Eight Candles Glowing - a Ballantine gothic

Here's another gothic novel I picked up based on the cover.  This one does not have the typical woman running away from a dark mansion in the background; rather, it has a frightened woman, half-turned, looking back at a mysterious, ghostly bride coming down the stairs in the candle light.  This imagery caught my eye for a couple of reasons:  (1) it made me instantly think of Dark Shadows, the gothic television show, when Victoria Winters saw the ghost of Josette DuPres; and (2) it also reminded me of one of Paul Frame's illustrations from the Nancy Drew Ghost Stories published back in the 1980s.  Nevertheless, that gorgeous cover conveys a frightening scene that piqued my curiosity about the story itself - and once I saw on the back description that the story was set in the Florida keys, well, I knew I had to have it.

Eight Candles Glowing is written by Patricia Muse, who, as it turns out, is an actual person and not just a pseudonym.  And what's even more coincidental is the fact that Patricia Alice Muse, from what I could find in my research, was born in Indiana (just above my birth-state of Kentucky!) and moved to Florida as an adult, where she was a substitute teacher in Key West, Florida from 1962-1968 (having obtained her post-graduate studies later at the University of Central Florida).  One source indicated that Muse herself admitted she never thought about being a writer until a close childhood cousin passed away unexpectedly, and she wrote her first book after that (a gothic titled The Belle Claudine, published five years prior to this book).  The author admits she used her cousin's summer home as the setting for that book.  Thus, it should come as no surprise, then, that this book is set in the Florida keys, where Muse herself spent nearly a decade teaching.  Other than Eight Candles Glowing and The Belle Claudine, the only other book I can find attributed to Muse is one titled Sound of Rain.

 

And yes, before you say it, the title to this book does bring to mind a certain Christmas carol (eight candles glowing, seven spirits floating, six creepy houses, etc., etc.).  But this book has nothing to do with Christmas; it is set in the summer.  The protagonist, Jessamyn ("Jess") Jenkins, is a teacher who has started her summer break and has gone to Key West for some rest and relaxation. During a terrible storm, she inadvertently ends up being washed to an isolated island just off the keys, where a bearded man by the name of Reeve Carstairs lives with his son, Tal, his brother-in-law, Adam, and Adam's wife, Becky.  The island is teeming with fauna, and what appears to be a dilapidated house from the outside is actually rather comfortable and well-kept on the inside.  Reeve and Becky treat the injuries Jess sustained during the storm, and when Reeve discovers Jess is a teacher, he asks her to stay on the island for the summer to help teach Tal, who had difficulties at the school this last year.  Oddly enough, despite the isolation and despite the strange behavior of everyone on the island, Jess agrees (which she really was not given much of a choice, since Reeve took her boat back to the mainland before Jess had a chance to wake up!).

Muse does provide a rather dark and supernatural-themed tale of loss, love, and anger as Jess tries to navigate through this very dysfunctional family.  Reeve's emotions run hot and cold - one minute he appears to genuinely love his son and care about Jess, but the next he seems distant and cold towards them both.  Tal begins to warm up to Jess, but he has his own anger issues and turns on Jess without any notice.   Becky seems the most friendly, but that is not saying much, because every time she seems about to tell Jess what is really going on, she clams up and walks away.  And Adam.  Well, poor Adam pretty much just stays in the background, gets a quick mention once-in-a-while, and is never really a part of the story.  And we can't finish talking about the "characters" without talking about the house itself - in this book, the house is definitely a character.  There's that door off of the living room that stays locked; yet, Jess is sure she hears someone moving around in there and has seen a light on behind the curtained window.  There's also that disembodied voice that begs Jess to "help him," which she hears coming from somewhere up the stairs.  And there's that ever-present feeling of someone else in the room, but when she turns around or opens the door, no one is there.  Is it really all in her imagination, as Reeve and Becky suggest, or is there something more sinister going on in that house?

There is a rather intense scene about two-thirds of the way through the story when Tal takes Jess to a hidden cover on the far side of the island in order to go scuba diving.  While exploring a sunken ship, the two of them encounter a shark that follows them back to their small boat - and when they struggle to get aboard as fast as they can, Tal's dog jumps in the water to stave off the shark!  Well, you can imagine how well that goes for the dog.  Muse is not overly descriptive, but definitely provides enough that it breaks your heart - and before you think the incident is merely thrown in to add some horror to the tale, think again.  There is a purpose to what happens, as it is actually the beginning of Jess finally learning the truth of what is going on within the Carstairs' house.  I mean, after all, she did find a couple of graves, one of which was marked with "Reeve Carstairs," leaving her to wonder just who was the man keeping her captive (and with whom she was beginning to fall in love)?

The cover art is a frighteningly beautiful image painted by Boris Vallejo, based on the signature on the bottom right-hand corner of the cover.  Vallejo is a Peruvian-American painter who is most recognized for his science-fiction and fantasy art.  I was not aware he did cover art for gothic titles such as this until I picked up this book.  It is stunning work, and it definitely sets the tone for the book.  I will say, the further I got into the book and did not come across any scene matching the cover, I was beginning to think this was another instance where the publisher simply threw art onto a book without worrying whether it actually fit the story (as a number of gothic publishers did at the time).  However, the scene does eventually appear, and when it does, the title to the book will also make sense to the reader!

As I indicated above, the cover drew me to the book because it not only made me think of Dark Shadows, but more because it resembled an internal illustration from the Nancy Drew Ghost Stories, drawn by Paul Frame.  Both scenes depict a woman in a white dress coming down the stairs; both scenes depict a young woman turning back to look at the ghostly woman; and both scenes appear to be set in a well-to-do house.  I suppose it would make sense that more modern Nancy Drew stories would be inspired by the gothic tales, since the early Nancy Drew stories featured so many gothic elements - stormy nights, hidden staircases, damsels in distress, unscrupulous men who pretend to be good, secret rooms, and countless "jump scares."  Since Eight Candles Glowing came out more than four years prior to the Paul Frame illustration, one can wonder if Frame took a cue from Vallejo's art in creating this scene for the Nancy Drew book.  Regardless, both images of art are beautiful in their own merit.

Now, for as much as I enjoyed the story, there are a couple of things worth mentioning that made me realize even back in the '70s, editing made its fair share of gaffs (although today, there seems to be no editing at all in books hitting the shelves!).  Once instance occurs on page 59, where Jess is apologizing to Becky for putting her through so much work to help her recuperate.  Muse writes, "Becky grunted, a reproachful grunt, as if Jeff shouldn't say such things..."  Who in the world is Jeff, and where did he come from?  Obviously, that was intended to be Jess, but someone's fingers slipped on the typewriter (or printing plate) and hit the "f" instead of the "s" key!  The other snafu can be found on page 86, where it appears something happened with the typesetting, and the paragraphs were scrambled:

He stopped her.  "You know what I mean!" He pushed his chair back from the table and moved his

"Becky will do that later!" it was a command she

plate aside.

"It's a long story, Tal," she said, gathering u their dishes and starting for the door.

stopped in surprise.

As you can see, the lines somehow got jumbled ... line three should have actually followed after that first line; and line five should have followed after line two.  Reading them as they got printed, however, can be very confusing to say the least!  I suppose as quickly as the publishers were pushing out those gothic books back in the day, it was inevitable that errors such as this would slip through the cracks.

Nevertheless, the story was a good one, the protagonist was a young woman worth rooting for, and the mystery was dark enough with the right amount of supernatural hints to it to keep it interesting and intriguing.  Plus, it was set in Florida, so it was an all-around win-win!

RATING:  9 rustling palm fronds out of 10 for a gothic tale of island suspense and locked-room mystery.

A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery, Book 7 - Death in the Spotlight

And so we come to book seven of the Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens (formerly known here in the States as the Wells & Wong Mystery series).  Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong make an irresistibly fun sleuthing duo, and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of their adventures to date.  As the series has progressed, the two young girls have aged and matured, they have learned and mastered new skills, and they have gained considerable experience in deduction and crime-solving.  Now, with this book, I get a combination of things two things I love - mystery and theater!  Combining these things almost made this into the perfect book!  Of course, as you'll note, I said almost...

Death in the Spotlight picks up not long after that short story (Case of the Missing Treasure), in which Daisy and Hazel, along with their friends George and Alexander, have to find a treasure missing from the British Museum shortly after arriving back from their trip to Hong Kong (which was recounted in book six of this series).  Now, Daisy and Hazel are still with Daisy's Uncle Felix and his new wife, "Aunt Lucy," who are determined to keep the girls from getting into trouble (i.e., becoming involved in solving another murder).  In order to this, the girls are signed up to help a local theater stage its production of Romeo and Juliet, since the aunt of a girl at Aunt Lucy's work owns the theater, which provides an "in" for Aunt Lucy to get the girls bit parts in the play.  Daisy is thrilled, but Hazel not so much.  But from the moment they set foot in the theater, things are off.

First, Daisy seems rather not herself, especially around the actress who was originally slated to play Juliet, but who was replaced by an up-and-coming actress who just came off a successful play at another theater.  Second, none of the actors seem overly happy about the play.  Rose (Juliet) is the pure diva, who got the actor cast as Romeo replaced simply because ... ahem ... of the color of his skin.  Obviously, this made Simon (previously Romeo) upset.  Of course, Marita (formerly Juliet) was upset  well, since she was originally cast as the lead.  Then you have Lysander (Romeo), who has been flirting with Rose, but he becomes almost violently jealous when he thinks she is seeing someone else.  Third, Miss Compton (owner) and Inigo (director) both seem more worried about filling the seats in the theater than any of the actors.  Plus, we can't forget Annie (wardrobe), who talks incessantly about everything and anything, and Jim (stage door) who literally lives at the theater and manages to know every single person and enters and leaves the theater.  As with any real theater, the girls soon discover that the real drama is taking place behind the stage...

Stevens weaves a wonderful whodunnit after a body is discovered in a well deep beneath the stage.  The star of the show, Rose Tree (or, as she is sometimes referred to in the book - Miss Tree - go on, say those two words together and tell me Stevens didn't pick that name on purpose!), has been murdered, and the Detective Society is on the case!  At least, until Uncle Felix finds out, at which point he pulls them out of the theater, forbids them to return, and basically prevents them from doing any further investigating.  Yeah, right - like that's going to stop Daisy Wells!  At this point, the story becomes even more fun, with Hazel actually engaging in some very un-Hazel like activities (with the help of George and Alexander, of course) in order to uncover more clues that will lead them to the truth.  And when a second person turns up dead, Daisy and Hazel face a race against time to unmask a killer at the theater.  Stevens manages to write a perfectly dramatic scene at the climax, where death really does take center stage at the opening night of Romeo and Juliet.  To be honest, I could almost see this entire story being performed as a play onstage - it is perfectly written to be done!

Had this been everything to the story, it would have been darn near perfect.  But, unfortunately, Stevens added certain elements to the story that felt like nothing more than pandering.  I won't go into the details, but let's just say that part of it felt forced upon one character, and for others - well, this takes place in the mid-1930s, and people simple were not as open-minded about these things back then as they are now, so the reactions of people within the story just don't really fit with the time period.  I've seen this with other authors, who try to instill today's "values" in stories set in the past, and for me, that removes me from the fantasy of the story.  For this book, it felt too forced and more like a statement rather than an integral part to the story.  Had this been removed from the story, I would say this would have been my favorite book in the series - definitely the best-crafted mystery to date!

I'm glad we are seeing more of George and Alexander - I really do like these characters, and hope to continue seeing more of them in future books.  The four of them make a really good team of detectives!

RATING:  7 white threads caught on a ladder out of 10 for putting death in the spotlight and giving us a great theatrical murder mystery!

A Zebra Mystery Puzzler #2 - The Final Ring

As much as I enjoyed the first Zebra Mystery Puzzler by Marjorie J. Grove, this second Puzzler, by Marcia Blair, was even better.  Perhaps because this book is shorter, with nearly 50 less pages than the first book, the story moves a bit faster, and honestly, the illustrations are better - crisper with a bit more clarity when it comes to the clues (although not too easy, so don't think they just give it away!).  It also turns out that Marcia Blair may be yet another pseudonym (just as Marjorie J. Grove was).  While there are actually several Marcia Blairs who have been authors over the past five decades or so, this particular Marcia Blair seems to be a pen name for author Marc Baker (Marc Baker as Marcia Blair).  It's curious that these male authors seem to use female pseudonyms to write mysteries with female protagonists, which begs the question: did the authors simply not want to be known for writing female sleuths, or was it the publisher's choice, thinking a series marketed to female readers would sell better with female authors?

 

In any event, The Final Ring is Blair's first Zebra Mystery Puzzler starring Victoria Baxter, a nurse who has a penchant for solving murders. Just as Grove's books all have the "You'll Die..." in the title, Blair's books all feature "The Final..." in the title.  This series had a knack for utilizing similar titles for the same authors and their characters - I suppose that was so readers would instantly know what amateur sleuth they were getting when they picked up a book.  Which is a pretty ingenious idea, when you stop and think about it, because it not only attracted readers who liked one particular author or character, but since they were all published under the same "Zebra Mystery Puzzler" banner, those readers were likely to start picking up other books in the series written by different authors, pulling them into the series as a whole, thus increasing sales.  Whatever the reason, I'm sure people developed their favorite characters as the series progressed, and I'll be curious to see which one I like better than others as I read through the series.

Unlike the previous book which took a while to get to the murder, The Final Ring opens with the murder taking place within the first few pages (albeit off-screen).  Nurse Victoria Baxter, or "Tory" as she is often called, gets a middle-of-the-night call from her good friend and fellow nurse, Peggy Moore, who has been assigned as a caregiver to a wealthy woman who was involved in an accident that left her in a wheelchair.  The call frightens Tory, as Peggy is incoherent and only manages to say a few words:  "Two ... mailman ... bell ... our favorite ..."  While the words themselves make no sense, Tory knows Peggy well enough to realize her friend is experiencing diabetic shock; so, she calls Dr. Robert Clarkson, who also happens to be Peggy's fiance, and he immediately heads out to the Harrington house - but it is too late.  Peggy is dead, and there is nothing anyone can do.  While the death appears to be simply the result of Peggy's failure to take her insulin, or perhaps her lack of proper diet, Tory is certain something else happened.  So, when Dr. Clarkson asks her to take over as caregiver for Mrs. Harrington, Tory agrees, as this will put her in the perfect position to look into the circumstances surrounding her friend's death.

The one thing I like about Tory is that she is very strong-willed and not afraid to speak her mind.  Even though Dr. Clarkson and others try to convince her that Peggy's death was merely an accident, Tory is certain it was not.  That certainty grows stronger when she begins to realize that something sinister is going on inside of the Harrington home.  Mrs. Harrington gets violently ill after a dinner, where no one else becomes sick.  Then she begins to notice that Mr. Harrington's secretary, who visits the house to bring documents for him to sign, is extremely friendly with the man, yet gives a cold shoulder to his wife.  And when the downstairs maid winds up dead at the bottom of the stairs, Tory learns that Mrs. Harrington is afraid for her own life, as a pair of high-heels given to her by her husband have was on the heels, by which she could have easily slipped had she been out of the wheelchair and using the shoes!  Blair weaves a carefully plotted tale that leads the reader in one direction before completely pulling the rug out from under you by the end!  I love it!

And, as I indicated above, the clues in this book are a bit easier to discern, but not as easily solved.  Those incoherent words uttered by Peggy in her death call have a very important meaning that finally makes sense in the penultimate chapter, on those final pages before you reach the sealed chapters.  And believe me, once you figure out the meaning of those words, the entire mystery makes sense, and you realize just how much danger Tory's life is in.  I literally shouted out loud when the clues clicked into place, and I realized what was going on and who was behind it all - and before I opened that final chapter!

The book was definitely well-written and a great read.  Blair introduces the readers to several characters that I expect to see in future books - Jay Thorpe, the police detective with whom Tory is clearly in love with; Sandy Brockman, a resident at Pacific General that treats Tory to the occasional dinner and movie; and Aunt Tildy, Tory's aunt who writes a mystery series about a detective named "Max Good" (which is curious, in that the sleuth in the first mystery by Marjorie J. Grove happens to be nicknamed "Max" - coincidence?).  I did notice that in this book, the final chapter had smaller font than the rest of the book, for which there was not apparent reason.  And thankfully in this second book, the killer is not actually revealed until the final chapter - and Blair manages to put Tory into a situation that makes you turn each page wondering how he is going to get out of it.  This book makes me really look forward to reading her next book (which is book 6 in the series, The Final Lie).  

Now with regard to the interior illustrations - while there is no credit given anywhere as to the artist, the final illustration on page 157 has the name "Luke Ryan" printed near the bottom of the page.  I was not able to find out anything about the man, other than the fact that he apparently provided illustrations for at least one of the Zebra Illustrated Gothics back in the '70s (The Devil's Doorstep).  I wish I could find more of Ryan's work, as his pencil drawings are beautiful, with great detail and perfect shading.  They remind me a bit of Ruth Sanderson's illustrations for the Nancy Drew books in the 1980s.  

 

Finally, I do need to mention one thing I found odd about the formatting of the book. All of the chapters began on the same page where the previous chapter ended.  There were no blank spaced at the end of any chapter page; rather, the next chapter simply began below the ending of the previous.  Until chapter ten, that is.  Chapter nine ends at the top of page 147, while chapter ten starts midway down page 148.  The only reason I can figure for this sudden changer in format is so that the final chapter before the sealed one would end on a right-side page, rather than a left-side.  It doesn't affect the story in any way, but I did find it odd.

RATING:  9 glasses of dry sherry out of 10 for a superb mystery with a fantastic twist at the end that you are likely not to see coming!

A Limited Edition Murder - the tenth Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery

It's been well over a year since I read the last book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore mystery series by Lauren Elliott.  So, it's been over a year since poor Addie Greyborne's life was quite literally turned upside down by revelations regarding her parentage and regarding her fiance's previous marriage.  Thus, I suppose it was apropos that I waited to read this book, since I discovered upon reading the first few pages that there is quite the time jump from Dedication to Murder to this book - a year, in fact!  Thus, my timing was actually quite impeccable, since I have now spent the same time away from Greyborne Harbor that Addie did.  Of course, just because she's spent a year in England does not mean that poor Addie can get away from finding a dead body...

A Limited Edition Murder finds our intrepid sleuth trying to come to terms with everything that happened in that last book.  Not only did she find out she was not who she always thought she was for her entire life, but she also discovered that her fiance was still married to his first wife - and has a son by her!  So, Addie escapes to England, where she takes up residence in a cottage owned by her friend and best-selling author, Anthony Radcliffe, who is more than happy to have her visiting, since he is about to formally announce his engagement to Hailey Granger, and Lord Bentley and his new wife will be coming for the engagement party!  It's set to be the biggest event that the small village in West Yorkshire has seen in some time, and while Addie is not overly thrilled at the idea of hobnobbing with near royalty, she is happy for her good friend, and so she wants to support him. Besides, it has been a year, and she will be returning to the States the next weekend after the party.  She has delayed returning home long enough.  Of course, that is when fate intervenes, and Addie stumbles upon a dead body in the moors on the morning after!

I will admit, the opening chapters for this book had me a bit concerned.  Honestly, the writing felt a bit different than Elliott's previous books, and it left me a bit off-kilter.  I can't quite put my finger on what it was while I was reading that felt "off," but I do know one thing that definitely struck me as odd in the writing.  On page 39, when Addie accidentally spills champagne on a mysterious woman in a red and white floral dress and says, as she's trying to wipe up the liquid, "I hope the champagne doesn't settle in the intricate gold filigree setting of that exquisite sapphire."  I found that to be a very unusual wording for someone to actually speak - it reads more like a description an author would use when describing the necklace to the reader.  I tried saying the line out loud, just to hear how it sounds, and it came out very awkward.  And if it were just this one instance, I might have written it off (no pun intended!) as merely a poor choice of wording.  But it happens again just 9 pages later, when Addie is trying to calm an argument between Tony and Lord Bentley, and on page 48, she suggests to Lord Bentley, "why don't you take a seat behind that beautiful carved walnut desk?"  Again, that sounds like an author's description and not dialogue.  People don't naturally go around describing things in that kind of way when they are talking to each other, unless the topic of the discussion is that particular item.  But, honestly, there was more to the odd feeling as I was reading it than these lines of dialogue.

However, I can say that once Addie takes Pippi for her morning walk and comes across the body in the foggy moor, the typical Elliott writing I'm used to reading returns, and boy does it return in full force!  From that moment on, even without Serena or Paige or Marc or any of the other regular supporting cast members I've grown to love in the past nine books, the mystery became so engrossing I could not put it down.  It's not often I finish a 300+ page book in less than 24 hours, but this one is one of them.  While there was one minor clue early on that gave away the identity of the culprit a little too soon, there was still plenty of mystery to solve - such as who killed the step-daughter of Addie's boss at the Second Chance Books and Bindery some twenty years earlier, and how does that connect to this murder?  Is it because both murder victims were wearing the very same necklace before they were killed, yet the necklace was not found on their body after?  Or does it have something to do with that first edition Wuthering Heights that Tony gave to his fiance at the engagement party, only to discover the book actually belonged to Lord Bentley, from whom it had been stolen years ago?  Elliott makes great use of this temporary supporting cast, with some of the characters definitely growing on you (I would love to see Jasper Henderson show up again!  and that DI Parker certainly gives Addie a run for her money!), and she does manage to bring in Serena and Paige, albeit briefly.  Of course, there is one bit of news from the States that Addie learns that did not make me happy at all (and I am hoping that in the next book, that will change, because I've still got my hopes on Addie and Marc getting together in the end!).

The final chapters in the book are somewhat bittersweet, as Addie prepares to return home, having to leave her new friends behind (with some tearful farewells), as well as an unexpected revelation regarding one of the new characters.  Whether this will impact Addie's life going forward, we shall have to wait and see.

Elliott throws in a couple of things in the story that brought a smile to my face.  First is the name of the road that leads to the main shopping district of West Yorkshire, which is aptly named "Crooked Lane" (p. 2).  I realize it is nothing more than a coincidence, but way back in the day - back in 1936 to be exact! - Mildred Wirt, the original ghostwriter of the Nancy Drew books, had a mystery published that was called The Clue at Crooked Lane (The Clue at Crooked Lane).  Which, of course, makes the Nancy Drew reference on page 215 even more ironic!  I'm still holding out hope that since this series is premised on first editions of various famous books, one of these days, Elliott is going to have a mystery that centers around a Nancy Drew book (and if she were to ever do so, I know exactly which Nancy Drew book would make the perfect plot point that someone would kill for!).  Ah, well, one can always dream...

Thus, even though the book got off a rocky start, the murder got everything back on track and left me enjoying the book immensely by the time I finished it!  Now to sit back and wait to see what Elliott has in store for book eleven!

RATING:  9 buckets of composting food out of 10 for another well-plotted murder mystery that once again shows just how well Addie Greyborne can hold herself, even against arrogant, self-absorbed detectives from the English countryside!

Whitman Mystery Stories - Ann Rutherford and the Key to Nightmare Hall

Yeah, I thought I might as well punish myself again and read another Whitman Authorized Edition written by Kathryn Heisenfelt.  I figure the sooner I get them all read and behind me, the sooner I can move on to some better written books.  I'm not sure what Whitman was thinking when they published her stories, and honestly, I'm surprised the publicists for these actors allowed the likeness of their clients to be used for these stories.  But, I suppose the old saying true - any publicity, whether good or bad, is good publicity.  In any event, I had absolutely no thought of enjoying this story when I picked it up to read it.  Surprisingly, while Heisenfelt remained true to her over-wrought and always-questioning protagonist writing, the underlying plot to this story was rather good.

Ann Rutherford and the Key to Nightmare Hall features the Candian-born actress, Ann Rutherford (1917-2012) who is probably most recognized as playing Polly Benedict in the Andy Hardy series of films from the '30s and '40s, as well as Careen O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.  This book was published in 1942, the same year that Andy Hardy's Double Life was released (which was the last Andy Hardy film in which Rutherford starred).  As with the other Authorized Editions published by Whitman, the Ann Rutherford of this story does not seem to be the actress, but merely shares the name - however, there is a vague reference by the protagonist in the story where she worries the people in the house may have recognized her (hinting that she could be the actress from Hollywood, although that is never explicitly said).  

As for the mystery, it centers around a mysterious old mansion Nath-Mar Hall.  Ann and her friend, Robert Gilmore (known to his friends as "Bop") are on their way to meet friends at a ski resort, when Bop decides to make a side trip to visit a property that is being listed for sale.  Bop wants to impress his father by getting the listing, so Ann agrees to the side trip.  But, as fate would have it, Bop mistakenly takes the wrong road and thinks that Nath-Mar Hall is the property being sold.  They quickly learn otherwise when they are invited inside by the great house's owner.  Without allowing them to explain the purpose of their visit, he ushers them into a large room where four others are waiting - two men and two women.  To their shock, Ann and Bop learn the old gentleman believes they are his daughter's adopted children, Josephine and Ronald, and every time they try to tell him his error, he shuts them down.  So, the two of them get stuck in a twisted game that Nathan Emans has set up for his heirs - find the key hidden somewhere in the foreboding house and win his entire estate upon his death!

It's actually a rather ingenuous little plot that might have been better executed by another writer.  The idea of an aging, wealthy man pitting his greedy heirs against one another in order to gain the inheritance could be a wonderfully thrilling tale, especially when you have two "heirs" who are actually unrelated to them all.  Throw in the quiet, yet powerful butler and the not-so-nice housekeeper/cook, as well as two vicious dogs waiting outside for anyone who tries to leave, and you've got the perfect setting for a very dark mystery.  The two men and two women tun out to be the old man's great-nephew, Richard Meaker, and his sister, Lileen, along with the old man's step-son, Stuart Palmer and his sister, Muriel.  Each of these four characters are overbearing and somewhat spiteful, and a couple of them have some very shady backgrounds.  Thus, the deeper Ann and Bop get into this search for the hidden key, the more afraid they become that someone might discover the truth - because what would these people do to them if they knew they were not members of the family?!

There's a definite gothic feel to the book, as Heisenfelt describes Nath-Mar Hall (which Ann refers to as "Nightmare Hall" - hence, the title of the book!) with plenty of arched doorways, frightening shadows, statuettes watching from above and around, darkened rooms, and a sense of danger no matter which way you turn.  There's even a poor little bird in a cage that no one seems to feed or give water to, making Ann's heart ache to care for it, since even its owner seems ambivalent to it as he does to the members of his own family.  There is an incident in the book that makes Ann realize how deadly the situation is, when she witnesses someone try and kill Nathan Emans!  From that point, Ann and Bop decide they have to find the key before anyone else so that they can get out of this nightmare mansion.

As I said, the plot is actually an interesting one, and the characters definitely make you hate them (like you are supposed to).  The drawback to the story is Heisenfelt's need to make her lead character do very little throughout the book other than question herself.  The incessant "why won't he listen to us?  why can't we tell him the truth?" and "do they know who we are? what will they do if they find out?" and "how can we escape this prison? why did we have to come here?" and so many more, to the point where you just want to reach into the book, slap Ann, and tell her to shut up.  I mean, seriously, the idea that neither she nor Bop can speak up and tell Nathan Emas who they are at the beginning of the story goes well beyond any suspension of disbelief.  She and Bop keep telling each other they are going to tell him, then when the time comes, they start questioning themselves and end up not saying a word.  After a while, it just gets ridiculous.

 

That being said, the book does have illustrations by Henry E. Vallely, which helps make up for the writing, as Vallely's art is always beautifully drawn.  And thankfully, this is one Whitman book that does not spoil any of the story with the endpages!  In this book, we get a two-page spread that show Ann and Bop when they first arrive at Nath-Mar Hall, mistakenly believing it to be the house of one Mr. Marshall who is looking to sell.  The house is this illustration is not quite as large, nor as mysterious as the one described in the book, but it is still beautifully rendered.

Of all the Heisenfelt books I've read to date, while this one definitely has issues, I would say this is the best of the group.  The underlying plot was engaging and interesting enough that I could get past all of Ann's constant self-doubts and questioning of everything. 

RATING:  5 green jars of bird seed out of 10 for at least giving us a mystery that catches your attention strong enough to keep you reading to the end!

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #22 - The Clue in the Crumbling Wall (Original Text)

And so we come to the 22nd Nancy Drew mystery, one that definitely features plenty of gothic goodness to satisfy any mystery reader.  Written by Mildred Wirt (Benson) and first published in 1945, the story features some very dangerous criminals, but it also features a romantic element that, mixed with the crumbling castle, hidden secrets, and mistaken identities, provides an almost-adult like story that could have easily been published in the '60s or '70 as a gothic novel.  Based on other works by Wirt that I've read, it's clear that some of the clunkiness of this mystery comes from the outline provided by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who was said to have provided so detailed of an outline that the authors often had difficulty trying to fit everything Adams wanted into the story.  Despite this, we still get a pretty good tale that allows Nancy an opportunity to really shine.

The Clue in the Crumbling Wall opens with a bit of humor, as Wirt introduces readers to the ever-chipper seaman known as "Mehearty."  A man described as a "jolly, weather-beaten old fellow" (p. 4), Mehearty is a former sailor who was injured on board a ship some years ago and now digs up and sells clams to the locals in River Heights.  The story of how he got his nickname, though, is something many Nancy Drew fans will love, since it gives us a bit of insight into Nancy Drew as a child.  According to the story, Mehearty received his nickname from Nancy Drew when she was just a little girl (p. 4).  Wirt describes it in this way:

He often addressed other people as "me hearties," and sang nautical songs including these words.  Little Nancy had gotten the whole thing mixed up and called him "Mehearty man."  Her nickname had stuck to him.  (p. 4)

Rarely, if ever, do we get glimpses into Nancy's childhood, but in this instance, Wirt provides us with a fun fact about Nancy's past (even if it is for a one-off character that only appears in this one book).  She does not specify Nancy's age when she gave the old sailor his nickname, but based on the description, it was probably a pre-school age Nancy, as children of that age are more likely to misunderstand and confuse things like that.

And since we are on the topic of age, this book is silent as to Nancy's age.  There is no reference at all to Nancy being sixteen-years old, as she has been identified as in prior books.  I have to wonder if this was intentional based on the reference that "[o]ver the span of a few years she had solved many baffling mysteries" (p. 3).  While in real time, Nancy had been solving mysteries for fifteen years at this point (1930 - 1945); however, in the fictional time of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, Nancy was eternally sixteen (until she became eternally eighteen ... well, at least until she suddenly reverted back to seventeen in the last few paperback digests ...).  So, it would not work to say she had been solving mysteries "over the span of a few years" and at the same time indicate Nancy is the same age as when she solved her first case.

Which raises the question - was The Secret of the Old Clock truly her first case?  The reason I ask is that in this story, the police woman who comes to talk with Nancy and Hannah Gruen about their stolen rose bushes asks Nancy, "Isn't it true that you've been interested in mysteries ever since you were a little girl?" (p. 11)..  This is an interesting comment to make, since the first book seemed to indicate that was Nancy's first mystery; yet, now here, we get the impression Nancy has been hunting down mysteries since she was a little girl (which Simon & Schuster must have picked up on when they introduced the Nancy Drew Notebooks series back in the day).

But I digress.  Let's take a look at the actual mystery, which is introduced through the police woman, Lieutenant Masters.  Okay, one quick rabbit trail before we get to the mystery - the way Wirt describes Lt. Masters throughout this story is rather odd.  When we first meet the female officer, Wirt describes her as "a charming woman, not in the least masculine" (p. 10).  Why would Wirt think anyone would  assume Lt. Masters is masculine?  Just because she's a police officer?  Later when Lt. Masters comes to the Drew home to share a dinner with them (yeah, don't even get me started on that scene!), Wirt writes that the "attractive officer arrived, not wearing a uniform, but looking very feminine and pretty in a blue lace dress" (p. 38).  What is it with this emphasis that Lt. Masters is "not masculine" and "very feminine"?  Was Wirt afraid if she used a female police officer in the story, readers would assume she was not very feminine?  For me, at least, these descriptions seemed unnecessary and were actually a bit distracting.

In any event, Lt. Masters first comes to the Drew home to look into the stolen rose bushes, but while she is there, she invites Nancy to go with her to speak with the mother of the young girl (Joan) who stole the bushes.  Now, mind you, how an eight year old girl was able to steal four rose bushes, which Nancy tells Hannah she buried "very deep" (p. 2), and carry them from the Drew home all the way to her own some miles away with no one noticing is beyond me.  But, hey, this is River Heights after all, and I suppose the neighbors there are just like anywhere else - no one wants to get involved!  In any event, Nancy goes with Lt. Masters, and she meets Joan's mother, Mrs. Fenimore, and finally we get to the mystery.  It seems Mrs. Fenimore's sister, Florianna a/k/a Flossie Johnson (a grown up Bobbsey Twin, perhaps?) disappeared  some years ago.  She was an expert dancer who was engaged to a wealthy manufacturer, Walter Heath; but she needed a rest, so she went away and was never seen nor heard from again!  Heath died, and in his will, he left his entire estate to Florianna on the condition that she lay claim to it within five years - which five years is about to expire in just three weeks! Now, her frail sister (who is ailing with something that is undefined) and her sister's young daughter are in need of help, and if Florianna were to be found to claim the estate, their financial woes would be over.  Can Nancy help?  Of course, she is Nancy Drew, after all.

And so Nancy, along with Bess and George, sets about to find out what happened to Florianna.  The search takes her to the long-abandoned Heath Castle, which appears to be falling apart in places - but, upon closer inspection, Nancy learns that someone is actually tearing it down, piece by piece!  Someone is searching for a treasure they believe hidden somewhere in the castle, and so Nancy takes it upon herself to find that treasure first, since it would rightfully belong to Florianna and her family.  For astute readers, it is fairly obvious from the get-go who the villain is, but it's fun following Nancy and her friends as they pursue their search for both the treasure and Florianna.  It's interesting that it's Bess and George she always takes with her to search Heath Castle, but it's her father that goes with her on each of her visits out of town to find Florianna.  It's almost as if each of these two mysteries requires different "assistants."

As indicated above, the story has a distinct gothic feel to it, and Wirt does a fairly decent job of building some of that gothic suspense.  The castle and its grounds are described in such a way that the readers feels like the castle itself is a sorrowful character in the story.  Upon their first visit to the property, they come across a "vine-tangled, fern-matter bower" where "two handsome stone vases lay on their sides, cracked from water freezing inside" (p. 30), as well as a "water-stained loggia of stone" with "four handsomely carved pillars" that support the balcony (p. 30).  There's even a "Haunted Walk" (p. 31) that the girls follow, in which Nancy feels a "pair of penetrating human eyes" following them (p. 32).  Further along, they come across a "fallen-down, decayed summerhouse" (p. 33).  When they later return to the property, having not actually seen the castle itself on their first visit, they pass "a weather-stained statuette in a wall niche" (p. 73) and take a path through "slender twisted stone columns" which have "over them ... a roof of untrimmed vines, supporting by thick stalks..." (p. 74).  It is here George is frightened when she sees an old man pointing at them, which turns out to be a statue (p. 75).  When Nancy does finally reach the castle itself, she sees it is "constructed of massive gray stone covered in large part by ivy" with a "roof line [that] was broken by several turrets, a large one at each end, with smaller ones in between" (p. 82).  Upon entering, Nancy finds the "inside wooden shutters were closed, giving the few sheet-draped chairs a ghostly appearance" (p. 83), and she has a momentary fright when she sees an unexpected reflection of herself in a long mirror in the room (p. 83).  It is at this point that Nancy hears "a plaintive cry from upstairs" (p. 83), and she rushes up into one of the towers to offer help, only to find herself locked in the tower (pp. 84-86).  These beautiful descriptions give the reader a sense of forlorn abandonment, as if the castle was reflecting Walter Heath's own feeling of abandonment when Florianna left and never returned.

The story does require a large amount of "suspension of disbelief," particularly when it comes to how the police treat Nancy.  Lt. Masters is definitely the most accommodating when it comes to Nancy - she is the one who asks Nancy to come with her to visit Joan's mother - and from there, Lt. Masters basically gives Nancy the keys to the kingdom, so to speak.  She tags along with Nancy to review Walter Heath's will; she doesn't require Nancy to tell her what she and girls discovered while trespassing (!!!) on the Heath property;  she has Nancy inform Mrs. Fenimore that Hannah's relatives will watch Joan for a time; she jumps when Nancy asks her to to Heath Castle with her to search for Florianna; she bring several policeman, at Nancy's request, to surround the castle so no one can escape, and when they might have to actually break into the Heath Castle, Lr. Masters tells Nancy not to worry - "You have the Law at your side" (p. 195).  This is all a bit much for the police to cater to a sixteen-year old girl, particularly one who has plainly trespassed not once, not twice, but multiple times on a property that does not belong to her!  It goes even beyond that, because Heath's attorney actually has a warrant put out for Nancy's arrest (pp. 191-92)!  Yet, instead of holding her at the jail, she is allowed to go free after she not only admits to trespassing, but says she "felt she had a legitimate reason to do so" (p. 192)!  Seriously?  I think this stretches the reader's ability to suspend their disbelief a bit too far.

 

Aside from that, however, there is an interesting bit about Nancy's family in this book that I don't believe is ever mentioned again.  One of the ways Nancy obtains clues about Heath Castle is from a "portfolio of colored pictures and descriptions of famous old houses and gardens in England" (p. 128) that Nancy tells her friends she received as a Christmas gift several years before.  What is so interesting about this is the fact the gift came from "a cousin of Nancy's" (p. 129).  A cousin would be a child of either Mr. Drew's or Mrs. Drew's siblings.  The only sibling we know of Mr. Drew is Eloise Drew, who is a single woman living in New York.  There is never mention of any other siblings.  So this would presume that the cousin is from Mrs. Drew's side of the family - which means Nancy has an aunt or uncle (or more than one!) on her mother's side, with at least one cousin from that line.  It's a shame we never got a full family tree for the Drews, as readers would no doubt love to know more about Nancy's mother and her side of the family.

Overall, the books was a very satisfying read, and I truly enjoyed the gothic elements to it.  This book is a fine example of why I prefer Nancy Drew mysteries to the Hardy Boys - Nancy Drew is much more heavy on the mystery side of things, while the Hardy Boys seem to be more focused on the adventure side.

RATING:  9 lily ponds filled with clam shells out of 10 for a truly gothic-style mystery with an old castle, a lost love, and a hidden treasure!

Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire - Vol. 5 - The Buccaneer's Bounty

I can't believe it's been over a year since I read book four in the Daisy Blackwood series of graphic novels.  It certainly does not seem like that long.  I have thoroughly enjoyed these stories - Ryan Howe writes some fun, fast-moving, action-packed stories and his art, while a bit on the cartoony-side, definitely work with the stories.  In a way, I suppose I'm glad I put off reading this one for as long as I did, because it seems this is the last book in the series.  This was published back in 2021, three years ago now, and I haven't seen any indication of any new stories on Howe's website.  Which is a real shame, as this character is just too good to put on a shelf and let collect dust.  Daisy Blackwood needs more adventures!

The Buccaneer's Bounty opens not with the title character; rather, Howe starts this story with a sky pirate who inadvertently discovers the secret to the "treasure of the three captains."  A locket he discovers could be the key to locating that treasure, and it just so happens his girlfriend is a medium who can contact the dead - a medium who used to be a student of the professor, and who happens to have stolen the Skull of K'Tuck, a supernatural artifact the professor is hoping to have Daisy Blackwell recover.  And thus, finally, on page 22, we see our favorite pilot-for-hire enter the picture, as she has been summoned by the professor to locate the skull.  And locate it she does, but with the most unexpected results!  It seems the medium has unwittingly freed the spirit of Luisa Costa, a pirate who has been dead for several hundred years, give or take.  And now that spirit is dead-set (pun intended!) on regaining a mortal body, and it's up to Daisy and her crew to put a stop to it.

 

From here, the action picks up speed, and Howe crafts another dangerous and exciting adventure, as Daisy must obtain one of the items that Costa needs to restore her spirit into human form - an anastasis stone, also referred to as a "resurrection" stone - and in order to get one, she must face off against her grandfather - which is a well-written, fun scene, since Daisy and her grandfather basically hate each other!  What struck me about this scene is that just as Daisy is about to win the auction for the stone, her grandfather receives a mysterious message and simply gets up and leaves!  It would seem to me this is a hint of some future story Howe has planned ... yet, since there don't seem to be any more stories, I'm left wondering exactly what that message was and why the mystery surrounding it?

A kidnapped friend, a race against time, and a fight against a giant sea monster round out this story, making it another fun and exciting read.  And while Daisy does ultimately rescue her friend and recover not only the skull, but also the stone, for the professor, the story ends with a cliffhanger of sorts.  Perhaps Howe will one day return to this series and pick up where he left off.  I did notice, however, that on his website, it appears he has some other series, such as We've Got Spirit, Bad Karma, and Captain Flynt.  I suppose I need to check those out to get my fill of Howe's writing and artistic talents.

If you enjoy comics, if you enjoy adventure stories, and if you enjoy daring female pilots, then you will absolutely LOVE the Daisy Blackwood series.  I highly recommend it!

RATING:  10 sultry evening dresses out of 10 for closing the book on Daisy Blackwood with a truly exciting tale of pirates and treasures!

Shadow of a Witch - an Ace Gothic

Not gonna lie - I picked this book up mainly for the cover art.  Sure, it's a gothic mystery, so that, in and of itself, is appealing to me.  But for this particular book, it was the cover that that attracted me to it.  Yes, it has the standard gothic trope - a woman running in the foreground, looking back at a dark, foreboding castle/mansion with just one light in an upper window, shining out against the darkened sky.  But it is the young woman that caught my eye - her facial expression, her hand coming up to her mouth, her eyes ... quite frankly, I would swear the art is done by Hector Garrido, who provided very similar art on the cover to the 75th Nancy Drew Mystery, The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery.  But, more on that later...

Shadow of a Witch is the first gothic novel I've ready by author Dorothy Eden.  And if the rest of her books are anything like this, it definitely won't be the last.  While the story was a bit slow in getting started, once it did, it had me hook, line, and sinker!  The protagonist is a young woman - Julia French - who is determined to land an interview with the elusive architect, Mark Winterton, who has completed work on the restoration of an old church.  Winterton is known for his aloofness and his unwillingness to discuss his private life after the death of his wife in a plane crash some time ago.  Julia has no intention of falling for the man, particularly after seeing him with his daughter and a woman she wrongfully assumes to be his wife (but who turns out to only be taking care of the daughter). But, in true gothic fashion, fall for him she does, and soon enough, he falls for her, and the two are married - and that's when all the problems begin.

Eden writes a tale with a number of twists and turns (and, surprisingly, several different points of view).  While Julia is the main focus of the story, Eden also provides moments from the point of view of Estelle, the woman taking care of Winterton's young daughter, Flora, and who also happens to be vying for Winterton's attentions.  But her motives are less than pure, as Julia soon discovers when she overhears a conversation between Estelle and a woman named Beryl.  We also get a few brief moments from Beryl's point of view, as well as that of Estelle's aunt, Gertrude.  Yet, despite the differing points-of-view, the story flows smoothly, and the tension builds as the mystery presents itself.  Young Flora is nearly run down by a car when she thinks she sees her mother alive and well across the street, beckoning for her.  Winterton is upset by his daughter's actions, and Winterton's older sister, Kate, who lives with them, believes Flora is merely still trying to process her mother being gone and her father taking a new wife.  All too soon, though, there is real concern that Eugenie Winterton is still alive, in which case, Julia's marriage would be a legal nullity!

The only drawback to the story is that Eden reveals too much early on.  Any astute reader (and perhaps even some not-so-astute readers) will be able to spot the devious plot that is being hatched as soon as it begins.  I think if Eden had avoided giving readers the scenes from Estelle's, Beryl's, and Gertrude's points-of-view, it might have made the revelation at the end a lot more exciting than what it was.  Yes, it was fun to read along with Julia as she slowly pieces together the parts of the puzzle, and I found myself rooting for her to realize who the real villain was before she walked into his trap.  Thus, even though the scheme was obvious way too soon, I still enjoyed the read.  Eden made Julia French into not only a very likable character, but also an almost Nancy Drew-like protagonist.  Which brings me to the cover art for this edition of the book (yes, there are other editions that have different cover art).

Sadly, the publisher does not identify the artist, and nothing I could find online revealed the name of the artist; however, the face, the post, the positioning of the hand, the opened mouth, all of these things combined, particularly when compared to Hector Garrido's other art (especially on The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery) leads me to believe Garrido may very well have provided the painted art for the book.  At the very least, it is evident the same modeling photo was used for both books, albeit in mirrored images.  But I definitely prefer the art on Shadow of a Witch better - it has a darker mood to it, the castle/mansion in the background reflects a much more gothic architecture, and for some reason, those tree branches right behind Julia as she runs from the castle really strike a frightening chord.  It is funny, though, that this scene depicted on the cover never actually takes place anywhere in the story.  For that matter, there is no "witch" in the story at all - about the closest we get to any reference is when Kate refers to her brother's deceased wife as a witch, in a figurative sense, not in the literal sense.  I can only assume the title stems from the fact that poor Julia is living in the shadow of her new husband's deceased wife, who was not a very nice person at all.

Overall, I enjoyed this read, and I look forward to reading more of Eden's works.  Hopefully they stand up as well as this one does!

RATING:  8 delicious chocolate eclairs out of 10 for tension-filled tale with a number of twists and turns that, while not totally unexpected, do make for a great read!

Mystery at Redtop Hill - a Whitman tween-age book

This is one of those rare one-off books that I picked up because I had seen it often enough in used book stores and antique malls, and I'd seen enough people mention it online, that I decided I might as well give it a try.  Finding a copy of the book in good condition is not easy, as the Whitman hardcover books had a tendency to come apart fairly easy.  Thankfully, I found one that, even though it has some bumps on the top and bottom of the spine, is still tightly bound with crisp, clean pages and a brightly colored cover.  I was not really sure what to expect with the story, as I literally knew nothing about it, other than the cover that shows three youngsters watching a car coming up the road - oh, and the fact it is labeled as "A Whitman Tween-Age Book."  This phrase, according to the first page (before even the title page!), is an "In-between books for in-between readers" - or, as described in the back of the book: "Not too easy, Not too hard, Just LOTS OF FUN!"  And quite frankly, I think that is the perfect description for this book.

Mystery at Redtop Hill is the story of Steve Lambert, his best friend, Tod Wilson, and Tod's annoying little sister, Nancy.  In the story, the Lamberts and the Wilsons spend every summer in the country hills of New York on property they bought from Major Clyde Elting, a widower whose own farmhouse is in disrepair and who never leaves his house.  Until now!  And this is where the mystery begins for these three youngsters.  A mysterious stranger has come to the area, and he makes frequent visits to Major Clyde's farm, sometimes taking the Major away for a bit before bringing him back.  The children are curious, so they spy on the meetings, hoping to figure out what is going on.  The Major enjoys having the children visit his farm each summer, but this stranger takes an instant disliking to them (and that feeling is mutual!).  Sure enough, the kids uncover a clue that reveals the true nature of the stranger's visits, and it is up to them to save Major Clyde from making a huge mistake.

The mystery is not overly complicated, and it's not one that needs numerous clues for the children to solve the case.  Rather, it is a simple case of a stranger trying to trick an aging man into selling him his property so he can renovate it into something he deems to be more profitable for the times.  The author, Marjory Schwalje, is new to me.  It turns out she has written a number of books for young readers (including a few Raggedy Ann and Andy books), with this one being the only one I see for "in-between" readers.  I found her obituary online, revealing she died in 2012.  She was a teacher and freelance writer, having authored more than 20 books, and she was also a Braille transcriber.  Her writing style is clear and concise, and she manages to give each of her characters a distinct personality that make the story enjoyable to read.

The book is illustrated by Charles Greer, who I recognize as having illustrated some of the Miss Pickerell books that I read growing up.  There are a number of full-page illustrations in the book, as well as several two-page, color spreads that add some life to the story.  The drawings are a bit rough and cartoony, but they are fun, and let's face it - that's what this story is intended to be. 

One thing about the story that did bring a smile to my face is the fact that the nearest town to Redtop Hill in the story happens to be Cooperstown, New York!  Having just visited there myself last year, it was fun to read yet another story set around the area.  At one point, the children even go with their mothers to Cooperstown, where they take a boat tour on Lake Otsego, and the captain of the boat provides a brief history of the lake's name, as well as points out the mountain, known as The Sleeping Lion, at the northern end of the lake (p. 81)!  It turns out this book, published in 1965, came out seven years before the Nancy Drew book set in the same location (The Secret of Mirror Bay).

Taking into consideration the age group the book is aimed at, I'd say the author did a great job telling a fun, enjoyable, easy-to-read story.

RATING:  8 large brown stoneware crocks out of 10 for a mystery worth the read for book lovers of any age.

A Sinister Sense - the 2nd Raven's Nest Bookstore Mystery

It was definitely time to return to Raven's Nest bookstore to see what trouble Clara Quinn and her cousin, Stephanie Quin, will find themselves in this time.  Surprisingly, the author, Allison Kingsley, moved away from telling the story from both cousins' points-of-view and instead focuses more on Clara in this book.  We only get one brief chapter from Stephanie's point-of-view, and it is merely her trying to get ready as she and Clara prepare to confront the person they believe to be the killer.  Personally, I prefer the story being told from one character's point-of-view, as the alternative POVs can become a bit much at times.  So, I'm happy Kingsley settled on just one character to take us through this second mystery in the Raven's Nest Bookstore Mystery series.

A Sinister Sense does not give us a time frame for how long it has been since the cousins managed to unmask the killer in the previous book.  There are a couple of mentions in passing of the women having involved themselves in the last murder mystery, but it comes across as if that happened months ago, if not longer.  Clara and Stephanie have settled into their routine at Raven's Nest, with the help of their young assistant, Molly, and Clara continues to fight her obvious attraction to that hunk of a man who works at the hardware store across the street, Rick Sanders.  And, of course, that ever-bothersome Roberta Prince still runs her stationary store next door, and she still has her eyes set on Rick, even though he has absolutely no interest in her whatsoever.  Life has settled back to normal in Finn's Harbor, and we all know what that means - time for another murder!

Kingsley starts the story innocently enough - Rick's ex-wife has dropped off their humongous shaggy dog for him to take in; and the first thing it does is chase after poor Roberta, who made the mistake of offering it a few dog biscuits, in the hopes of getting in good with its owner.  The next thing you know, the dog chases Roberta into Raven's Nest, and Clara has to prevent the dog from damaging the store!  Rick shows up, bandaged finger and all, to reclaim the dog and explain the situation to Clara (who, by the way, was not even aware Rick had an ex-wife!).  Rick explains how he hurt his finger, giving details about the man who came in asking directions to city hall, the other customer browsing through the garden tools, and him trying to keep control of an uncontrollable dog.  Little do any of them realize that all of these daily things are about to lead to a murder...

The next day, Clara learns that a body was discovered in the back of Rick's truck, apparently placed there last night while Rick was at the bowling alley.  He is only a person of interest at first, since the body was found in his truck and the police have no clue as to the identity of the victim.  Soon enough, however, the evidence against Rick starts piling up.  The victim was in Rick's store the day before the murder.  The hammer used to kill the victim was from Rick's store.  And the clenching piece of evidence is Rick's DNA discovered from the blood on the sleeve of the victim's shirt!  The mayor is clamoring for Rick to be arrested, charged, and convicted so that the tourist town can once again be safe.  But Clara is confident Rick is innocent, and that little voice inside her head (otherwise know as the "Quinn Sense") is telling her the same thing.  The question is, though - who did kill the man and why?

Kingsley crafts a wonderful tale filled with plenty of suspects, and she keeps the clues given by the Quinn Sense vague enough to keep the reader guessing.  But every whispered word Clara hears, and every vision she sees, they all connect and point to a very specific person as the murderer.  For seasoned mystery readers, the killer will likely comes as no surprise (as with the first book, the identity of the killer is not hard to spot - it's the motive that takes some time to figure out); but it's getting there that is all the fun!  The "Quinn Sense" is not overused, nor is it a crutch that Clara is able to rely on to give her clues at exactly the right moment; rather, it is an unreliable tool that requires Clara to research and dig more into things to figure out what the clues mean.  Kingsley also manages to sneak in a bit more about Clara's past in New York and what happened between her and her fiance, which gives the reader a stronger sense of sympathy for the main character, making you root even more for her and Rick to get together!

 

One other thing I enjoyed about this book is seeing (reading?) more about Clara's relationship with her mother.  There is some strain, some love, some contrast, some battles, and ultimately some family bond that shines through, and it comes across very natural and real.  

 

Definitely a must-read for mystery fans and especially those who love these type of cozy mysteries.  It's truly a shame the series didn't make it past four books, but I guess those four are better than none at all!

 

RATING:  9  Northern Italian dinners out of 10 for another fantastic mystery with just a touch of psychic thrown in to make it all the more interesting!