Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32016 - Mirage on the Amazon

From an isolated island in the last Harlequin Gothic to a trip down the Amazon River in this book, it seems the series is expanding the locations that are typically found in Gothic novels far beyond the dark, brooding mansions one would expect to read about.  This book introduces a new author in the line - Mary Kistler.  She appears to be one of the few Gothic authors to use her real name.  It took some digging, but I found a hardcover edition of one of her books that has a short author bio on the back dust jacket flap, indicating she has authored a number of short stories, as well as several novels (most of which appear to be Gothic in nature).  Judging by this book alone, Kistler appears to have a grasp on the Gothic genre, and it's a shame she didn't write more than the few that she did.  This is her only contribution to the Harlequin Gothic line.

 

Mirage on the Amazon takes its title from the fact that when traveling down the Amazon River, one might actually see mirages, such as islands or landforms in the distance that are not actually there, or boats seem to stack or be distorted, or even phantom coastlines that should not be where they are.  Science has shown that these illusions, or mirages, occur because of the high humidity in the Amazon mixes with varied temperatures to create layers of air with different densities, and when light travels through these varying densities, it distorts the image of objects in the distance.  However, the title is also a subtle hint to the reader that the characters in the book are not what they appear to be, and the truth surrounding each one might be distorted by the Amazon jungle in which they reside...

 

The story is set in 1912 and centers around Julia Scott, a native of England who travels down to South America with her old nurse, Laney, in order to see her sister, Claire.  It seems Claire, the rebellious half-sister from their father's first marriage, left England to become an actress and ultimately married a very wealthy landowner who owned a plantation along the Amazon River.  However, years passed without any word, and suddenly Julia receives a letter from her sister, who has fallen ill and believes the illness is not natural - she believes someone is trying to poison her, and she needs Julia's help!  Of course, this being 1912, it takes Julia and Laney some time to cross the ocean and make their way down the Amazon River to the plantation home of Patrick Courtney (Claire's husband).  And it is one this boat trip, before Julia ever reaches her sister, that things begin to happen.

 

Julia is convinced that her sister is in dire jeopardy.  She has a sense of foreboding that she may already be too late.  The more she learns about Patrick Courtney from the boat's captain and first mate, the more she questions her sister's decision to marry the man.  Then, at a stop along the river to restock the boat, Julia is nearly pushed into the piranha-infested waters!  Was the push intentional or an accident?  Why would someone push her, unless they wanted to stop her from reaching her sister.  Then, upon reaching the village of Iquitos (which, by the way, is a real city in Peru!), Julia is not only shocked to see the same man who she thinks pushed her towards the river, but she also finds the captain of her boat talking to Dalma, the regal-looking housekeeper at the Courtney residence!  But he said he barely knew the Courtneys, so why would he be having such an intense conversation with the household help?  More surprising than this, however, is Julia and Laney's introduction to a young girl by the name of Dominique Courtney - Patrick and Claire's daughter - a daughter Julia's sister had failed to mention even existed!

 

Kistler creates even further tension and intensifies Julia's fears when they arrived at the Courtney plantation to discovery Patrick and Claire are not in residence - Patrick has taken his wife to a hospital far up the river, claiming the doctors there can better care for Claire's continued fever.  Yet, the hospital is not named, nor is the doctor, and Patrick provides no means by which Julia can communicate with her sister.  Now, more than ever, Julia is convinced something is very wrong, and the truth is being carefully hidden from her.  When a man in a dark robe breaks into Julia's room in the middle of night, clearly intending to kill her (fortunately, she is saved by a conveniently timed vase falling from an upper floor!), Julia knows for sure dark forces are at work, and someone is determined to keep her from finding out what has really happened to her sister.

 

The author keeps the reader in suspense, barely hinting at the real truth behind everything going on.  There are plenty of misdirects that the reader does not even realize are nothing more than red herrings until much later in the story, when Julia comes face to face with the real threat behind everything going on - and all of her ideas, as well as those of the reader, are suddenly turned upside down, as it turns out nothing at all is what it seems in the isolated mansion deep in the Amazon jungle!  I readily admit, I was thrown for a loop, as I did not see this twist coming at all - which made it all that more juicy to read!  Bravo to Kistler for keeping the truth hidden right beneath the surface of everything going on in the story, providing for a great shock there at the end!

 

The cover art is provided by Len Goldberg, who has provided the cover art for a number of titles in this series (Castle at Jade Cove, The Blue House, Shadows Over Briarcliff, The Devereaux Legacy, and this one).  As always, Goldberg manages to capture an expression of fear on his damsels in distress.  I love how he captures the reflection of the moonlight in Julia's hair on the cover, giving her an almost "angelic" look with the mist-shrouded jungle behind her giving off a sense of evil just waiting to destroy her.  I would give anything to find the original art for these covers - I can only imagine how much more beautiful they appeared on canvas!

 

As with the first 15 books in the series, this one is another winner as far as I'm concerned.  

 

RATING:  10 well-read copies of The Wind in the Willows out of 10 for proving the Gothic tropes can be placed in pretty much any setting and still tell a suspenseful story full of mystery, intrigue, deception, and terror!

Whitman Mystery Stories - Gene Autry and the Thief River Outlaws

This book is definitely a far cry from what I would normally read.  As I mentioned in a recent post about the Judge Colt comic book series (Judge Colt - Gold Key Comics), I am not a fan of westerns.  The only reasons I picked this book up is because (a) I have grown to realize that a number of these Whitman Authorized Editions actually contain some really good stories, (b) the book came with its original dust jacket in pretty good shape, and (c) the price was right.  I set it on my "to be read" pile some time ago and left it there.  Well, after enjoying the Judge Colt series from Gold Key comics, I thought I might as well give this book a try and see how it holds up.

 

Gene Autry and the Thief River Outlaws is one of two Whitman Authorized Editions about the western movie star, both written by Bob Hamilton. This book, copyright 1944, appears to be the first of the two, with the second being published two years later in 1946 (Gene Autry and the Redwood Pirates).  While the book uses Autry's name and likeness, and while the character is quite well-known to the people in the story, it is not the actual Gene Autry in the tale (which makes sense, since the story takes place in the 1800s and the Old West, and the actor was clearly not around then - he simply make films about that time!).  Autry is basically a drifter, going from town to town, sometimes serving as a special deputy for law enforcement, other times simply helping out those in need, such as takes place in this book.  Like the real Gene Autry, the book-Autry has a horse named Champ, clearly modeled after the real Autry's horse, Champion.  

 

The story is the typical western fare, which you would have likely seen on the big screen.  Autry has been asked to come to Thief River Canyon to help out a friend of a friend.  It seems Jim Farnsworth is have some difficulty with the construction of a bridge that is to cross the canyon, which would allow trains to save time by taking a direct route rather than going around the canyon.  But Farnsworth has been laid up after an accident has left him with an injured leg.  On top of that, strange accidents have been taking place - the workers were all made sick through food poisoning; necessary parts were delivered to the wrong place, delaying work; a nearby fire resulted in the men being called away to help put it out; and the donkey engine broke down, resulting in more lost time while they waited for a new part.  (And for those wondering, like me, what is a donkey engine?  well, that happens to be a steam or internal combustion engine with a winch and drums used for pulling cables to move heavy loads!)

 

Farnsworth and his right-hand man, Tennessee (his real name is never said) are certain someone is behind all of these mishaps, and Gene Autry has been called in to investigate.  Autry is concerned an old enemy of his, Trig Marsden, might be involved, but the workmen have to wonder if the new engineer, Dude Dudley, is not the cause.  (Man, you just gotta love these names!)  One of the workers winds up dead when the cables on the donkey engine snap, and Farnsworth has to struggle to keep men from walking off the job.  Autry starts to look into things, and he learns that if Farnsworth does not complete the job within a specified time, the government will take it away from him and turn it over to Mr. Hind, a competing engineer who is only ready to take the job (and the money that comes with it!) away.  But will he really sabotage the work being done just to make a buck?  What do you think....?

 

Surprisingly, there are no gunfights or showdowns at sunrise as one would expect in a western tale. However, there is plenty of kidnapping, brawls, and horseback riding to remind you that this is definitely an Old West tale.  Plus, we have the one obligatory woman thrown into the mix - Betty Jackson.  A not-so-near neighbor who has been coming over to cook and keep house for Farnsworth while he is down and out.  She has plenty of playful banter with Tennessee, and she's got quite the backbone, not being taken in by Dudley's plays for her.  Of course, as anyone with common sense can figure out, when a woman in a story like this is determined to keep a particular man away from her, it is pretty much a given she will end up with him by the end of the story ... and, wouldn't you know it, this book is no different.  

 

While the story was somewhat entertaining, I have to say that the climax is what I would consider the saving grace for this book (at least for those, like me, who don't really enjoy westerns). The villains have sabotaged the bridge itself on the night before the train is set to cross for the first time - just when they think they are going to win, Autry shows up with Hind in tow, forcing Hind on to the train to take the ride with them.  Well, you can pretty much guess what Hind's reaction will be, seeing as how he knows exactly what's been done to the bridge!  I found myself cheering Autry's ingenuity in turning the tables on the crooks and forcing them to reveal their own dirty work before any damage is done!

 

The interior art is provided by Dan Muller.  I can't say for certain, but it appears Muller is likely the same Dan Muller (1889- 1976) who was a real-life cowboy, known for his art depicting scenes of the American West.  It would only make sense that an artist such as Muller would be chosen to illustrate a book like this.  His line drawings give the reader a definite feel for the period and location, making it evident the artist was quite familiar with the subject matter.  His end pages provide a rather tame scene where Autry goes into town to see what he can find out about Trig Marsden, and it even accurately shows "Pete Lonergin's Cafe" as referenced in the story itself.  Unlike many of the end pages in Whitman books, this one does not spoil any of the action or surprises from the story.  The book came with two different dust jackets - one, which I have, showing a group of cowboys galloping across the plane with an inset of the actor, Gene Autry; the other is a full wrap around cover, which shows a full-figure of Autry, holding his gun and lasso on the front, and standing beside Champ on the back.  Not sure what prompted the change in covers, and honestly, I can't say which one came first (although some sellers online list what they call "first printings" of the book with the dust jacket I have, so perhaps that is the case).

 

While not exactly my cup of tea, I will say that the story was well-plotted and had its moments.

 

RATING:  7 orders of hydrochloric acid out of 10 for a western adventure filled with plenty of action and a bit of mystery, along with a few surprise twists at the end.

Mary and Marilyn: Double-Trouble Twins

I'm always on the look-out for series books that feature twins: from the more modern Scarlet & Ivy series to the vintage Bobbsey Twins and Hope Twins series.  I chanced upon this particular at the Atlanta Vintage Bookstore a few years back, and I picked it up, thinking perhaps it was a series I had never heard of before.  As it turns out, this is the only book published with these characters (that I am aware of!), written by Bess Ann Elliot and published in 1938 by Cupples & Leon, the same company that published the Kay Tracey series, as well as the Penny Parker series and many others back in the day.  I can find no real information online about Ms. Elliot, and it appears this is the only book written under this name.  Whether the name is the author's real name or a pseudonym is a mystery in and of itself!

 

Mary and Marilyn: Double-Trouble Twins, while a story of twin girls, is mostly the story of nine-year old Marilyn North Starr, who lives with her grandfather and her aunt, Sally Ann.  The reader quickly learns that Marilyn's father was presumed dead while serving in the war (that would be World War I, in light of the publication date of this book), and her mother died of a broken heart not long after.  As it turns out, Marilyn is one of two twin sisters who, after both their parents died, were separated by the court system when the fathers of both parents fought for custody.  Grandfather North (the mother's father) was given one child to raise, while Grandfather Starr (the father's father) was given the other.  North and Starr hated one another, blaming each other for the marriage of what they believed to be their mis-matched children, and once the two twins were separated, the men vowed never to allow them to see each other.  Starr went so far as to build a dividing fence between the properties, and Marilyn was raised to never try and cross over on to Starr property.  (Oh, and yes, it must be mentioned that the North family was not well-to-do, while the Starr family was more than wealthy!)

 

If anyone has ever watched any of the versions of Walt Disney's The Parent Trap, then you can pretty much see where this is going.  Interestingly, The Parent Trap was based upon a German's novel published in 1949, as well as resembles a 1945 film with a similar plot; however, this book, with the very same premise of separated twins switching places to fool their families, was published nearly a decade prior to either of those. It would be more proper to say this story was inspired by Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, published back in the 1880s, in which an heir to the thrown switches places with a young peasant boy, and they experience each other's lives.  Elliot, however, in this book, reverses the fortunes - instead of the poor family being the abusive one, in this book, it is the wealthy grandfather who is distant and has shown no love or mercy on his granddaughter.  

 

As indicated above, the story focuses on Marilyn, the "poor" granddaughter, who is vibrant, full of life, and is the one who suggests the girls switch identities so that her sister can experience a family who loves her for once.  While we do get the story told from Mary's point-of-view on occasion, the majority of the book is seen through Marilyn's eyes, which is probably for the best, since she is the one who is thrilled with all of her experiences, yet, at the time, longing to return to her aunt and grandfather.  When the girls first make the switch, Marilyn accidentally injures herself (breaks her nose!) when Mary's dog Rex pulls roughly away from her to follow his mistress (it seems even though the twins look exactly alike, the dog can still tell which one is his true mistress).  Her grandfather, a famed surgeon, well known in the hospital and surrounding areas, takes her to the hospital, where Marilyn is stuck while Mary goes off on a vacation in her stead with Grandfather North and Sally Ann!  As one might expect, Marilyn's outgoing personality cannot help but shine through, and soon enough, she begins to melt the heart of her Grandfather Starr, who begins to not only suspect this is not the granddaughter he raised (albeit in boarding schools and without any familial love), but he starts to realize the mistakes he has made over the past nine years.

Elliot does not really introduce much mystery into the book, as much as she does the misadventures of Marilyn as she attempts to get to know her twin sister and share her life with her.  Elliot does, however, provide a sub-plot involving one Mr. Jones, a peculiar man who boards at the North's other neighbor's house.  Mr. Jones ultimately takes up residence in Grandfather North's houseboat, and he becomes a friend and confidant of both Marilyn and Mary.  Adult readers of the book will instantly figure out who Mr. Jones really is, but the audience for whom this story is actually intended will likely not realize his true identity and be in for a pleasant surprise when it is revealed at the end of the book.  

 

Regardless of the similarities to The Parent Trap and the obvious plot elements taken from The Prince and the Pauper, the story was a fun read in its own right.  Elliot breathed the right amount of playfulness, inquisitiveness, and family loyalty into young Marilyn that the reader cannot help but find no fault in all of her actions, and it seems only natural that she would be the one to warm Grandfather Starr's heart so as to open it for his in-laws and his own granddaughters.  The happy ending is definitely fairy-tale like in style, but it provides the reader a very satisfying conclusion (although it does leave the reader wanting for more, making me wish the author and publisher had continued this as a series, rather than just one-book offering). 

 

Something I did find odd is that after purchasing this book, I looked all over to try and find out what the dust jacket art looked like, but I found absolutely no image of the dust jacket anywhere online!  All copies I could find for sale with images had no dust jacket.  I finally located a copy on ABE that was selling with with a DJ for a relatively low price, but there were no pictures - so I took a chance and bought it.  So glad I did!  The dust jacket has some gorgeous cover art, in the same style as Mildred Wirt's Trailer Stories series.  There's no signature on the dust jacket, nor on the sole internal illustration at the front of the book, so I cannot identify who the artist is (if, indeed, the same artist did both the dust jacket and the frontis piece - it could have been two different artists).  Regardless, I am absolutely thrilled to have a copy with the dust jacket in beautiful shape. 

 

Oh, and I did discover in the back of my dust jacketed copy of the book that this book is from the "Junior Books for Boys and Girls" series from Cupples & Leon, with other books such as Rex: The Story of a Dog by Fullerton Waldo; One Boy Too Many by L.H. Mitchell; Here, Tricks, Here! by L.H. Mitchell; The Sea Dog by Arthur C. Bartlett; and others.  Based on this, I can assume this was never intended to be a series, but merely a one-off. 

 

I am glad I picked this book up, as it was worth the read and makes a nice addition to my collection of "twins" in series books.

 

RATING:  8 crayon-drawn sketches on a hospital room wall out of 10 for an adventurous tale of troublesome twins, mistaken identities, and family love and forgiveness! 

Short Lived Comic Series #33 - Judge Colt (Gold Key Comics)

I am by no means a fan of westerns, whether it be television, movies, books or comics.  I remember watching The Rifleman with my mom every Saturday afternoon, and I can remember being bored to tears, waiting desperately for the episode to be over so we could watch Alfred Hitchcock Presents.  Back in the '80s, when comics increased in price from 40 cents to 50 cents, and DC Comics added those 8-extra page stories, I did pick up Jonah Hex, mainly because at the time, I was trying out pretty much everything.  I did not buy a lot of issues, as the western tales could not keep my interest.  Flash forward 40 years (yowza!  has it really been that long?), and while at a local comic convention, I stumbled across three issues of a Gold Key title about a "hangman judge" in the Old West.  They were cheaply priced for the good condition they were in, so I picked them up, figuring I could find the fourth issue at some point.  And that I did.  So, with all four issues in hand, I sat down to read them, wondering if they would hold my interest any better than past westerns had done...

 

Judge Colt was published back from 1969 to 1970, with cover dates of October 1969, February 1970, May 1970, and September 1970.  While the indicia indicated a quarterly schedule, as one can see from the cover dates, that schedule was very flexible.  Cover priced at just 15 cents, with beautifully painted covers by Steve Grass (first issue only) and Richard Green (possibly for issues two, three, and four), the comic was promoted as the story of "The Hangman Judge" - following the adventures of Mark Colt, a judge who is reknowned for issuing harsh sentences and hanging criminals more often than not.  But, as is made clear in the first issue, Judge Colt harbors a secret - he has a reason for the decisions he makes, and his travels have a purpose other than just dispensing justice throughout the towns of the American frontier.  All four issues were written by Leo Dorfman, who authored a number of Superman-related titles for DC Comics, but also writing some stories for Dell, Fawcett, and Gold Key comic companies.

 

ISSUE 1 - "The Hangman Judge" is told in two chapters, Part I being "Trial by Sixgun" and Part II being "The Justice of the Noose."  According to the Grand Comic Database, the story was written by Leo Dorfman, with art possibly provided by John Celardo.  The issue opens with Judge Colt traveling west in the 1870s, drifting across the Arkansas territory.  He happens across a fierce gun battle between a gang of thieves and military men safeguarding the army payroll.  The leader of the gang is the Tattoo Kid, and Colt takes it upon himself to track him down and bring him to justice.  He ultimately brings the criminal, along with several others, to justice, sentencing them to death by hanging.  Throughout this first issue, there is a subplot, as Colt unmasks every criminal, obviously looking for someone specific.  Plus every time Colt is forced to use his gun for any reason, his hands shake uncontrollably, and he seems incredibly frightened.  I rather liked the fact they did not reveal all in that first issue, but dangled some plot threads for the reader to learn about in future issues (which, thankfully, there were...).

 

ISSUE 2 -  "Death Writes the Verdict" is another two-part story, with Part I as "Justice Stands Trial" and Part II as "Twilight of the Chiefs."  This issue is one again written by Leo Dorfman, but the artist is identified as either Jose Delbo or John Celardo.  Oddly enough, Judge Colt looks considerably older in the art of this issue, from a young man of maybe 30 or so in the first issue to a man who appears to be in his late 40s in this issue.  The story finds Judge Colt in Indian territory, where he rescues an Indian accused of stealing from being hanged. He quickly learns there is a war brewing among the Indian tribes, and when Colt works to aid the Indian he rescued, he makes enemies of a warring tribe. In the end, though, Judge Colt sees justice served and heads on his way.  While we do not learn anything more about the man he is searching for, we do see him continue to shake every time he is forced to use his gun.

 

ISSUE 3 - "Time of the Assassin" features yet another two-parter, with Part I titled "A Man with a Mission" and Part II titled "The End of the Masquerade."  Written by Leo Dofrman, this issue is said to have art by Jose Delbo, although like the previous issues, it is unsigned and uncredited.  This time around Judge Colt helps a missionary group, who is being threatened and robbed by a group of criminals posing as actors.  It is finally revealed that Colt is searching for the men who killed his wife Maria on their second wedding anniversary - "I'll remember their faces! I'll hunt them down, Maria, if it takes a lifetime" he promises his dying wife.  And I was pleasantly surprised by the twist ending, which really caught me off-guard - and made for a great read!

 

ISSUE 4 -  "Trial by Fury" is the final story, with Part I ("Medals of Death") and Part II ("The Final Reckoning") providing readers with the last adventure of Judge Mark Colt.  The art is once again provided by Jose Delbo.  In this final tale, Judge Colt must track down a serial killer who leaves a Civil War medal pinned to the chest of each of his victims.  Colt uncovers a list of victims and races to save the next person on the list, coming face-to-face with the killer - the last person he would have suspected!  After sentencing the man to justice (death by hanging, of course), Col rides off into the sunset, wondering, "Am I any better...? Is it justice I'm handing our, or retribution?  Maybe someday I'll find the answer."

 

Unfortunately, neither Judge Colt nor readers of the comic got that answer, as the series came to an end with that fourth issue.  I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed reading the series.  Perhaps that is because Judge Colt was not your typical western lawman, and while there were certainly some stand-offs and some gunfights, it was clear that the character only turned to violence as a last resort.  The underlying plot thread of Colt searching for his wife's killers added some depth to the character, and to the stories, and gave it a near soap opera feel to the story.  While each issue featured a different location, different villains, and a different supporting cast, one almost got a feel of "David Banner" from The Incredible Hulk television show - a loner, wandering from town to town, facing criminals and ne'er-do-wells while at the same time trying to resolve his own internal struggles.  The western aspect of the series was merely the setting.  Dorman's storytelling is what made the series a good read.

 

I would have to say this is probably a very underrated series.  Gold Key is probably more popularly known for its Walt Disney comics, as well as its Twilight Zone and Boris Karloff horror titles, as well as a number of licensed properties, such as Buck Rogers, Dark Shadows, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek, Battle of the Planets, and others; however, the exceptional writing of this book, along with the art of comic great Jose Delbo, definitely serve to make this book more than just a typical Old West title.  Even for those, like me, who are not fans of the western genre, I would recommend picking up this title, if you can find inexpensive copies.  The stories are well-plotted and perfectly paced, the characters are far more than the stereotypical, cardboard cut-outs - they have depth, and Judge Mark Colt especially tugs at your heart strings as you keep hoping he is going to find those men who forever changed his life.

 

More and more, I'm discovering that Gold Key comics, from Western Publishing Company, was way more than a sub-par comic company.  They offered up some fantastic titles, such as this, that far surpass the stories that are being told in today's comics (I mean, let's be realistic - each of these single story issues would be dragged out over six-issued each in today's market!).  I'm glad now that I picked up these issues, and I certainly will take a closer look at other Gold Key titles I happen to run across while combing through back issue bins as comic conventions!

 

RATING:  8 ever-tightening hangman nooses out of 10 for offering up way more than just western action in through-provoking, moving stories about a man with a broken heart and a true sense of justice! 

The Secret of the Devil's Cave - a Magnum Gothic original

This is now the second Gothic novel I've read that was written by Jennifer Hale (otherwise known as Frank E. Smith (1919-1984), the previous one being Ravensridge, published in 1971, just two years prior to this one.  The plots of both books are entirely different, but the stories are both exceptionally suspenseful and filled with mystery and drama.  I am still, to this day, awed at the ability of these male authors, back in the day, writing so well books aimed at a female audience, capturing so nicely the strength of their female protagonists without making them helpless (but giving them just enough danger to need a man to assist in their journey through the Gothic tropes).  While this book was also written in a first-person perspective (which I am not a fan of at all!), just like the previous book, I will still able to thoroughly enjoy and get caught up in the story. 

 

The Secret of Devil's Cave is a book I would have picked up on the title alone, as it invokes memories of all those children's series book titles from back in the day (The Mystery of ... / The Clue in ... / The Secret at ... / etc.).  The story centers around young Beth Nolan, whose father has died and left her property in the Ozarks of Missouri, on which is located not only a rather large mansion, but also some cave that goes by the name "Devil's Cave."  Beth is shocked, as her father never mentioned this property, and although Beth knows they moved from Missouri when she was three years old, she was unaware he had no sold all of the property the family owned at that time.  It seems her father had some secrets to keep, one of which is a mysterious photograph of a gravestone that is not engraved.  Who would bury someone, place a headstone at the grave, and then not inscribe it?  Having no other choice, Beth temporarily closes the antique shop she and her father ran and travels to Devil's Cave to claim her inheritance.

 

Hale (a/k/a Smith) sets the mood of the story right from the get-go, with Beth driving through some extremely dense fog, lost within the Ozarks as she tries to make her way to the cave.  When she finally comes across a small gas station / general store, she is met with some hesitation when she asks directions to her destination. From the owner of the store, Beth learns the cave is said to be haunted, with people hearing voices calling out in the cave.  She also learns that two girls have died in the cave - one by accident (supposedly), but the other murdered.  And the alleged murderer was never convicted and still lives on the property that neighbors her own!  On top of all that, Beth also learns the Bratcher family lives on her property, having been there ever since her own family left, and everyone thought the family owned the land.  The store owner warns her the family will not be happy when she stakes her claim.  And, boy, he wasn't wrong!

 

Earl Bratcher and his wife are definitely none-too-pleased at Beth's sudden appearance.  Earl insists he has a signed contract with Beth's father, allowing him to manage the property and tourist attraction, yet he persistently makes excuses why he cannot show it to her.  The Bratchers' two sons - Walt and Mark - run hot and cold: Walt is sarcastic and clearly does not welcome Beth's presence, while Mark is a bit more reserved and takes Beth under his wing to try and protect her a bit from his family's harsh attitudes.  The Bratchers' daughter, Leda, is a bit of a wild child, one who happens to be in love with Charles Woodward - the very man accused of killing the young girl in the cave!  Then there is poor Flossie, Walt's wife.  She is not quite all there (being the product of inbreeding, as Earl so bluntly puts it), but Beth feels sympathy for her and tries to become her friend ... until she learns that some years back, Flossie killed her brother's dog and dumped it down the "bottomless" well inside the cave, all because her husband liked the dog better than her ... and she won't let her husband like anything, or anyone better than her ... including Beth!

 

There is definitely plenty of suspense and mystery in this book - who really killed those girls in the cave?  Why did the Bratchers close the cave, and what happened to the guest who disappeared while exploring the cave some weeks ago?  Is there really a hidden treasure somewhere within the cave?  Why does the father of a local artist have a painting of Beth in his house?  What is the secret behind the photo of that tombstone, and how will the answer to that question change Beth's life forever?  What surprising revelations are being held within the old trunk in the basement of the great house?  And just why does that old woman who claims to be a witch think that Beth is a dead woman come back to life?  What knowledge does she have about Beth, the Devil's Cave, and the Bratcher family that will reveal a past so dark and filled with lies and secrets that no one will come out unscathed?

 

This book proved to be a fantastic read, a page-turner that I literally could not put down until I had finished it.  The cover artist is not identified, and while I do like it, I have to admit it has some oddities to it.  Beth's hair flying up like that makes it seem like there's an air draft coming from beneath her (makes me think of that famous image of Marilyn Monroe trying to keep her dress down as the air blows up from below), and those lamp posts are all leaning inward, pointing toward the mansion behind Beth - not sure why the artist chose that kind of perspective, but it seems just a bit off.  However, the barren trees, the coloring of that sky behind the house, and Beth's expression definitely create a sense of terror that fits the story within.

 

That's two for two with the Jenifer Hale Gothics I have read, so it gives me strong reason to find the rest of her (his) Gothics and read them as well!

 

RATING:  10 glass coffins on display out of 10 for a superb Gothic mystery with just the right touches of supernatural suspense and hellish horror!

Agatha, Girl of Mystery #4 - The Heist at Niagara Falls

It's been over a year now since I read my last Agatha, Girl of Mystery book, so I figured it was about time to pick up the next book in the series.  This truly has been a fun series to read thus far, and I have to smile with each character's name - author Sir Steve Stephenson is clearly having loads of fun using names associated with many well-known crime-solving literary sleuths!  Agatha (as in Christie), Dashiell (as in Hammett), Mr. Marlowe (as in Philip), Chandler (as in Raymond), Watson (as in that certain doctor of Holmes fame), Scarlett (a game of Clue, or perhaps Cluedo, anyone?) and the list goes on!  It's literally a smorgasbord of famous sleuths, and the stories remind us that of all them, none can hold a candle to the queen of crime herself - Agatha Christie!

 

The Heist at Niagara Falls follows Agatha and her inept brother, Dashiell, along with their butler, Chandler, and Agatha's pampered and obnoxious Siberan cat, Watson, as they cross the Atlantic to stop a jewel thief on the Canadian border.  As always, it is starts with poor Dashiell, as he receives an urgent message from Eye International, sending him on a new mission - there has been a theft from the Overlook Hotel at Niagara Falls, and Dashiell is to get there, find the culprit, and recover the stolen jewels (p. 24).  Of course, Dashiell knows he could never do it himself, so he rushes to Agatha and asks for her help (and, as an aspiring mystery writer with a mind just chock-full of information, she's more than willing to help!).  Thus, it's a rush to the airport to catch the next flight to New York, where they are picked up by their cousin, Scarlett Mistery, who just happens to be a journalist and joins them on their quest to catch the crook.

 

What I found amusing is that the "Overlook Hotel," which is the scene of the crime where Madame Hofstetter's jewels were stolen (Hoffstetter?  Any relation to Leonard?), is the name of the hotel from Stephen King's horror novel, The Shining.  That book came out in 1977, while this book was originally published in Italy in 2011, so there is a possibility that the author used that name for the hotel as a nod to King.  There is no actual "Overlook Hotel" in Canada.

 

Stevenson has Agatha utilize her exceptional skills of observation and deduction to pick up clues and connect the dots that most people miss, and she soon comes to the conclusion that the thief was none other than Ratmusque, Canada's most notorious thief (who is actually a man named Rick Moriarty - hmmm, that last name sure sound familiar, doesn't it?).  But according to sources, he gave up his criminal activities years ago, so why start back up now?  Agatha and her crew are determined to find out.   They track the mastermind to a secluded cabin, where they nearly run down a Canadian Royal Mountie, who agrees to help them find the culprit.  The trail leads them to the Dark Sky Preserves, which is an actual location in Canada that allows you to get away from the bright lights of the city and gaze up at the stars free from any distracting lights (Dark-Sky Preserves).  Thus, without any distractions, it is here that Agatha realizes they have been chasing after the wrong crook all this time, and she reveals the identity of the true thief before he can disappear with the fortune in jewels!

 

These books are not meant to be heavy reading - at just a little over 100 pages in length, they are simply fun mysteries starring a young Agatha (Christie?) tracking down criminals in order to help her brother succeed at his school for spies.  They are similar to the 10-book Greetings from Somewhere series by Harper Paris, which also features a brother/sister team of kids who travel around the world solving mysteries everywhere they go - only the Agatha series is aimed an audience with a bit high reading level.  As the blurb on the back cover says, "With the smarts of Nancy Drew and the charm of Eloise, Agatha is an exciting addition to the girl-detective canon." (School Library Journal)  If you are looking for something light and quick to read, these are the books for you!

 

RATING:  9 stolen magnetic key cards out of 10 for mystery and adventure in Canada, from the Falls to the Muskoka, and plenty of places in-between! 

Trudy Phillips, New Girl - the first Trudy Phillips book

This series is the first "malt shop" series that I've read (even though I have quite a few of them in my collection).  For those unfamiliar with the term, "malt shop books" refers to books from the mid-20th Century with female protagonists that addressed teen problems in a very clean, wholesome way.  Many were romances and/or career girl stories, but some (like this one) feature a certain element of mystery.  Popular authors from this genre were Janet Lambert, Rosamond du Jardin (my mother's favorite author when she was a teenager), among others.  Whitman Publishing actually published several series in this genre:  Donna Parker, Ginny Gordon, Polly French, and our very own Trudy Phillips.  Trudy only had two books, while Polly had three, Ginny had five and Donna beat them all with seven books in her series.  Since poor Trudy only had two, I figured I would start with hers.

 

Trudy Phillips, New Girl was written by Barbara (S.) Bates (1919 - 2002).  According to the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Bates was a prolific author, penning quite a few books before her death in 2002, both in the realms of fiction and non-fiction.  In addition, Bates also authored articles about books for literary journals. (Author - Barbara S. Bates) Surprisingly, her books for young readers were published under her own name, rather than a house pseudonym.  The two Trudy Phillips books appear to be the only two she wrote for Whitman Publishing.

 

This first book of the two-book series introduces readers to  14-year old Trudy Phillips, whose family has recently moved to Tylertown where her father has been transferred by his job.  Trudy is very unhappy, as she is having to start a new school.  She bemoans the fact that at her previous school, she was very popular and was a shoe-in as class president for the year.  Now, as a "new girl," she would not know anyone and would have to catch upon several weeks of school work she missed due to the move.  The story's focus is on Trudy's status as the "new girl" at school, the problems she faces, the difficulties she overcomes, the friendships (and enemies!) she makes, and the successes she enjoys as she navigates this new school and its students.  While the book does feature a minor mystery involving various thefts of money, that is more of a sub-plat than the main story.

 

Bates provides Trudy with quite a large supporting cast - besides her parents (Mr. and Mrs. Phillips), there is her younger brother Johnny, a precocious red-headed prankster; there is "Spooky" Ruddle (a/k/a Gwen Ruddle), a young tom-boyish girl in her class who quickly becomes her best friend; there is Mike, the foreign boy who is also new to the school and shares Trudy's concerns about people liking him; there is Stephen, the class nerd who is everyone's go-to if they need help with classes; there is Doug, the editor of the school newspaper; then there are Susan, Ginger, Debby, Dick, Bob, Cynthia, and plenty of other classmates, including Gloria Holden -  the most beautiful, most talented, and most popular girl in the class, who always knows how to make an entrance and who is always the center of attention.  Trudy decides right away she would like to get to know Gloria and hopefully become friends with her.  And this is how the story begins...

 

The book finds Trudy facing any number of teenage problems - from being the only one not invited to Gloria Holden's big party (to be held on Halloween, the same day Spooky holds her annual birthday party!) to inadvertently beating Gloria during a class debate, making an immediate enemy of the girl.  She also must figure out a way to save up $20 in order to purchase this puppy from the town's pet store, while at the same time working on the class play, worrying about whether anyone will ask her to the Thanksgiving dance, and deciding whether she should run for class secretary, as all her friends want her to do.  In addition to all of these, Trudy is also determined to make friends with Gloria, even going so far as to invite her to a party she throws, over all of her friends' objections (which causes a brief rift between Spooky and her).

 

The mystery asserts itself in various places throughout the book.  Money from the ticket sales for the play goes missing.  Stephen's envelope filled with his savings to buy a new bike disappears from his locker.  Debby loses her silver dollar at the school dance.  Money from the school store's cash box is taken.  The more incidents that occur, the more it becomes obvious that one of the students is stealing money.  Stephen and Trudy work with one of the teachers to try and set a trap for the thief, but that goes awry, and the money used as bait disappears, but the thief is nowhere to be seen.  The mystery is not really that difficult (from the very first theft, it was obvious who was doing it and why), but it does add a unique element to the story (and since I'm more of a mystery reader than a romance reader, it definitely made reading this book more enjoyable!).

 

Something I thought was interesting was Bates gave Trudy a "collection of foreign dolls" in her room (p. 32).  It's not too often you come across a series book character who is a collector, and particularly, as in this instance, someone who collects foreign dolls.  It immediately brought to mind the Nancy Drew book, The Clue in the Old Album, as well as the Meg book, Mystery in Williamsburg, both of which featured mysteries that centered around doll collections.  Only, in this book, the dolls are mentioned in passing and never become a part of the story.  Leaves one to wonder why Bates even mentions them at all, unless it is to give Trudy a stronger feminine side to her character (since collecting dolls could be seen as more of a female hobby).

 

The book is illustrated by Dorothy Grider (1915 - 2012), who happens to be a Kentucky native (my home state!).  She got her BA at Western Kentucky State College and went on to study art in Paris.  Grider illustrated a large number of children's books, including the Trudy Phillips books for Whitman.  Her two-page endpapers depicts a scene that coincides with the cover art (also provided by Grider, based on what I was able to discern online) - both scenes reflect Trudy's arrival of her first day at Tylertown Junior High School (finally! endpapers that do not spoil any of the story, as so many of Whitman's books seem to do!).  The endpapers show her hurrying towards the front doors, with groups of students standing around (and it's amazing how easily one can pick out the various characters in their scene, as Grider definitely utilized the character descriptions for her art - with Dick talking to Gloria on the bottom right, while Steven is chatting with Ginny (or Debby) on the bottom left side, while Mike and Spooky are hurrying through the gate).  The brightly colored cover shows the same scene moments later, as Trudy climbs those front steps, with Steven and Spooky seated on the steps and Mike leaning against the wall.  Trudy is even wearing the red sweater and plaid skirt (p. 11) described in the book.  The cover wraps around to the back, where we find Gloria talking with one boy, while another is watching them from the window.  

 

While I've seen mixed reviews about the book online, I rather enjoyed the story.  The mix of theater and mystery, swirled around with all of the other teen antics, made for a rather fun drama.  And I actually found myself identifying with characteristics from several of the characters, which endeared me to pretty much all of them (except Gloria - the typical mean girl!).  Overall, I think this was a great introduction to the Malt Shop Book genre, and I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series.

RATING:  8 yards of glimmering brocade in the palest shade out of 10 for terrific tale of teen angst, romance, mystery, parties, theater, elections, and everything else that would make for an enjoyable read! 

A Zebra Mystery Puzzler #23 - Death in a Small World

Another new protagonist and another new author enters the Zebra Mystery Puzzler series with this book.  The 23rd book in the series is the first written by Laura Colburn, being followed up by books 34 and 46.  Colburn, in reality, is Ian McMahan, an award-winning author  and developmental psychologist who under his own name wrote a number of books, both fiction and non-fiction, including the three-book Microkid Mysteries and the one ESP McGee mystery for young readers back in the early 1980s.  I was not really sure what to expect from this book, considering the author's background (but, as one might expect, it turns out one of the characters in the book is a psychologist, which provides the author with an opportunity to include his profession into the story).  However, after a bit of a slow start, the book actually turned out to be surprisingly good.

 

Death in a Small World does not refer to a ride at Disney World, but rather, to just how small our world really is when it comes to running into people from our past in the most unexpected places.  What's the old expression about being in the right place at the right time?  Only, in this case, it's about someone being in the wrong place at most definitely the wrong time.  Our amateur sleuth in this book is Carol Gates, an artist and illustrator who is a part of the '70s bohemian movement in the Soho district of New York City. She happens to be at a party thrown by two of her friends, which is attended by a number of aspiring artists, several art dealers, and a few other miscellaneous people - including Steve McCullough, a stranger known only to the hosts (or so everyone thought!), who Carol finds dead in the elevator shaft clutching a gold lighter.  Was it an accident, as the police believe?  Or was it suicide, as Carol's friend Ginny firmly thinks?  Or was it cold-blooded murder, as Carol is sure it is?  Since the police are not investigating, and no one is really questioning it, Carol takes it upon herself to find out the truth - after all, being the daughter of a retired police chief, she has an inquisitive mind and an eidetic memory, so who better to solve a murder no one believes was a murder?

 

Colburn (a/k/a McMahan) does not open the story with his main character as most of the book do; rather, he opens it with his two main suspects - Angelo and Ginny Politano, an art-loving couple who are getting ready to host a very important party for their bohemian friends.  However, news of Steve McCullough's arrival causes a massive disruption in their plans, because it seems Ginny has a hidden past with Steve, and when Angelo finds out what it is, he becomes very unlike himself.  But, the party must go on, and so it does - until Carol is ready to leave and along with a fellow guest, Bob Fletcher (manager of several local buildings, including the one in which Carol lives), they wait for the elevator to arrive.  When it does, though, it bears an unexpected surprise - the body of Steve McCullough.  Carol knows there is something off - but her roommate doesn't believe her.  Her own boyfriend doesn't believe her.  Angelo and Ginny do not believe her.  Even Steve's best friend from the army who comes to town to claim the body does not believe her.  Despite all of this, Carol knows she is right, and she begins investigating, questioning everyone she can find from the party to find out what discussions they had with this stranger that no one (except Angelo and Ginny) knew.

 

The story then follows Carol as she starts questioning everyone. Angelo and Ginny know very little about Steve, other than his past affair with Ginny.  From attorney Robert Silverman, she learns about Steve's interest in Nazis who absconded with valuable art from Germany after the war.  From Steve's best friend, Arnie, she learns about his obsession with finding one particular Nazi by the name of Hans Bruckner who disappeared after the war.  From two different art dealers, she learns just how important that stolen art might be worth and what it cost people to escape from Germany after the war.  From Bob Fletcher, the building manager who knows some art dealers, she learns that both of the art dealers have something to hide.  From Steve's own attorney, Theodore Hornby, who is handling his estate, she learns not only a lot more about Steve's past, but also that his will leaves quite a large sum of money to his former lover - Ginny Politano!  The more Carol learns, the more questions there are, and the more suspects there appear to be.  When another guest from the party turns up dead from yet another apparent accident, and when two attempts are made on Carol's life, she knows she is getting closer to the truth. With nothing else to do, and with the help of her boyfriend, Carol sets up a trap to trick the killer in to revealing himself - the only problem is, the killer turns the tables on Carol, and she is the one tricked!

 

While I was not able to get into the story at first, it quickly shifted gears and the more information Carol (and I!) learned about Steve and the possible motives and suspects, the more interested I became in the mystery.  Every time I thought I had an idea of who did it, a monkey wrench got thrown into the works, and suddenly I changed my mind and went with another suspect (however, I should always trust my first instinct, because the person my gut first told me was the killer did turn out to be the culprit!).  I have to give Colburn (a/k/a McMahan) credit for crafting a well-written mystery.

The cover art, which depicts the scene where Carol finds Steve's body in the elevator, is painted by Mel Greifinger, the same artist who provided covers for The Curse of the Golden Skull and The Final Appointment.  None of the interior illustrations identifies the artist, but the shading and drawings seem similar to some of the other books in the series, so it was likely someone who Kensington Publishing Corp. used on a fairly regular basis.  The illustrations do not, in and of themselves, point to any specific clues, but rather, they merely depict scenes that are important to the story and moments at which Carol learns (or should have learned - such as the fact that one of the suspects, who turns out to be the killer, is left handed - it's a subtle sort of thing, but it's there if you notice it) something that would ultimately lead her to the solution to this mystery.

By the end of the book, I found I rather like Carol Gates, and I'm happy to know that I'll get two more adventures with her before this series ends!

RATING:  9 heavy attache cases out of 10 for a creative plot that works overtime to mislead the reader, taking you in one direction, when the truth lies in an entirely different area!

Epilogue to a Christmas Murder - the eleventh (and final) Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery

It took a lot of strength for me to finally pick up this book and read it.  Ever since I picked up the first two books in this series and began reading about Addie Greybourne back in 2019 (just six years ago???), I have been absolutely hooked.  The characters are so real, the stories so engaging, and the crimes so well-plotted - I felt like this had become a real little world of which I had the privilege to peek in and watch from time to time.  Over the past six years, I have been fortunately enough to communicate with the author, Lauren Elliott (a/k/a Linda Maureen Fowler), on any number of occasions, and I found her to be personable, considerate, and simply wonderful to chat with.  So, it was with shock and profound sadness when, back in August, I and other fans of Elliott and her books learned that this amazing woman had passed away on August 11, 2025.  I was so stunned, and it was shortly after her passing that this next book in her Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series was published - the last one she wrote before she died.  I bought the book and put off reading it, because I knew that once I did, there would be no more - that the adventures of Addie Greybourne and her ever-growing supporting cast would come to an end.  But my love of Elliott's writing and her story-telling skills got the better of me, so I picked it up, determined to take my time and relish every page for as long as I could.  Well, it only took me two days to read the book, I got so caught up in the story and just HAD to know who did it and why!

 

Epilogue to a Christmas Murder, while not intended to be the final book, is certainly the perfect book end for this series.  Over the past several books, Addie Greybourne's life has gone through a number of changes - her best friend, Serena, has gotten married and had children.  Her first love when moving to Greybourne Harbor, police chief Marc Chandler, found a new love and has settled into marital bliss.  Her bookstore and curio shop has grown so that she had two employees helping her out - Paige and Nikki.  Her most recent love and ex-fiance, Simon Emerson, has reunited with his wife and son, starting a new chapter in their life. Her mentor and mother-figure, Catherine Lewis, has married a globe-trotting man of mystery, and she is rarely in Greybourne Harbor any more.  As for Addie herself?  Well, she has returned after taking a year's sabbatical in England, where she not only solved a murder, but found her heart falling for a certain detective inspector (Noah Parker), only to leave England before it ever even had a chance.  Now, Addie is back in Greybourne Harbor, everything and everyone has changed, and Addie doesn't know where she fits in any more - but one thing's for sure, wherever Addie is, a murder is never far behind!

 

The town is gearing up not only for the Christmas gala at the museum, located just above the rocky cliffs of the harbor, but also for Paige's Christmas day wedding to her boyfriend, Logan.  But nothing is ever easy when Addie is around  first, Paige's wedding plans are disrupted when her wedding planner quits after Paige's mother (who happens to be Addie's business neighbor, Martha!) takes over planning the wedding - since she is paying for it, she will make all the decisions!  As Paige's maid of honor, it's up to Addie to try and smooth things over before Paige and Logan decide to elope!  Meanwhile, the "Twelve Days of Christmas" fundraiser and gala faces an uncertain future when all of the donations - including a first edition copy of O. Henry's The Four Million, which contains his famous short story, "The Gift of the Magi" and was delivered all the way from England - are stolen right out from under Addie's and the entire board's noses!  And when a body turns up at the bottom of the cliff, just below the museum from where the presents were stolen - well, let's just say it does not look like anyone is going to have a very merry Christmas.

 

Oh, did I mention that the book Addie was donating, which was worth quite a hefty sum, signed by O. Henry, and came all the way from England, was hand delivered personally by none other than Detective Inspector Noah Parker!  No one is more surprised than Addie, who thought she was never going to see him again. However, it's a good thing he's in town, because it turns out that the dead body is Nikki's ex-husband, Chad, who she divorced and ran away from because he was so abusive.  All evidence points to Nikki as the killer, and since she is Marc's cousin, he has to take a leave of absence while Noah is asked to step in and head up the investigation.  So, it ends up with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys ... er, I mean, Addie alongside Marc and Noah ... working together to figure out who the real killer is so Nikki does not end up being railroaded by a politically-minded mayor who is running for re-election and wants this case wrapped up quickly.  As the evidence builds against Nikki, Addie is more convinced than ever that someone else is to blame, and she's determined to prove it, even if that means she has to do it on her own!

 

The book, which, I think, is probably the longest in the series, weighing in at 360 pages, splits its time between Addie trying to figure out who killed Nikki's ex-husband and Addie trying to figure out just who she is now and how she fits in with all of the changes in her friends' lives.  Anyone who has ever had some major upheavals in their life and had to make some major changes will appreciate the frustration, sadness, and constant questioning that Addie goes through over the course of the book.  And while, from the very beginning of this series, I have been a big supporter of Addie and Marc, I can admit that maybe, just maybe, our English inspector might actually be a better fit for Addie.  Thankfully, she figures this out by the end of the story, as well, after she manages to uncover the identity of the real killer, thereby proving Nikki's innocence (and proving, as she always does, that she was right all along!).

 

Elliott, who admits to being a fan of Nancy Drew, having read all her books growing up, manages to sneak a Nancy Drew reference into this book!  When Addie is at the police station, where a press conference is set up, she asks one of the reporters if she remembers her, and the reporter responds with, "My favorite bookseller and Greybourne Harbor's very own Nancy Drew" (p. 149).  Elliott also slips in a British female detective reference, when Noah refers to her as "Agatha Raisin" (p. 194), which is a British television series about an amateur female sleuth (and it happens to be based on a book series by M.C. Beaton).  I suppose Elliott wanted to give both American and British readers a bit of a nod with famous female detectives from both sides of the pond.

 

The only thing that left me a bit nonplussed with this mystery is the fact that we never find out who stole the presents (and Addie's valuable book) from the museum.  Addie kept wondering if the theft and the murder were connected, but after it turned out they were not, and the real murderer is revealed, the theft is pushed to the back burner.  There is an epilogue of sorts (perhaps where the title comes from?) where some of the stolen items show up on the doorsteps of various people in town, all wrapped up in shiny Christmas paper, with sleigh bells being heard by each person who finds the gift on their front porch.  It seems everything EXCEPT the O. Henry book is returned, and nothing further is said about it.  I realize with the Christmas theme of the book, the hint here is that perhaps "Santa" took the gifts and gave them out to those who they should go to (especially since the man who stole them was dressed up as an elf, and no one knew who he was);  however, I just feel like Addie would be more invested in finding that missing book and the thief who took it.  Maybe it was a plot thread that was going to come back in play in a future book, but now....oh, well, it's a mystery that shall forever remain unsolved.

 

And now it's over.  Addie's mystery-solving days in book form are over.  I would like to think that her sleuthing days continue, as she and Noah continue to work together to solve murders in Greybourne Harbor, as well as Pen Hollow, and maybe even Moorscrag, as well.  I have no doubt Elliott had many more ideas in mind for her book-minded sleuth, and I'll just have to imagine what they might have been (perhaps even one day solving the mystery of what book is the REAL first edition of Nancy Drew's Password to Larkspur Lane...).  Elliott will be greatly missed, as well Addie and all of her friends and family...until we meet again!

 

RATING:  10 pairs of red-and-white mittens out of 10 for providing Addie (and readers!) with one final mystery that gives us all a nice, well-wrapped conclusion to the tales of Addie Greybourne.

Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32015 - Island of Mystery

"It was the perfect summer job, or so she thought - until it became a nightmare of danger and intrigue" (cover blurb) 

 

The fifteenth Harlequin Gothic Romance was written by yet another new author to the line:  Margaret M. Scariano.  Ms. Scariano (1924-2013) was the author's actual name, and she was a graduate of Fresno State who went on get a master's in English from Illinois State University.  She was not exactly a prolific writer, having only 18 books published; however, her works were of a wide variety, including stories for lower reading levels, young adult fiction and non-fiction, adult stories, and this book - her one and only contribution to the Gothic genre.  Based on this story, it is rather surprising Scariano did not write more Gothics, as she definitely has the talent for it, capturing the right mix of mystery, suspense, and romance.

 

Island of Mystery is the story of a young woman hired to help organize a wealthy family's papers to help put together a family history, and in order to do this, she must travel to an isolated island and stay in a rather foreboding house with family members who do not necessarily want her there!  If this plot sounds familiar, perhaps that is because it is a nearly identical plot to Tree of Evil, which book I just read and reviewed just two weeks ago.  I have no doubt there are plenty of Gothic novels from his era with similar plots (considering the plethora of books pushed on the market at the time, there would have to be!), but I do find it rather amusing that by pure chance I would read two books so similar this close to each other.  I mean, the opening sequence with the young protagonist on a boat, traversing rough waters to get to the island is almost identical to that of Roberta Morrison's Tree of Evil.  Both stories also feature a family member who dies from falling off a cliff, and both stories feature a locked room from which sounds can be heard (when there is not supposed to be anyone in there), as well as some secret that is held within the family papers that someone is willing to kill for. And if that were not enough, but stories have natives (Hawaiians in the Tree of Evil, and Native Americans in this one) who play an important part of the tale.  Thankfully, though Scariano eventually diverges and provides some variations that gives this Gothic some distinction from the other.

 

In Island of Mystery, Jenny Fletcher (a relation of Jessica Fletcher, perhaps?) is a grad student who goes go Lone Lake Lodge in order to help Grace Hamilton put her family papers in order so that they can be donated to the Montana Historical Society (the author likely chose Montana as the setting, since she was originally from that state and began her college career there).  From the moment of her arrival, however, there is unrest with the family.  Grace resides on the island with her two nephews - Glenn and Martin Larabie, whose mother was Grace's sister.  She took them in after their father left and their mother died in a tragic boat accident.  The brothers are at odds, however, on what Grace should do with the island when she dies, and poor Jenny gets caught in the middle.  Bobby Black Bear, the Native American who also resides on the island, warns her not to take sides, as it will not end well for her.  Jenny also learns that Grace has had previous secretaries, none of whom lasted very long.  Jenny is determined to prove them wrong, as she plans to use the Hamilton family history as a part of her thesis for grad school.  She just never realized the tension she was going to face in the great house.  To round out the oddball cast, there is Lone Willow, the companion to Grace, a young Native American who is going to college via correspondence courses (yes, this definitely shows the age of the book!), and who the family affectionately refers to as "Ruthie."  There is also Mr. Alger, the rather rough-around-the-edges cook who makes it clear in no uncertain terms that he knows the real reason Jenny is there and does not want her there.  

 

The mystery comes into play when Grace and Jenny come across an old lease that reveals the island was only leased to her family, and neither she, nor the boys, own the property.  Jenny is certain they will come across a later document that eventually transferred title, but Grace is unsure.  When Grace finds the diary of Glenn and Martin's mother, she learns a dark secret that could have very serious repercussions on the entire family, particularly with regard to who really owns the island!  Unfortunately, before she can reveal the truth, she is murdered, and the diary goes missing.  Jenny soon finds her life is in danger, as someone thinks she knows what was in that diary, and they are determined to keep her from revealing it!  The suspense really plays out in the final act of the story, and in true Gothic fashion, everyone's secrets are revealed at last, and Jenny (along with the reader) learns that not everyone is who they say they are!

 

The cover artist is not identified, but the art is beautifully rendered.  The scene is actually a mixture of several scenes - one scene, where Jenny is pushed down the stairs when exploring the fourth floor ballroom, and another scene where Jenny has found the diary on a stormy night.  The only thing I noticed about the art (and it's rather nit picky, I know) is that while Jenny's hair appears to be blowing from the wind, the wick of the burning candle does not appear to be affected at all by that same wind.  (And since that particular scene of Jenny occurs while she is in a room with a broken window, it would only make sense that the wind from the storm outside was blowing in, affecting both her hair and the candle.)  This is probably one of my favorite covers from this series - that half turn, the storm outside, the hands reaching out for her. It breaks the mold of the stereotypical "girl running away from the house in the background" standard scene and instead gives us a tension-filled moment where we can almost feel Jenny's fear as she is about to be pushed.

 

One thing I did want to mention was the author's choice of names for the cook.  Mr. "Alger" made me immediately think of Horatio Alger (1832-1899), who was a very prolific author of young adult novels in the second half of the 19th century.  Most of his stories are referred to as "rags to riches" tales about young lads in poverty who rise above their circumstances to make good for themselves.  Interestingly enough, one of Alger's pseudonyms was Arthur "Hamilton," which also happens to be Grace's last name in this book.  It could be pure coincidence - or, just perhaps, Scariano was actually paying a slight homage to a fellow author, albeit one a bit before her time.

 

RATING: 9 rugged mountain sheep out of 10 for spinning a slightly new take on an already established Gothic plot - and throwing in a few surprises along the way.

The Sacred Scimiter - a Hope Twins Adventure Story

And so we continue with the unusual adventures of Dave and Will Hope - the twin aviators who seem to be known around the world for having been the first individuals to make a non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean.  I did not thin author William Dixon Bell could take these boys on any wilder adventures than they faced in the last book, but Bell did not disappoint.  This book finds the boys thrown smack dab into the middle of a Holy War, with warring religious factions in the Arabian deserts.  And the title?  Well, let's just say the title to this book does not actually come into play until, quite literally, the very end of the story.

 

The Sacred Scimiter picks up directly after the end of the last book. Astute readers will recall that at the end of the previous story, the Hope Twins were flying to Teheran (which, for those who do not know, is the capitol and largest city in Iran!) with Theodore Curtis and the young woman (who believed she was a goddess) they rescued from the Tibetan mountains.  Well, as this first chapter opens, the brothers and Theodore Curtis have arrived in Teheran - the only thing I was left wondering is - what happened to the girl?  There is only the briefest mention of their adventures in the previous book and how they rescued the girl; yet, there is no mention of her and Curtis falling for one another, and Curtis' decision to take her home with him. In fact, Curtis seems to have completely forgotten about her, as he chats with Dave and Will before taking off on his own.  Are readers left to believe the girl decided to take off on her own as well, or was she safely stored away somewhere, and Curtis just did not feel any need to mention her to the boys?  Whatever the reason, I must say that unresolved plot threads are always quite annoying...

 

As soon as Curtis takes off, the boys are met by a mysterious woman - a Persian woman who happens to speak English - a woman who is in desperate need of help - a woman who is being watched by a strange man with a bent nose and damaged ear - a woman who is willing to pay the boys $25,000 (which would be more than $570,000 in today's dollars!!!) to fly her anywhere and everywhere she needs to go to accomplish a mission about which she cannot tell them - a woman who, as it turns out, is not a woman at all, but a man in disguise!  Once again, the boys undertake a strange mission after being hired by a mysterious stranger (a plot element that is a commonality between the two books) - only this time, the brothers have no clue where they are heading with each flight, and they must deal with the odd bent-nosed man who keeps turning up everywhere they go.  To make matters worse, each time they land, their mysterious benefactor takes off, leaving them to fend for themselves in Arabian countries where they are looked at with suspicion and treated with less than respect.

 

The author spends a considerable amount of time talking about the Muslim religion, their religious practices, and their war against British rule.  Interestingly, this was likely taken from the real "holy war" that was going on at the time this book was written, as between 1936 and 1939, there was an Arab revolt in Palestine, fighting against the British rule and its policies related to Jewish immigration and the sale of land in the area.  In the story, Dave and Will find themselves in the middle of the war, slowly learning that their benefactor is a key player in this war.  Surprisingly, Bell does not have his twins take a side in the matter - in fact, they persistently complain about their distrust of their benefactor and their desire not to do anything illegal or that would place them in a precarious position with the laws of the lands they are forced to visit.  Ultimately, the man they are helping gets what he is after (the "sacred scimiter" that is somehow important to the Arabian cause, yet it is never mentioned or seen until the very last chapter, with its importance not explained until the very last paragraph of the book!), and the Hope twins are able to escape all of the turmoil of the area with the ability to finally get out from under the thumb of their benefactor.

 

The subject matter is a very odd one for a children's book, with a heavy emphasis on the war and the religious aspects of the people involved.  There is a certain level of mystery surrounding their benefactor's motives and real identity, and there is plenty of adventures as the boys fly from place to place; but the heavy emphasis on political and religious intrigue made this book read more like an adult story of spies and espionage than a children's mystery / adventure book.  And speaking of the religious aspect, at one point when the boys are flying over Kirkuk, which is a large oil field in Northern Iraq, their passenger points to the area that many believe to be the "fiery furnace" into which the king threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for refusing to worship him (p. 100).  This location is, in reality, Baba Gurgur (literally "Father of Fire" - The Eternal Fire at Baba Gurgur), which contains a fire that is alleged to have been burning for more than 4,000 years!  Bell also has the boys come across a silversmith who claims he and his people "are the famous silversmiths of Amara ... in addition are the descendants of John the Baptist" (p. 138).  This is likely a reference to the Mandaeans, who revere John the Baptist and believe he was the final and most important prophet.  Later in the story, while flying over the Dead Sea, David jokingly asks, "Do you suppose that sea is the pillar of salt that Lot's wife turned into?" (p. 189).  In addition to all of this, the author also takes the twins into what is referred to as the Great Mosque - in the book it is called "Ka'ba" (p. 217), which in the real world is more commonly spelled Kaaba (Kaaba - The Great Mosque).  Bell's explicit descriptions and references to religious locations and stories leads one to question whether Bell was a student of the world's religions, or if perhaps, he was a Christian who had a good deal of knowledge regarding other religions (and I say that because in both books, the Hope Twins are skeptical and questioning of religious beliefs that do not acknowledge the one true God and the history set forth in the Bible).

 

Thankfully, there were not more adventures of the Hope Twins written after this book.  I have no idea how these books were received back in the late 1930s when they were first published, but they definitely do not hold up well, especially against today's world views, and the plot and characters in this particular book are much too intense for a pre-teen audience.  I would have to agree with the author of the University of Texas webpage on the author, in which he states that Bell never appears "to have made a great success as an author of novels for teenage readers" (William Dixon Bell) - because based on these two books alone, I honestly cannot imagine too many teens or pre-teens who would like these books!

 

I'm just glad to have both of these behind me now, so I can move on to "hopefully" better reading!

RATING:  6 magnificently jeweled scimiters out of 10 for sending these adventurous young aviators into areas and dangers around the world that most series book writers would never dream of taking their sleuths!