Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32003 - Castle at Jade Cove

"She had become the focus of an evil she couldn't see, hear or feel - until it reached out its icy fingers to touch her ... " (cover blurb)

 

Well, with this book, it's three for three so far in this Harlequin Gothic Romance series of books.  All of the first three books in the series have been great reads.  And despite the first person point of view, of which I am not a big fan, the stories have been engaging, suspenseful, and while utilizing many standard gothic tropes, filled with just the right amount of mystery.  I could not find any information on the author, Helen B. Hicks, other than the fact that she (he?) wrote two other books in this Harlequin Gothic series, as well as a gothic romance published by Kensington under their Zebra line (Riversbend, published in 1987, a year after her last Harlequin was published).  Thus, I am not sure if Hicks is the actual name of the author or a pseudonym, as so many gothic authors are.  In either case, this book definitely has me looking forward to the other two books she wrote in this series!

Castle at Jade Cove is set in the 1800s and follows the journey of eighteen-year old Laurie Westfall from Massachusetts to California, where she has been sent by her now-deceased grandfather to live with the Howards.  It seems he had made a deal with Matthew Howard to look after Laurie should anything happen to him.  The only problem is, when Laurie arrives in Coventry and makes her way to the great house known as Jade Castle, she learns that Matthew is dead and his son, Jason Howard, is now managing the house and family business.  To make matters worse, Laurie has no money available to her, as her guardian back in Boston had control over her funds, and she may have accidentally killed him after he made inappropriate overtures toward her!

As with any good gothic, Jason permits her to remain at Jade Castle, as he wishes to honor his father's contract.  But Laurie quickly learns there are sinister secrets hidden within the walls of the great house.  The housekeeper, Mathilde, makes it no secret that she does not like Laurie and does not want her there.  The ranch manager, Ben Hollister, cannot hide his jealousy of Jason's wealth and position.  The woman who runs the boarding house in Coventry, Mrs. Speers, is blunt in her warning to Laurie to stay away from Jade Castle.  The cook, Yang Lee, is overly protective of his kitchen, with more than a hint of a threat behind his eyes at anyone who enters his domain.  The young lady, Annalee, is more than obvious about her intentions to win Jason Howard's heart - at any cost.  And then there is Jason Howard himself - a man who is said to care little about business and more about enjoying the pleasures of this life; yet, he is repeatedly leaving for San Francisco for days at a time for reasons he refuses to disclose.  Then there are the mysterious sobbings that Laurie hears at night - a woman's cries that everyone in the house insists are not real. Are they really a part of Laurie's imagination, or does the house harbor some dark mystery?

The typical gothic trope of the female protagonist's uncertainty between two men is played up well in this story, as Laurie falls head over heels for Jason, yet, at the same time, questions his motives and wonders if perhaps she should allow Ben to win her heart.  We also get the near-empty mansion with hidden rooms, a musty attic filled with relics of the past, and an almost soap opera-style secret that connects Laurie's own past to the history of this house and its family.  I also like the fact that the main character has a co-conspirator of sorts in the young maid, Jennie, with whom she finds not only a confidant, but also a willing helper with all of her plans (particularly the one to turn the tables on Annalee, who is dead-set upon keeping Jason out of Laurie's grasp!).  And I will admit, the mystery of the mysterious barges out in the cove, the secret tunnel leading from the house down to the cave on the shores below, and the plaintive cries in the night did turn out to have a rather unexpected resolution - not something I saw coming.  However, once Laurie learns what is really going on, she takes on an almost Nancy Drew-style "can do" attitude in wanting to put an end to the horrors taking place, even if that means putting an end to the man that she loves!

Hicks writing is strong, with the ability to build suspense and keep the reader wavering back and forth just as Laurie does in the story.  And when Laurie's connection to the Howard family does come out, it throws quite the monkey wrench into everything, leaving the main character in quite a quandary as to what to do next!

For once, we actually know who the artist is who provided the cover for the book, thanks to his signature on the art.  Leonard M. Goldberg gave us this beautiful illustration of Laurie running away from Jade Castle (a scene that is very reminiscent of Ruth Sanderson's cover art for Captive Witness, the 64th Nancy Drew Mystery Story which was published in 1981, three years prior to this book).  Goldberg was known for his covers to the Fun Manchu books, as well as many Harlequin novels and movie posters, and he even painted an iconic Camel cigarettes billboard in Times Square back in the day.  His talent is obvious, based on the magnificent cover to this book!

A good, solid read that was enjoyable from start to finish - looking forward to reading Hicks' other books in this series!

RATING:  10 silver and jade necklaces with matching earrings out of 10 for superb gothic suspense, mystery, and romance all rolled into one great story!

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #24 - The Clue iin the Old Album (Original Text)

This Nancy Drew Mystery Story is a rather unusual one, containing a convoluted plot, tons of characters, and a rather unusual high number of places visited by Nancy and her friends.  Written by Mildred Wirt (Benson) based on an outline by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, the book was published in 1947 - the same year as the final two Penny Parker books written by Wirt.  According to correspondence between Wirt and Adams (thanks for Pam Hancock for sharing these!), Wirt began work on the book in May of 1946 and completed it nearly six weeks later in June 1946.  The correspondence between the two also reveals that Adams was "rather disappointed" with the manuscript, although she readily admits she was not blaming Wirt - she concedes there may have been too much material in the outline to reasonably fit into the story.  And having now read the book (the original text), I would have to say that is likely the case!

The Clue in the Old Album is the twenty-fourth Nancy Drew Mystery Story.  The plot centers around a gypsy violinist, Romano Pepito, and his young daughter, Rose.  The mystery is, as said above, convoluted and not easily described in a few words.  Basically, Rose's mother, Enid, ran away from her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Struthers, to marry a gyspy, of whom her parents did not approve.  Circumstances arose that brought Enid and her daughter Rose back to live with her parents - Enid died, as did her father, leaving Mrs. Struthers to care for her young granddaughter.  Mrs. Struthers did not want Rose to know of her gypsy heritage, and so she worked hard to keep it a secret.  Nancy and her father happen to meet Mrs. Struthers in the first chapter while they are attending a concert by renowned violinist, Alfred Blackwell (p. 1).  At the concert, Nancy observes a pickpocket steal Mrs. Struther's purse, so she chases after him - she ultimately recovers the purse, but not its contents.  Needless to say, Mrs. Struthers has a mystery and asks Nancy to come to her house to help her solve it.

Mrs. Struthers reveals to Nancy that on her deathbed, her daughter told her, "The doll! It's gone! Oh, Mother, you must find it for Rose!" (p. 18).  Now, this is an important plot point, because it turns out Mrs. Struthers is a serious doll collector, having a room filled with them on glass shelves - including some original peddler dolls from the 19th century (p. 15).  Now, here, let's stop for a moment and look at this aspect of the plot.  Throughout the story, Wirt not only mentions a number of various dolls, but she goes into considerable detail to describe them - from the peddler dolls (which are real dolls made between the 16th and 19th centuries, crafted to resemble Old London peddlers) to a doll on a velvet-colored music bos that moves from side to side with the music (p. 16) to dolls made of cornhusk and horsehair (p. 29) to ancient Chinese dolls carved from hard ink cases (p. 29) to even a doll in a quaint evening dress (p. 30) that Mrs. Struthers indicates is Jenny Lind (who happens to be a famous singer in the real weorld, known as the "Swedish Nightingale").  There's a French swordsman doll with a tiny steel saber posed as if to duel (p. 30); a king with a jeweled robe (p. 59); a doll with a violin in its hands (p. 80); Civil War dolls that were hollow, used to carry messages and medicine across enemy lines (p. 95); early American rag dolls with shoe button eyes and faces painted with vegetable dye (p. 118); and even a whole set of mannequin dolls dressed up as a full wedding party (p. 148).  The amount of detail given to the description of the various dolls indicates some level of research, which the correspondence between Wirt and Adams confirms when Wirt thanks Adams for the "doll material," which she found very interesting and used as much as possible (informing Adams she had to let some of it go, as she could not fit it all into the story!).

Getting back to the story itself, Wirt had a lot to work with, some of which is not particularly normal for a Nancy Drew book.  For instance, there's a scene where Nancy is poisoned when she pricks her finger on the point of a doll's sword - and Carson is worried the poison may be fatal (p. 33)!  It's not every day we find Nancy on the verge of death.  But miraculously, the doctor who is called out to Mrs. Struthers' home not only recognizes the poison simply by its smell, but is able to create an antidote in mere minutes right there at the house (p. 34).  That is definitely some doctor!  We also get treated to the revelation that Ned has plans for his future that include his desire to "go into business, prosper, and marry a certain golden-haired young lay named..." (p. 37).  I don't recall any other book where Ned so blatantly reveals his romantic intention to marry Nancy!  There is also a hinted death threat by one of the gypsies, who, when talking with Nancy about Rose, remarks, "when her grandmother dies..." (p. 201).  When Nancy gasps at the idea that they would kill Mrs. Struthers, the gypsy backtracks and indicates that the loss of Rose would leave her with a broken-heart that would lead to her death - but still, that's some pretty terse stuff right there.  Finally, there is also the gypsies' ritual of marrying off their daughters very young - in chapter six, Ned and Nancy are witness to a gypsy wedding, where Nancy sees the young girl is "very frightened and could not have been more than fourteen years old" (p. 43); however, before you get too shocked to read this in a Nancy Drew book, the gypsy performing the ceremony makes it clear to all of the attendees (and the reader) that while their girls marry very young, they "have complied with all the laws of this state" (p. 42).  One can only assume Wirt (or Adams in the editing process) threw in that line to keep readers from thinking this marriage was an unlawful act against a minor.

Two of the gypsies - Anton and Nitaka - play a pivotal role in the mystery, and they make a number of appearances, mostly as thieves.  They are also right-hand helpers of the gypsy king, Zorus (whose name is actually from Green mythology, a Trojan warrior who participated in the Trojan war), and they enforce his will upon all of the gypsies in their group, including extortion of money.  What is sad is that the gypsies, for the most part in this book, are not portrayed in a good light.  The one gypsy who helps Nancy and warns her on several occasions turns out to be not a gypsy at all, but someone who married a gypsy and pretended to be from another tribe so as to not cause trouble for her husband (p. 205).  What surprised me was that when one of the gypsies offers to tell Nancy's fortune, her first question is, "Have you a license to tell fortunes?" (p. 113).  I was not aware that a license was required to be a fortune teller, but some quick research online reveals this was actually the case - and in some instances, fortune telling was outlawed altogether, license or no license!

A couple of interesting tidbits worth noting - first is the mention of the Taylor Department Store, where the mannequin dolls are to be on display (p. 148).  This same department store was first referenced in The Secret of the Old Clock, where Nancy goes to buy a new dress.  It's not often you see continuity of places like that in this early series.  Second, Adams may have been right in her disappointment in the story when it comes to Nancy's character.  Adams tells Wirt in one of her letters that Nancy "does not see like the courageous, untiring person she always has been ... she feels like a defeatist, ready to give up ..." And that is certainly true in some instance in the story.  When Nancy is kidnapped at the end of the book, being tied up and on the floor of the truck "made her feel quite ill" (p. 209).  She then thinks, "If only Dad could have reached me in time..." (p. 209) - and when he does arrive and rescue her, her first words are, "Oh, Dad, I thought you'd never come" (p. 209).  Later, when asked by Bess if she were scared, she laughs, "I'm afraid I was" (p. 212).  These are only a few examples, but they show the frame of mind of Nancy's character pretty much throughout most of the book - which, as Adams says, is not typical of Nancy Drew.  Third, Wirt specifically used a couple of real musical pieces in the book - the Hungarian Rhapsody (p. 38) and The Gypsy Airs (p. 149).  One can assume these pieces were chosen because of the focus on gypsies in the story.  Finally, a couple of plot points are never actually explained - such as "the cause" (p. 198) that Zorus is forcing all of his gypsy tribe members to support, as well as the mysterious "substance" inside of Enid's doll (p. 201), that Romano's father discovered in Bear Claw Mountain.  I suppose with so much going on in this story, those points just sort of got lost along the way.

Russell Tandy provided the art for both the cover and the internal frontis.  The internal scene is from page 186, when Nancy, Bess, and George are in the small town of Aiken, where Nancy spots one of Mrs. Struthers' stolen dolls in a store front window.  The cover scene comes straight from page 195, when Nancy sneaks up on the gypsy camp, hoping to locate both Rose and her father, Romano Pepito.  I did notice on the cover art, as well as on the internal, Nancy has a red bow in her hair, something that one usually sees in Penny Parker's hair on the illustrations for many of her books.  

The book is not bad, but it is definitely a lot to take in - I mean, let's face it, I didn't even mention the whole River Heights Yacht Club sailboat race and all of the trouble that comes along with that - including the purchase of a sail boat, the sabotage of that boat, and the ultimate race.  None of it has anything whatsoever to do with the mystery, so one is left to wonder exactly why that material is in the story at all.  (And in case you are wondering, yes, of course, Nancy and her friends do win the race - which, by the way, is called the "Dixon Cup" - hmmmm, perhaps named after another author name used by the Syndicate for a certain boys series?)

8 poisoned "witch dolls" out of 10 for some rather strange plot elements, unusual characters, and the revelation of Ned's true intentions for Nancy!

Stella's Victory - from the Crown Library for Boys and Girls

This was one of those unique books that when I saw it, the cover struck me as interesting, and I knew I had to have it.  My friend, Pam, who is a librarian, was going through books at her library sale, and so she was showing me some of them for sale, and when she held this one up, I fell in love with the beautifully painted cover and asked her to get it for me.  I was not really sure what the story would hold in store, but the book was published by "The Girl's Own Paper" Office - The Girl's Own Paper being a British weekly newspaper for girls published from 1880 to 1956.  I was intrigued by the fact that this weekly newspaper was also publishing full length novels, and I wondered if perhaps this was a collected edition of a story that appeared in weekly installments in the newspaper; however, from everything I was able to find out about the book online, that does not appear to be the case.

Stella's Victory was written by Bertha Leonard, who authored a number of books for girls across the pond, including Castle School Mystery, The Riddle of Rockview School, The School at Kesteven, Silverways Manor School, Nan's Highland School, among others.  Clearly, Leonard enjoyed writing about girls' school adventures and mysteries.  Bertha Leonard was, in actuality, Bertha Howick Fry, who, aside from writing, enjoyed reading and collecting antiques, and whose daughter, Leonora Fry, also went on to write a number of books, many of which were educational in nature (Bertha Fry a/k/a Bertha Leonard).  From what I was able to learn, Stella's Victory was her first full-length novel.

The story centers around Stella Willoughby, the teenage daughter of a once wealthy family who has lived a more than comfortable life and has been used to doing as she pleased.  As the book opens, Stella discovers the family is going to have to leave Trevorholt, their Elizabethan house with its extensive gardens (p. 10) and allow an American family to rent the house for a year.  Even then, Stella is shocked to discover that unless her parents are able to turn the family finances around, they may have to actually sell the great house.  But worse than all of that, Stella is told she will be going away to an all-girls boarding school, and that her holidays will be spent with her Aunt Selina - a wealthy woman in her own right, who spends her days (and her money!) helping those less fortunate.  Stella cannot think of a duller way to spend her holidays, and the only thing giving her hope is her brother's story of a family fortune hidden many years ago somewhere in Trevorholt.  But with the family leaving for a year, and Stella going away to school and her Aunt Selina's, how can they search for the treasure and save their family home?

While this treasure-hunting mystery is set up at the beginning, Leonard pretty much puts that on hold and spends a good portion of the book focusing on Stella's schooldays at the boarding school, her interaction with these new girls (who refer to her as "Duchess" because of her haughty attitude), and her plans to somehow escape staying with her Aunt Selina when the holidays arrive.  The boarding school has some rather strict rules, and in many ways, it reminded me of Starhurst from The Dana Girls Mystery Stories.  Stella and her new friends wind up in trouble when they sneak away to have a picnic on a nearby island where a fortune teller lives, but they give themselves away when they find the older woman unconscious and Stella has to swim back to shore to get help.  

It is during Stella's first holiday with her Aunt Selina that the author plainly reveals the story is a set up for leading Stella on a path to change her ways.  Selina is a devout woman of God, and she wants to leave her great fortune to Stella, but only if she will use the money wisely to help others.  Stella, at first, seems to awaken from her selfish life, as she helps her aunt provide a merry Christmas to a number of homeless children; however, she seemingly reverts right back to her old ways as soon as the holidays are over.  Stella eventually finds a way to spend one of her holiday breaks with her best friend, Celia, and they sneak back over to Trevorholt to search for the treasure.  A surprising scare sends Stella flying down the stairs, and she suffers an injury that leaves her bedridden for some weeks, under the care of her Aunt Selina.  These events ultimately lead to a greater understanding for Stella, and she resolves to not only turn over a new leaf and stop being so self-centered, but she also expresses a desire to aid her Aunt Stella and spend more time helping her help others.

The story definitely has religious undertones, and there is a clear message of Biblical values, but the author is not pushy with the subject matter.  There is no discussion of accepting Christ as Savior or a need for salvation; however, the moral of the story is undeniably the need to not rely on and live for material wealth and focus instead on serving God by serving others.  The mystery element of the family treasure and alleged ghost that haunts Trevorholt are minor elements within the tale and are not the main focus of the plot (although the possible loss of Trevorholt weighs heavily on Stella and influences much of her attitude and actions - and it is not until she lets go of her selfish nature that she is provided the means by which the family home can be saved; which, in a way, is a allegory of the Christian faith, that letting go of "self" and simply trusting in God is how and when you will find true peace and success).

The book has two black and white internal illustrations by E.S. Farmer, as well as a color frontis piece by who I can only assume is Alfred Bestall, a British artist who illustrated books by Enid Blyton and later took over the Rubert Bear stories in the Daily Express.  The color print only shows the signature of a last name in the bottom left hand corner, and it appears to be Bestall's, although I cannot be one hundred percent sure.  It is odd they had a different artist provide the interiors than the one who provided the frontis; and as far as the cover goes, I have no idea who provided the art for that.  The book itself does not have a publication or copyright date; in fact, the page that normally contains that information merely says "Made in Great Britain / Printed by Butler & Tanner, Ltd., Frome and London."  Thus, I can't even be sure when this particular copy of the book was published.

Nevertheless, the book was a fair enough read, although not enough mystery for my taste.  Again, this is one of those rare "non-series" books that I picked up, and for the price I paid, I certainly can't complaint too much about the quality of the tale.  Fans of girls' school books will probably enjoy the story, with its adventures of the girls in Dormitory Six; as for me, I'll stick to the mystery stories!

RATING:  6 empty iron-bound boxes out of 10 for providing a tale of character growth and moral expectations, with just a hint of mystery thrown into the mix.

Short Lived Comic Series #27 - T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents (Tower Comics)

I first came across T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents back in the mid-80s at my local comic store in Louisville when I saw the beautifully drawn cover of Deluxe Comics' first issue, as rendered by George Perez (probably the most magnificent comic artist ever in my book!).  I had never heard of the team before, and I thought it was a new concept, so I picked up that first issue.  If I recall correctly, I got the second issue after that, but I did not pick up any more because my money was limited and there were so many comics I wanted.  I never really gave much thought to that comic or those heroes again until many years later when DC Comics got the license for the characters and published a short-lived series featuring that team.  I enjoyed the stories and the heroes, so I decided to go back and hunt down those original books.  Little did I realize they would not be easy to find at prices I could afford!

The very first issue of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents was published by Tower Comics back in the mid-60s (twenty years prior to my first introduction to the team) with a cover date of November 1965.  The name T.H.U.N.D.E.R. was an acronym (obviously, based on the periods after each letter!) that stood for The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves, an organization that worked hard to defend America and the world from the dangers that arose - particular those of a mysterious criminal known only as the Overlord.  That first issue was a 64-page comic for only twenty-five cents, and it featured the origin stories of Dynamo, No-Man, and Menthor, alongside the first story of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Squad (a team made up of Guy, the leader; Dynamite, the weapons man; Kitten, the technical device expert; "Weed," the locksmith; and Egghead, the strategist).  The first issue also introduces readers to the Iron Maiden, a villain who would return time and again to both challenge and aid the Agents, and more specifically, Dynamo!  As with many comics from that time period, there were no credits displayed for the stories; however, it has since become common knowledge that Len Brown, Larry Ivie, Lou Silverstone, Dan Adkins, and Wally Wood scripted the stories, while Wally Wood, Reed Crandall, Gil Kane, George Tuska, and Mike Sekowsky provided the art.  I thoroughly enjoyed those first stories of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and found it to be a pretty solid start to the series.

The series lasted for a total of 20 issues over the course of five years (from 1965 to 1969), with the issues coming out less frequently towards the end of the series (there was an entire year gap between issues 19 and 20!).  While the cover price never changed from twenty-five cents, by issue 17, the page count decreased from 64 pages down to 48 pages for those last four issues.  Additionally, the last couple of issues were more reprint tales than new stories, and the last issue actually featured the origin story of Dynamo from issue one, but completely redrawn.  During the course of the series, two spin-off titles were published:  Dynamo, which lasted only four issues, and No-Man, which only had two issues published.  While Len Brown and Wally Wood provided the stories and art for a lot of the original tales, other creators came and went during the run, including Dick Ayers, Ogden Whitney, Jack Abel, Steve Ditko, and many others.

Dynamo was definitely the lead character for the title, as he appeared in more stories than another other, often having two stories in each of the early issues.  No-Man also had his own stories in each issue.  Menthor was surprisingly killed-off in issue 7 of the series in a powerful tale written by Dan Adkins and drawn by Steve Ditko and Wally Wood.  The story had an impact because the man behind the mask was originally a plant within the Agents by their enemy, but he eventually decided to take the path of good and right, which is what ultimately cost him his life as he tried to make it out and warn his fellow Agents of the threat awaiting them.  While the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents held on to Menthor's helmet (which is what gave him his powers), no one else ever wielded that power again during this original series.  

The team was not static, though, as two new members were introduced during its run.  In issue 4, Guy Guilbert, who was the leader of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Squad, was given a suit that granted him super-speed, but at the cost of knowing every time he used the speed, it shortened his life span.  He donned the costume anyway and assumed the name Lightning. He appeared in several individual stories, as well as team stories throughout the remaining issues.  Then, in issue 8, the team recruits an ex-trapeze artist / acrobat / gymnast by the name of Craig Lawson to wear a newly designed cape that allows its wearer to fly - and thus, the Raven is born!  At first, he plans to use the cape and its costume for his own profit, but eventually he becomes a part of the team and the hero he was meant to be.  I was hoping at some point they would add a female hero to the team, but, alas, that 20th issue came and went, the series ended, and the team remained exclusive to men (with the exception of Kitten, who was a part of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Squad and played only small parts here and there when the Squad would appear in the title).

The quality of the stories and art went down as the series progressed, and even the addition of Lightning and Raven was not able to keep the title afloat.  By December 1967 (issue 17), the series was already faltering, and issue 18 did not come out until nine months later (September 1968).  Issue 19 was published in November 1968, and the final issue a year later in November 1969.  Issues 18 and 19 were even published with no ads, featuring cover-to-cover action, but even that was not enough to save the title.  So, in November 1969, the series ended, and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were sent off to comic book limbo...

Until 1983 when John Carbonaro acquired the rights to the title and its characters and relaunched the series under his JC Comics company.  There were only two issues of new stories published as T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, as well as three issues of reprints under a Hall of Fame: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents title.  There was also a one-issue crossover special with Justice Machine that same year published by Texas Comics.  The next year, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents resurfaced at Deluxe Comics, who published five issues of original stories over the course of three years (1984 - 1986).  The books featured gorgeous covers provided by George Perez (1 through 4) and Mike Machlan and Jerry Ordway (5), and the stories were actually very well done.  Sadly, that series came to an end because it turned out Deluxe did not have the rights to the characters to be able to publish stories about them.  In 1987, the Agents made a guest appearance in an independent comic called Thunderbunny (issue 11).

Eventually, DC Comics acquired the rights and published a 10-issue series in 2010, with a follow-up six-issue series in 2011.  In 2012, IDW got the rights and published an 8-issue series.

The original 20-issue series is definitely a classic, and the first half of that series, at least, is well worth the read.  The stories are well-written, there is great characterization, and the art is nicely done.  There is a lot of continuity among the stories, even between the individual and team tales.  Later issues seemed to move away from that and simply tell one-off stories, some of which were extremely unusual (including one where No-Man is taken off-planet!).  Nevertheless, it was this series that gifted the world with some unique and fun characters that have managed to stay in the comic world for nearly sixty years - will be curious to see where they show up next!

RATING:  7 super-charged belts out of 10 for creative characters and stories that were not afraid to take chances with something new!

Shadow of the Caravan - a Pocket Books gothic

It still amazes me at just how many publishers jumped on the "gothic wave" during the 1960s and '70s.  It seems every time I turn around, I'm finding gothic novels from yet another publisher that I was unaware published any during that time.  This time, it's Pocket Books, under the "Pocket Goth" line as set forth on the spine of the book.  Pocket published a number of books by many regular gothic authors, such as Joan Aiken, Lynn Benedict, Dorothy Daniels, Miriam Lynch, Janet Louise Roberts, Dan Ross, Mary Kay Simmons, and so many others.  This one caught my eye at my local used book store because of the gorgeous cover art, so beautiful and spooky.  Plus, the title has that "Nancy Drew" style to it - you know the one I mean, "The Secret of the -- " or "The Mystery of the --" and the like.  So, I could not pass it up, and having now read it, I'm glad I did not!

Shadow the Caravan is a tale of the past, set in the late 1800s.  It was written by Saliee O'Brien, which name is the author's real name and not a pseudonym.  Ms. O'Brien was born at the turn of the 20th century in Missouri, and she died at the age of 94 in Florida just a little over 20 years ago.  She was not quite as prolific as many of the gothic authors were, and it appears she only wrote a few gothic novels during the '60s and '70s (The Bride of Gaylord Hall, Beelfontaine, Night of the Scorpion [for the "Zodiac Gothic novel" series], and this book).  If the rest of her books are as well-written and enjoyable to read as this one, I will definitely be tracking them down!

The story is about Lila Bruce, who travels to California with her frail Aunt Catherine so that Lila can marry the wealthy Giles Castle and share his grand home.  Lila is fully aware that Giles is not in the best of health, but she is not prepared for what awaits her when she arrives at the House of the Camel (it is called, since the Castle family has a business of camel caravans).  Lila discovers that no one in the house - not family nor staff - has ever heard of her, and even more devastating, she learns that her betrothed has died!  On that dark, cold, rainy night when she arrives to a house of people who distrust and dislike her, Lila is at a loss what to do.  She and her aunt used their entire savings to make the long trek from Missouri to California (remember, this is the 1800s, so it was completely by stagecoach!), and they have nowhere else to go.  Giles' younger brother, Timothy, allows them to stay the night, as the funeral will be the next day and they are reluctantly allowed to attend.

It is a well-written mystery that begins when Lila finds a small note in the hands of her deceased husband as he lies in the casket in the parlour - a note that tells her to return home, she is not wanted!  Not heeding that warning, she then gets pushed into the grave after the casket is lowered into the ground, and the family thinks she is nothing more than histrionic, playing at the grieving fiance.  It is after the gravesite service that she (and the Castle family and friends!) learn that Giles made a new will just prior to his death, leaving the bulk of his estate to Lila!  Clearly this leads to greater threats, as she is locked in a stable, left to face the not so friendly camels on her own; she is then tripped before a herd of stampeding camels; she later discovers a deadly scorpion under the covers of her bed; and she ultimately falls from the balcony of her upper floor room, which gives way after having been nearly sawed through!  It is evident someone is determined to remove her from the picture, but the question is: who?

 

First, there's Timothy Castle, Giles' younger brother who was set to inherit the entire Castle fortune in the even of his brother's death. There's Patricia Swann, who, along with her mother Daisy, keep the House of the Camel running (and who clearly has eyes for Timothy).  There's Brawley Jones, the gruff stable hand who works with the camels. There's also Steven Perry, the Castle family's attorney who resides at the great house in order to manage the Castles' legal affairs. Then there's Fancey Abbott, the next-door neighbor who grew up with the Castle boys and makes it very clear it has always been her intention to become a Castle wife.  And there's Roger Castle, Giles and Timothy's second cousin whose ranch adjoins Giles and Timothy's, but is nowhere near as bid nor as successful; and finally, there's George Damon, the Castles' neighbor across the way.  The only ones who show any friendliness or courtesy to Lila and her aunt are the attorney, the cousin, and the neighbor across the way - the rest of the family and staff make it clear in no uncertain terms that Lila is an interloper and not wanted.  In fact, Timothy takes several opportunities to tell Lila she would be better off returning home and never coming back!

 

The novel definitely builds suspense, but O'Brien gives readers a protagonist who is neither weak nor submissive.  Sure, she gets frightened, and sure, there are moments when she is rescued and thankful to be held by the strong arms of a man; but that does not mean she does not have the strength of her own to stand up to them all and determination to not give up and run away.  Despite the growing danger, she sticks to her decision to stay, knowing this is what Giles wanted for her.  Now, that being said, it's not exactly difficult to determine which of this cast of characters is actually behind all of the happenings at the House of the Camel.  Despite the large number of harsh characters who do not hide their contempt for Lila, anyone who has read a large number of gothics will know that the villain is usually hiding behind an outward appearance of niceties, love, and concern, and this story is no different.  But that does not make it any less of a great read.  No, in fact, the story is so filled with suspense, it is a fantastic read, and I could easily envision this story made into a film.  I mean, the final scenes where Lila and her aunt are kidnapped (and HOW they are kidnapped is rather unusual!), and the final confrontation with the culprit definitely make for a superb climax to the tale.

Without a doubt, I'll be going out there to find O'Brien's other gothic novels!

RATING:  10 burlap bags of grain out of 10 for a prime example of gothic greatness with the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, and terrific characterization!

Friday Barnes, Last Chance

Friday Barnes has been an entertaining series of mysteries unlike any other.  The title character, a cross between Nancy Drew and Sheldon Cooper (of Big Bang Theory fame), is definitely one of the most quirky, unusual teenage sleuths, and the mysteries are always ingenuous with the right amount of humor mixed in.  What I had originally thought was going to be an eight-book series has expanded beyond that (to my overwhelming joy!), and it has been such fun following Friday and her friends as they travel beyond the halls of Highcrest Academy, where many of the first eight books took place.  After the last book's hi-jinks in Italy and Norway, I was curious to see where this book would take us - and R.A. Spratt did not disappoint!

Friday Barnes, Last Chance brings Friday, her sidekick and best friend Melanie, as well as her boyfriend (can she call him that?) Ian, and her Uncle Bernie to France in order to answer the all-important question - is the Mona Lisa hanging in The Louvre the real thing, or is it a masterfully reproduced fake?  It is interesting Spratt would use this premise for the mystery, as there has been speculation through the years as to whether the Mona Lisa that currently hangs in The Louvre is a masterful copy or the actual original painted by DaVinci.  And Spratt takes it a bit further, as Friday and Melanie observe the DaVinci, in the Mona Lisa and many of his other paintings, tended to paint prominent or misshapen noses on the people he painted.  This is a fact in the real world that has been a topic of discussion for art critics looking at his works.  Thus, Spratt integrates a bit of factual art history in this mystery.

So, in this book, after dealing with a bout of hypothermia (remember that last bit of adventure in Norway?), Friday heads to Paris to join her uncle and boyfriend as they investigate the claim that has been made about the Mona Lisa.  An aged letter was discovered behind some bathroom tiles of the home of one Signora Peruggia, a descendant of the infamous Vincenzo Peruggia, who stole the Mona Lisa back in 1911 (yet another integration of real facts!), which indicated the painting found and returned to The Louvre was actually a copy, and the original remained hidden somewhere, possibly painted over by another famous artist and hiding in plain sight!  This claim is bringing a lot of unwanted bad publicity to The Louvre, and so Interpol is called in - and since Friday, Ian, and Melanie are all now honorary Interpol assistants, they are on the case!

The series over the last couple of books has taken a departure from the original format of the series. In the beginning, each book had an over-arching mystery for Friday to solve, but along the way, she solved any number of smaller mysteries, seemingly in every other chapter.  In the last book and in this one, as well, there are fewer short mysteries along the way, and the text focuses more on the main mystery.  Yes, Friday does happen to solve a couple of quick problems (such as a missing passenger on the plane, the identity of a woman attacked by the police at the French airport, a girl using her phone to scam tourists in Paris, and tricking a young girl who has locked herself in the dorm bathroom to come out), but they are definitely fewer and farther between than what they were in the early books.

The book also features a couple of "identity" focal points that have never been raised before - the first being Agent Okeke, the woman sent to pick up Friday and Melanie from the airport.  She is tackled by the police at the airport for carrying a gun, and while Friday figures out who she is, the agent herself makes it clear she believes she was attacked only because of the color of her skin (being of African descent).  The second instance involves Ian.  When Friday and Melanie arrive in France, Friday's fear is that Ian has been enthralled by the beautiful French girls; however, she is surprised to be told that Ian is actually dating another boy now!  Of course, this turns out simply to be a ruse perpetrated by Ian to keep the girls away (since his heart belongs only to Friday); but I did find it interesting that the author used both of these somewhat topical issues in today's headlines as plot points in the book.

The villain in the story is not very difficult to spot; however, the ultimate goal of his criminal venture does make the story exciting, and how he and his group of bandits manage to steal the Mona Lisa from the most secure art museum in the world is rather ingenuous.  The supporting cast of characters are also unique (as is pretty much everything in this series!) and fun, giving Friday some challenges and surprises along the way.  In some ways, the series is developing into a soap opera, as there are elements that would clearly make for a good soap - does Ian really like Friday, or will he leave her for someone else?  why is the young girl in the bathroom so upset that her father is making her attend art school?  what secret does the boy who works for his uncle's pizzeria have?  how will Friday and her new friends escape from a locked chamber in the basement of The Louvre?  And why, oh why, is Friday being arrested yet again at the end of this book (leaving us a wonderful cliffhanger that will lead into the twelfth Friday Barnes mystery!)?  All the great trappings and tropes of a good soap!

As with every other book in this series, this mystery was a joy to read, and I am looking forward to the next one (hoping and praying that book 12 is not the last!).

RATING:  9 cases of bulletproof glass out of 10 for putting Friday Barnes in the middle of a real-life mystery and having her solve it in true Friday-style!

A Zebra Mystery Puzzler #10 - The Final Pose

Marc Baker a/k/a Marcia Blair comes back with his third Zebra Mystery Puzzler, bringing his nurse, Tory Baxter, back for yet another murder mystery to solve.  The one thing I really like about Baker's (Blair's?) mysteries is that he always starts them right off with a murder.  Unlike some of the other books in this series, we do not have to wait several chapters for that murder to take place - no, Baker takes us right into it from the get-go, and as such, his protagonist is thrust into the mystery right from the beginning.  This means, for the reader, that there is page-turning excitement and suspense right away, and so we must begin to search for clues in those first first few pages (not to mention in the cover art, as well as the internal illustrations).   And for this third go-around, readers follow Tory Baxter to the magical, mysterious land of Spain...

The Final Pose opens with Tory Baxter getting ready to board her plane to Palma, Spain to care for Ann Blaine Milton (who is called "Mrs. Robert" by her family and staff), who has an unexplained sleeping illness.  Despite warnings from everyone about the "Badluck Blaines," Tory takes the job, not believing all of the superstitious nonsense.  Just because the one sister (Edith) is crippled by a boating accident ... and Ann's husband and daughter die in an airplane crash ... and their nephew falls down the stairs, greatly injuring his leg ... it does not mean the family is cursed by bad luck.  But when a man calls out to Tory at the airport, just before she boards the plane, to ask for her help - then falls down dead at her feet ... when a young woman sitting next to her on the plane quickly changes seats when she finds out where Tory is headed and why ... Tory begins to wonder if perhaps taking this job was not the best idea.

 

Things only get curioser and curioser (as Alice would say) when Tory arrives at the Blaine home - it seems everyone is completely taken back by Tory's appearance, even though Miss Merriweather, the nurse who had originally been scheduled to take this case had notified them of the last minute substitution.  It is clear something is very off in this household.  The chauffeur and housekeeper are clearly not pleased with Tory's presence.  The Blaine's nephew seems to run hot and cold with her, doing everything in his power to keep any friendliness towards her a secret from his aunts.  Ann Milton's sleeping sickness seems to be more of an escape than an actual illness.  Edith Blaine is the only one that truly welcomes Tory, although her concern for her sister's failing health seems to overshadow everything else.  And then there's the cook...

 

Mattie, the cook, is probably one of my favorite characters from the story.  She is gruff and a rather nasty piece of work, but Tory has no problems talking back to her, which quickly earns her Mattie's respect.  "I'd thank you to get those trays down as soon as Mrs. Robert has finished pushing her food around ," says the cook, to which Tory promptly  and coldly responds, "And I'd suggest you go up and tell Mrs. Robert you want her to do her food-pushing faster!" (p. 97).  It is scenes and dialogue like this that made me smile as I was reading the book.

The murders begin with a young woman found dead after falling from the balcony of Edith Blaine's studio out behind the main house - a young woman who used to work for the Blaines, but who was fired after stealing some jewelry.  The same young woman who happened to be on the plane with Tory as she was flying to Spain.  Coincidence?  I think you know better than that!  And it's not too long before another body turns up, this time it is the family lawyer, who supposedly commits suicide over the guilt he feels from having caused the accident that put Edith in the wheelchair.  Tory, of course, suspects there is a lot more to it than that, and her sleuthing ultimately pins her as the next victim of the heartless killer!

Blair (Baker) writes a perfectly plotted murder mystery that will keep you guessing right up until the end.  I readily admit that I kept jumping back and forth between the suspects as the story progressed, and although I did ultimately figure out the culprit before that final, sealed chapter, I was completely wrong about how and why!  The author also utilizes a considerable amount of real information about Spain throughout the story - from the location in Palma to the Bellver Castle (p. 62) to the Pueblo Espanol a/k/a Spanish Village in Palma de Mallorca (p. 62), and even the pearl factories and shops in Majorica / Manacor (p. 116).  Although, the one thing I did question was Blair's use of a motorized wheelchair (p. 31).  I did not recall there being motorized wheelchairs in 1978 when this book was published, and a friend who is in a wheechair made the same comment when I told him; however, upon researching the question, it seems motorized wheelchairs have been around since 1953, when electric wheelchairs entered the market at large.

And since we are speaking of the wheelchair, I find it funny that the cover art for the book pictures Edith in a standard, non-motorized wheelchair, when the story is so blatantly clear about Edith's motorized wheelchair (even mentioning on more than one occasion how adept she was with the chair, moving around faster than someone can walk!).  I know the illustrations in these books do not always match the story, but this one seems a bit too far out of synch.  Bruce Emmett, who also did the cover art for Blair's previous two Zebra Mystery Puzzlers (book 2, The Final Ring, and book 6, The Final Lie), provided the art for this book, and I have to say - poor Tory looks completely different on each of the three covers. I am not sure if that is because the artist used different models for each book, or what the reason is, but of the three, Tory looks the worst on this cover.  In fact, Edith Blaine, as depicted on the cover, looks younger and prettier than Tory, which is definitely not the case in the story!  As far as the internal illustrations go, they are not bad, but Tory does not look anything like she has in previous books, nor does she resemble her image on the cover.  I suppose with the amount of books they were publishing in this series at the time, they could not use one artist for all of the illustrations in the books, but some level of consistency would have been nice, at least for those books that were written by the same author and featured a regular protagonist!

This is definitely one of the better mysteries in this series, and the title of this book actually gives the reader the greatest clue as to the identity of the killer.  Now I have to wait six more books before Tory Baxter returns for another murder mystery...

RATING:  9 thermoses of hot chocolate out of 10 for a wickedly good mystery with a devilishly devious killer!

The Heroine with 1,001 Faces - a Look at the Heroic Journeys of Heroines

The only reason I purchased this book was because I happened across it while scrolling through "Nancy Drew" items on Amazon.  The description of the book on the website claims the author "explores how heroines ... have flown beneath the radar even as they have been bent on redemptive missions."  The description goes on to cite examples, "[f]rom Bluebeard's wife to Nancy Drew, and from Jane Eyre to Janie Crawford, women have long crafted stories to broadcast offenses in the pursuit of social justice."  Based on this, I felt the book might have some valid research material about not just Nancy Drew, but the representation of women in general in folklore, fairy tales, and fiction through the ages, and so I bought it.  I do not regret buying the book, because even though the chapter with Nancy Drew does not spend a lot of time on the sleuth, it does offer up some interesting views on the character, the books, and the relationship with the stories and the writing of them.

The Heroine with 1,001 Faces is authored by Maria Tatar, who is a professor at Harvard University and who has written books on folklore, German studies, and children's literature.  In the introduction to the book (which is an astounding 15 pages in length - the longest introduction I have ever seen in a book!), Tatar readily states that this book is in response to Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces (first published in 1949), which purported to study "the mythological structure of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world myths" (The Hero with a Thousand Faces).  But, as Tatar appropriately points out, Crawford's book focuses solely on the journey of the male hero.  "What about the women?" Tatar asks on the first page of her introduction.  Whereas Crawford posed the answer that question with the thought that  women are "the mother of the hero; she's the goal of the hero's achieving' she's the protectress of the hero..." (p. xii).  Tatar indicates that the goal of her book is to look at these myths, folktales, and heroic journeys from a different point of view, and thereby showing that the women in these stories were on their own journey, spurred on by their curiosity to seek justice and right wrongs.  It is Tatar's belief that women have their own heroic journey, not with swords and violent battles, but with words and wiles and a wealth of other non-violent means at their disposal.

Nancy Drew is not discussed until Chapter 5, "Detective Work: From Nancy Drew to Wonder Woman."  This is due to the fact that Tatar relates her studies in a chronological fashion, starting with the earliest myths and folklore and working her way forward to the present time, with female detectives, magic wielders, and super heroes.  However, the chapter starts off with a look at characters from the television series, Sex and the City and Girls.  I get the sense that Tatar is trying to connect these characters as writers to the investigative work done by detectives; however, the connection feels tenuous at best, and I don't think the author accomplishes her goal.  It is not until nine pages into the thirty-eight page chapter that Tatar actually gets to the discussion of female sleuths.  Even then, Nancy does not fully get discussed until the twelfth page, where Tatar begins a section on "The Mysteries of Nancy Drew, 'Best of All Girls Detectives.'"  She opens with a fact I did not realize - the year that Nancy Drew debuted (1930) also happens to be the same year Agatha Christie's spinster sleuth, Miss Marple, made her first appearance!  

Tatar gives some brief background on the creation of Nancy Drew by Edward Stratemeyer and his hiring of Mildred Wirt (Benson) to write those early stories of Nancy Drew.  She even references the citing by many Supreme Court Justices and other influential women of Nancy Drew as their source of inspiration and encouragement to pursue their careers of choice.  Tatar looks at Nancy Drew from the standpoint that in addition to her desire to seek justice for others, she does so while embodying "the ethics of care."  She cites to a comment made by George Fayne in The Sign of the Twisted Candles, in which Nancy's friends remarks, "You are always putting yourself out to do a kindness for somebody or other who simply doesn't count in your life at all."  It is Tatar's position that while Nancy Drew works to ensure law and order are followed, she never does this at the expense of others (p. 210).  The young sleuth may risk her life time and time again to help those in need, she always does so with a kind word.

The author then posits the question of why the Nancy Drew (and Hardy Boys, as well as other similar series) books were banned from libraries. While Tatar fails to directly answer the question, she does point out that despite these attempts to keep the books out of the hands of children, it only seemed to fire up their desire for the books all the more (p. 211).  She theorizes that when reading books, we are doing exactly the same thing as the detective in the story - we are "[d]ecoding mysteries, sorting out the truth, finding meaning" (p. 211); and thus, when young readers pick up a Nancy Drew book, they are doing the same exact things that Nancy is doing in the book.

What honestly piqued my interest the most about this section of the book is Tatar's comparison of the stories involving "ownership" and "legitimacy" with how the books were written.  She looks at the fact that a number of the mysteries involve stolen or lost items that need to be found and returned to their original owners with the manner in which Stratemeyer farmed out his outlines and plots to ghostwriters, who in turn provided completed books for which they had no ownership right to (even though the work was their own).  As she states, "Dual authorship had a built-in rivalry between a public face (Carolyn Keene a/k/a Edward Stratemeyer) and a secret ghostwriter (Mildred Wirt Benson), and the books themselves reproduce that rivalry by putting their heroine on the trial of counterfeiters and thieves, those who appropriate the property that rightfully belongs to others" (pp. 212-13).  Tatar even wonders if perhaps Benson "somehow wrote her own struggle with authorial identity into the series (consciously or not), turning Nancy into a sleuth who uncovers, among other things, true identities, the genuine article, the real thing?" (p. 213).  While I don't know that I would answer that question in the affirmative, I do admit it is something interesting to think about.

Tatar wraps up her section on Nancy Drew by discussing how her longevity and legacy has inspired so many strong female characters that have come after, specifically looking at Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books and films.  She even goes so far as to say that Hermione "exceeds Nancy's passion for justice by becoming a social activist who founds ... an organization designed to advocate for the rights of an oppressed group" (p. 215).

The author's look at Miss Marple, Wonder Woman (of whom she claims has certain detective-like skills and stories that fit the archetype), and other modern detectives provides for some interesting insight into those characters; but, for me, it was the seven-and-a-half pages about Nancy Drew that drew my attention. Seven-and-a-half pages out of a 290-page book is certainly not a very large part by any means, but I suppose when you are covering decades' and centuries' worth of material, we can be grateful she devoted that much space to our favorite female sleuth.

(As far as the rest of the book goes, I did attempt to read the chapters, but to me, a lot of the material felt like it was repetitive.  It seemed to go over the same theories and observations, but simply applied them to different characters and stories throughout history, and I became a bit bored with it all, so I skimmed through it.)

 

RATING:  7 heroines who are much too flip out of 10 for looking at women in literature (myths, folktales, and fiction) through a new lens, and showing their accomplishments within their own heroic journeys!

Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32002 - The Ravens of Rockhurst

'Death lurked in the dark corners of the old house waiting for a girl who had nowhere to hide" (cover blurb)

 

Well, so far for this series, it's two for two!  After enjoying the first Harlequin Gothic Romance, I was hoping the second would be just as good, if not better, and I was not disappointed in the least.  I don't really know much about the author, Marian Martin, as there seems to be next to nothing about her online.  Besides this one book, she apparently published a book titled Dangerous Stranger in 2011.  There are also some European waterway guide books that are authored by a Marian Martin, but I have no way of confirming if it is the same author.  Thus, I'm unsure if "Marian Martin" is a pseudonym for a more prolific author, or if she is an actual person.  The copyright page for this book indicates it is copyrighted by Marian Martin, so that hints at her being an actual person rather than a pen name.  Regardless, the story was a great read, so it's a shame she did not write more!

The Ravens of Rockhurst is the tale of Courtney Hughes, a young art appraiser who finally has the opportunity to prove herself by taking on the job of appraising the estate of one Jacob Padgett, a man who collected just about anything and everything (hmmmm, she should come to my house!).  There is some uncertainty about Courtney handling the job, as her employer has never allowed her to take on such responsibility in the firm, but she convinces him to allow her to take the month-long job at the old house known as Rockhurst, high in the Cascade Mountains (p. 7).  According to Google maps, the Cascade Mountains are approximately four hours from Seattle, meaning poor Courtney had quite a drive.  Upon her arrival, Courtney meets the various members of the cast who become the focus of the readers' attention, as they try to figure out what is really going on in this isolated mansion.

There is Sarah Padgett, the widow who is set to inherit most of her deceased husband's collections, and who is anxious to see it all sold.  There is Jenny, the housekeeper who has been at Rockhurst for most of her life, and who knows all of the family's secrets.  There is also Floyd Taylor, the handyman at Rockhurst, who the family says is a little bit slow, but who knows more than he is telling.  Then there are Aaron Padgett and Daniel Padgett, the decedent's grandson and grand-nephew - two cousins who are set to only receive a small portion of the estate proceeds - unless, that is, Sarah dies first!  Oh, yes, there is also the "neighbor" (who lives through the woods a bit), Winston Coe (I wonder if he is any relation to Lucy Coe?), who seems to be a collector in his own right and who shares an interest in some of Jacob Padgett's possessions.  And all of these have one very big thing in common - they are all aware that Jacob Padgett, before he died, claimed to have discovered something in his collection was worth a fortune, and he took joy in keeping that treasure a secret!  Since his death, no one seems to have found it, but everyone is on the look out for it.  Now that Courtney is there, taking inventory of everything in the house, will the treasure turn up?  And if so, how far will someone go to get their hands on it?

The story somewhat reminds me of Janet Louise Roberts The Dornstein Icon, which also deals with a young woman training to be an art appraiser, who ends up at an isolated castle.  Both that book and this one involve some valuable icons (which I learned, after reading Roberts' book, is a religious work of art, usually a painting of the Holy Mother, Mary).  Both stories feature two men who appear to be vying for the main character's affection.  And both stories have a protagonist whose name begins with "C" - Courtney in this book, Caroline in Roberts' book.  But, thankfully, this story did not follow the path of Roberts' - in this book, Courtney is a strong, independent woman who is capable of taking care of herself, while poor Caroline was a submissive woman who desperately needed a man to save her.  Also, thankfully, the man in this story who was truly trying to help the main character all along does not drug her and force her to marry him, as what happened in Roberts' book!

This book does, however, have the feel of a grown-up Nancy Drew book.  The cover art, in fact, seems to pay a slight homage to the original Tandy and Nappi covers of The Secret in the Old Attic.  Like Nancy, Courtney is determined to help Sarah Padgett protect her inheritance, and like Nancy, she is not afraid to climb the stairs into an old turret room (similar to the attic).  And, like Nancy, she gets locked in the room up there and left to die!  Only through ingenuity does Courtney (like Nancy!) figure out a way to escape the locked room.  There are also clues that are stolen, red herrings, a message from the decedent that gives the much needed clue to the hidden treasure, and a last minute attempt by the villain to keep Courtney from foiling his plans!  But, like Nancy, she manages to escape his death trap and make her way back to Rockhurst to reveal all at last.

The cover art is a wonderfully painted scene taken directly from page 118 of the story, where Courtney is exploring the turret room and comes across the "kerosene lamp, with a flat circular reflector, newly polished, and fresh oil in its well."  What I do like about the cover is the window in the background, in which one can see the numerous ravens flying around, as if they are preparing to swoop in and scavenge for whatever treasures they can find.  It's the perfect imagery for the characters in the story (and, hence, the title of the book), as Courtney tries to figure out who among them is working against her and against Sarah to try and steal the inheritance left by Jacob Padgett.  

This book was published in July 1983 alongside the first book in the series, the two acting as a sort of "breeder set" for this new Harlequin series.  At the same time, Harlequin also offered up two other new series:  their Regency Romance series and their new Romantic Suspense series.  An advertisement for all three series appeared on the inside back cover of these first two books, encouraging readers to "Discover the new and unique Harlequin Category-Romance Specials!"  The ad described the books as "A new and exciting world of romance reading."  The Regency Romance series lasted the longest (22 books from 1983 to 1988), while this Gothic Romance series lasted 18 books (from 1983 to 1988); however, the Romantic Suspense series never made it past those initial two books in 1983.  Perhaps because the Romantic Suspense stories were so similar in nature to the Gothic Romance books, Harlequin simply saw no reason to continue two series with the same subject matter.  Since then, of course, Harlequin has offered up other Regency and Suspense series, some of which continue being published today.

This book, for whatever reason, proved to be the hardest of the Harlequin Gothic Romance books to find.  I eventually took a chance with Thrift Books (who I normally try to avoid buying from, as they rarely offer photos of their books being sold, they never actually describe the actual book being sold, and they place bar code stickers on the spine of every book they sell that can sometimes be difficult to remove), and by some miracle, I received the right copy of the book with a sticker that was easily removed without damage to the book.  Thus, with this book, I was finally able to complete my full set of 18 Harlequin gothics!

RATING:  10 small lavender jade Buddhas out of 10 for a great gothic tale with the right mix of mystery, suspense, danger, and romance.

Penny Parker Mystery Stories No. 16 - Swamp Island

And so we come to the penultimate Penny Parker mystery story, as we reach the 16th book in the series.  It is truly amazing to me how far this series has come, and how Mildred Wirt's writing has evolved over the course of the nine years and 17 books that were published in this series.  What started as a more-or-less typical children's mystery series has gradually grown into stories with more intricate plots, more dastardly and dangerous villains, and definitely more adult-oriented stories.  This story definitely ups the ante in all of those aspects.

Swamp Island is a story that leads readers to think the mystery is one thing, but then takes it in an entirely different direction.  Wirt opens the mystery with Penny and her best friend, Louise, sailing a flat-bottomed skiff through a local swamp to collect flowers for a banquet that her father is putting together (p. 1).  Now, right off the bat, this raises a few questions, the main one being just where in the world if Riverview?  Previous books indicated the town is only a few hours from a beach (see Voice from the Cave).  Yet, now, here the girls are making their way through swamp land to collect flowers, such as Cherokee roses, water lilies, yellow jessamine, and iris (p. 3).  A quick internet search reveals that these flowers are native to the southeastern areas of the United States; so, does that mean Riverview is located in the south (such as Florida)?  Other tidbits from the books would be more indicative of a mid-western setting, such as those clues to River Heights in the Nancy Drew books.  I suppose that is something we will never know.

Regardless, Penny stays true to nature (no pun intended), as her father had given her $20 to purchase flowers for the banquet (p. 3), which is equivalent to $350 in today's money; yet, she decides to pocket the money and gather swamp blossoms instead.  While in the swamp, the girls come face-to-face with some rather not-so-nice gun-carrying men who warn the girls away - forcing them to leave Louise's dog, Bones, behind (p. 8)!  I wonder when Louise got the dog, as she never mentioned having a dog in any prior book.  The girls learn the men are Ezekiel Hawkins and his two sons, Hod and Coon (p. 13).  You have to give Wirt credit for using some rather unusual names.  Ezekiel and Hod are both Biblical names, but Coon is an odd choice, considering its negative connotation (although, back in Wirt's day when this book was published, the word may have been more connected with hunting and working dogs).  And Ezekiel's wife's name is actually Manthy (p. 14)!  By the end of this second chapter, we get a hint at what we think will be the mystery - a radio warning to be on the lookout for escaped convict Danny Deevers, alias Spike Devons (p. 15).  It is interesting to note that "Danny Deevers" is the name of an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling, considered by many to be one of Kipling's most significant early works, which tells the story of the execution of a British soldier in India for murder.

We quickly learn that Danny Deevers was sent to prison because of some stories Jerry Livingston wrote about shortages at the Third Federal Loan Bank in Riverview (p. 17), and so readers have the expectation that the story is going to center around Deevers and his desire for revenge on the man who put him away - similar to the story of the original Cape Fear film from 1962.  But, if that is your belief, well, you'd be sadly mistaken.  Other than one incident where Jerry is knocked unconscious (p. 46), Jerry plays little part in the mystery, and as a result, so does Danny Deevers.  Instead, Penny's focus is on finding out exactly what the Hawkins men are up to in that swamp (and although she believes it is somehow connected to Danny Deevers, there are incidents that occur - such as a stolen shotgun, a last-minute save from a charging boar, and missing food - that are misdirects and red herrings that are ultimately revealed to be completely unrelated to Deevers).  While the book and overall mystery are good, the false start ended up with a bit of a let-down by the end of the story.

As usual, Wirt throws some things into the story that have real life connections.  For instance, more than once in the story there are references to Neco cigarettes - described as "one of the strongest cigarettes on the market" (p. 47).  As it turns out, NECCO was a candy company back in the day that sold chalky white candy cigarettes back in the '20s and '30s, so one might assume that Wirt perhaps had some of those as a child and perhaps integrated them into her story as a cute nod to them.  There is also the hotel where Penny's father is throwing the banquet - Hillcrest Hotel (p.21).  Back in the day, there was a hotel by that name in Toledo, Ohio, where it is said authors, artists, and business people would regularly stay (including Amelia Earhart, who stayed there in 1933).  In addition, an accident that provides Salt and Penny with an important clue occurs at the intersection of Jefferson and Huron (p. 30) - and, wouldn't you know it, but there is such an intersection in downtown Toledo, Ohio, just blocks away from the Maumee River!

And we certainly must not forget Black Island, a remote island in the middle of the swamp, which holds secrets that Penny is determined to uncover.  Now, the name of this island has several possibilities when it comes to references outside of the story.  First, the name is also the title to the seventh volume in The Adventures of Rin Tintin, a comic series by Herge (The Black Island).  It was first published in black and white in 1938, and later republished in color in 1943, just four years prior to this book being published.  Black's Island is also the name of an island off the gulf coast in Florida, which was so named after the pirate, Black Sam Bellamy, who made the island his home back in the 1700s (and in case you're interested, this particular 7-acre island is currently for sale for just $50 million!).  Also, there is another Black Island, located at the center of Muscongus Bay (in Maine).  This 15-acre island was settled by Europeans back in the early 1800s, and at the start of the 1900s, approximately 50 people lives on the island.  No doubt, there are other Black Islands out there in the world, so it leaves one to wonder which one inspired Wirt for this book!

K.S. Woerner provides the art for both the cover and the frontis piece, and I have to say, neither of them are his best work.  His art from the earlier books is definitely superior to the art in this one.  One thing I did note, however, is that in the early books of the series, Penny is depicted by Woerner with a bow in her hair on most of the illustrations; however, Penny lacks the bow in both the cover and the internal of this book, and her hair is more modern, curled style.  One wonders if he was instructed to give Penny an older appearance, and so the bow was done away with, or was it simply a matter of changing hair styles for young women from 1939 to 1947 that prompted the change.

Again, the story was not bad at all - definitely more mature storylines than in the earlier books; but, I was disappointed by the hinted mystery surrounding Danny Deevers at the beginning of the book that was never truly the main mystery of the book.  I was looking forward to the Cape Fear-style tale of a convict looking for revenge on the man who put him away, but instead got a story about bootleggers hiding in the swamp.  Well, with only one more book left in the series, I'm looking forward to see how Wirt ends her tales of Penny Parker's adventures!

RATING:  8 large puts of turtle stew out of 10 for sending Penny into more dangerous situations, while deepening the relationship between her and Jerry Livingston!

Kidnapped in the Jungle - A Hal Keen Mystery Story (No. 2)

While I do not normally collect boys' series books (with a few notable exceptions, such as Ted Wilford, Tom Swift, Ken Holt, and a few Hardy Boys here and there), the Hal Keen series is one where I have picked up books only when I have come across them in dust jackets at a very reasonable price.  Up until now, I've only had three of the ten book series - The Hermit of Gordon's Creek (book 1), The Copperhead Trail Mystery (book 3), and The Mysterious Arab (book 5).  Despite not having the whole series, I did go ahead and read those (well before I started this blog), and I found them to be halfway decent reads.  So, when I came across this book on Amazon with a dust jacket at a cheap price, I went ahead and snagged it.  Having now read it, I must admit - either my memory is faulty, and the other three books were not nearly as good as I remember, or this book just does not hold up as well as the others!

Kidnapped in the Jungle is the second book in the series.  The story finds Hal Keen traveling by ship to the Panama region to join his uncle, Denis Keen, who has been in that region searching for a missing young boy by the name of Alan Brody who disappeared in the jungles six month prior.  The elder Keen had no success, so Hal was going to meet up with his uncle to accompany him on his trip home.  Unexpectedly (to him, but not to us as the readers), Hal finds himself knee-deep in mysteries as his former school friend, Colin Walters, has stowed away on the boat!  He is believed to have killed one Mr. Wainwright in order to steal a treasure map that would lead him to a hidden family treasure -- where else?  You guessed it!  In the jungles near Panama!  Coly. as he is known, claims to have followed one of the men he knows who actually stole the map onto the boat, and now he asks for Hal's help.  Of course, Hal readily agrees, not knowing that mystery will also intertwine with the search for young Alan Brody.

 

While the story makes some attempt at being suspenseful - stinging scorpions just inches away, deadly tarantulas crawling up Hal's arm, and stories that two of the three criminal died horribly in the treacherous swamps in the jungle - the sluggish manner in which it proceeds only makes the story seem to drag.  It's fairly evident from the get-go that Hal and Mr. Brody's guide through the jungle has evil intentions, and when he turns out to be working alongside the only surviving criminal who is searching for the Wainwright treasure, it comes as no surprise.  Even the revelation regarding Mr. Brody's son towards the end of the story does not truly surprise the reader, as it is hinted at several times as they traipse through the jungle.  There's very little time actually spent "searching" for the treasure (they know where it is based on the map, and it takes them less than a chapter to dig it up, never even opening it after they find the box), and there's actually no time spent "looking" for Mr. Brody's son.  The majority of the story is spent with the walk through the jungle and the turn of events when their guide shows his true colors, leaving Hal tied to a tree (as depicted on the cover) and taking Mr. Brody with him to do God-only-knows-what.  (And Hal is tied to the tree for more than 24 hours, leaving me to wonder - what did he do when he needed to go to the bathroom?) 

 

There are a couple of things that caught my attention while reading.  On page 2, when Hal is talking with the purser aboard the ship, the purser describes Hal's uncle as "a miniature Woolworth Building..."  You don't often see references to actual departments stores in children's series books; normally, the author will use fictional store names.  Another thing worth mentioning is found on page 115, when Hal is speaking with Mr. Brody about their diminutive native guide - Hal laughs at the small stature of the guide, telling Mr. Brody that "[w]hat puzzles me is whether he's the only nigger in the woodpile?"  Now, remembering this book was published in 1931, such a turn of phrase would not have been as shocking as it would be to today's readers.  The phrase originally referred to some unknown factor that would ultimately cause things to turn out differently than one had anticipated - basically, something suspicious or not quite right.  As the term "nigger" became more of an ethnic slur, the phrase was used less and less.  Of course, the story also has other ethnic slurs, as they consistently refer to their guide as a "half-breed," and more than once, references are made to the superiority of "white man" over the jungle natives.  Again, when reading these things, one must remember the context and time period when the story was written in order to understand that such ways of thinking, while appalling today, would have been fairly standard in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

One final thing I found odd is the fact that Hal smokes a pipe in this book.  I don't recall any of the other three books I've read having Hal smoke at all, yet in this story, Hal is said to have "leaned over toward the night table [in his state room aboard the ship], and secured his pipe and tobacco.  After he had taken a puff or two..." (p. 11).  Later in the story, while in the jungle with Mr. Brody, he pulls out his pipe again and smokes.  While Hal's age is never stated in this book, I seem to recall from reading the other books that Hal was a teenager.  If such is the case, why in the world would he be smoking a pipe?!

The series is written by Percy Keese Fitzhugh under the pseudonym Hugh Lloyd.  Fitzhugh wrote nearly one hundred books for children, including several boy scout-type series featuring Tom Slade, Pee-Wee Harris, Roy Blakeley, and others.  Apparently, from what I could gather online, when Fitzhugh's series about scouts began to falter, he wrote the Hal Keen series for Grosset & Dunlap, as well as the lesser known Skippy Dare series (which only had three titles).  Neither series lasted as long as his scouting series did.  In fact, one of his characters, Pee-Wee Harris, still appears in a comic strip in the Boys' Life magazine.

A far as I know, only this book and the first were republished by Whitman under different cover art.  Whitman was known for offering up previously published books from series without actually publishing all the books in that particular series (such as Tom Swift, the Rover Boys, Garry Grayson, the Outdoor Girls, and others).  The cover art, as seen here, is usually of a lesser quality than that of the original stories, and usually not as detailed either.  Bert Salg provided the art for the original Grosset & Dunlap version of this book, and his visuals are, as far as I'm concerned, a far cry better than the unsigned art that graced the cover of the Whitman edition.

 

The internal illustrations are done by the same artist who did the cover art (Berg Salg), yet they do not have the same quality as that on the cover.  In addition, the publisher did not insert the illustrations at the correct places for the scenes depicted.  For example, the first internal is inserted between pages 66 and 67; however, the scene shown in the illustration does not appear until page 108! The second internal is inserted between pages 130 and 131, yet the scene occurs on page 142.  The final internal is the closest, as it appears between pages 194 and 195, while the scene actually takes place on 193.  It would be interesting to know the reason for the misplaced illustrations.

Although this book did not meet my expectations, based on the previous three I read, I will likely still pick up the series as I find the books and hope that they hold up better than this one!

RATING:  5 ragged shirts with duck trousers out of 10 for at least attempting to take the main character and put him in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar locale and situation.