing to believe this is the work of a cult of devil worshipers.  St. George is on the outside of the whole thing until a reporter reaches out to him, revealing her own connection to the coven of thirteen men and women who have been performing hellish ceremonies and rituals for some time - all led by the alluring and bewitching Sister Sorrow.  She goes to St. George for help, but before she can reveal the location of the meetings, she mysteriously drops dead of cyanide poisoning - without any indication as to how!  Since the death of his wife, St. George has dedicated his life to eradicating evil in whatever form it takes, and he once again dons his Satan Sleuth persona to search out this Sister Sorrow and put an end to these ritualistic murders.

Due to the nature of this story, there is more sexual content (not actual sex mind you, but descriptions of the naked form), as the rituals are performed while the participants are naked, and even poor St. George, when he unwittingly has the tables turned on him and finds himself tied naked on a sacrificial altar.  Avallone's writing is provocative without being explicit, leaving much to the imagination, while at the same time making it very easy to picture the bodies, particularly those of Sister Sorrow and St. George (who, as can be assumed, has all the features of a god).  I do give Avallone credit for not being biased - he offers up male and female descriptions equally, which is rare, since most male authors focus more on the female form than the male.

In true pulp style, Avallone offers up the horror of the deaths ... the mystique of the rituals and alleged witchcraft ... the mystery of finding Sister Sorrow ... the action and adventure of stopping the Satanic cult ... and the sexuality of the men and women in the story.  Basically, everything that made pulps so popular in the early part of the 20th Century is present and accounted for in this one story, making is a real page-turner.  It's also an interesting commentary on society and people who are so easily led away by promises of power, beauty, and unrealistic dreams.  As the story reveals, the members of the cult are theatrical agents, newspaper men and women, architects, artists, magazine editor, engineers, actors, and other professional men and women.  These are not poor, confused people who think the cult will help them rise above their circumstances - these are people who have already reached an apex in their lives and still want more, no matter the cost.  Definitely a level of truth to that in the real world, that's for sure...

A well-written, captivating story that ends with a statement I think anyone who reads this series can agree with - Philip St. George was alive.  Long live the Satan Sleuth!  (Hmmmm, this would make a great comic book series for Dynamite Entertainment, who publishes such comics as Vampirella, Ash vs. the Army of the Dead, James Bond, and other titles that are so similar in theme and genre ... someone needs to suggest it to them!)

RATING:  9 penthouse balconies perfect for cult ceremonies out of 10 for a terrifying tale of just how depraved mankind really can be!

Carolina Castle - an historical mystery

For many years, I have heard about this book, and I have known very few people who actually own a copy.  Apparently, this book did not have a large print run, and finding copies of the book (particularly with a dust jacket!) are very difficult, indeed. A company did reprint the book some years back, but even those reprint copies are hard to find (and expensive as well!).  Thus, I had resolved myself to the fact that is was VERY unlikely I would ever read the book, let alone own a copy.  But, lo and behold, a recent visit to a dear friend resulted in my being gifted an extra copy of the book that he had!  Talk about flabbergasted (I knew I would find a way to use that word one of these days)!  I was completely shocked, utterly thrilled, and forever thankful for such a truly wonderful, generous gift.  Needless to say, I couldn't wait to read it!

Carolina Castle is one of the few Mildred Wirt (Benson) stand-alone mysteries.  Yes, I know her "Mystery Stories for Girls" books were all individual mysteries, not connected in any way, but they were all under the banner of "Mystery Stories for Girls," so they can be viewed as a series of sorts.  But Carolina Castle, published in 1936 by The Penn Publishing Company, was not published any particular banner or series, and is one of the few books Wirt wrote that was published by Penn (in a "Chat with Cleveland Writers" article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1931, she indicated she was working on an aviation series for Penn Publishing Co. - not sure what series that was, because the Ruth Darrow series was published first by Barse, and then by Grosset & Dunlap).  But, that's neither here nor there - we're talking about Carolina Castle.

The lead protagonist for this book is Evelyn Brandleton, who shares the mystery with her best friend Joan Carling, as well as her brother, Benny Brandleton.  The story opens to a rather depressed Evelyn, as she is facing a rainy day at home in South Carolina, where her friend has come to stay for part of the summer.  She feels she is failing as a hostess (p. 6), as there were "few parties to enliven the week" (p. 6).  Apparently, one must host plenty of parties if one wishes to truly be a good hostess and entertain one's guests!  But as soon as the rain stops, Evelyn convinces Joan to visit Castle Hill, on old, burned down mansion not far from her own home (but, of course, set back from the road so it is not easily seen by passers-by).  They set out to explore the once stately estate, but by the end of that first chapter, Evelyn hears a terrifying scream, and then all is silent!

Before continuing, there are a few things to note about this first chapter.  First, let's look at the title to that chapter.  "Whispering Walls."  For those familiar with the Penny Parker Mystery Stories, you might recognize this as the title to the 15th book in that series, which was published in 1946 (ten years after the publication of this book).  Coincidence, or not?  Second, society's racial thinking is shown abundantly clear in this first chapter, as Wirt refers to "the negro shacks which were just visible..." (p. 5), to the distinct dialect Evelyn uses when mimicking the family's cook, Magnolia (p. 8), who is described as "the old colored cook" (p. 9).  These type of references continue throughout the story, both with regards to Magnolia (or "Aunt Mag" as they call her) and Wishy, the old man who lives in the woods - who even uses a surprisingly derogatory term when referring to himself: "You don't ketch dis niggah neah dat place" (p. 171).  I have read a number of vintage children's series books from the '30s and '40s that utilize terms such as negro, negress, darky, and others, but I have to admit, this is the first one I've read that actually uses that term!  This definitely dates the book, showing it is very much a product of its time.

But, moving along, the mystery begins as Evelyn finds her friend has fallen through some not-so-sturdy floorboards, which leads them to discover a secret staircase that leads down to some tunnels below the house.  They, of course, set out to explore them, and soon find that they lead to a hidden exit some distance away.  Needless to say, they set about to thoroughly explore every inch of the tunnel, and soon enough, Evelyn's brother joins them.  They uncover a buried chest, which they hope contains valuable treasures!  After some failed attempts, they ultimately locate the key to the chest at the home of an elderly woman who knows some of the history regarding the house, and upon opening the chest, they find some dresses, an old sword, two small miniatures, and a diary - one that belonged to Beatrice Dinwood, the daughter of the man who built the fine home back in the 1700s.  And this sets the stage for a historical mystery that leads these three young protagonists on a search for a long-lost family treasure, as well as a search to find a descendant of the Dinwoods so they can learn what really happened to Beatrice and the man she loved.

The book is very well written, probably one of Wirt's best, and if you aged the three protagonists, it would have made a great adult historical novel.  While there are a only a couple of "cliffhanger" type incidents, the mystery is intriguing enough to draw the reader in, wanting to know what treasure will be found, where the family heirloom is hidden, and what exactly happened to Beatrice Dinwood when she escaped capture by the British army that was overtaking the town.  Wirt plants clues throughout the story that are not overt or obvious, making it a much more fun read than normal series mysteries, where the solution is somewhat obvious to anyone who has been reading mysteries for any length of time.  Plus, the historical aspect is certainly interesting, as Wirt manages to slide in a number of historical facts about the Revolutionary War and what happened in Charleston (or Charles Town, as it was known back then).  

 

I would love to know who provided the art for the frontis piece (which depicts a scene from page 38 of the story, when the girls, by candlelight, begin to creep down the stairs into the tunnel below the plantation).  It is beautifully rendered, albeit a bit reminiscent of the scene from The Hidden Staircase when Nancy is walking down the stairs with a candle.  The shadows, the torn floorboards above the girls' heads, all work together to create a very creepy ambiance that is perfect for the scene!

Overall, I'd definitely rate this as one of Wirt's better books - it's a shame that copies of the book are so difficult to find, especially at a reasonable price!  Perhaps it's about time someone did another reprint so more people can enjoy the story!

RATING:  9 special charms to keep the graveyard ghosts away out of 10 for a wonderfully written mystery that employs history, lost treasures, and cryptic clues from a diary to create a great read!

The Art of the Pulps - an illustrated history

This was a book I first saw at Barnes & Noble some time ago, and I considered buying it.  Instead, though, I added it to my Amazon wish list and decided to think on it some.  That was several years ago.  Every now and then I would look at it, intrigued by the beautiful art of those old pulp magazines - from heroic to horrific, from sci-fi to strange, from damsels in distress to dangerous villains.  Those old covers featured pretty much any thing you could possibly imagine in your mind's eye, bringing them to life in such vivid ways, it's no surprise they sold so well back in the day.  But alongside the beautiful art, the book provided the history of those beautifully painted covers.  Well, this past Christmas, I received the book as a present, and I couldn't have been happier!  After years of looking at it, I finally had it in my hands and could actually read it.

The Art of the Pulps takes a look at the complete history of the period of pulps, from its inception at the end of the 19th century to its heyday in the early 20th century, to its "demise" in the mid-20th century.  Edited by Douglas Ellis, Ed Hulse, and Robert Weinberg, this oversized hardcover is chock full of covers of many, MANY pulp magazines that were published throughout the decades.  After a brief foreword by F. Paul Wilson (who is probably best known for his "Repairman Jack" novels) and an introduction by Douglas, the book offers up 12 glorious chapters of pulp art, each chapter focusing on the many facets of pulp history - from adventure to detectives ... from westerns to sci-fi .... from sports to romance ... from horror to fantasy.  Just about every genre imaginable was published in pulp form.  There's even a chapter that focuses on the "heroes" of the pulp era, including The Shadow, Doc Savage, and others; and, less we forget, there's a chapter that shares some of the history of those spicy pulps that many people automatically picture when they think of "pulp" magazines - super-sexy covers with very scantily clad women (and in some instances, bold, in-your-face nudes!  The book concludes with a chapters that look at the famous artists of the pulp era and the famous writers from that time.

I will admit, I skimmed some of the chapters that discussed genres for which I have no interest - westerns and sports being the top two.  Now, that's not to say I didn't pour over the art on the covers showcased therein - but the actual history given, I ignored (no offense to Ed Hulse or Michelle Nolan, who authored those chapters).  But as for the other chapters?  I read every word, soaking in not only the gorgeous, painted covers, but the detailed history shared by the authors of those chapters - and I learned quite a bit that I did not know about pulps!  For instance - did you know the man who originally got Atlas Comics (later renamed Marvel Comics) was originally a publisher of pulps?  Nope, neither did I!  And did you know there was a pulp magazine (Spicy Mystery Stories) that featured a cover advertising a story about the "Bat-Man" - in February 1936, some three years before DC Comics would premier its own "Batman"!  Nope, I definitely didn't know that one.  And even more surprising (for me, at least) - did you know that a number of famous authors had a hand in writing pulp stories - Arthur Conan Doyle, O. Henry, Jack London, Raymond Chandler, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert Heinlein, Max Brand, Edgar Rice Burroughs, among others?  I certainly did not!  This book offers up a wealth of information that I otherwise would have never known, and for that, it was well worth the money.

But, let's face it - it's really the art that is the major draw for the book.  The amount of covers reproduced in this book is awe-inspiring.  I'm not sure where they were able to get such beautifully preserved copies of these books to scan the covers (unless they were not so great and were photo-shopped to clean them up), but they are so absolutely gorgeous, you can't help but spend quite a lengthy time staring at each page, wanting to soak up every detail of every cover.  The All Story magazine ... Blue Book magazine ... Mystery Story magazine ... Black Mask ... Gun Molls ... Bull's Eye Western Stories ... Smashing Western ... Flying Stories ... Sky Aces ... Fight Stories ... Knock-Out Magazine ... Lover's Magazine ... Thrilling Love ... Thrilling Mysteries ... Dime Mystery Magazine ... Marvel Tales ... Ghost Stories ... Weird Tales ... The Secret 6 ... The Spider ... Capt. Hazzard ... Dan Dunn ... Jungle Stories ... Hollywood Nights ... Tattle Tales ... and so, so, SO many others.  I could keep looking at this book for weeks on end and probably still never take it all in.  

So many talented artists ... so many surprising authors ... and so much care was taken to put this book together.  Pulp historians Douglas Ellis, Ed Hulse, and Robert Weinberg deserve some very high praise for the effort they put into making this book as perfect as it is.  It truly is a wealth of information and reference, and based on the back cover blurb, it has over 400 "rarely seen pulp covers and original illustrations."  I just went to a local comic convention this past weekend, and there was a dealer there who specialized in pulp magazines - so I spent quite a bit of time at his booth, looking over all of his magazines, smiling to myself as I recognized not only titles that I had never even heard before before reading this book, but characters and even some of the covers (the prices, on the other hand, were something I did not even want to look at!).  This book has been an eye-opener, and it has also piqued my curiosity with some of the obscure titles (such as Gun Molls, a short-lived magazine in which women were the protagonists in the stories), and I've begun a search to find some of those issues at some reasonable prices that I can afford!

If you area fan of pulps, or even if you are just curious about the cover art (as I was), then this book is a MUST HAVE!

RATING:  10 damsels in distress out of 10 for doing such a wonderful job of preserving this era of stories and art for future generations - may the pulp live on forever!

The Crooked Signpost - a Sunshine Series story book

This book came as a complete surprise to me.  I stumbled across this at a Half-Price Book store in Indiana while visiting my friend Geoffrey, and the title alone intrigued me (considering its similarity to the Hardy Boys' title, The Sinister Signpost).  The book was a little pricey, but a search online revealed very little about the book, other than the fact that the price was not really far off from what you could buy it for online.  The inside front flap of the dust jacket describes the story as "[a] typical Canadian foursome, our four heroines set out to spend a winder holiday in the country..." and ultimately become involved in "an exciting chase after a gang of picture thieves."  A mystery involving four Canadian girls, a title similar in name to the Hardy Boys, and a hint of mystery surrounding some art thieves - I was sold!  But what I encountered while reading the story was far from what I was anticipating!

The Crooked Signpost is written by Ella Anderson.  I was not able to find anything about this author, other than some of the other books she wrote (such as The Vanishing Light, The Talking Mountain, and a few others).  However, based on the content of this particular mystery, it is clear Ms. Anderson was a Christian author. This was the first surprise that I came across while reading this book.  The Crooked Signpost is replete with references to God, Christ, and Christian living in general, and two of the four main characters are devout believers who take the opportunities presented to them to share the Gospel with their friends.  Anderson is not hesitant to have her characters explain the plan of salvation, and the prayers spoken by those characters are heartfelt and sincere.  While not the focus of the story, the two girls' desire to see their friends accept Christ fits seamlessly into the story.

The story centers around the four girls - Beatrice ("Bea") and Marcia Roberts, sisters who are traveling to visit their Aunt Joan out in the country.  With them are two of their friends, Irene Jarvis and Frances ("Fran") Kenton.  Irene is somewhat timid, as an only child whose parents are not the most loving, while Frances is much more outgoing and spunky - yet, despite their differences, they are good friends.  The four start their journey just as it begins to snow, and soon enough, they are driving in a blizzard, worried lest they get lost.  A fork in the road gives them pause, wondering which direction to go, and the signpost there is unclear as to which direction will lead to the town where they are headed.  They choose to go to the right, which is what leads them to the strange, dark house at the end of a long, winding road (and a bridge that gives way just after they cross it, leaving them stranded at the empty house).

The mystery has a familiar theme to it - the girls find the house empty and unlocked, so they let themselves in to get out of the storm.  While inside, they discover the house contains some valuable items, and Fran, whose father is an art gallery owner, recognizes, hanging on the wall, an artwork by the famous painter John Constable. (A quick look online reveals that Constable was a real painter, known for his landscapes, and as Fran describes in the book, he used a palette knight to create sharp lights in his work - Constable's Art.)  The artist's name obviously gave Anderson an opportunity for some joking among the girls, as Marcia asks, "What's a Constable?" to which Irene snappily replies, "A village policeman" (p. 26).  Even I will admit, the name Constable in the synopsis of the story threw me for a bit, because I was not aware there was a painter by that name.

The mystery kicks into gear when the girls see a man peering in at them, and later that night, chase him out of the house, where it turns out he has stolen that very painting, leaving behind a copy in its stead!  The girls try to follow the man, but quickly lose him in the storm.  The storm subsides the next day, but with their car covered in snow, the girls hike to the nearest town, intent on telling the police what happened - but upon their arrival, they find the owner of the house already there, complaining about how she was tricked into leaving her home by a fake telegram.  The girls share their story and soon learn there has been a rash of art thefts along the Maine coast recently.

That familiarity returns in full force (as a reader) when the girls' faith is revealed to the woman, who then shares her own sad story of how she has become estranged from her only son, who left some time ago and who she lost touch with over the years.  The girls have sympathy for the woman, but it is Irene who actually comes up with an idea to try and reunite the mother and son.  (Personally, I was beginning to suspect it was perhaps the son who had committed the theft, in order to obtain something he could sell in order to gain money he felt he was entitled to - after all, I've read that same plot in some other books not so long ago...)  Eventually, the girls happen across the man they saw in the window and make the mistake of following him, where he leads them into a trap that finds them being held hostage in an isolated shack!

The second surprise in this story is the fact that the front flap synopsis describes the quartet as a "Canadian foursome" - yet, in the story, the girls make mention of having come up from the south to head for their aunt's house in the country.  Since the author specifically refers to them being in Maine, unless those "Canadian" girls were going to school here in the States, I'm not sure how they could be considered Canadians.  And interestingly enough, Anderson makes a point of saying the girls are traveling on Highway 39, yet there is no such Highway in the State of Maine.  And while we are on this topic, near the end, as the girls are following the man they believe to be the art thief, the girls wonder if they will have to follow him clear to New Hampshire, to which they laugh, thinking "...it would have taken two or even three days to get there, although it was the next state" (p. 74).  I have to wonder just how slow these girls are traveling, since there is only a distance of about 215 miles from Maine to New Hampshire, which, even at only 35 miles per hour, would only take six hours - not two or three days!  (Since this book was originally published in England, I am wondering if the author was wholly unfamiliar with North American geography, which would explain these geographical errors.)

What did make me smile, however, is that when the girls are trapped inside the shack near the end of the book, they overhear their captors talk about driving them up to Canada and leaving them stranded (p. 83)!  The girls are dismayed, because "[e]ven if they did get help in Canada, these men would have the painting and be too far away to be caught. Probably going south to Florida" (p. 84).  I find these references amusing, since I live in Florida, and a very good friend lives up in Canada - so to find both of places referenced in the same paragraph in this mystery was quite a coincidence.  And what would a children's mystery be without coincidences?

The book is a relatively short one - the story begins on page 5 and ends on page 95, making it only 91 pages in length.  It has only ten chapters, with an average 9-page count for each chapter.  Yet, there is plenty of story, and it does not feel rushed at all.  The characters are nicely fleshed out, and the mystery itself, while not overly exciting (outside of the bridge collapse and the kidnapping at the end), holds up fairly well.  I enjoyed this one enough to seek out some of Anderson's other books to see if they are just as good.

RATING:  7 eighteenth century oval mirrors out of 10 for having the courage to share the message of Christ through a children's mystery story.

Trumps - a Silverline Comics mini-series

This is now the second series I have read from the Silverline comics company, and I must say, I have been impressed with everything I've read so far.  Silverline may be a small company at this point, but if they keep publishing things like this and Twilight Grimm, I have no doubt they will begin to pick up steam.  And before we go any further, let's make it clear that the name of this series has absolutely nothing to do with the 45th President of the United States of America.  No doubt, some who see the title will immediately think that, particularly since there have been some comic companies who have published parody comics utilizing Donald Trump as either a hero or a villain.  No, this comic has nothing to do with Donald Trump at all - the title comes from ... well, let's get to that later ...

Trumps is a four-issue series written by Roland Mann, the former editor of the Malibu line of comics back in the day.  Interestingly enough, the four issue series has four different artists - Athony Pereira pencilled issue one; Thomas Hedglen pencilled issue two; Quintin Bedwell provided the art for issue three; and Peter Clinton pencilled issue four.  It may seem odd that such a short series would utilize four different artists, but when you consider the concept for the book, then it makes sense.  As Mann explains in the introduction on the inside front cover of the first issue:

The Trumps title actually comes from card playing games ... many games include the use of "trumps," a suit that has the ability to win against other suits when it comes to catching the cards in a hand for points ...

Thus, the series deals with the four kingdoms residing on a world known simply as "The Deck." There are, of course, the kingdom of diamonds, the kingdom of hearts, the kingdom of spades, and the kingdom of clubs - four kingdoms, or houses if you will, that are waiting for the next shuffle, at which time a new house takes over as Trumps.  And the new Trumps maintain power until the next shuffle ... but, as with any world, some people don't want to wait for that power, and if that means fighting to attain status as Trumps, then let there be war!  As with any kingdom, there is a hierarchy - the king, the queen, the jack, and so on down to the lowest man on the totem pole, the deuce.  And each house has its own Ace, who is the highest power of all - but in this tale, the Aces aren't particularly fond of the petty battles among the houses, so they hang out with the Joker in a castle that maintains neutrality (or so they think...)

While Mann says the story incorporates references to the game play of Pinochle, Shanghai Rummy, Kings Reverse, and other card games, I'll admit that I did not really catch any of those.  My card game of choice is Canasta, which does not have any "trump" cards.  But that did not take away from my enjoyment of the story at all.  Aside from all of the card references, the story is one of human nature - love and loss ... battle and betrayal ... war and weaknesses.  One king must face the death of his queen, as his jack lies in bed with the queen of another house.  One queen is disgusted by her king's lackadaisical attitude and must force her jack into battle before he is ready.  One king is determined to take the power of the Trump.  And amidst the battles and confusion, one Joker has set a plan in motion that could result in an unexpected turn of events.

 

Now, with these things in mind, it is easy to see why Mann decided to go with a different artist for each issue - four houses, four issues, four artists.  The artists are each unique, but their styles are not so different that it distracts from the story.  Of them all, I have to admit that Pereira (issue one) and Hedglen (issue two) are probably my favorite, as their styles are very clean, with facial expressions so exact, you don't even need dialogue or text boxes to know what a character is thinking or feeling.  But I give them all credit, as the costumes and the backgrounds stay consistent throughout all four issues, and as the series progresses and the battles become more intense, the art becomes a bit grittier and darker to fit the tone of the story.

 

In a way, this series reminds me somewhat of DC's Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld series from back in the '80s. That comic dealt with the various houses of Gemworld - such as Amethyst, Topaz, Sapphire, Onyx, Opal, etc. and told stories of the battles among the various rulers in an effort to keep the peace and defeat those who would usurp power out of turn.  In this series, we get the four suits from a deck of cards facing similar situations, and while there are no plans at present for more stories, I would definitely love to see future tales set on The Deck.

If you haven't check out Silverline's line of comics, I would definitely recommend you do.  Great stories and art that deserve notice!

RATING:  9 unwanted crowns and scepters out of 10 for a fantastic new comic that takes readers on a fun ride through a world of diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades!  (And we're not even in Wonderland!)

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade - the eighth Enola Holmes mystery

And here we are, going back into the world of Enola Holmes, the younger sister of that great detective, Sherlock Homes.  More than twelve years ago, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first six books written by Nancy Springer.  Then they stopped.  I assumed that was the last I would see of her.  But then the Netflix film was announced, and suddenly, there was a seventh book.  And some graphic novel adaptations of her previous books.  And then an eighth book came out!  I picked it up, but I've had it sitting on the shelf for a bit and have only just now gotten around to reading it (two Netflix films later....)  And I have to admit, as much as I enjoy the films, I do enjoy delving back into the book series, since there are some major differences between the books and the films - differences that I like better in the books.

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade brings back some of the characters from Enola's second case, the one about the "left-handed lady," most particularly that left-handed lady herself, Lady Cecily Alastair.  It seems Lady Cecily's father is none too pleased with the fact that his daughter was kidnapped and is not longer "unspoiled" for purposes of marrying her off to someone of a higher station.  His attempt to marry her off to a cousin failed, so he now has her (and her mother) under lock and key in their home, to the point where Lady Cecily has no clothing, no art supplies, nor anything else in her room that she could potentially use to escape or contact anyone for help.  But when has that ever stopped Enola Holmes?

Springer's story is not exactly one of mystery in this novel, but more one of adventure, as Enola discovers her friend's plight and determines to do whatever it takes to free Lady Cecily from her mother's control.  Springer reminds readers of Enola's growth as a character - a young girl who was on the run from her brothers and the patriarchal system that would keep her under their control has now evolved into a young woman who is no longer fearful of being discovered, who no longer has to pretend to be Dr. Ragostin's wife in order to walk freely on the streets of London, and who no longer has to be ashamed of her chosen profession as a "Scientific Perditorian" (a finder of things lost).  Over the course of the last seven books, Enola has not only aged physically, but she has matured emotionally and has gained the experience needed to make her own way in this man's world.

But poor Lady Cecily is not quite so lucky...

The story is filled with the usual Enola Holmes adventures - disguises, daring escapes, chases through the streets of London, decoding of secret messages, unexpected trips down laundry chutes, and the ever-so-wonderful confrontations with dastardly men who think they have the power over everyone!  Springer does introduce a fun new supporting cast member in this book in the form of Lady Vienna Steadwell - a tall, elderly woman who resides at the Professional Women's Club (funny how the last book I read also featured a Women's Club!) with Enola and a number of other modern women of all ages.  But Lady Steadwell isn't any ordinary woman - she was friends with Enola's mother, and she has a wealth of knowledge about the upper class members of London's high society (as well as some of those who only WISH they were part of that upper class).  She also has that same daring spirit as Enola, and it is ultimately with her help that Enola is able to help free Lady Cecily and her mother from the grasp of the very controlling Sir Eustace Alastair (and, seeing that name Eustace, I can't help think of that annoying little cousin of the Pevensie children from the Chronicles of Narnia).

The book does address one other element concerning Lady Cecily, and that is her fracturing personality.  Born left-handed, her father has been doing everything he can to force her to use her right hand, and what with the kidnapping, the nearly forced marriage, and the isolation in her room added to it, the poor young lady has formed a split-personality - the adventurous, resilient left-handed lady and the meek, submissive right-handed girl.  This changing personality adds a difficulty to Enola's plans that makes it nigh impossible to be sure things will work out as she intends.  I think Springer does a fairly nice job of addressing this situation and the manner in which "left-handedness" was viewed in the late 19th century.

Even despite the lack of a formal "mystery," I really enjoyed the read, and I already have the ninth book on my to-be-read stack, so I am looking forward to what it has in store!

RATING:  10 purple channel marker like hats out of 10 for a truly elegant escapade worth reading!

Velda Gets Knotty - a Velda, Girl Detective mystery novel

Velda Bellinghausen is a very unique character - or maybe not so unique, depending on your point of view.  She's a former follies' girl turned private detective - she's a snarky woman trying to make it in a man's world - she's a noir private eye with the sensibilities of a modern woman - she's a tall, lean, not overly endowed beauty who seems to fall into situations that leave her with little to no clothing - and she's got a great sense of humor!  Velda, Girl Detective is a parody of the noir murder mystery fiction that long ago captured the eyes of many a young male, with their covers showcasing scantily clad women - only in this instance, Velda is the detective, and she's the one solving the crimes (often sans clothing!).

Velda Gets Knotty (and yes, the pun IS intended) is the first prose novel I've read of this character.  I have all three of her graphic novels, which were a real hoot, since they were modeled after the comics of those days long gone, even going so far as to throw in faux ad pages, featuring non-existent items that made fun of all those ads we used to see in comics back then.  They had some really fun stories in them, but the stories were very short and fast paced (after all, telling three or four, or even five, stories in one graphic novel, one must keep it short, sweet, and to the point).  With this novel, author Ron Miller has the opportunity to really flesh out (yes, that pun is intended, too!) the character, the supporting cast, and lead the reader on a few red herrings before finally revealing the killer.

I give Miller credit for crafting a murder mystery that is not easily solved.  A woman turns up badly beaten in an alley, her clothes ripped off, the letter "I" carved into her body, and her hand grasping a string with three knots tied into it.  Despite being taken to the hospital, the woman dies a few days later.  Velda wonders if the person who beat her up came back to finish the job, when another body turns up - with the same letter carved into her body and holding another string with the knots in it (hence, the title to the book).  The only connection Velda can find is a Women's Club.  But could the case be over when the police find the women's purses in the flower box of Velda's downstairs neighbor?  If you said "no," then you'd be right!  In fact, the mystery is far from over.

Miller gives the readers some interesting suspects, any of whom could have committed the murders.  First, there is Harry Tweedy, Velda's downstairs neighbor.  Sure, he claims to be innocent. Sure, he hires Velda to prove he's not guilty.  But what if he is guilty, and his hiring of Velda is nothing more than a ploy to throw everyone off the track?  Second, there is Tryphena Thistlethwayte (yeah, you gotta love those names!), the elderly woman who was rejected membership in the Women's Club.  She may appear elderly and weak, but looks can always be deceiving.  Third, there is Delilah Spoonbill, who was one of the victims - yet, she survived by some miracle.  But was it really a miracle?  Or was it purposefully planned to keep everyone from suspecting her?  Fourth, there's Doctor Patella.  This Boris Karloff knock-off just so happens to fit the description an eyewitness gave to a man who was seen running out of the alley where the first victim was found.  And wasn't it odd that the first victim died not long after he visited her at the hospital (where he insisted he must see her alone)?  

All of the clues keep leading back to the Women's Club, and Velda is certain that the serial killer is somehow connected to the rejection of Thistlethwayte for membership - she just can't seem to find the final piece to complete the puzzle.  And just what does that letter "I" mean and how do the knotted strings fit into it?  These are some really great questions, and when Velda does put everything together, it makes for quite an exciting conclusion (one where Velda, needless to say, finds herself very scantily clad!).  Even though this is a parody of sorts, the mystery is actually very well plotted and wonderfully written.

After reading this one, I definitely want to track down and get the other books Miller has written - if they are anything like this, they will be a blast to read!

RATING:  9 cold cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer out of 10 for a faux look back at the noir crime fiction of yester-year as told today!