The Gothic Romance Wave: A Critical History of the Mass Market Novels, 1960-1993

Ever since I was first introduced to Dark Shadows by my mother when reruns aired in the early '80s, I have been fascinated by the gothic genre.  Perhaps it was my early days of reading the Nancy Drew mysteries that gave me a hint of that genre (what with the haunted mansions, the dark and foreboding atmosphere, and the female protagonist determined to solve the mystery) and whetted my appetite for more.  Whatever the reason, I fell in love with this whole idea of an innocent young girl being thrust into a dark world of mystery and the unknown, forced to gather her wits and strength to face the dangers before her and navigate the labyrinth of lies surrounding her.  As I got older, I began to look beyond those children's series (although, admittedly, I still read and collect those as well) and search for adult gothic tales with darker, and sometimes more "real" supernatural elements.  Authors like Dan Ross (under a variety of pseudonyms such as Marilyn Ross, Clarissa Ross, W.E.B. Ross, and others), Phyllis A. Whitney, Willo Davis Roberts, and others began to attract my attention, and I started picking up and reading these adults novels - and found myself enthralled.  What surprised me, though, is the lack of reference material for these novels that seemed to boom in the 1960s and '70s.  Until I cam across this book.

The Gothic Romance Wave is a study written by Lori A. Paige that takes a literary look at the mass market paperback gothic novels that were published from 1960 through 1993 (and, honestly, I hadn't realized they continued into the '90s - I had always assumed they pretty much died out by 1980 or so).  Paige, who is a professor at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, takes an in-depth look at pretty much every aspect of the era - the authors, the publishers, the covers (and oh, how I love those covers!), the characters, the plots, and the history of the genre itself.  This was definitely what I wanted to know more about!  I mean, I took a class on Gothic literature when I was in college, but it was focused on the late 18th Century and early 19th Century works, such as Walpole's Castle of Otranto and Lewis' The Monk, as well as more recognizable works, such as Dracula and Frankenstein.  We never touched on more modern gothic tales.  So, I was thrilled when I came across Paige's book on Amazon.

I learned considerably more about the genre and the period of publication that I never knew, and it has only increased my desire to delve further into these novels.  Yes, Paige does address the 18th/19th Century beginnings of the genre, but she quickly jumps into that explosion of gothic novels in the 1960s and '70s, when the market was flooded with paperbacks that depicted a young woman, usually in a loose, flowing gown, running in the night ... a dark castle in the background, usually with a light glowing faintly in one of the windows ... sometimes the shadowy figure of a man back in the distance.  Let's face it, we've all seen those covers, and quite honestly, I have joked over the years about how easy it is to spot a "gothic" romance novel, simply by the cover.  Little did I realize how much truth there was to that!  Paige discusses the possible reasons for those similarity in covers, and how they drew the intended audience into buying the books.  I had never realized just how much the market was flooded with these books back in the day (while I was not alive in the '60s, I was around in the '70s for a bit....), and to consider now just how much the various publishers were competing for sales.  In a way, it reminds me of what happened in the movies after the first Star Wars film hit it big - suddenly, the movies were filled with space films of all kinds, trying to compete and cash in on the success of that one film.  

But Paige goes further and looks at what it was that drew readers (mostly women) into these books.  She discusses how, despite critics thoughts to the contrary, the female protagonists were not insipid young women who put themselves into danger and needed men to rescue them; rather, in most of these gothic tales, the young ingenue manages to not only overcome her own fears and self-doubt, but she manages to tame the raging lord of the manor, reveal the identity of the true evil (usually a wolf in sheep's clothing), and cleanse the great house and thee family of its curse (whether figurative or literal).  And reading Paige's analysis made me realize just how right she is!  These young women may seem naive at first (such as Victoria Winters when she first arrives at Collinwood in Dark Shadows), but by the end of the book, they are always the ones who have overcome all of the adversity and brought everyone to the peace and happiness they have been searching for all this time.  

 

But, and this is likely the most important point Paige makes in the book (as far as I'm concerned) - these books were not intended to be critiques on the human condition, nor were they written with the intent to convincing women to be subservient to their husbands or to believe the only way to find happiness in this world is to find a man who will rescue you and marry you - no, these stories were written for two purposes - for the readers to enjoy a good story and for the publisher, and author by extension, to make money.  Pure and simple.  These were not intended to be educational treatises.  And that is where a lot of critics likely make their mistake when looking at these books.  Just like those who criticize comic books, or horror films, or other media forms - not every form of entertainment is there to improve, teach, or otherwise promote some form of betterment for humanity.  Rather, it is simply to "entertain,"as the word says.  And for me, these books definitely entertain.  

Something else I learned in this book is how many authors with whom I am familiar wrote gothic tales during this period (usually under pseudonyms).  I was well aware of Dan Ross and his plethora of names (because of my love of Dark Shadows); I have all of his Dark Shadows books written under "Marilyn Ross," plus several of his other titles under that same name.  I also have his Dark Harbour series written under "Clarissa Ross."  I have books by Phyllis A. Whitney, Willo Davis Roberts, Katheryn Kimbrough, Sharon Wagner, and others.  But I did not realize that authors like Dean Koontz and Michael Avallone also wrote gothic novels back during this time, under pseudonyms, of course.  While I'm not a fan of Koontz, I am a fan of Avallone's work, so I'm going to have to track down his gothic books to see how they fare.

I was surprised to find that Paige makes a rather large reference to Hester Jane Mundis' Mercy at the Manor Manor (my review of that book can be found at Mercy at the Manor Manor), which is a wonderful parody of the gothic romance novel of that time.  I don't think Paige found it as enjoyable as I did, but she did devote a little over two pages of the book to discussing this parody and how it was a part of this period of gothic.  I was also surprised at the several references to not only Nancy Drew (I mean, let's face it, how could she NOT be referenced when talking about gothic stories!), but also to Cherry Ames, who she references in connection with the "nursies" (nurse romance craze that pre-dated the gothic romance invasion of the '60s).

Like with any good thing, though, if you over saturate the market, it's going to eventually peter out, and that's what happened to the gothic craze (only much later than I originally thought).  As Paige points out, though, it didn't really end, as much as it evolved and diversified (so to speak).  The stories became more sexual in nature, and the supernatural elements became much more prevalent - instead of hints of supernatural that were explained away by the end, vampires, werewolves, and such became more real and more important to the plots.  Today, we have stories such as Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey that are riding the waves of success, with copycats trying to catch on as well.  And let's face it - everything has its place and time, and apparently, gothic romance had its time during the mid- to late-20th Century.  And for me, that's okay - because it gives me the joy of hunting down these novels and reading many of them for the first time now.  So, thank you, Lori A. Paige, for raising the level of my excitement for these books to a whole new level!

(The only thing I wish Paige had touched upon, is the male audience of those gothic novels back in the day.  Her book seems to focus on the female readership, which I suppose was the intended audience, but I have no doubt there was a male contingent as well, who probably enjoyed those stories as a guilty pleasure just as much as the women.  Or, is it perhaps, the male fans are only now coming into the picture, decades later, when it is no longer seen as simply a "woman's" form of literature? Hmmm.....)

RATING:  10 issues of the Gothic Journal out of 10 for taking a look at gothic romance fiction with entirely new eyes, and giving fans the justification that they so richly deserve!

Penny Parker Mystery Stories No. 12 - Voice from the Cave

This is definitely the most unusual Penny Parker book to date.  Published in 1944 (same year as Penny Parker #11 - Hoofprints on the Turnkpike, Nancy Drew #21 - The Secret in the Old Attic, and Dana Girls #13 - The Secret in the Old Well), this book is blatantly set in the middle of World War II.  While other series books avoided mentioning the War, Mildred Wirt (Benson) had no hesitancy about using the War as a major element in this mystery.  But that is not what makes this book so different from the rest (so far, at least).  Geoffrey S. Lapin, who knew Wirt and had many discussions with her over the years, says that she revealed to him that the outline for this book was not her own.  She indicated that this was only one of two times where she purchased outlines for books she wrote under her own name.  According to Lapin, Wirt purchased the plot for this story from Andre Norton, who is best known for her science fiction tales (and who I also learned recently wrote some gothic novels under pseudonyms).  Perhaps that is why this story has such a different feel than Wirt's other mysteries in this series.  Let's see...

Voice From the Cave, the twelfth book in the Penny Parker Mystery Stories, opens with Penny waiting on her father to get home so they can leave for their vacation to Sunset Beach.  (And yes, I find it amusing that the place they are going was a television soap opera in the late '90s, but there really is a Sunset Beach community in Huntington Beach, California, which just so happens to contain an "Old Lookout House," which was a former Coast Guard lookout during World War II - coincidence?)  Penny's joy for the coming trip is quickly dashed when Mr. Parker arrives home with a woman in tow - one Mrs. Deline, a widow who has lived in Riverview for less than a month (p. 4).  Mr. Parker seems completely enamored with Mrs. Deline, but Penny can see right away there is something not right about this woman - and thus, from the opening scene, there is a high-level friction between Penny and Mrs. Deline, one which creates a rift between her and her father (which is rather out of character for both Penny and her father, based on the relationship we have seen in the previous eleven books).  

But Mrs. Deline is not the only mystery Penny must face.  While waiting for her father, she is changing dials on the radio and happens across a strange broadcast that begins with, "Attention Comrades" (p. 5) and signs off with the name, "the Voice from the Cave" (p. 5), an obvious reference to the title of the book.  Louise and Mrs. Weems, neither one, heard the broadcast, and when she mentions it to her father, he brushes it off.  This only adds to the growing rift between Penny and Mr. Parker.  It's almost as if Wirt were intentionally crafting circumstances whereby the father/daughter relationship could be broken, leaving Mr. Parker annoyed and Penny upset.  While Penny has always been one to jump to conclusions and act before thinking, she's never been portrayed as a spoiled brat; yet, in this story, she sulks quite a bit, and at one point, her father even tells her she is acting "very stupid and silly" (p. 29).  I never imagined Mr. Parker saying those things to his daughter, particularly after the number of times she has proven herself with the mysteries she has solved in the past (all of which garnered his newspaper some spectacular stories!).  Her father does eventually hear the outlaw station (pp. 38-39), and Penny is surprised to learn that he seems to already be aware of this Voice from the Cave.  It is here that the reader starts to garner some clue as to what Mr. Parker is actually doing in Sunset Beach, and astute readers will figure out why he is acting the way he is (which may have been part of Wirt's plan all along, but it just doesn't read well in those beginning chapters).

Eventually, Louise joins her friend in Sunset Beach, albeit in a confusing way (to the reader). With Penny becoming more frustrated, Mr. Parker offers to pay for "train fare" for Louise to join her (p. 52); however, when the time comes, Penny goes to the airport to pick up her friend, who arrives on a "big silver twin-motor transport) (p. 66).  There is no mention of why Louise came by plane rather than train, nor is there any hint as to whether Mr. Parker paid for the plane instead of a train.  Not sure why the switch, or even if Wirt realized she had originally written Mr. Parker offering train fare rather than plane fare.  Then, as coincidence would have it (and let's be realistic - no children's mystery would be complete without multiple coincidences!), Jerry Livingston arrives by plane at the same time - only he comes in on a Flying Fortress (pp. 67-68).  Readers who have been following the series might remember Jerry signed up to serve in the War, and now he returns in a captain's uniform (p. 68).  He also happens to have a Distinguished Flying Cross medal and a Purple Heart medal on his uniform.  The DFC medal I can understand, but normally, Purple Hearts are only given out to those wounded or killed in battle - and there's no mention of him being wounded.  

So, at this point, we have Mr. Parker going to Sunset Beach to potentially be looking for this mysterious Voice from the Cave.  Now we have Jerry Livingston arriving in full military form to hunt down a prisoner of war who escaped from a Canadian camp (p. 71).  There is the obnoxious Mrs. Deline, who seems to have a strange connection with the man in the lighthouse just down from the hotel where she is staying, and the suspiciously friendly George Emory, who appears all to keen in offering Penny's father aid in tracking down that outlaw station.  Oh, and we musn't forget Jim McCoy, the lighthouse keeper who refuses to allow Penny and Louise to see the lighthouse, but welcomes Mrs. Deline with open arms.  And last, but not least, there is Old Jake Skagway, a beachcomber who may be more than he appears.  The story definitely has its share of characters, but honestly, each of them are pretty transparent, and the reader is not really fooled by any of them.  

Moving on, let's talk about the romantic elements in this story.  I can't recall any of the previous Penny Parker books relying so heavily on romance (or even suspected romance) in the stories, but this one seems saturated with it.  Penny's jealousy of Mrs. Deline, to the point where she tells Louise, "she's aiming to be my stepmother!" (p. 85), seems a bit off-kilter for Penny, and Jerry's reaction upon seeing Penny after he descends from the plane at Sunset Beach - he sweeps her into his arms and kisses her (p. 69), explaining his reaction is what should be expected "when you've not seen your one and only girl"(p. 69).  Since when did that happen?  They've always been friends, and yes, I think readers were always hoping in the previous books that they would eventually get together.  But Jerry has been a reporter for a bit, meaning he is well beyond the age of 18 ... and in this book, Wirt says that Penny has "lived for fifteen happy, eventful years" in Riverview (p. 12).  Wouldn't she be way too young for an adult man to consider as his "one and only girl"?  Now, one could interpret that line about "fifteen happy, eventful years" to mean that perhaps the Parkers had lived elsewhere, and she and her father had only lived in Riverview for fifteen years.  None of the other books ever reference her age, so there is a question here of whether this sentence is meant to indicate she is 15 years old, or whether it simply means she and her father lived in Riverview for fifteen years.

 

Something I have to mention is the picnic basket Mrs. Deline is carrying through the woods when Penny and Louise spy her in Chapter Fifteen.  The hamper is described as heavy (p. 119), but it is not until Penny opens it that the reader discovers it contains food for at least a dozen people, along with a folded wool blanket, as well as men's clothing underneath that (p. 120)!  Seriously?  Food for a dozen people?  Just how big was this hamper?  When Mrs. Deline lay out the food, it includes:  "sandwiches, a salad, cake, cookies, and fruit" (pp. 122-23).  That must have been quite a huge hamper Mrs. Deline was carrying from the hotel, all the way out into the woods.

 

And while we are the subject of strange descriptions, we must consider the drive from Riverview to Sunset Beach.  The seaside resort is said to be "nearby" to Riverview (p. 2) and "within easy driving distance" (p. 28), and after an hour of traveling, Mr. Parker indicates the remaining distance is only about fifty miles (p. 10).  However, he then makes the odd comment that he "can't make much time at thirty-five an hour" (p. 10).  Now, I'm not a whiz at math, but at thirty-five miles per hour, with only fifty miles left to travel, that would only leave about an hour and half travel time before they arrived at the beach.  So, how is it then, they are forced to stop at a hotel for the night rather than finishing the distance - and the description of the travel to Sunset Beach the next morning gives the impression of Penny being cramped in the backseat with the luggage for some time (p. 29).  If there is one thing we've learning reading through these Penny Parker books, it's that Wirt played very loose with her time when writing the stories.

Let's turn our attention to and look at a couple of plot elements that come and go without any resolution.  When Penny and her father first reach the forest near Sunset Beach, where they will be camping, the ranger mentions that "several acres of timber were destroyed by fire at Alton" (p. 33).  Later, he tells Penny that there were plenty of fires farther south (pp. 46-47).  These mentions give readers the impression that perhaps the escaped prisoner was starting fires to distract the authorities; but, no, there's no further mention of any fires, and that plot thread simply disappears.  There's also the matter of the pencil bombs that Mrs. Deline buries in the sand dunes outside the hotel.  When the girls first see her bury them, they see her carrying "a package of considerable size" (p. 103).  Later in the story, when Louise manages to find it, it is a "small package" (p. 169), which contains not only a number of pencil bombs**, but also a knife and some grenades (p. 170).  Did Wirt forget about the size of the package between pages 103 and 169?  Then, when Penny recovers the box, intending to use the pencil bombs to stop the enemy, she opens the box to discover the pencil bombs are no longer there (p. 196).  What happened to them?  How did they disappear? There is no explanation, and the reader is left to wonder if the enemy got them, and if so, why leave the box with the knife and grenades still in it behind?  It's unlike Wirt to leave so many things unexplained...

**By the way, "pencil bombs" are actually real things, incendiary time bombs designed by German chemist Walter Scheeledjge during World War I.  

The final confrontation against the Germans and their comrades on the dunes at Sunset Beach is quite explosive (nearly literally!).  The battle reads less like a standard mystery climax and more like a war novel, or men's adventure story.  A shoot-out (p. 193), a grenade lobbed through the air (p. 196), a desperate last-ditch attempt to stop the enemies from escaping by slashing their rubber boat (p. 196), the sinking of a submarine by a patrol plane (p. 202), and escaping enemy agents captured both on the land and in the sea.  And despite all of these incredible events, Mr. Parker gives Penny the sad news that the story of what just happened "may never be published" (p. 204).  Thus, with everything wrapped up, Penny observes that "this was an A-1 scoop for Uncle Sam!" (p. 204) - definitely giving the book the feel of war propaganda, written to keep the reader rooting for the USA, rather than simply a good children's mystery.  Whether this was because of the outline/plot purchased from Norton, or whether the details of the story were always what Wirt intended for the story to be, I suppose we will never know.

This certainly was not one of the better Penny Parker mysteries.  While I would not necessarily say it was bad (although my fellow book club readers used stronger words than "bad" to describe it, that's for sure!), I would say this probably ranks lowest on the scale for me when it comes to this series.  Let's just hope that with the next book, Wirt returns to her normal writing style.

RATING:  6 overcooked steaks out of 10 for at least not shying away from the War when writing books in the mid-40s. 

Whitman Mystery Stories - Ginger Rogers and The Riddle of the Scarlet Cloak

While I am familiar with the name of Ginger Rogers (knowing she was an actress back in the day), I am honestly not at all familiar with her work.  I don't believe I have ever seen a movie with her in it, nor do I really know anything at about her life - other than the fact she was paired with Fred Astaire in a number of films.  Thus, going into this book, I had absolutely no preconceived ideas about the character; however, after reading the book, I get the impression Whitman, as with the other authorized editions I've read, is simply using the actress's name and the story is not intended to represent Ms. Rogers as she was in real life.  What is surprising about this book is that it is written by Lela E. Rogers, who, as it turns out, is the mother of actress Ginger Rogers!  How often does a parent get to write a fictional story about their own child?

Ginger Rogers and the Riddle of the Scarlet Cloak was published in 1942, and so it should come as no surprise that the plot of the story revolves heavily around World War II.  The "Ginger Rogers" in this book is not an actress, but rather, she is a night telephone operator at a posh hotel located on the California coast.  A beautiful young woman, she is the envy of every woman around her, and she is pursued by all of the men who stay at the hotel (as well as the young neighbor, for whom her mother is always trying to match her up!).  It's all of this attention that ultimately lands poor Ginger right in the thick of things.  She gets roped into going on a date with a man of whom she is not that fond, but she is willing to give him a chance.  Before the date, however, she receives an anonymous gift of a beautiful scarlet cloak.  Her date asks ... no, begs ... no, he quite literally demands that she wear the cloak for their date (movie and dinner after), and it is at this point that I realize the direction the mystery is going to take.

Thus begins a story of spies and romance, as Ginger notices the strange man watching her in the movie theater, she observes her date drop a cigarette package that is picked up (and swapped!) by that strange man, gets abandoned at the restaurant by her date, and ultimately, with the aid of the man she really likes and one of the hotel guests, finds her evening date left for dead behind the hotel!  There is clearly a lot more going on that what she first thought, and Ginger soon learns that all the men around her are harboring secrets.  Who can she trust, and who is an enemy spy?  Lela Rogers writes a crafty tale of mystery, as Ginger must use her wits and intuition to figure out what is really going on and what she can do in order to stop the plans that are being put in motion!

The romance side of the story does not take away from the mystery at all - in fact, in some ways, it enhances the story, as the romance has a mystery of its own!  Ginger's mother is dead set against her daughter dating any man of wealth, and it just so happens that Gregg, the man Ginger likes (and decides to marry after only one date!), is one of those men.  But she will not tell Ginger why she is so against rich men, and the reader is left to surmise that it has something to do with Ginger's missing father (who is not on the scene, and about whom Ginger's mother will not talk).  Well, what would one of these children's books be without coincidences - and sure enough, it turns out Gregg not only knows Ginger's father, but he knows where the man can be found!  So, daughter and father are reunited after so many years apart, and Ginger is left to figure out how to restore her parents' marriage, while at the same time, figure out how to stop the enemy spies from stealing the plans from the nearby military factory!

The book is filled with illustrations (22 of them, in fact!) by Henry E. Vallely, who provided illustrations for quite a few of the Whitman books.  He does a great job of capturing Ginger Roger's look, from the style of her hair to the way her smile just lights up her face (which is a pretty good feat, considering the illustrations are simply black-and-white line drawings).  None of the pictures depict overly dramatic scenes, and for the matter, the only one that actually has any "action" to it is the final one on page 237, in which one of the spies demands to know the price it will take for Ginger to tell him all she knows.  Otherwise, the other illustrations are rather tame scenes of Ginger at her night desk, or talking with her mother, or other such mundane scenes.  It's a good thing the story is filled with the suspense it is, as the pictures add no excitement whatsoever to the book (but they are beautifully rendered).

 

Okay, I do have to take back what I just said - as I completely forgot about the end pages at the front and back of the book.  This is definitely a dramatic scene, and surprisingly, it is the very climax of the story, when Ginger is taken by the criminals and very nearly led to her demise!  The scene is taken from the cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 15, before the final chapter brings the story to its satisfying conclusion.  While it definitely gives readers some excitement to look forward to, I am rather surprised they would spoil the final edge-of-your-seat moments with splashing it on the end pages like this.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, and made all the more surprising by the fact the main character's real-life mother wrote the book!

RATING:  9 folded bits of paper out of 10 for taking a well-known actress, placing her in a mundane setting, and creating a well-written mystery filled with suspense, romance, and at times, danger!

Ms. Tree - Deadline (The Fourth Ms. Tree Graphic Novel)

Re-reading all of these Ms. Tree stories has reminded me just how much I truly enjoyed this series. I followed the book from the beginning at Eclipse, through its change in publishers to Aardvark-Vanaheim, then to Renegade Press, and finally to DC Comics, where her final stories were published (those were reprinted in the first two volumes of this graphic novel series from Titan).  I love the character, I love the art, I love the writing, I love the supporting cast, I love the stories - I love literally everything about this series (other than the fact that we are not getting any new stories!).  This collection of stories definitely reminded me of just how unafraid Collins and Beatty were to tackle some very adult, very topical subjects - such as child molesters, the porn industry, beauty pageant scandals, vigilante justice, and so much more.  While the style was very noir in a lot of ways, the stories were definitely dark and ripped straight from the headlines in many cases.  I think that's part of what I love about the character and the series - it was fictional, but it gave readers a true sense of justice that we many times don't get to see in the real world.

Ms. Tree: Deadline begins the stories from the Aardvark-Vanaheim run, but also throws in a couple of tales from the Renegade Press run (for reasons explained below).  Now one must realize that when I was first introduced to the character of Ms. Tree, it was in the first issue of Eclipse Comics' Ms. Tree's Thrilling Detective Adventures, which was a full-color comic featuring not only Ms. Tree, but also the Mike Mist Minute Mysteries and back-up stories of The Scythe (along with Frank Miller's detective pin-up centerfolds).  I had never read Ms. Tree's run in the Eclipse Magazine, which told of her marriage to Mike Tree, his murder, and her take-over of the detective agency.  Those chapter were in black-and-white, and since I missed that era, I was solely used to seeing Ms. Tree in full color.  Thus, when Collins and Beatty took the character over to Aardvark-Vanaheim, and the title switched from full color to what Collins called "duo-tone" (basically black and white with one extra color thrown in to highlight certain elements of the panels), it was a bit jarring for me.  However, that first issue published by Aardvark-Vanaheim (which was actually issue 10 of the ongoing series) was the perfect beginning to this new era for Ms. Tree.

Issue 10 begins the eight-part "Deadline" story, which was the perfect way to introduce readers to this new look to the series.  Not only was the first chapter aptly titled "Black and White and Red All Over" (a cute dig at the fact the book was not printed in black and white, with the first issues using red as the duotone color), but it also deals with a newspaper columnist who is intent on telling Ms. Tree's story - and ultimately snags her cooperation when he reveals the latest victim of the singles slasher was a witness ready to testify against Dominic Muerta!  (And, of course, anyone familiar with Ms. Tree knows the Muerta family is her life-long sworn enemy!)  The story takes Ms. Tree into an investigation into the singles slasher, to determine if the last victim's death was merely a copycat killing, or if there was another connection between him and the other victims.  The first two issues used red in the duotone process, but the third issue switched to blue, before returning to red for issue 13, containing the final two chapters of the "Deadline" tale.  Collins writes a fantastic murder mystery, and you have to really look close to pick up on the clues that lead to the identity of the killer (which is something I enjoy about Ms. Tree - not only do you get the written mystery, but you get the visual clues provided by Beatty's art that help lead you to the solution!).

Issues 14 and 15 tell the story of Lt. Rafe Valer's sister in "Skin Deep."  This one, although short (lasting only two issues, with four chapters), was a bit unique, in that we had Rafe coming to Ms. Tree for help, knowing full well her methods for getting things done - and perhaps, after all, that IS why he chose to go to her.  This tale somewhat mirrors the scandal that followed Vanessa Williams, who was crowned Miss America for 1984, when nude photos of her were released without her permission.  In Ms. Tree's story, Veronica Valer is being blackmailed with photos she had allowed a former boyfriend to take.  Needless to say, the ex-boyfriend turns up dead, and Ms. Tree has to not only find the killer, but track down those photos before Veronica's life is ruined forever.  These two issues also feature the first appearance of Harry Rynd, the publisher of King Leer men's magazine (who makes a few more appearances in the series).  These issues came out in December 1984 and January 1985, not long after the Williams' scandal broke, so even though the story is clearly taken from that real life situation, Collins weaves it into a wickedly good murder mystery.

The next two issues hit a bit closer to home for Ms. Tree, with the first "Runaway" story.  Ms. Tree is asked to track down a girl who ran away from home four years prior, but she turns it down, believing the trail is long cold.  But when her adopted son, Mike, runs away, she finds herself teaming up with a social worker, Glenn Harwood to try and find him (and also find the person who has been murdering young boys in the area).  The story is definitely one of the darker ones of Ms. Tree's career, dealing not only with runaway teens and the sometimes horrific consequences of those actions, but also with pedophilia, a topic few people really want to address.  But Collins and Beatty hold nothing back, which makes for a chilling read (and a loud cheer when Ms. Tree gives the rapist/killer the justice he deserves!).

Instead of continuing the stories sequentially, this collection jumps ahead to issues 32 through 34, which contains the six-chapter sequel to "Runaway," aptly titled "Runaway II."  In this sequel, a father asks Ms. Tree to help him find the person who killed his daughter - a runaway who turned to a life in porn.  It makes sense this story is collected her, as it sees the return of both Glenn Harwood (who is trying to convince a runaway-turned-pornstar to give up that life) and Harry Rynd of King Leer (who is actually helping the runaway-turned-pornstar start her own film company).  While not quite as dark as the first "Runaway" story, it does delve into the filthier side of the porn industry, including underage girls, drugs, and mob connections (let's remember, this is Ms. Tree, so the Muerta connections are never really that far away...).  These issues were originally published in 1986, which year also saw the release of the final report on the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, which was allegedly researched and written for the purpose of determining "the nature, extent, and impact on society of pornography in the United States" and to recommend ways to contain the spread of pornography, "consistent with constitutional guarantees." (Attorney General's Commission on Pornography).  Thus, Collins and Beatty once again managed to tackle some very topical and timely issues with Ms. Tree

The final comic story reprinted in this collection is a two-chapter Mike Mist/Ms. Tree crossover titled "Death, Danger, and Diamonds."  Mist calls in Ms. Tree to help him track down the con-men who killed a woman he loved after she turned on them.  The case takes them to Hawaii, where they pose as a troubled married couple in order to trick the con-men (and their new female companion) into revealing themselves so Mist and Ms. Tree can take them down (and, of course, Ms. Tree doesn't just take them down, she takes them out!).  It's always fun to see these two characters interact, as Collins gives them a natural rapport that makes you smile as you read their banter.  This story is strictly black and white, having originally been published as a 3-D take in Ms. Tree 3-D (1985), and later reprinted without the 3-D in The Files of Ms. Tree, Volume 3 (1986).

I'm thoroughly enjoying re-reading these stories, and the only sad thing about it is that I know eventually all the Ms. Tree comics will be reprinted, and that will be the end.  I really, REALLY wish Collins and Beatty would get back together and put out some new Ms. Tree fare, as this character is just too great to fade into comic obscurity...

RATING:  10 unidentified bodies in the morgue out of 10 for continuing to share these classic tales of Ms. Tree with longtime fans and a new generation of readers who will, hopefully, keep her alive for a long time to come!

The Hollow Wall Mystery - a Mystery Story for Girls

This was the final book I needed to complete my set of Mildred Wirt's Mystery Stories for Girls series, and I was beginning to think I'd never find a copy in dust jacket reasonably priced so I could buy it.  Well, this past December, on my way home from Kentucky, I chanced upon an antique mall in Chattanooga, Tennessee with a booth filed with children's series books.  As I was browsing through, seeing quite a few books I already had in my collection, I came across the spine for this book.  My heart soared, but I kept myself in check, figuring the book would be out of my price range - so imagine my surprise when I discovered the book, with a beautiful, barely chipped dust jacket, was only $20!  Needless to say, I snatched it up and bought it as quickly as I could!  And now, I at last had the chance to sit down and read it, and I must say, I had a sense of deja vu reading the story.

The Hollow Wall Mystery is set in Mexico and stars Sally Lansing and Victoria Rand, along with Victoria's younger brother, Roger.  Victoria's Aunt Margaret had invited the girls to come visit (and Roger ends up hitchhiking his way down from Texas), and the girls become intrigued with the house next door, which has a wall built all the way around it.  At the front gate sits a peon (the term used to describe the poor Mexican men in this book), who keeps an eye on anyone who attempts to enter the property.  The girls believe there is a mystery associated with the house, as its owner, Senor Mercedes, rarely admits visitors and is known to have a strong dislike for anyone American.  Their belief is only strengthened when they see a girl in an upstairs window, who is pulled away before she can communicate with them!  Is the girl being held captive in the house?  Who is she, and how can they find out?

Wirt sets up an ambiguous mystery from the start that eventually develops into a dangerous tale of bandits, stolen inheritances, secret passages, kidnappings, mistaken identities, and a shoot out!  The young girl, Dolores Mercedes, turns out to be living with her uncle, who keeps her isolated, particularly from Americans (and one young man in particular!).  She had thought her father died a wealthy man, but her uncle claims otherwise, indicating he had to bail out her father several times before his passing.  Dolores tells the girls that on his death bed, her father had said something about a hollow wall, but she was unsure the importance of those words, or if he was simply delirious.  Eventually, when Senior Mercedes moves his niece to a remote property, it is revealed the wall surrounding that property has a portion that is hollow, and in that wall, the girls discover a very important clue that could change everything for poor Dolores!

I do like all three of the main characters - Wirt fleshes them out nicely, so they each have their own distinct personalities that work great together.  They have a fun, natural banter when they are joking around, while they compliment one another's strengths when the going gets tough.  Roger has a natural boy's attitude that gets easily bored, while at the same time, is not afraid to take daring risks (such as climbing the tree to place a note in the secret box hidden in the crook of a tree on the neighbor's property - which scene also happens to be the front illustration).  Victoria and Sally are both ready to help poor Dolores, and their debates on course of action feel very natural when reading them.  It's a shame we did not get to see more of these characters in other books.

One scene I did want to make particular mention of involves a mean trick that Roger plays on his sisters (and a young, unwanted suitor of Dolores).  The girls come across Roger playing with two kittens.  When they hear the young sutior next door trying to sing to Dolores, Roger says he is going to put a stop to that singing.  "I'm going to tie these cats' tails together and hang them over a limb of that tree by the wall" (p. 68).  Just like the girls, I was horrified at the thought and could not believe Wirt would write this into one of her books!  When the girls start hearing "the wildest caterwauling imaginable" (p. 69), the girls rush to save the kittens - only to discover Roger was making the noises himself.  I was relieved to know Wirt would not actually have a character follow through with such a horrid threat; but the very idea of doing that to two kittens was enough to stir up my ire!

Another interesting tidbit is seen near the end, when the girls overhear Senor Mercedes making plans with his bandits.  He tells his henchman he will leave instructions "under the three-cornered stone at the end of the trail" (p. 181).  A "three-cornered" stone?   This is basically a triangular-shaped stone, but I find it interesting that Wirt specifically refers to it as a "three-cornered" stone, when just one year prior (1935), the Dana Girls solved "A Three-Cornered Mystery" (which, coincidentally enough, was the last Dana Girls book written by Leslie McFarlane before Wirt took over writing the series with the fifth book).

 

Getting back to that sense of deja vu that I felt reading this book, it probably comes from the fact that the story has a lot of similar elements as Helen Randolph's The Mystery of Carlitos (you can read my review of that book here: The Mystery of Carlitos).  Both stories are set in Mexico, both stories involve three youngsters trying to help a young child claim his/her rightful inheritance, both stories have criminals who are hiding out in a cave, both stories have the girls climbing up a steep trail to reach the cave, and both stories have a dying parent that provides a clue to something important to their nurse while on their deathbed.  Interestingly enough, both books show a copyright of 1936 - thus, if both were published the same year, there's really no way of knowing who got the idea from whom.  I guess like with every series book, we'll just chalk it up to coincidence!  (And there are certainly plenty of those in this story - when Victoria's purse is stolen, the man who catches the thief and returns her purse just happens to be the young American pursuing Dolores; when the three youngsters are invited to stay at a hacienda for a weekend, it just happens to be the very one Senor Mercedes has taken Dolores to keep her away from the Americans; when they visit a pawn shop that will be holding an auction, they just happen to visit the very one where Dolores' stolen pin was pawned; Roger just happening to be on hand to rescue the girls from being held captive in the cave; and so on....)

As in Randolph's book, the use of the word "peon" to describe poor Mexicans is used repeatedly throughout this story.  Other than that, though, there is not really much racist or xenophobic slurs in this story - a lot less than I've seen in some of Wirt's other mysteries.  Further, her descriptions of Mexico and the villages, people, buildings, etc. is not extremely detailed, leading me to wonder if she was writing the book based on research of Mexico rather than actually having visited there.  

Overall, I did enjoy the story, and the girls' plot to foil Senor Mercedes' plan was rather fun to see (or rather, read) them execute.  Definitely a story I would recommend, especially to fans of Wirt's writing.

RATING:  8 papier-mache animal masks painted in gaudy red, black and yellow out of 10 for providing a unique hiding place for an inheritance-saving clue!

Nancy Drew Diaries, No. 25 - What Disappears in Vegas ...

The Nancy Drew Diaries series reaches its 25th mystery with the publication of What Disappears in Vegas ... It's been a year since book 24 was released, and with this book, we see not only a longer story (more than 250 pages, if you can believe that!), but it also sees some major shifts in tone for the story.  Now, for a character that has been around for nearly 95 years, with literally hundreds upon hundreds of stories written, one should not be surprised that authors want to take the character in new directions and try some different things.  It's a way to keep the characters fresh and the readers coming back for more.  However, not really sure if the "changes" in this story are necessarily the right ones.

What Disappears in Vegas ... takes Nancy, Bess, and George to Las Vegas to attend the wedding of Bess and George's cousin, Veronica.  Now, it's always nice to see more relatives of Bess and George (remember the extended family from The Sign of the Twisted Candles?); however, it would have been nice to figure out just how Veronica connected with the cousins.  Thinking logically, since Bess and George have different last names, it goes without saying that they are connected by their mothers (whose names would have changed when they married Mr. Marvin and Mr. Fayne).  Veronica's last name is Vasquez, whose last name would have come from her father.  It's doubtful either Bess's mom or George's mom was a "Vasquez," and so, it must be assumed that it is Veronica's mother who is related to the family.  And if she were related to Bess's dad or George's dad, then she would have technically been cousin to only Bess or George and not both.  Therefore, it can be reasoned that Veronica's mother is connected with Bess's and George's mothers.  In order to be a strict cousin, she would have to be their mothers' sister; however, she could be related more distantly, and the girls still refer to Veronica as "cuz," since second and third cousins, even twice removed, would still be generally referred to as a cousin.  SO - if that hasn't totally confused you (because I'll admit, even I had a difficult time weaving my way through all of that familial relations), let's take a look at the story.

The mystery, such as it is, involves the disappearance of Veronica quite literally just as she is about to walk down the aisle.  She heads to the elevator, going back to her room to pin in her veil before actually walking the aisle - the only problem is, she never comes back.  The debate rages - did she leave of her own accord, deciding not to marry her fiance, Xavier, an extreme sports fanatic?  Or did something more nefarious happen to her?  Was she kidnapped?  Or worse?  While relatives and family friends debate the issue, Nancy goes into sleuth mode.  With the help of Bess and George, they manage to connive their way into the hotel's security room, where they discover Veronica did disguise herself before leaving the hotel. But the question remains - did she leave on her own, or was she taken?  The clues eventually lead to the revelation that not only was she taken, but it's quite possible her fiance may be the one behind it all!   

 

A far cry from missing wills, sabotage, scheming real estate developers, and greedy heirs - this mystery involves not only a serious kidnapping, but a murder plot as well!  SPOILER ALERT - if you don't want to know some of the details, do not read any further. This mystery delves into the darker side of humanity, as it is revealed that an insurance policy was taken out on Veronica very recently - and when Nancy and the policy discover Xavier and Veronica were legally married weeks ago, it places a whole new light on the situation.  Would Xavier kill his own wife in order to get the insurance proceeds to get his business out of debt?  There are not really that many suspects in this story, so it is not too difficult to pick out the culprit - but it is rather shocking that a Nancy Drew mystery (not one of the Files, mind you) would deal with a plot to murder someone.  

Another aspect of this book that was rather surprising is the number of references to alcohol.  While Nancy, Bess, and George never pick up a drink or even intimate that they want one, there are numerous references to cocktail parties, bars, and drinks in general.  The girls are even forced to share an elevator ride with an inebriated wedding guest!  Looking back, I don't recall any of the Nancy Drew books (main series, not the Files, On Campus, or Super Mystery series) every presenting alcohol in such an upfront manner as this.  And while I do realize most weddings to have champagne or other alcoholic drinks, it just seems out of place in a Nancy Drew mystery (and, quite frankly, the references have absolutely no bearing on the story itself - so why are they there?).  

On the other side of the coin, we do finally get a semi-sorta reference to Nancy's age in this book (the Diaries series has been notorious for keeping mum about Nancy's age).  When the girls' begin their investigation into the disappearance of Veronica, the first thing Nancy does is head into the casino.  Bess's first comment is, "Are we even allowed to be here? ... Aren't we underage?" (p. 110).  The legal age to gamble in Nevada is 21 years old, but those 18 and older are allowed to go through casinos, so long as they are walking through and not lingering.  Thus, the girls' plan to get into the security room by convincing the hotel security that they are "underage" could refer to the fact they are under 21 (and unable to gamble) or under 18 (and not allowed to linger on the casino floor).  Thus, while avoiding a reference to a specific age, we can at least rest assured that the girls are under 21, and quite possibly under 18.  

Now, the one thing that probably annoyed me most while reading this book was the use of the word "cuz."  I can't even begin to count how many times Bess and George referred to each other as "cuz," and they also referred to Veronica as "cuz."  I realize that is a slang term for cousin, and had it only been used once or twice, it would not have been so bad.  But it was repeatedly used over and over and over, to the point where it felt like the author was trying to beat the reader over the head with it.  There are numerous other ways to show the girls are current with the times other than emphasizing one slang term again and again.  

Overall, it was not a bad read, but this would have been better had Nancy and her friends been aged to 21 and this been presented as an adult Nancy Drew mystery.  

One final note - it is interesting that the "diary" entry at the end of the story ends with Nancy asking the question, "Who knows what's in store for Future Nancy Drew?"  The lack of advertisement for the next mystery (which usually appears on the back cover of the paperbacks in this series, or the back inside flap of the hard covers), and the lack of any solicit on Amazon or elsewhere for a book 26 brings into question the future of the Nancy Drew Diaries series - and this final question at the end only emphasizes that concern.  There has been considerable chatter online, both about this and the Hardy Boys series (since there is no solicit for a Hardy Boys Adventure book at all in 2024), and while it has been said S&S is still keeping these series going, I will be curious to see if it will a continuation of the Diaries and Adventures series, or if we will see another reboot now that both series have hit their 25th books.  I guess we will have to wait and see...

RATING:  7 flyboard rides over a tropical pool out of 10 for giving readers a longer story and breaking away from the "sabotage" trope to try something different.

Objects of Desire - A Rita Mars Thriller (#2)

This is a series that I am reading because the author is a personal friend of a very good friend of mine.  While I have never met the author, Valerie Webster, personally, my good friend knows her and can't speak highly enough of her.  In fact, my friend is named in the Acknowledgements at the beginning of this book, as he helped edit the book!  And since I enjoyed the first book in this series (a little more than a year ago, my review at Rita Mars - Driven), I went into this story with some high hopes (and expectations).

Objects of Desire, like the first book, finds the title character, investigative reporter turned private investigator Rita Mars, working on two cases at the same time.  The "main" case, and the one that is promoted on the back of the book, involves the disappearance of Rita's ex-partner.  Did she disappear on her own?  Was she kidnapped?  Was she murdered?  No one knows what happened for sure, but a crusading cop with a major chip on his shoulder is out to pin the disappearance on Rita, which, of course, makes it very difficult for Rita to investigate - since every move she makes, the cop sees it as an admittance of guilt and an act on the part of Rita to cover her tracks!  Even with help and advice from Captain Smooth, Rita has to watch her every step, or she may wind up behind bars (which, quite frankly, she does at one point in the story!).

The second case that Rita is investigating, to me, is the much more interesting story.  Rita is hired to investigate a non-profit organization, whose new treasurer has sparked some mistrust for one of the employees - an employee who happens to know both Rita and her ex.  Rita agrees to look into the organizations' finances, posing as a risk assessment investigator.  She doesn't expect to find much, and basically has the case low on her list of priorities while she tries to figure out what happened to her ex.  But the more she digs into the non-profit and its new treasurer, the more questions she begins to find - one of the biggest being the treasurer's complete lack of history beyond just a couple of years ago and her unusual efforts to keep anyone from having access to the non-profit's financial records.  Well, being the curious one that she is, Rita digs deeper and begins to discover that the secrets and lies go much farther than simple embezzlement - and, in fact, the organization could be the target of some very dangerous, very "underworld" type people!

Webster flits back and forth between the two investigations, even giving us glimpses of the missing ex and her captor (whose identity is not given until Rita uncovers the truth about two-thirds through the story).  The kidnapped ex was, honestly, less exciting, as it was simply Rita going from contact to contact in order to find any clue as to the whereabouts of her ex and the identity of who might have taken her.  Other than her confrontations with the police officer, there was not really that much excitement or danger.  The non-profit story, however - that one really amped the excitement in this book.  The more she delved into it, the more dangerous it became - a shell company's registered agent who made it clear she was not welcome; a couple of thugs who threaten her life, warning her to back off the case; the game of cat and mouse with the treasurer, who knows Rita is on to her; and a vicious attack on her life in her own home when she unlocks the evidence to show exactly who is behind the non-profit's money issues!  This story felt very much like an adult Nancy Drew tale - I just wish we had gotten more of a payoff at the end, as it felt like most of the resolution occurred off-screen (so to speak), and we never got to see Rita face off against the scheming treasurer as she is taken down for her crimes against the non-profit.

This second book does offer up some more supporting cast members, all of whom I enjoyed greatly!  Rita's mom is a real hoot - her mental and physical health are declining, but she's still quick as a whip when it comes to recognizing the same signs in Rita that she saw in Rita's father, who was a law enforcement officer, and she's not afraid to call Rita out on them.  She's also a sly little cookie, who can pull the little innocent act, all the while having full knowledge of what's going on.  I love her!  There's also Rowell, the computer hack who is able to assist her in not only protecting herself against the invasive police officer who is watching her every move, but also help her dig into the finances and history of the non-profit and its not-so-honest treasurer.  He has a quirky personality that immediately endears him to you, and I definitely hope to see more of him in the future!  And then there's that ferocious rabbit hunter, The Great White Hunter (Rita's big, rangy tabby) - he may not have any lines to speak, but he definitely makes his presence known in the story!  And for me, anyone who loves cats, well, that's an automatic plus in my book!

Now, let's talk about the cover to this book.  I'm not really certain of the point to this cover, as it does not in any way convey the mysteries that lay within its pages.  To me, this screams "Sex Sells!" and is a poor attempt to attract readers based solely on two women, who appear to be nude or near nude, holding each close in a sensual manner.  Quite frankly, the cover to the first book was more appealing than this one.  Based on the cover alone, this is not a book I would have picked up, as it appears more like lesbian erotica than a mystery/thriller.  Not sure if this was an author choice or publisher choice, but I'm hoping the next book in this series (if there is one) sticks to a cover that better relays the type of story it is.

That being said, I did enjoy the story overall.  There was some editing snafus, such as missing quotation marks or a couple of misspelled words.  There were also some continuity errors - for example, at the end of Chapter 3, Rita calls her friend, Mary Margaret Smooth, and tells her about a meeting with her ex's current girlfriend, which did not go well.  In the very next chapter, Rita sits down for lunch with Smooth and once again tells her that she visited her ex's current girlfriend.  Did she perhaps forget she already discussed the visit with her friend?  Another example comes towards the end, when Rita goes to visit an old acquaintance of the kidnapper.  On page 271, the name given is "Lou Ann Kosek," but when Rita reaches Highlandtown on page 276, she ends up meeting and talking with "Ceci Lorta."  There was nothing to indicate Rita had changed her mind and visited someone else, so I was confused as to the change in names.  Perhaps Webster decided to change the name at some point after the story was written, but the one reference slipped through the cracks.

 

Oh, and there was something else in this book that was decidedly different from the first.  Webster spent way too much time going into the history of every building and every place that Rita visited in the book.  If the locale's or building's history played an actual part of the story, that would be one thing - but reading the history of every single place Rita went grew a bit tedious, and it began to feel more like padding than actual story elements.  Not sure why this was done, but as it continued throughout the book, it began to pull me out of the story, and I started skimming over those paragraphs, as they held nothing pertinent to either one of the cases at hand.

In any event, these things did not fully detract from my enjoyment of the embezzlement story, and similar to the first book, one of the two cases turned out to be much better to read than the other.  If a third book is forthcoming, we'll have to see if it follows this same format.

RATING:  7 bags of Oreo cookies out of 10 for expanding the cast with some lovable characters and giving the reader cases completely unlike either of the ones in the first book - way to keep it fresh!

Helen Ford - a Story for Girls by Horatio Alger Jr.

This book is an oddity for a number of reasons.  First, I'm not really a fan of Horatio Alger Jr - the only books I have by him are the series of "Ragged Dick" books that I purchased from Nancy Axelrad a few years back when she was selling her collection, and quite frankly, I haven't read any of those.  Second, it is a stand-alone book, not a part of any series, and other than the Whitman and Goldsmith books, I don't usually buy books that are not a part of a series. And third, it is one of Alger's few books that has a female protagonist - most of his books feature boys as the main characters.  In fact, from the listing of Alger books I was able to find on line, it appears this is one of only two or possibly three books that feature women (or girls) as the lead characters!  And what's even more interesting is that this book is said to have been marketed as an "adult" novel, but it met with limited success.  I'm not sure how much truth there is to that, as the book definitely reads much like the children's books of the early 20th Century and not at all like an adult story.

Helen Ford was first published in 1866 - the copy I have, published by The John C. Winston Company, does not have any other publication date, so I can't exactly say when my copy was published.  All I do know is based on the condition, it was definitely the latter part of the 19th Century or very early part of the 20th Century.  In any event, I came across this book through my father, who called me from a used book store in Campbellsville, Kentucky where he lives.  Via the joys of FaceTime, he was showing me the vintage books they had on their shelves, and I saw that title with the name Alger on the spine, so I asked him to show me more.  I was intrigued by the fact the title was a female's name, yet the cover showed a young boy with a suitcase, with the Statue of Liberty in the background.  The price was cheap enough, so even though the book showed considerable wear, I told him to buy it, as I was curious to read it.  It was months before I actually got the book (as I didn't want him to ship it, based on the age and condition), and now that I have it, I read it VERY CAREFULLY to avoid causing any more damage to the book than what already existed.

The story centers around a young girl in her early teens by the name of Helen Ford.  Like Nancy Drew, her mother died was she was young, and her only family was her father.  Unlike our intrepid sleuth, Helen Ford and her father, Robert, are extremely poor.  The story begins with them moving into a boarding house in New York City.  Helen basically takes care of her father, who she believes is a genius working on an invention that will eventually reward them with riches once he is able to complete it (they never actually come right out and say what the invention is, but the descriptions all seem to lead to the idea of an airplane conveyance of some sort).  As such, Helen manages the finances, and when money begins to run out, she must find a means to support herself and her father.  Through the aid of a friendly neighbor, she ends up getting a job in the theater, where her singing talent wows the audiences and earns her a contact with the theater to perform regularly for a weekly wage. She and her father befriend another neighbor boy, who is a struggling artist hoping to eventually sell his paintings in order to make a name for himself, and Helen's caring, mature nature also wins over the woman who runs the boarding house (but not the older woman who lives downstairs and thinks herself to be above all others in the building!). 

The most interesting aspects of this tale come from the unscrupulous relative who Alger brings into the picture - a cousin, one Lewis Rand, who has been caring for Robert Ford (actually, Robert Rand)'s father since Robert and he became estranged (due to Robert marring a woman beneath the family's station, causing Mr. Rand to disown his son). Lewis was intent on becoming Mr. Rand's only heir, but as fate would have it, they also resided in New York City, and a chance sighting of Robert and Helen walking down the street stirred up the ill Mr. Rand's hopes that he might be reconciled with his son!  Lewis, however, had already hatched a plan to make Mr. Rand think his son had died years ago in Chicago, and this unfortunate sighting was apt to rob him of his chance to inherit a fortune.  Lewis goes to great lengths (and engages in several illegal activities) to keep his father and cousin apart and ensure that he inherits his uncle's vast fortune - in fact, the story is very much soap opera-worthy, as the elements will likely seem familiar to anyone who has watched General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, or any other soap for any length of time.  Of course, just as the soap opera stories show, these lies and machinations have a way of unraveling, and Alger's story is no different.

 

The story has a number of characters, both good and bad, that I enjoyed reading.  Helen's neighbor, Martha Grey, who was always encouraging  Helen, and for whom Helen developed an almost mother/daughter relationship with, was so sweet.  And her other neighbor, Herbert Coleman (the young artist), becomes very much a protective older brother to our young heroine.  Yet, in both instances, it turns out to be Helen who takes on the more adult role in caring for both of these characters, and it is ultimately Helen who provides the way for both Martha and Herbert to lead betters lives.  Then there is Mr. Sharp, the lawyer, who at the beginning of the story appears to be unscrupulous and willing to do anything to make a dollar, but who, by the end of the tale, has changed his colors and becomes a friend to Helen and her father, becoming the tool by which the Fords (a/k/a the Rands) obtain their rightful inheritance. There is also Margaret Wynne, the wife of the forger, who discovers more than she bargains for when she witnesses her husband's transaction with Lewis Rand to forge the will of his dying uncle.  Like a good soap opera, one secret after another spills out as lies upon lies are uncovered, and she finds herself holding the all-important secret that will affect so many lives - that of her husband, his client, his client's uncle, and poor young Helen and her father!

The writing of this book is a bit different than the standard children's mystery fare that I'm used to reading. Alger has no problem changing points-of-view, alternating quite often between Helen, Lewis, and even some of Lewis' ne'er-do-wells that are helping him with his scheme.  Thus, the reader is able to see into the minds of both the good guys and the bad guys in this story, and in a couple of instances, we are able to see how Lewis' actions affect more than simply his own family (such as the wife of the man Lewis hires to forge a new will that bequeaths him everything from his uncle's estate).  Additionally, as the narrator, Alger has no problem inserting his own personal comments and observations into the story.  His commentary on Helen's innocence, the ultimate consequences of Lewis' actions, and even the attitudes and personalities of the various characters adds a little something extra to the story that I found myself enjoying - almost like an omniscient being that is watching the story is giving us (the readers) commentary to go along with our reading.

Ultimately, all works out in favor of young Helen and her father, and she even is able to help out her two neighbors at the boarding house who had been so kind to them.  Surprisingly, the last chapter gives readers an epilogue of sorts, as Alger jumps again four years to show us the lives of Helen, her father, and her neighbors (Martha Grey and Herbert Coleman) and how they have vastly improved from their impoverished circumstances just years before.  There's a clear moral that honesty and integrity will ultimately be rewarded in the end, and the reader is left with feeling of joy and satisfaction for young Helen.

Admittedly, I went online to see if I could find a copy of the book with a dust jacket, but I was not able to even locate an image of any dust jacket (if this book even came with one).  I did, however, discover several variations of the cover for this book, and one odd thing they all had in common - every cover featured a young boy - whether it be a young boy carrying newspapers, seeming to jump off the cover, or a young boy carrying what appears to be a letter to be mailed, or even a young newspaper boy hawking his wares.  At the same time, I discovered the cover for the book I own was also used on other Alger books (such as Do and Dare, which features the same exact boy in front of the Statue of Liberty, only a different color board).  This leads me to believe that the publishers apparently used the same cover boards for a variety of titles, and the covers had absolutely no relation to the story inside.  Odd, though, that they did not at least use a cover board that featured a girl for a story that is all about a young girl, eh?

 

One last thing I noticed in this book is the strange numbering that appeared at the bottom of certain pages throughout the book.  For example, at the bottom of page 13 was the number "2, while at the bottom of page 25 was the number "3."  Page 37 has the number "4" at the bottom, while page 49 had the number "5" at the bottom; and so the numbers increased as the book continued.  Interspersed among these, I found increasing numbers with an asterisk after them (such as "4*").  Both the numbering and the asterisk-numbering ended with "25" in the last chapters of the book.  I had no idea what this was, so I did some digging around online and discovered these are "signature marks," which were used back in the day to ensure book-binders could put the books together in the correct order when printing and binding the books.  Learn something new every day!

RATING:  9 paintings of old farmhouses out of 10 for an enjoyable tale of perseverance and overcoming adversity, where right most assuredly wins over wrong every time!

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

We now come to the 21st book in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, first published in 1944.  Now, those who have been reading this blog may say, "Wait, you already reviewed this book back in 2020," and you'd be wrong. I did review a version of this book (The Secret in the Old Attic - Revised Text), but that was the 1970 revision of this story, which was written by Priscilla Baker-Carr.  This time around, I read the original 1944 version of the story, and with this read, I was looking beyond the surface of the story to see just what its author, Mildred Wirt (Benson) had to offer.  As one of my fellow book-club members observed, this original text version very much feels like a book-end to the previous story, The Clue in the Jewel Box (OT 1943).  Of course, once you read both books, you'll have to be the judge of that yourself!

The Secret in the Old Attic is based on an outline by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, and like the revised version, the story centers around some stolen songs, as well as a stolen formula.  This  original tale, however, also plays more into a romantic element that does not feature so much in the revised.  This part of the tale begins at the end of the first chapter, where the point of view switches from Nancy Drew to an unspecified girl ho intercepts a telegram meant for Nancy (p. 8).  From here, the reader learns that Nancy is unaware of a dance coming up at Emerson College, somewhat disheartened that Ned had not asked her yet.  Instead, we get introduced to Horace Lally, a senior at Emerson who asks Nancy to go with him (p. 11).  Poor Horace is described as conceited, so Nancy declines his invitation.  But Horace is not one to give up easily!  He makes more efforts several times in the story (p. 32 and p. 105), going so far as to hint that there is going to be a special announcement at the dance that she will not want to miss (p. 32)!  

 

Running alongside this part of the story is that of Diane Dight, the daughter of a man Carson is investigating (and who he asks Nancy to investigate as well) - she is said to have gone to school with Nancy, but is a little older, and she is described as "spoiled and willful, but attractive looking" (p. 55).  Later in the story, Nancy is shocked to find Diane reading a letter from ... well, no, that would be telling (and since Wirt didn't reveal it in the story at this point, why would I spoil it here?), and it leaves Nancy in a real quandry.  By the end of the story (okay, here comes the big spoilers!), readers learn that Diane intercepted the telegram, which was from Ned, sent him a fake one so that she could trick him into inviting her to the dance instead (pp. 207-08).  Along the way, we also learn that Horace Lally and Diane Dight are cousins (p. 122) - now if that isn't a big coincidence!  While Wirt never actually has Nancy come out and say it, her actions in the story make it clear her heart is torn over the fact that Ned had not invited her to the dance.

Oh, and did I mention that on the second page of the story, Carson is thinking about his daughter, knowing that "some day Nancy would probably marry and leave him..." (p. 2).  I think this is the first, and probably only, time that I've ever actually seen Mr. Drew consider his daughter's future and that she would marry, settle down, and no longer be a constant in his home.  This pondering (along with the rest of the paragraph) are completely omitted in the revised text.  In fact, the entire subplot with Diane and Horace was removed when the text was revised, so readers miss out on the romantic entanglements and confusion of Nancy and Ned and Diane and Horace!

Now, comparing the original with the revised - while the revised maintains some of the Gothic elements, the writing of the original is definitely stronger with the spookier mood associated with Gothic.  The very description of Pleasant Hedges brings to mind the old, worn mansions one would expect to find in traditional Gothic tales:

[the] house was a rambling structure, partly covered with vines. There was a stone section at one end, but the rest was built of clapboards, now badly weatherbeaten.  A loose shutter swung back and forth, creaking on its rusty hinges... (pp. 15-16)

One can easily picture the scene and hear the shutter as the wind moved it back and forth, the eerie squeak resounding through the house as it did.  And the ending of Chapter II, with the bat flying through the window directly at Bess, while Mr. March cries out from somewhere down below in the house (p. 21) would frighten any young reader.  There's also the baby cradle rocking in the empty attic (p. 38), the thunderstorm with the loud crash, causing Nancy to lose her balance (p. 40), the long bony arm reaching out towards Nancy's throat (p. 49), the shadow that seems to come alive (p. 106), the hidden room in the attic (p. 177), the description of the strong wind that rattled the windows ... the train whistle in the distance ... the mournful wail (p. 187), and even the strong uneasiness that comes over Nancy while she sits in the darkened house (p. 188) - there's even a reference to the clock chiming at the "witching" hour (p. 194) and the flickering candle that reveals a giant shadow coming up behind Nancy (p. 196).  This does not even take into account the ongoing themes of spiders, empty attics, lost loves, hidden passages, and the trapped female, waiting for certain death (p. 200).  All of these things, when combined, manage to create an eerie, frightening atmosphere that sets the reader's heart racing, leaving the reader to wonder exactly what is going to happen next.  This is probably some of Wirt's best writing when it comes to Gothic tropes.

As with a number of the original text stories, I did manage to learn a few new things from the book.  A "bandbox" (p. 20) is an old fashioned cardboard box, usually circular, that was used to store and carry ladies' hats.  I had always heard them referred to simply as "hatboxes," but apparently "bandbox" was a term used back when this book was written.  I also learned that "jumping spiders" and "flying spiders" (p. 79) are apparently very real!  Not something I really want to think about, that's for sure.  And Nancy's tale about "King Bruce of Scotland..." (p. 126) that Nancy reveals involves a spider that ultimately results in the saving of a kingdom (p. 131) is actually based on a factual story - "Robert the Bruce" was Scotland's outlaw king (actor Chris Pine played him in a Netflix film about that character), and legend has it while Bruce was hiding in a cave, he watched a spider trying to build a web, climbing, falling, climbing again, falling again, repeating this process over and over until the web was built - and from this, Bruce allegedly realized "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again," which led him to ultimately defeat the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, despite being outnumbered!  Wirt (or Adams) managed to work in some real history for readers to discover.

 

There is also reference to a "Princess Mary tin" (p. 71), which was a real thing back n 1914, Princess Mary wanted to do something for the men in the armed forces, so the 17-year old princess launched an appeal to ensure every serviceman received a gift for Christmas that year, and the gift turned out to be tin boxes containing various things, each decorated with an image of Mary and/or other military and imperial symbols.  And in Old Attic, Mr. March reveals to Nancy that his life was saved from a bullet by a book that he had in his pocket at the time (p. 154); why I mention this is because there is a true story of a young private who, in 1915, happened to be carrying a Princess Mary tin in his breast pocket, and a German bullet aimed at his heart was stopped by the tin container, thus saving his life (Princess Mary Tin Saves a Life)!  Now that, my friends, is much more than a coincidence (apparently Wirt, or even Adams, who wrote the outline, was aware of this tale and managed to insert a version of it into this book!).

And beyond all of this, there is a casual reference to the fact that  "old lace" was originally made by fisherman to catch fish (p. 136).  Turns out this is not far from the truth, as there are romantic tales that date back centuries ago about a woman engaged to marry an Adriatic fisherman, and he gave her a fish net interlaced with a web of seaweed - when her fiance left for war, the woman studied the weave of the net and reproduced its pattern, creating the lace so beautifully woven into ladies' (and men's!) clothing.  Of course, there are a number of other tales of how lace was originally created as well, so it's all subject to investigation (but, of course, all the Besses out there are going to love the romantic element of this origin story!).

One final thing I want to mention, and I don't recall this being the case in the revised text - but there are quite a number of shifts in the point of view throughout this book.  As indicated above, the POV changes at the end of the first chapter, when the unnamed girl intercepts Ned's telegram.  This same POV comes into play again on pages 45-46, where the same unnamed girl worries that Nancy will uncover what she did.  On page 80, the POV shifts from Nancy to Bess and George, as the two cousins reminisce about the time Nancy was elected queen at a previous Emerson Dance (Missing Map, perhaps?).  The biggest switch in point of view, however, occurs with Chapter 12 - THE ENTIRE CHAPTER is told from other characters' points of view - from Mr. Dight, to Hannah, to Horace Lally, to Effie, to Mr. March, and eventually to our villain, Bushy Trott!  Near the end, we get one final POV change, on page 193, when an assailant attacks Mr. March outside his house and leaves him unconscious.  I honestly do not recall ever reading so many pages/chapters told from points of view other than Nancy in one book!

I would say this book does read better than the revised text, and even the revised version is not bad.  There is still so much more that could be discussed about this one - the reference to Tin Pan Alley, the small piano desk that held such valuable secrets, the hidden room in the attic, the number of connections between this book and The Clue in the Jewel Box, the old bottles with George Washington's and Dolly Madison's faces, the description of how rayon is processed, and so much more.  And, probably most of all, I should at least make mention of fact that the original cover art, by Russell Tandy, is still around and is currently owned by a collector in St. Petersburg, Florida!  

If you like spooky tales, then this is the one for you!

RATING:   9 old Currier & Ives prints out of 10 for weaving a frightfully good tale of mystery and romance worthy of the Gothic writers of the past!