Dana Girls Mystery Stories No. 1 - By the Light of the Study Lamp

Now that we finished the Penny Parker series, our reading group tossed around ideas on what series to start on next, and those spectacular sister sleuths, The Dana Girls, won the vote.  Looking back, the idea for the Dana Girls came shortly after the success of Nancy Drew in 1930.  In August 1932, Grosset & Dunlap agreed to move forward with another series written under the pseudonym of "Carolyn Keene" - after all, her Nancy Drew series was a success, so why not take advantage of that author's name while the property was still hot?  It was not until December 1932, however, that Harriet Stratemeyer Adams wrote to Syndicate ghostwriter Leslie McFarlane to ask if he was interested in writing books for a new girls' series.  McFarlane, best known for his work on the Stratemeyer's other popular series, The Hardy Boys, agreed to take on the project (he needed the money).  Thus, in January 1933, McFarlane received a sample book (which was none other than a copy of the first Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock), as well as the outline written by Edna Stratemeyer Squier.  And with that, The Dana Girls were born!

 

By the Light of the Study Lamp is the first of The Dana Girls Mystery Stories, published in 1934, along with the second and third books of the breeder set.  The title is definitely not what one would consider a typical mystery title - there is no "mystery" or "clue" or "secret" anywhere in the name! - but it certainly conjures up some unusual, almost gothic imagery.  In fact, the 1949 wrap-spine dust jacket cover for this book (which was taken from the third internal illustration of the original printing) provides an almost gothic scene - a dark mansion in the background, with a light in the upper window, and a young girl (well, in this case, two young girls) in the foreground.  And, of course, the story itself has some minor gothic tropes, what with the hidden panels, double identities, and the missing fortune.  The mystery itself, though, is not gothic at all.

McFarlane does a decent job introducing all of these new characters to his readers.  Louise Dana is "a pretty, dark-haired girl of seventeen" (p. 1), while her sister Jean has "fair hair" (p. 1).  The girls are described as orphans, living with their Uncle Ned and Aunt Harriet (p. 3).  We know from outlines and other documents that the Syndicate provided the character names, but one has to wonder if the names for the uncle and aunt did not come from Edward Stratemeyer ("Ned") and his daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams ("Harriet").  It would be too much of a coincidence for them not to be.  In any event, Uncle Ned is the girls' "bluff, elderly relative" who was the "captain of the great Atlantic liner Balaksa" (p. 3).  Their Aunt Harriet is "a good-natured, attractive maiden lady in her middle forties" (p. 3).  This is one of those rare times when a series book plainly sets forth the age of on their adults - usually they are simply described as older or elderly or middle-aged or some other vague reference.  Readers are also introduced to Ben Harrow, the "stuttering hired man" who is also said to be clumsy (p. 3), as well as Cora Appel, the Danas' maid whose "aggravating stupidity ... kept life interesting for Aunt Harriet" (p. 3).   The maid, who is affectionately nicknamed "Applecore" by the girls, is also described as "buxom" and "red-cheeked" (p. 6).   Buxom, by definition, means a plump woman, normally one with large breasts.  I was surprised to see such a description in a children's series book, but being written by a man, I suppose it should not be surprising that such an attribute would be focused upon. And with that, readers are prepared to enter the world of The Dana Girls and follow along as they find themselves embroiled in their very first mystery!

 

The mystery begins by the end of chapter one, when an antique lamp that Uncle Ned had delivered to the house as a gift for Louise and Jean before they head back to school at Starhurst School for Girls is stolen.  The girls decide to try and follow the thief, which takes them into Oak Falls to a rather seedy second hand shop owned by Jake Garbone, who is described as a "stout, swarthy individual with beetling eyebrows, dark eyes, nose like a beak, [and a] thin, cruel mouth" (p. 17).  The description alone is enough to set off warning signals in the reader's mind that this man is going to be a villain.  And that name - "Garbone."  Perhaps it was a deviation of the name, Paul Bonnaventure Carbone, who was a well-known criminal in the Marseille underworld from the 1920s until the 1940s, when he died.  In any event, the girls head back home by taking the river road, which runs along Oak River, described as "a rough, tumultuous body of water that rin swiftly between high, rocky shores that became sheer cliffs in many places ... [and] ended in the roaring cataract known as Oak Falls, a wild, fifty-foot plunge of foaming water" (p. 25).  Interestingly, there is a real town of Penfield (where Starhurst is located) in New York, which has a park that runs along Irondequoit Creek, "where it drops over 90 feet in the course of one mile. The relatively steep drop in an otherwise flat region leads to some interesting rapids along its path towards Irondequoit Bay and eventually Lake Ontario" (Waterfalls - Channing H Philbrick Park).  Is it possible this area was used as the inspiration for the fictional Oak Falls and its river and waterfall?  This trip ultimately leads them to save the life of a man and his dog - the man turning out to be a friend of Uncle Ned's who becomes a very integral part of the mystery.  The dog, on the other hand, must be supernaturally enhanced, as the girls see the dog hit by a car, watch as it flies through the air; in fact, McFarlane describes the scene by saying the dog was struck with such force that it was thrown clear of the road, rolled down the side of the cliff, and lands with force in the torrent of water below (p. 27).  Yet, miraculously, that dog walks away without one scratch!

 

Louise and Jean head off to Starthurst, where it turns out they are in the same grade (even though Jean is one year younger than Louise - sort of a mirror version of the Hardys, who were one year apart, yet in the same grade).  They meet four of their friends - Nell Carson, Doris Harland, Ann Freeman, and Margaret Glenn - on the train to Penfield.  It is rather amusing that the names of the four friends also happen to have connections to series books:  NELL Speed is a pseudonym used by the Syndicate; DORIS Force is a four-book series written by the Syndicate; ANN Sterling is another series; and MARGARET Penrose is yet another pseudonym.  Again, it could simply be a coincidence (I mean, let's face it, these series books basically depend on coincidences to get the mysteries solved!), but in real life, coincidences are few and far between.  Regardless, the train also furthers the mystery, when the girls witness a gypsy-like woman try to steal a wealthy woman's suitcase (pp. 60-61) and are able to prevent the theft.  The woman, Mrs. Grantland, ultimately plays an important part in the story, as it is revealed an expensive ring of hers was taken by the gypsy, and she aids the girls by allowing them use of her car (which is rather surprising, since she really does not know them - I suppose people were far more trusting back in the 1930s than they are now!).

 

At the school, readers are introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Crandall, who operate the school.  Mrs. Crandall is basically the one in charge, as her husband is more focused on a book he is writing about Ancient Greece (p. 62).  The name "Crandall" has both Irish and Welsh origins, meaning "ravine" or "iron dell," or in some cases, interpreted as "water course."  This is an interesting choice of names, considering the girls' earlier rescue of Franklin Starr from the rapids of Oak River just a few chapters earlier!  And here we also get to meet, for the first time, a character that plays an important part in the Dana Girls' lives through the rest of the series - the one, the only, Lettie Briggs!  The Dana Girls' life-long nemesis is said to be "a tall, anaemic girl whose arrogant, snobbish manner" made her unpopular with the girls at the school (p. 63), and she makes it clear her father is worth $10 million (p. 65), which is unbelievable for that time, as that would equate to more than $230 million in today's dollars!

 

The mystery heats up when the girls stumble upon their lamp at a thrift store in Penfield, where they buy it back (much to Lettie's chagrin!) and put it in their room at Starhurst (which also happens to be the very room Lettie thought she was going to get - yet one more reason for her to hate the Danas!).  The lamp seems to hold a lot of interest for a lot of people.  Lettie wants the lamp for herself, having seen it in the shop but not wanting to pay $10 for it; a handyman at the school seems to have taken a keen interest in the lamp, as the girls catch him looking at the lamp every time he is in their room (as depicted in the frontis piece illustration); and even Garbone and the gyspy woman, who turns out to be his sister, Fay Violette, are anxious to buy back the lamp, indicating it was sold to the thrift store by mistake and rightfully belongs to them. That name, Fay Violette, is interesting and begs the question if it was not perhaps taken from the song "Pretty Violette," which was sung by a young woman named Fay Templeton in New York during the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Again, the coincidence and timing are a bit much to be pushed asie.

 

Getting back to the focal point of the mystery, Lettie does manager to get her hands on the lamp, and as a trick, she gives it to the school's cook as a gift; the Danas find out and get it back, but Jean, as a way to get even, adds some very hot red pepper to some cream puffs the cook has just made and gives them to Lettie and her toady friend, Ina Mason (p. 106).  This is quite amusing, as you would never see Nancy or her friends taking such action against someone who wronged them.  This actually gives Louise and Jean a little bit more personality than their sister sleuths, as it reveals a more natural, human side to their characters. 

 

The story evolves as the Danas, besides trying to learn the secret of the study lamp, also seek to aid a young girl at their school, Evelyn Starr, who is on the verge of having to leave due to a lack of money.  Yes, this turns out to be Franklin Starr's little sister (another coincidence!  what a shock!), and it eventually all ties into that antique study lamp, which provides Evelyn Starr with the means to stay at Starhurst and sets up her and her brother for many years to come.  And, oh yeah, that dastardly Jake Garbone and his thieving sister both end up in police custody, where they belong, and Mrs. Grantland's expensive ring is recovered and returned to her.  All in all, the Danas do a superb job of wrapping up their first mystery, and McFarlane finds a way to integrate the title into the very last line of the book, as Louise says, "I'll never forget how those precious jewels looked by the light of the study lamp" (p. 215).  However, just because they solve the mystery in spectacular fashion does not mean the story does not have some rather ... questionable ... moments!  Probably one of the biggest takes place in Chapter Nineteen, when Jean walks to the telegraph office in Penfield to send a message to Uncle Ned; when she returns to the school, she tells Louise she came back by way of the park where she saw Jake Garbone (p. 157).  The girls want to catch the man, so they borrow Mrs. Grantland's car (p. 158), and Louise drives the car through the traffic of Penfield until they are "speeding along the highway" that leads out of Penfield to get to the park before Garbone leaves (p. 159).  Now, I ask - how in the world did Jean walk, or even run, by the park and get back to the school so quickly, whereas the Danas are forced to use a car and drive outside of Penfield in order to get to that very same park to catch Garbone before he leaves?  Is Jean bionic, by chance, and she can run as fast as any car can drive?  Either that, or the distance and timing somehow changed between Jean's visit to the park and the girls' trip back to the park.

 

I will say, though, the girls' trip to the park does warrant a mention, as it is there the girls discover a pocket watch dropped by Garbone, which coincidentally (here we go again!) has an inscription to Franklin Starr.  The title to that particular chapter happens to be "The Clue of the Watch" - a title that, perhaps, pokes a little fun at the title to the very first Nancy Drew book, The Secret in the Old Clock?  And the internal illustration for that scene, when Garbone happens across the girls just as they discover the watch, bears an uncanny resemblance to an illustration from the Nancy Drew book, The Password to Larkspur Lane (p. 101), where Nancy is kneeling on the ground as a man comes barging through the bushes towards her.  In fact, oddly enough, another illustration in this book (from page 112) showing the girls watching as a man creeps up on the school is extremely similar to another illustration from Larkspur Lane (p. 9), where Nancy and Hannah are watching a man running up to the front door of the Drew house.  Larkspur Lane came out just one year prior to this book, so the question becomes: is it simply coincidence (again????) or did artist Ferdinand E. Warren, who illustrated this first Dana Girls mystery, take some inspiration from those earlier illustrations.  

 

And while we are looking at the illustrations from this book, the fourth illustration, which shows the Danas looking into Mr. Garbone's second hand store through the front window, is somewhat the same as one of the later illustrations in The Clue in the Old Album, when  Nancy, George, and Bess are looking through the window of the antique store and see one of Mrs. Struther's dolls.  Now, there is no denying that Warren's illustrations in this book are gorgeous.  The black and white drawings are highly detailed (take a look at the scene of the sisters looking into Garbone's store for an example - the backwards lettering on the window, all of the items on the window shelf, the car in the background, the stores across the street, the clothing, the overhead lamp, etc.), and the girls (Jean and Louise) look far closer to their ages than Nancy and her friends do in the Tandy illustrations throughout those early Nancy Drew books (where Nancy and her friends appear to be closer to 30 than 18!).  Warren (1899 - 1981) was a rather well-known artist later, being commissioned as the only artist to ever paint a posed portrait of the poet, Robert Frost.  Later still, he was chosen by NASA to paint the launch of Apollo 14, a rather prestigious honor!  He received numerous awards for his work, and he has paintings displayed in numerous galleries throughout the U.S.

 

I realize this post is a bit longer than normal, but there was so much to say about this book.  Before I close, I would be remiss if I did not mention the trouble McFarlane had in writing the book.  While records show that it only took him a month to write the book (from January 7, 1933 to February 4, 1933), they also reveal he had difficulty getting through the writing - sometimes to the point where he was "utterly fed up and discouraged" with the book!  It was during this period of writing By the Light of the Study Lamp that McFarlane's wife gave birth to their daughter, which may have been part of the reason he kept plugging away at the book and got it finished - so he could get the payment needed to pay bills!  In a letter from the Syndicate after receiving the manuscript, McFarlane was told they liked the story, describing it as "excellent" - and they informed him they would hear back within a week as to the next story.  And, thus, The Dana Girls Mystery Stories were born!

 

RATING:   8 dark skirts and matching sweaters out of 10 for a rather well-fleshed out opening mystery for Louise and Jean Dana, with a some rather intense, dangerous, and even shockingly violent moments!

Jacqueline Jones - a Crime Comic for Kids of All Ages

I was completely unaware of this comic, and likely would have never heard of it, had it not been for my friend Kevin.  He came across the comic, purchased it, read it, and liked it, so he told me about it, and well ... since it has a female lead, it was pretty much a given that I was going to get it.  Apparently, the comic was funded via Kickstarter back in 2023, and hard copies are now available via Etsy (which is where I got my copy, and it is autographed by the creator as well!).  While the premise is not necessarily new, the execution and production of the comic, and the story behind the comic, is definitely worth while, and the comic itself - all I can say is WOW!

 

Jacqueline Jones is the creation of Carrick Esquivel, who wrote and penciled the book, with the help of Jesse Hansen and Johnny B. Gerardy (inkers) and Jeromy Cox (colors and letters).  The title is the main character's name, Jacqueline Jones, a dedicated police officer in the 1950s who managed to become a cop because she "misspelled" her name as "Jack" on the application (because, let's face it, back in the 1950s, how many women were police officers, patrolling the streets and fighting crime?).  While DC Comics may have had Liza Warner as Lady Cop back in 1975, Esquivel gives readers a 6'2" Amazon-like officer nicknamed "The Lady in Blue" by the good citizens of the city of Themis (which is appropriate, since that is the Greek goddess of justice, divine order, and law).  Esquivel plays the story appropriately for its time period, as Jones faces discrimination because of her gender, gets heckled by her fellow officers, and gets underestimated by the criminals she takes down.   But she fights back, and she fights back hard!

 

One thing I definitely enjoyed about this first issue is that it is not a long, drawn-out origin tale.  In fact, Esquivel manages to give readers everything they need to know (for now) about Jacqueline Jones' backstory in just three pages - showing how she got into the policewomen's bureau and moved up from writing parking tickets to eventually becoming the city's first patrolwoman.  This leaves plenty of pages to tell the real story - Jones is tipped off about a cache of guns found behind a local bar, only to come face to face with some very deadly henchman of a crime lord named "the Czar."  An attempted bribe, a rough-and-tumble fist fight, an exploding patrol car, and a good, old-fashioned car chase with bullets flying fill the remaining pages, as Jones fulfills her oath to bring evil to justice.

 

And Esquivel gives readers a wonderfully surprising cliffhanger on that last page, as we find out the identity (sort of) of the Czar - which makes me anxiously waiting for issue two (which, based on Esquivel's Facebook page, appears to be nearing completion).  

 

The art is perfectly matched for the 1950s setting.  Each panel has the feel of a mid-20th Century cartoon (think Fleischer's Superman cartoons), and you can easily, and the action scenes give off an impression of real movement. The hair styles, the clothes, the cars, the architecture - Esquivel nails it.  The inks are not heavy, for which I'm thankful, as I feel that thick inks can ruin beautiful comic art; and the colors integrate so many wonderful shades of blue in pretty much every single panel, it keeps the focus on the fact that the main character in the book IS the Lady in Blue!  Readers even get some fun pages at the end of the book, including a Jacqueline Jones paper doll with Jackie's Crime-Fighting Gear!

 

The last couple of pages offer fans a look at some real life ladies in blue, with photos of various female police officers that work in San Diego, and to whom Esquivel has shared his creation - after all, these lades were the inspiration for his fictional lady in blue.  Such a wonderful dedication to these hard working women who help keep our streets safe, not just in San Diego, but all across this great country. Jacqueline Jones is definitely a love letter to these officers, and one that's well worth the read!  Looking forward to reading the adventures of Officer Jones for many years to come!

 

RATING:  10 well-aimed garbage can lids out of 10 for bringing to the comic page a non-super-powered superhero that honors the real life superheroes who protect our streets every day!

The Daughters of Ardmore Hall - an Ace Gothic by Dorothy Eden

This is a book that I picked up for a number of reasons:  (1) it is a gothic novel, (2) I enjoyed the last Dorothy Eden book that I read, (3) the cover art is gorgeous, and (4) the use of the word "Ardmore" in the title piqued my curiosity.  Dorothy Eden, author of Shadow of a Witch, a gothic that I read and reviewed last year, wrote quite a few gothic novels between 1940 and 1982, most under her own name (although she did write two books under the Mary Paradise pseudonym).  It is said that by the early 1980s, Eden was one of the 10 best-selling novelists in the world.  She was born in New Zealand, where she lived her entire life.  While her books are most well known as Gothic novels, they do not always follow all of the standard Gothic tropes.  This one certainly did not.

 

The Daughters of Ardmore Hall, originally titled The Schoolmaster's Daughter when it was first published back in 1946, or 1948 depending on which site you research, tells the story of two sister (and, no, they are not Mary Campbell and Jessica Tate, so don't go there!) - Charlotte Castle, the older sister, and Truda Castle, the younger one.  Truda is the main character, and it is through her perspective that the reader is told the tale of these daughters of Ardmore Hall.  What's interesting is that, despite the revised title, neither Charlotte nor Truda ever actually lived in Ardmore Hall.  In fact, of the two, only Truda ever visits the place.  As it turns out, Ardmore Hall is very tangential to the story - the Hall is actually the ancestral home of the sisters' mother, which was sold many years prior, and Mrs. Castle was forced to take all of her prized possessions and cram them into the small schoolhouse where she and her daughters now lived with Henry Castle, the school master for the small town in which they lived.  I was honestly hoping that Ardmore Hall would play a bit more of a role in the story, since the name has appeared before in other books I've read - Mildred Wirt's Ghost Gables, as well as her book Courageous Wings; in addition, Ardmore was the name of the college in the Ruth Fielding series, some of which were written by Wirt; and it was mentioned as a college attended by a character in the Madge Sterling series, also, coincidentally, written by Wirt.  Thus, with so many references to Ardmore, the title to this particular book definitely caught my attention.  All of Wirt's books appeared prior to the first publication of this story (under its original title); however, living in New Zealand, it is likely Eden's inspiration for using the name more likely came from the fact there is a large, rural town named Ardmore in New Zealand.  As for Wirt's reason in using that name so often?  Well, there are several cities in the United States by that name...

 

In any event, when reading this book, do not expect to find any gloomy mansion or large castle with hidden rooms or falling cement gargoyles.  While the cover art depicts a rather large house, the story makes it clear the house is not very big, and the furniture Mrs. Castle brought with her from Ardmore Hall makes it cramped.  From the beginning, the reader gets a clear sense of Truda's relationship based upon how each of the members of her family and close circle of friends are addressed.  Mr. Castle is referred to as "Father," while Mrs. Castle is referred to by her proper name, "Fanny."  Right away, it is obvious there is tension between Truda and her mother.  Charlotte, Truda's older sister, seems to be the focal point of all that tension - her mother dotes on her, loves her, protects her, so much that Truda is merely an afterthought, brushed aside or insulted if her actions in any way interfere with her sister's glory.  Mr. Castle, on the other hand, sees the injustice and often comes to his younger daughter's defense, as does Miss Angel, the school teacher who is a very close friend of the family.  Charlotte, with her beauty and her strong personality, demands the attention of everyone around her, and as she has matured, she has learned how to manipulate people and situations to give the appearance that she is innocent of anything other then being in the right place at the right time.  Truda sees this, but she cannot seem to help herself and repeatedly gives in to her sister's wants and demands.

 

 Until the fateful night of the big dance, when Charlotte is sick and must stay home, and Truda has a chance to go without her sister, where she meets Evan Wright.  For the first time, the world seems to be opening up and giving Truda a chance to shine and have a life of her own, apart from Charlotte.  Fate, however, has other plans.  While the synopsis on the back of the book describes how three years have passed since Evan left and Charlotte returns without a word of where she has been or what she has done, in actuality is is Truda who does the leaving, and it is actually four years that pass before Charlotte returns to the small schoolhouse.  Father has died, Truda's marriage to Evan fell apart (when she caught Evan kissing Charlotte), and Truda is raising her daughter, Honey, on her own (neither Evan nor Charlotte knows about the child).  But now Charlotte is back, and with her return (more than half-way through the book!), we finally start seeing some of those Gothic elements appear.

 

Truda meets the new town doctor, Luke, who seems to be attracted to her.  But Truda is still married to Evan, with whom she shares a child.  Charlotte, even from her sick bed, begins to shower Honey with attention, making it clear she wants to steal the child away from Truda just like she did her husband.  On the night Evan is supposed to arrive by train, a horrible storm hits.  Mrs. Castle's sister, Aunt Letty (and with that name, how could I not think of the Dana Girls' nemesis, Lettie Briggs? Thankfully, this Letty is nothing like that one!), arrives, saying she saw no sign of Evan on the train.  Mrs. Castle, Aunt Letty, Miss Angel, and Truda are all caught out in the rain and come back to the house (separately!) with muddied boots and wet clothes.  No sign of Evan.  But more odd, there is no sign of Charlotte, who everyone believes left to meet Evan on the train.  After the storm passes, Charlotte's fate is discovered - she is dead, having been forcefully drowned in a pond, formed by the rain, behind the house.  Who did it?  Evan shows up the next day, but Truda finds clues that indicate he was there the previous night.  All of the women were out, by themselves, when the storm hit, and none of them have anyone to give them an alibi.  It's actually a very well-crafted mystery, although astute readers will likely pick up on the identity of the killer pretty quickly.  I will give Eden credit for trying to play up the various suspects, but there is one that stands out as somewhat obvious, based upon that particular character's actions just prior to the murder.

 

While we do not get the typical "two men - one appears good, but is really evil, while the other seems not nice at all, but turns out to be the real hero" trope of Gothic novels, Eden does give poor Truda two men in her life (although Luke does not come into the picture until nearly three-fourths of the way into the story). There is also the small clue in Mrs. Castle's diary that raises questions in Truda's mind regarding Charlotte and why she is so important to their mother.  Throughout the entire story, it is easy to sympathize with Truda, and you quickly finding yourself rooting for her, hoping she will eventually stand up for herself and not tolerate all of the catering to Charlotte - and when she does, you will no doubt cheer like I did!

 

The cover art to my copy of the book was painted by Harry Barton (1908 - 2001), whose illustrations can be found in a number of old magazine and pulps.  His largest body of work, however, are found on the covers of books published by a number of recognizable publishing houses, such as Dell, Ace, Dial Press, and others.  This particular cover shows Truda, with the wind blowing against her (obviously just before the storm hits on that fateful night), and the house behind her with just one light on in an upstairs window (typical Gothic fare). While not completely accurate as far as the house goes, the scene appears to be straight from the opening two pages of the book, where Truda is contemplating what has happened and her mind prepares to go over everything that led up to that moment (and thus, the entire story from that point is a flashback).  What is interesting about this cover is that the copy with the glossy gold lettering has Truda heading to the right, looking back over her shoulder to the left; however, there is another copy of the book with plain white lettering which features the art reversed - or so I thought!  It turns out, by looking at Barton's signature on the painting, it is the one with the white lettering that shows the art in its original form, and it is the cover of my copy that has the reversed art (as Barton's signature appears backwards in the lower right corner).   There is yet another edition of the book which features a completely different cover, the artist of which I am unsure, since there is no signature on the cover art.  That cover (shown up above in this post) departs even further from the description of the house, making it more of a castle, and it shows one sister holding tightly to a man (presumably Evan), while the other sister stands back in the mist watching.  Honestly, I think I prefer Barton's cover better, as it not only depicts an actual scene from the book, but it definitely has a stronger Gothic feel to it.

 

Although it is not a typical Gothic tale, I did really enjoy the story (relating somewhat to Truda's position, not with regard to my parents, but with regard to my grandmother).  This book confirms my like of Dorothy Eden's work, and I need to track down more of her stories.

 

RATING:  9 fair daffodils out of 10 for family drama, dark secrets, soap opera reveals, and a good, old-fashioned murder mystery worth reading!

The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of Cabin Island (Hardy Boys Mystery Stories # 8 - Revised Text)

Okay, if the title to this book looks familiar, it should.  Just a couple of months ago, at the urging of some friends, I read the original version of this book, which was published nearly 100 years ago in 1929.  Approximately forty years after its initial publication, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, during the course of its revisions project, revised this particular book.  Andrew Svenson, best known for his own series, The Happy Hollisters, was given the task of writing the revised version of this title, reducing the story from 25 chapters down to 20 and the page count from 214 down to 178.   In some cases, the Syndicate merely cut out dialogue or certain scenes to reduce the length; however, in this instance, instead of simply shortening the story, Svenson gives readers what I would call a "re-imagining" of the story.

 

In both the original and the revised texts of The Mystery of Cabin Island,  Frank and Joe Hardy, along with their friends, Chet and Biff, investigate some mysterious goings-on at a cabin owned by Elroy Jefferson, a wealthy man whose automobile the boys had recovered when they solved a previous mystery involving car thieves. But, other than that basic premise, the remaining adventures are changed, sometimes in rather drastic ways.  The opening of the revised edition removes a rather large chunk of story from the original text, where the boys visit Cabin Island long before they get permission from Mr. Jefferson to stay there with their friends over the Christmas holidays.  In the revised, the first page reveals the boys have received permission to stay on the island as a "reward" for recovering the older man's car, and not only that, but Mr. Jefferson also has a mystery he wishes the boys to solve.  Thus, while the original had a somewhat slow build-up, the revised jumps right into the heart of the story, letting readers know from the very first page that Frank and Joe were going to be solving a mystery at Cabin Island!

 

Chapter after chapter, page after page, more and more of the story is changed in ways that seem to emphasize action more than anything else.  In the original, the boys did not face a run-in with another ice boat until the end of the second chapter; however, in this version, the ice boat handled by Tad Carson and Ike Nash runs them down in the first chapter (with a nice, two-page spread line illustration that seems to be a redux of the frontis piece from the original text).  And for those who remember the second ice boat incident in the original, where poor Chet could not gain control of his boat, it might surprise you to discover that in this revised version, it is the vile Mr. Hanleigh and Tad Carson who purposely attack the Hardys' boat, knocking them out onto the ice along with old Mr. Jefferson!  Poor Mr. Jefferson is injured, and the Hardys end up taking him back to the cabin, where he spends the night - a scene that never took place in the original.

 

There are quite a few other differences that deviate from the original tale.  One major difference is the fact that Mr. Jefferson has a grandson in this revised text, who disappeared and is the center of the mystery that Mr. Jefferson asks the boys to solve.  And in the original story, the boys learn about Mr. Jefferson's stolen stamps from the general store owner, Amos Grice, while in this version, Mr. Jefferson himself relates the story of the stolen medals to Frank and Joe - and yes, that's another revision. Perhaps by the late 1960s, stolen stamps would not seem as valuable to stolen medals, so the Syndicate changed the object of the theft - which creates another big change, as a "ghost" that is scene on the island (mostly by Chet) turns out to be the representative of the great Shah Ali, who has come to seek out Mr. Jefferson in the hopes of buying back one of the medals in his possession (or, rather, in his former possession, since the medals are missing).

 

One incident in the original text that I am actually glad they removed was the fox hunting chapter, where the boys hunt down and kill some foxes that Mr. Grice believes stole some of his chickens.  In the original, the Hardys use the rifles given them as Christmas presents by their parents; in the revised, the boys receive much needed snowshoes instead and there is no mention of stolen chickens or fox hunting.  And speaking of Christmas, that is yet one more revision in the text - in the original story, the boys spend Christmas day together in the cabin; in the revised tale, the boys spend Christmas morning with their families, and they do not head out to Cabin Island until after Christmas.  And the climactic scene where the tree comes crashing down on the cabin in the original?  Nope, it is removed from the revised, and the boys instead merely face a fierce snow storm that breaks through the windows, sending snow and cold into the cabin.

 

There is one difference that I found made the story a bit more challenging for the boys, and that involves the cryptogram.  In the original, the code to solve the cryptic message was simply reversing the alphabet:  to wit, A = Z, B = Y, C = X, and so on.  In this revised version, however, Svenson gives Frank and Joe (and the reader) and much more challenging solution, as the code actually makes use of the thief's name - John Paul Sparewell, Houseman (i.e., A = J, B = O, C = H, D = N, and so on).  I found that to be a much more creative solution, which would explain why the boys had such difficulty in solving the puzzle.  In the original, the solution proved way too easy and basically made the Hardys look inept, in that they could not have deciphered such a simple code.

 

Something I found both books to have in common is the illustrations of the ice boats.  In the original text, the plain frontis piece (by artist Ausott) shows Frank, Joe, and Chet in their iceboat, which has very little room for anything other than the three of them.  In the revised text, the frontis piece, as well as the two-page spread on pages 8 and 9 show ice boats with barely room for the riders - the frontis has only Frank and Joe with room for no one or nothing else; and the two page spread shows all four boys in the boat (and it is supposed to be the same boat, so how did they manage that?) with no extra room.  So this begs the question - how did these four boys fit into the ice boat, along with all of their gear, clothes, and the boxes of food that Chet brought, when those illustrations make the boat appear to have very little free space, if any at all?!  Artistic license, I suppose...

 

While I cannot say that either of the Cabin Island texts were overly enjoyable (remember, I am not much of a Hardy Boys fan to begin with), I can say that the original text offers up a richer tale with stronger characterization.  The revised text seems to focus more on fast-paced action, with constant accidents, danger, scares, and such, relying on the action to move the story rather than the mystery itself.  I think I prefer Svenson's Happy Hollisters' series far more than I did this Hardy Boys tale.

 

RATING:  5 handsome, gleaming medals out of 10 for the attempt at re-imagining a 1920s mystery for the 1960s (leaving one to wonder what a re-imagining of this tale for the 2000s would look like?)

Exploring Series Books in Florida, Part 1 - the Space Coast

After our fun-filled exploration of Cooperstown, New York (The Secret of Mirror Bay), my friend, Pam, and I decided it would be fun to take a look at some books set in my home state of Florida and, if we found any real locations referenced in the books, to take some time out and explore those places!  Well, we quickly discovered that there are quite a number of books set in Florida - from Betty Gordon to the Bobbsey Twins; from Connie Blair to the Happy Hollisters; from the Moving Picture Girls to Nan Sherwood; from the Outdoor Girls to Vicki Barr; from the Hardy Boys to Nancy Drew; and quite a few others.  We were astounded by how many young sleuths made their way to the Sunshine State for adventure and mystery, and we could not wait to delve into these books and see just what actual places we would find in our reading!

 

Once we started reading the various books, we quickly realized the best way to do this was to group the books by location, so that we could explore one location at a time.  Pam made plans to come down last autumn for our first excursion, planned for Tampa; but our plans got rather sidetracked by that pesky Hurricane Milton! However, we were not waylaid; rather, we simply altered our objective(which, as we learned later, turned out for the best!) and started with a different location - in this instance, we headed over to the East Coast instead of the West Coast and visited some locations that the Hardy Boys, the Happy Hollisters, and Nancy Drew visited in some of their mysteries.

 

The Happy Hollisters and the Missile Town Mystery, first published in 1961, was the first of our books to feature the Space Coast, as it is referred to here in Florida.  In this book, the Hollister family visits their friends, the Davis family, who reside in the town of Cocoa (p. 28), and they make visits to Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach, where Cape Kennedy a/k/a Cape Canaveral is located on one end of the beach (p. 34).  The book even discusses Banana River, which runs between the Cape and the town of Merritt Island (p. 94).  We drove through these towns and along the river as we made out way down the coast.  We visited Cape Canaveral, just like the Hollisters, who learned that "Canaveral" meant "canebrake" in Spanish, referring to the sugar cane that was raised in the area (p. 53).  It is likely the Cape looked considerably different back in the early 1960s compared to today, but the location of the Space Center remains the same.

 

The Hollisters also visited Patrick Air Force Base, located at the other end of the beach (p. 35).  Pam and I drove down the causeway, hoping to have an opportunity to visit the base, and we had a bit of difficulty getting in, as the entrance is some bit before the actual base itself.  Also, something that threw us off a bit is the fact that the air force based has since been rename - it is now called U.S. Space Force: Patrick Space Force Base!  Which just goes to show just how far we have come since the 1960s!  Unfortunately, due to security concerns these days, casual visitors are not allowed onto the base, so we were not able to get beyond the welcome center (although I think the servicemen at the desk were taken aback by the idea that the base actually appeared in children's mystery books!).

 

Following the trail of the Hollisters, our next stop was Cocoa Beach itself.  In the book, the Hollister children comb the beach, hoping to find some part of the missile that exploded just after take-off (pp. 35-37, etc).  Pam and I did not necessarily search for parts of a missile, but we did search for shells and enjoyed the cool breeze coming in off the Atlantic Ocean!

 

 

It is easy to see why the Hollisters had so much fun while in Florida - they got to enjoy the sunny beach, they got to experience the excitement of a missile launch at Cape Kennedy a/k/a Cape Canaveral, and they were able to experience what life is like for those who live here.  While Jerry West (Andrew Svenson) did embellish the story, including some fictional locations and events, he did include enough real locations that we were able to follow in the family's footsteps.  Sadly, time did not permit us the opportunity to go to the port and see about fishing for shrimp (p. 113) or snapper (p. 147) - perhaps another time!

 

Moving right along, we look at the next book on our list, which is Nancy Drew's eighteenth mystery,

Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion (revised text), which was published in 1971, just ten years after the Happy Hollisters book. In the revised text of this book, the story for which was completely different from the original, Kennedy Space Center plays a central part of the mystery.  Therefore, since Pam and I were already there, we decided to make the most of it!

 

 

 

Nancy and her friends start off at the Visitor's Information Center Op. 30), and so Pam and I began our adventure there, taking note of the mock-ups of missile and rockets (p. 30). Inside the Information Center, there were plenty of toy rockets, mock space candy, and books about the Center and the history of man's reaching for the stars.

 

The next stop was the Vehicle Assembly Building, which George called "a real skyscraper" (p. 32).  There can be no doubt she was correct in her description, as Pam and I had to look way up to see the top of that building, which is a whopping 52 stories high! We would have loved to have gone inside and explored a bit, but unfortunately, time simply did not permit that day (remember, we were doing all of this right before a hurricane was going to cross the state, so there was not a lot that was open!).

 

At the end of Moss-Covered Mansion, Nancy and her friend were fortunate enough to countdown to the launch of a rocket (pp. 175-76); while we did get to see a huge countdown clock, unfortunately it was not connected to any actual launch that day (I can't begin to imagine them trying to launch a rocket right before a hurricane!). 

For the next book on our journey, we had to jump ahead twelve years to 1983, with the publication of The Hardy Boys No. 79, Sky Sabotage.  In this book, Frank and Joe do quite a bit of traveling around Central Florida, from Orlando over to the Space Coast, then back inland, then down to south Orlando, and back to the Space Coast.  While the timing of all that travel is quite a bit off (trust me I've driven those distances, and there is no way those Hardy Boys could have made it in the times they did!).

 

This book only contained a few real references, the first being the boys' arrival into Florida at the Orlando International Airport.  This is the same airport into which Pam flew down from Canada, and I can promise you that the OIA (as it is referred to here in Central Florida) is quite a bit different and much, MUCH larger than it was back in 1983.  It is doubtful the boys would have had as much difficulty as travelers today have in navigating the terminals.

 

In their travels throughout the book, the brothers make a stop at the police headquarters in Melbourne (p. 76), a city that is south of Cape Canaveral and Patrick Space Force Base (but still located in the same county).  In our own travels, we learned that the City of Melbourne has built a new headquarters since then, so the police station there now would not have been the one the Hardy Boys visited during their trip.

 

Probably the biggest nod to a real location in the book is when the boys pay a visit to "Fantasieworld" theme park (pp. 104, 107, and 108), in which they see rides such as "Outer Space Planet," "Deep Sea Submarine Ride," "Bear Dance," Island Pirates," and "Haunted House" - all of which are obvious takes on Walt Disney World and its famous rides, Space Mountain, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Country Bear Jamboree, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion.  We did not go inside of Disney (do you have any idea the cost of tickets these days?  egads!), but we did find it amusing how conspicuous the ghostwriter made the names of those rides.

 

Now, for the last book on this jaunt, we only had to jump ahead two years, to 1985, when the Hardy Boys once again visited Florida in The Skyfire Puzzle (which was originally going to be titled The Mystery of the Space Shuttle).  This book finds the brothers experiencing way more of Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral than we ever could, since they were not only able to explore a lot of secure areas, but they actually get to go up into space in a shuttle!  I do not think either Pam or I was ready for that!

 

 

 

Since the boys were invited to parts of Cape Canaveral that is only open to employees, Pam and I thought we would try and sneak a peak at one of those "crew member" only areas.  We got to take a peak through the fence before a very nice employee led us away and to the actual guest entrance.  

 

In the book, the Hardys were able to tour " detailed mock-up of the shuttle" (p. 84), as well as visit the Vehicle Assembly Building (p. 86).  As indicated above, we did not get to see the inside of the Vehicle Assembly Building, but we did get to see a number of missiles on display at the Space Center.

 

And last, but not least, we did pass by the same Mosquito Lagoon that Frank and Joe saw in the book (p. 26) as they were making their way to Kennedy Space Center.  We learned that this lagoon is one of the least developed regions along the East Coast of Florida and it actually has a population of bottlenose dolphins that take up residence there.  We were not lucky enough to see any of those dolphins as we passed by the lagoon.  Kennedy Space Center, along with the cities of New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater, adjoin the lagoon.

 

Pam and I had a grand time exploring the Space Coast region, searching out the locations that the Hollisters, Nancy, Frank, and Joe visited in their books.  We know that Andrew Svenson actually visited the area prior to his writing of the Happy Hollisters story, which is why that book has the most accurate depictions of the area (at the time). Harriet Stratemeyer Adams is credited for writing the revised Nancy Drew book, and Neal Barrett, Jr. is said to have written The Skyfire Puzzle for the Hardy Boys.  Both of those books have at least some semblance of real locations within the stories.  The other Hardy Boys mystery, however, has very few real locations referenced, and I was unable to find the identity of the ghostwriter - leading one to believe that the writer may not have had a much knowledge of Central Florida and the Space Coast as the others did.

 

Having now toured the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, and its surrounding areas for these four books, we wondered where our next adventure (after the hurricane passed through!) would take us...

 

COMING SOON:  Exploring Series Books in Florida - Part 2 (St. Augustine)!

A Zebra Mystery Puzzler #14 - Death on the Late Show

Country singer Darby Castle, who appeared just two books prior when she solved the murder of her music promoter (Sing a Song of Murder), is back for her second and last appearance in the Zebra Mystery Puzzler series.  While the series is known for its recurring sleuths, I am surprised they brought one back so quickly after her first appearance - usually there are at least two or three books between appearances.  I guess at this late date we are likely to never know the reasons Zebra Books published the books in the order they did, but the obsessive-compulsive in me would have preferred if they had kept some semblance of order as the appearances of the sleuths!  Nevertheless, I do like the character of Darby Castle, so I am glad she at least got one more opportunity in the series to solve a murder...

 

Death on the Late Show takes Darby out of Tennessee and thrusts her into the hustle and bustle of New York City for three days of concert, as well as a number of interviews and one fateful appearance on a late night show.  "The Gordon Garrity Show" is hosted by a rather unlikable man who would rather insult his guests for ratings than actually treat them with respect.  Darby is not looking forward to her appearance, and upon arriving at the studio, she quickly learns the man has more than earned his reputation.  The firing of the make-up man leads to a staged walk-out of the show just before it goes on air, requiring some quick backtracking in order to keep the guests - including Darby (the country singer), Anthony Vickers (a Shakespearean actor), and David Kirk (an aquarist who caters to the wealthy).  Once on air, Garrity is surprisingly cordial to Darby and Vickers; however, when Kirk comes on to display his aquarium filled with a variety of fish, including some very deadly ones, Garrity turns hostile.  Well, of course, Garrity is encouraged to reach in to touch one of the fish, but he inadvertently gets stung by the deadly stonefish and within moments, he is dead - live on air!  Darby does not believe it was an accident, and she sets about proving that Garrity was murdered.  The only question is, who did it?

 

Jan Milella, writing under her pseudonym of Jan Michaels, gives readers an even faster-paced story than her previous entry in this series.  The story is only 138 pages, nearly 40-pages less than her prior book, so there is less time for build-up and investigation.  Darby has to move quickly if she is going to sift through the suspects and clues to reveal the killer's identity.  There is the make-up artist who was fired, an obvious suspect.  There is also the show's producer, who it turns out was already trying to find someone to replace Garrity on his own show.  There is Garrity's wife, who was having an affair, as well as the man with whom she was having the affair.  Then there is the aquarist who brought the dangerous fish to the show, as well as his assistant, who Darby leans has a criminal record he does not wish to be made known.  Finally, there is Garrity's second-hand on the show, who is up for the position of taking over the show if Garrity were to be out of the picture.  So many suspects with so many reasons to get rid of Garrity, Darby (and the reader!) definitely has her work cut out for her.

 

The mystery is well-written, and the murder itself is quite creative!  While the clues are a little bit obvious, making the killer not that much of a surprise, it is still a fun read to follow along with Darby as she works with New York City police lieutenant Peter Riley to catch a murderer.  It's funny how easily both the Tennessee police and now the New York City police allow Darby to tag along with them during the investigation, even allowing her to be a part of the interrogations.  This definitely reminds the reader just how fictitious the story really is (very reminiscent of how Nancy Drew always has cooperation from the police, no matter where she is).  At least Milella a/k/a Michaels does have Riley admit he spoke with Charlie Hanson, the police detective from Nashville from the prior case, who vouched for Darby (p. 61).  I suppose that does give some credence to Riley's willingness to accept help from Darby.  

Since this mystery is set in New York City, there are a number of references to actual streets, intersections, and locations, including the twin towers of the World Trade Center (p. 7).  That sort of stopped me for a moment, until I remembered this book was published back in 1978, more than twenty years prior to that horrific day when the towers fell.  There are also a couple of pop cultural references to Archie Bunker (p. 48) living in Queens, and Kojak (p. 60) with regard to the Midtown South precinct.  There is also a surprising reference to Joey Gallo (p. 81), known in real life as Joseph "Crazy Joe" Gallo, a mobster in New York about whom a movie titled Crazy Joe was made.  Interesting that the author tied in one of her characters to this mobster, who was shot and killed six years prior to the publication of this book.

 

Unlike the last Darby mystery, the artist for this book's cover is clearly identified as Bruce Emmett, whose signature appears on the bottom right hand corner of the cover.  Since this is a different artist, poor Darby looks completely different than she did on the cover of the previous book.  The only similarity is that on both covers, she is wearing a scarf around her neck (red on the first cover, blue on this one). The interior artist is also plainly not the same, as the art style is vastly different; however, as with most of this series, there is no credit given, and none of the black and white illustrations have a signature on them.  Not really sure which of the interior artists I prefer (this book or the last one), but I do wish Zebra / Kensington had maintained some level of consistency with the books.  Changing artists throughout the series would not be bad if they had simply put the same artists on the same author's books.  

 

Something that stands out about the interior illustrations - well, two of them, anyway - is that they were not inserted in the proper order.  On page 113, there is an illustration of someone holding a receipt for the purchase of a wall safe.  This confused me, as there was nothing at that point in the story that referred to such a scene.  At that point in the mystery, Darby and her manager are questioning Garrity's producer.  Well, in the next chapter, on page 122, there is an illustration that aptly fits that particular scene; and just one page prior, on page 121, is the moment where Darby's manager discovers the receipt for the safe.  Thus, it is obvious the two illustrations were somehow switched when the book was put together, and no one caught the error before it was published and sent out to stores!

 

I enjoyed both of Darby's appearances in this series, and it's a shame she only had these two books.  I suppose we can assume her singing career took off after the three sold out concerts in this book, and she simply did not have time to solve any more murders after this one (which, no doubt, made her manager / boyfriend a very happy man!).

 

RATING:  7 small capsules of tetracycline out of 10 for giving readers a completely new type of murder weapon and a rather ingenuous method of perpetrating the crime!

The Ninth Veronica Speedwell Mystery - A Grave Robbery

It's been almost a year since I read the last Veronica Speedwell mystery, but with all the books I've read in-between, it seems so much longer than that.  I really wish these books came out more often, as I gobble them up, and once I'm done reading one book, I am ready for the next - but find myself having to wait a whole year before I can get my next fix of Veronica and Stoker!  But, of course, each book is well worth the wait.  Deanna Raybourn is a master storyteller, and her way with characters brings them to life like few other authors can.  One readily feels like they know (and love!) Veronica, Stoker, and all of the supporting cast who come and go throughout the series, and so when each new book comes along, it is merely like reacquainting one's self with a friend who has just returned from a long trip and is ready to share their latest adventure...

 

A Grave Robbery, thankfully, finds Veronica and Stoker back in their familiar relationship, enjoying their usual fun banter, when their host brings them the most unusual oddity - a waxwork woman that he wants Stoker to install with mechanical workings to make it appear as if the was figure is breathing as she sleeps.  Stoker is all too ready to perform this task, especially since it is for the benefit of their benefactor's young daughter, Rose. There is only one problem - when they begin to study the female figure, they are shocked to learn she is not a waxwork at all, but, rather, an actual human being, perfectly preserved - and most definitely dead! So, this raises the questions - how did she die? how was she so perfectly preserved? who was she? And most importantly - who did this to her?  Thus, Veronica and Stoker are off on their next great adventure, to solve the mystery of the waxwork beauty!

 

Raybourn has crafted a wickedly good tale, full of unexpected twists that remind the reader that with these mysteries, one never quite knows what will happen next.  Lord Rosemorran insists that no police be involved, as he does not want a scandal surrounding his purchase of what he thought was a waxwork figure. Thus, Veronica and Stoker must resort to more private means of learning the truth about the poor woman they have come to refer to simply as "Beauty" (after the obvious similarity to the sleeping fairy tale character); which is a perfect opportunity for Raybourn to bring back the oddities of Professor Pygopagus' Travelling Curiosity Show (after all, who else better to ask about the strange nature of waxwork figures than those odd individuals who made up the circus of which Stoker used to be a member!), as well as the beloved J.J. Butterworth, the lady reporter who was one of the few people in the world to know the truth of Veronica's heritage, and Detective Inspector Moraday, a member of the Special Branch of Scotland Yard who Veronica knows can be trusted despite his affiliation with the law. Besides, J.J. and Moraday's irritation with Veronica and Stoker's adventures is too much for Veronica to resist...

    Mornaday covered his face with his hands while J.J. gave me a level look.  "I swear before the almighty god, Veronica, if this is another of your ridiculous and outlandish investigations-" she began.

    "Oh, nothing like that," I put in hastily. "It is just that we seem to have acquired a body."

    Mornaday peeped through his fingers, clearly intrigued in spite of himself.  "A body?"

    "Whose body?" J.J. demanded.

    "That is what we were hoping you could help us discover," Stoker said.

    "But how?" J.J. asked.  "How does one simply acquire a body?"

    "Ours was purchased at an auction," I told her.

    Mornaday groaned again, and Stoker passed him the decanter as I rose.

    "Come along," I said briskly.  "Let us introduce you to the Beauty." (p. 98).

 And if that doesn't whet your appetite for this fun little mystery, I don't know what will!  Raybourn has a way with her characters and dialogue that bring them to life in such a way that you can't help but love each and every one of them.  They are all quirky in their own way, and it makes for a much more enjoyable read to have characters that are real, flawed, and come to life on each and every page.

 

The story takes a rather dark turn, as it involves scientific experiments that border on the fantastical fiction side of things, along the likes of Dr. Frankenstein himself.  Our intrepid investigators learn that one Julius Elyot was researching the ability to bring the dead back to life, with the help of his sister, Eliza, and the wealthy Lord Ambrose.  Unfortunately, Julius Elyot died fifteen years prior in a fire, and Eliza Elyot, despite her affinity for scientific endeavors, has never fully recovered from the death of her twin.  Lord Ambrose Despard, on the other hand, is more than willing to welcome Veronica and Stoker into his home, to show off his myriad of collections, including that of waxwork figures known as Anatomical Venuses, which, it turns out, were actual, life-sized wax figures of women used by universities as teaching aids to their medical students back in the late 18th Century and well into the 19th Century (Anatomical Venuses), showing Raybourn did her research when weaving this into her story.  Of course, Lord Ambrose clams up when Veronica and Stoker begin to question him a bit more, starting them on the path to uncovering the truth behind the Beauty and the madness that led to her creation!

 

Perhaps one of the most amusing scenes in the entire book (which does, incidentally, play a very important part in answering several questions about the mystery!) is when Veronica and Stoker attend a "tableaux vivant" at the Curiosity Club for Woman, in order to have an opportunity to meet Eliza Elyot and her companion, Undine Trevelyan (as Stoker so eloquently asks, "Why do they all have such unfortunate names? First Parthenope Fleet.  Now Undine Trevelyan.  Why do we never meet a Mary Smith?  I should like, just once, to meet a Mary Smith" [p. 168]).  Although "attend" is not really the proper word - "participate" is more appropriate, since the only way Veronica could get her and Stoker into the event was to agree to pose as one of the living portraits ("tableausx vivant" does mean "living picture" after all, and this type of performance art is a real thing, as well).  With Stoker dressed only in a loincloth and Veronica in a flowing silk gown of blue pose as Samson and Delilah, based upon a painting by a Basque artist named Echena (p. 174) - who just so happens to be a real artist by the name of Jose Ignacio Luis Echenagusia Errazquin (Jose Echena).  The reactions of the patrons, as well as what happens next when Veronica and Stoker attempt to meet up with Elyot and Trevelyan (while still in costume, mind you) will have you smiling, chuckling, and ultimately cheering!

 

I do sincerely hope that one of the new characters introduced in this story, Wilfred Plumtree, makes a return appearance at some point in the future.  He was fun and, like of the rest of them, quite quirky enough to fit in with the rest!

 

Raybourn will keep you guessing, bouncing back and forth between suspects, but there are a few subtle hints dropped along the way that will lead you to the right culprit if you really pay attention (although, to be honest, they did lead me to wrong person first, until a person thought dead is found to be alive, at which point, I realized what was really going on!).  This is another truly captivating story that will leaving you wanting for more by the end - and there had better be more adventures of Veronica and Stoker, because that last page has left me wondering if A Grave Robbery is the end of the rails for our dynamic duo! Please say it isn't so!!

 

RATING:  10  awls out of 10 for an inspired mystery of stolen corpses, horrific experiments, deadly weapons, and one exuberant little golden lion tamarin with a deep affection for Stoker!