Lucifer Cove, Book 3 - The Devil's Virgin (Virginia Coffman's Thrilling Occult Gothic Series)

"Diane Deeth visited the Cove in innocence ... and was trapped in eternal evil." (cover blurb)

 

The occult Gothic series authored by Virginia Coffman continues in this third installment of the series.  The book was originally published in 1971, with this second edition printed in 1973.  I can't help but repeat how much I love these stylized covers, with the unique logo and the consistent cover art, each depicting a young woman standing in front of the tudor-style spa building. The occult aspects are definitely there in this book, but thankfully they are toned back a bit from the previous story.  Instead, we are treated to more of the continuing saga of the Deeth family - and although Christine Deeth, the protagonist from the first book, is not the continuing main character in the series, she does appear in each book (thus far), and her presence definitely has an impact on the characters involved in the stories.

 

The Devil's Virgin brings Christine Deeth's first born - her daughter, Diane - to Lucifer Cove. Diane is definitely a child of the '70s - a rebel, whose mindset is that the system must be bucked, and the new up-and-coming generation of young adults are the ones to do it.  That being said, she comes to the Cove to see her mother, concerned that her mother has not left and wondering if she really is happy there.  But what she finds is nothing at all what she expects!  It begins on a dark night, as she waits for a bus to take her to the Cove.  A mysterious stranger is watching her, and when she boards the bus, he boards right behind her.  The bus does not stop at the Cove itself, but it does have a stop on the lonely canyon road, not far from the hidden lane that leads to the Cove.  When she gets off, so does the stranger. She lets him head off first, and she is shocked to discover he is heading in the same direction she is.  Luckily, a gorgeously handsome man with dark hair and dark eyes pulls up in his fancy car and offers her a ride.  Once again, Marc Meridon is in the right place at the right time to save a damsel in distress...

 

Coffman gives readers a deeper feel for Lucifer Cove in this book, as Diane makes the keen observation that the Cove is set up to tempt even the most innocent of souls, as everything in sight is a temptation - from the gold plated silverware to the aphrodisiac being pumped in through the air vents.  While Diane is by no means the "innocent" girl that the cover says she is, she does manage to keep herself from giving into the temptations that surround her.  And the mysterious stranger, who turns out to be Bill Janocek, the brother of Nadine (you remember her, don't you?  the devil priestess who presides over the satanic rituals that take place in the Greek cathedral just up the side of the mountain that borders Lucifer Cove...), seems pretty much immune to any of the temptations.  In fact, he has an ulterior motive for coming to Lucifer Cove, other than just to see his sister, and that focus is what helps him see people and things for what they truly are.  That ulterior motive, of course, is something that does not sit well at all with Marc Meridon.

 

And speaking of Marc (should we call him by his real name yet?  Coffman hasn't revealed it at this point, but let's face it - by now, every reader knows exactly who he is!), Diane become instantly infatuated with the man, and she cannot figure out why her mother tries so hard to keep her from associating with the man.  As Diane develops a friendship with Bill Janocek and learns his true purpose for being there (after he rescues her from almost becoming the next victim of a group of murderers who are staying at the Cove to avoid going to jail), she finds herself becoming more and more curious about what is really going on at the Cove.  If her mother is so unhappy, as she seems to by, why does she stay?  Why does the Cove allow known murderers to stay at the spa, instead of turning them over to the police?  Do people really believe in the satanic nonsense spouted by Bill's sister?  And what is up with that annoying cat that seems to pop up at the most inopportune times - Kinkajou?  

 

It all comes to a head when Nadine is injured (conveniently after Diane tells Marc that Nadine was plotting with Christine to keep Diane and Marc apart!) and Diane agrees to take over as "priestess" for that night's ceremony, so that Bill can fulfill his purpose in coming to Lucifer Cove and Diane can see some real justice done.  But their secret plot is revealed, and Diane ends up in very real danger as a killer takes her off, ready to end her life for nearly betraying him and his friends!  (An interesting side note here - as Diane and Bill are finalizing their plans, a woman named only as "Miss Benedict" arrives with her suitcases to check in to the spa; it is only a very brief mention, where she has a short encounter with Nadine's Irish boyfriend, O'Flannery [p. 203] - but it is clearly a set up for the next book, where Miss Benedict is the main character.) 

 

Once again, this book was published in three different editions, each with their own cover art.  My copy of the book, with the light blue sky and the blond woman glancing back over her shoulder at the tudor-style spa that is the centerpiece of Lucifer Cove. The artist for this edition is not identified (as with the first and second books in this format), and once again, the main character is incorrectly portrayed.  In the book, Diane is described as having dark hair, yet the cover shows Diane with flowing blonde hair.  Not sure if all the covers were painted at the same time, and the publisher simply did not bother to properly match them with the books, or if the artist was not given any details about the actual characters in the book to know how to properly represent them on the cover.  The art is gorgeous, there is no denying that; I just wish they had gotten the details right!  The cover art for the Pinnacle Books edition (shown above) correctly shows Diane with her dark hair - just not sure if the man behind her is supposed to represent Marc Maridon or Bill Janocek.  Either way, this cover is a slight bit creepier, with the midnight black sky and the spa further back in the scene.

 

The third edition of the book, published by Lancer, is somewhat similar to the later Lancer "Easy Eye" edition that I have.  The light blue sky, the blond haired beauty (rather than dark-haired), and the tudor-style building; however, in this instance, the spa is depicted as desolate and somewhat dilapidated, with a thin fog rolling in front of it.  And the ghostly image of Marc Meridon looking down over the spa building seems to intimate the control he has over his "domain" at Lucifer Cove, that he is always watching, and you cannot escape him.  I would be hesitant to say which of the three book covers offers the most "Gothic" version - the edition I own is obviously my favorite, but the Pinnacle Books cover is definitely darker, even if Diane does not really seem frightened at all.  This original Lancer edition comes across too stilted to me, although this rendition of Marc is probably the most powerful and frightening to date.

 

It is definitely clear with this book that the Lucifer Cove saga is the ongoing story of Marc Meridon and Christine Deeth - all of the other women who take center stage in the books that have come after that first story are mere supporting characters that give the reader a greater insight into Lucifer Cove itself and more hints at just who Marc Meridon is ... although I am still waiting to find out what his endgame with Christine Deeth really is.  I hope Coffman resolves that by the end of the sixth book and does not leave the reader hanging!  These books are not strong in the Gothic elements, but definitely fall more into the occult category.  It was the 1970s, though, so every publisher wanted to cash in on the Gothic craze, and thus, Lucifer Cove became Virginia Coffman's "Thrilling Occult Gothic Series" (at least they had the decency to put occult before Gothic!).

 

RATING:  8 miniature spy cameras out of 10 for proving that some people are above even the strongest of temptations - no matter how enticing and beautiful that temptation may be! 

Lucifer Cove, Book 2 - Priestess of the Damned (Virginia Coffman's Thrilling Occult Gothic Series)

"Nadine Janos became queen of the Cove's 'devil-cult' ... and reigned in satanic terror!" (cover blurb) 

 

Gothic-queen author Virginia Coffman's series set in Lucifer Cove continues in this second book.  First published in 1970, my edition of the book came out in 1973 with the stylized logo and gorgeous cover art.  While the first book dabbled somewhat into the occult aspect of the series (i.e. the devil, a Satan-cult, those eyes in the mirror, etc.), this second book walks into the occult / supernatural aspect in full force.The reader is no longer left with any questions as to whether demonic forces are at work in Lucifer Cove, and as such, the impact that has on the characters in the story (and the reader's expectations and hopes for those characters) is increased ten-fold!

 

Priestess of the Damned switches the focus from Christine Deeth (who was the main character from the first book, and who did not have so happy an ending) to Nadine Janos, who leads the cult in Lucifer's Cove that allegedly worships Satan himself ... but is nothing more than a fraudulent means by which Janos takes in quite the income through so-called donations to the devil himself, while the cult members and attendees simply satisfy their basest desires.  While readers of the first book wondered if the devil worshipers were sincere in their beliefs, or if it was all a front, readers of this book quickly learn that it is all fake, with Janos and her cohort, Sean O'Flannery, using special effects and theatrics to make it all seem dark and supernatural within the classic Greek temple located on the side of the mountain in Lucifer Cover.  After all, she was not really hurting anyone - if wealthy people wanted to pay her money under the guise of donations in order to indulge in animal-like lust, what crime was she committing?

 

But, as readers of the first book know, something is not right at Lucifer Cove.  O'Flannery suspects there is something wrong, and while Nadine has refused to see it up until now, even she is beginning to realize there is more to the owner, Marc Meridon, than meets the eye.  Why else would she have had O'Flannery do digging into the man's past - digging that led to no new information whatsoever.  Meridon's past is a complete blank, and his present hints at something more than just an investor in a secluded spa.  The more Nadine's curiosity gets the best of her, the more she starts to suspect, and the more she learns, the more she realizes just how much danger she (and everyone else) at Lucifer Cover could be in!  A supporting character seen only in brief snippets in The Devil's Mistress, Nadine takes the full spotlight, and while she is far from an innocent, I thoroughly enjoyed her snooping around and sneaky attempts to try and uncover what is really going on at the spa.  In a lot of ways, she could be considered a Nancy Drew-type character in this book (albeit a very flawed and selfish version!).

 

A number of subplots that began in the first book are continued here.  Nadine discovers, along with the reader, some of the secrets regarding all of those tudor-style houses that line the main street of Lucifer's Cove, which, of course, only opens up more questions.  Why are the houses simply facades, to give the effect they are more than just empty shells, not even completed in the back?  And what in the world is up with the urn of ashes Nadine finds in one of the houses - ashes of a famous actress who is known to have died years prior?  Christine Deeth is back in some small part, as she is coerced by Meridon to bring her sickly young son to the spa, under the guise that the springs might help him recover (although Christine begs Nadine to help her keep her son away, unaware Nadine has already promised Meridon to convince her to bring him there).  Christine's love for Meridone is obvious, yet Nadine picks up on an undercurrent, hinting that Christine has other motives and plans. of which Meridon is completely unaware.  In addition to that, Nadine uncovers the source of that black smoke that comes up from the sulfur springs on occasion, a discovery that turns out to be very deadly and nearly costs Nadine and a young boy their lives!  Thankfully, a certain black cat by the name of Kinkajou (affectionately referred to as "Kinky" in this book) leads them to safety.  And speaking of that darn cat, the reader gets more hints as to the true nature of the cat, and something I suspected to be true in the first book is pretty much confirmed (although not outright) in this book. Nadine certainly suspects it, and I have no doubt it is going to be revealed in a later book.  Last, but not least, by the end of the story, Nadine finds herself seeing visions - not only of a man dying (who later does die), but also of a sinister pair of eyes looking out from behind that upside down cross in her temple.  What will come of that, only time will tell...

 

While Nadine nearly meets her maker by the end of the story, her timely rescue leaves her in the arms of O'Flannery, wondering as Meridon tells her with a grin that she is one of his greatest allies. Nadine can't help but be concerned - is that a good thing, or a bad thing?

 

As with the first book, this second entry into the series went through three different printings with three different covers.  I love the one edition that I have, even if the depiction of Nadine Janos is inaccurate (since the story makes it clear she has dark hair, and the cover shows her with blond hair); yet, it has the same tudor building in the background, with the same light on in the second story window.  In fact, comparing the cover art, it appears the house IS the exact same image, with simply a different female lead painted in the foregoing over the house.  An earlier cover (of which I do not have an image) gives a more accurate picture of Nadine, with the dark hair and not-so-pretty face, with a background scene depicting a black-robed figure standing over  man kneeling before her on the ground.  A third cover art (from Pinnacle Books, which I also do not have an image) again shows Nadine in the foreground with dark hair (and a much sexier red dress) with a man who could be Meridon standing behind her and a different version of the tudor-style spa behind them, a second story window lit.  This cover is not bad at all, and probably the most Gothic-looking of the three, spouting a tagline that reads, "Would she enter the gates of heaven - or the portals of hell?"  These other two images can be found online, but are definitely not in the best of condition.

 

I will admit, I was uncomfortable reading this book, because of the heavy emphasis on the devil worshiping and constant references to "My lord Satan."  Although I know this is fiction, and even though the character in the story admits she is a fraud and merely leading the cult for the money, it still did not sit well with my Christian beliefs, and I was glad to finish it.  I'm hoping the next four books in the series will be similar to the first and rely more on the mystery aspect, and less on the occult and Satanic references.

 

RATING:  7 ghostly apparitions of Adolf Hitler out of 10 for an ever-increasing suspense-filled story that builds upon the mythos of Lucifer's Cove and its growing cast of characters.

Lucifer Cove, Book 1 - The Devil's Mistress (Virginia Coffman's Thrilling Occult Gothic Series)

"Christie Deeth found a paradise at the cover ... or was it the domain of Satan himself?" (cover blurb)

 

With the Harlequin Gothic Romance series now read, it is time to move on to another series, and this is one that took me quite a while to complete - and surprisingly, it was the first book in the series that was the most difficult to find (in the particular format I wanted), rather than the last, which is usually the case.  But I absolutely fell in love with the cover art and design of the Lancer Easy-Eye editions with the stylized logo and the blue sky over the Tudor style black and white house with the girl in the foreground.  Like with the consistency of cover style for the Harlequin Gothic line, I wanted to complete this series with the same cover format - and I was finally able to get this final book I needed at the end of last year at a price I was willing to pay (I mean, seriously, the prices I have seen copies of this book selling for is outrageous!).  Virginia Coffman (1914 - 2005) was one of the leading Gothic novelists, with more than 100 books to her name, most of which were Gothic romances.  It was her first novel, Moura, published in 1959, that is said to have started the "Gothic Wave" of the 1960s and '70s.  If you are going to read Gothics, then sooner or later, you will likely read one or more of Coffman's books.  More can be found about this author in the University of Nevada, Reno Virginia Coffman Papers.

 

The Devil's Mistress is the first of a six-book series set in Lucifer Cove, a small town nestled in a secluded valley of California.  First published in 1969, the book has gone through a number of printings and has had three different covers.  While the Lancer Easy-Eye editions tout the books as "Virginia Coffman's Thrilling Occult Gothic Series," I found the book to be more mystery than Gothic. That's not to say the book was not a great read; I just did not see that many Gothic elements in the story itself.  The "occult" label is probably a more accurate description of the story.  Lucifer Cove is basically a resort, centered around a hot springs spa that offers its guests their heart's desires.  But, as the saying goes, too much of a good thing ... the resort is place where people go to get away from it all ... to open themselves up to new experiences, where the only rules are that you must enjoy yourself to your heart's content.  Any pleasure imaginable can be found here.  For some, Lucifer Cove truly is a paradise, a dream come true.  For the soon-to-be divorced Christine ("Christie") Deeth, however, the Cove is a place of mystery, unexplained deaths, and temptation that could lead to destruction.

 

Coffman's main character is an auburn-haired beauty who receives an invitation to Lucifer Cove from an unexpected source.  An old heiress had visited her at the clinic in San Francisco, where Christie had been recovering from a mental breakdown.  She had left her husband and two children for a love affair with a younger man who quickly dumped her for the next young beauty to come his way. Her actions, though, had consequences, and she not only faced divorce from her husband, but she lost custody of her two children, and her husband refused to let her see them (gee, sounds like a somewhat current storyline on General Hospital!).  Christie would do anything to see her children again, and when the spinster tells her that spending a few weeks at Lucifer Cove could result in her getting her children, as well as her husband, back, Christie decides to take the chance.  After all, what did she have to lose?

 

The story opens with a slow build, as Christie is trying to locate the entrance to Lucifer Cover, some two hours south of San Franciso.  She happens across a lone man who is heading there, and he shows her the way through the cloudy entrance.  After following a maze of roads, she arrives in the small community, which contains not only the spa and the hot springs, but also some cottages, some shops, and a rather out-of-place temple that would likely fit in back in ancient Rome.  The man knows her name, even though she never told him, and as she gets checked in, she gets the odd feeling that she was expected here for weeks, even though she just made her reservations the day before.  There are plenty of warning signals that something is very wrong in Lucifer Cove, but like any good Gothic heroine, Christie ignores those signs, thinking she can face any problems that come her way.  Besides, Marc Meridon, the man she picked up on the road, and who appears to have an ownership interest in the spa, seems to have taken an interest in her, and she cannot deny the strange attraction she feels for him.

 

Then the woman in the room next to her turns up dead from an apparent suicide.  The guests and employees of Lucifer Cove seem to have more than a healthy respect for Meridon - from everything Christie can tell, they actually fear him.  What kind of power does he have over these people?  And what is up with those strange, glowing eyes that she, and others, can just barely make out in the mirrors that are everywhere in every room of the place?  And are those devil worshipers who attend nightly ceremonies in the temple for real, or is it all just for show, so the woman running it (Nadine Janos) can make some easy money?  And what is up with that cat, Kinkajou, who just seems to appear and disappear, just like Marc Meridon himself?  Strange things are afoot, and the longer Christie stays at the spa, the more she realizes there is a dark power that takes a hold of those who give in to their base desires.  When Christie's almost ex-husband shows up with the family's housekeeper, Christie realizes she must do whatever it takes to get them away from Lucifer Cove before they are sucked into whatever is really going on there!

 

Coffman truly surprised me with this book.  The story was engaging, and I found myself rooting for Christie to get to the bottom of everything, reveal the truth behind Lucifer Cove, and leave (whether with her former husband or a new love interest), never to look back.  But that did not happen.  Coffman presents her characters with choices, and each choice made has consequences, some of which are heavy and others of which are deadly.  In the end, Christie must make a choice between her own freedom and her love of her children, and let's just say the story does not end at all the way I had expected or hoped.  While one may think at first that the events transpiring in this spa are all simply manipulations of some mastermind behind the scenes, Coffman leaves it very much open to interpretation as to whether there is black magic, or even Satanic powers, at work, or whether everything is simply coincidence and the over-active imaginations of already troubled people.  I have my suspicions, particularly about Meridon and Klinkajou - but I'm guessing I will have to wait for future books to reveal those truths (if they ever do at all!).

 

As I said above, the book lacks a lot of the standard tropes that one usually finds in these Gothic novels.  There are no secret passages, no young woman trying to uncover some mystery in the dark house where she finds herself.  There are no two men, both vying for the heroine's affections, with one turning out to be the villain after all.  No ghosts, no haunting sounds, no long-hid secrets to be revealed.  Instead, we get a small community that seems to be controlled by one man, who may or may not be using occult or demonic powers to do so.  There is a scene near the end of the book where the reader is given a rather frightening description of what Christie sees (and which, I believe, gives a very strong hint as to who and what Meridon really is!), but whether that is meant to be what she really saw, or what she only imagined she saw in her heightened state of fear ... well, that remains to be seen in later books (I hope!).

 

Not sure who provided the cover art for the edition I have (the cover depicted first above), but I find that cover to be the most attractive and alluring - even if the artist incorrectly portrayed Christie with dark hair rather than the reddish hair she is described as having in the book.  The spa building in the background, however, is a perfect capture of how it, all the other buildings in Lucifer Cove, are described in the story.  There is even a light on in the second story window, keeping with the tradition of Gothic covers from this era. Another printing of the book (see above, middle) is a bit more Gothic in nature, with the dark, brooding house in the background, the mist rolling in, the night sky; however, I do not like how Christie appears to be standing in grass up to her neck, and honestly, that woman on the cover is not attractive at all!  The third cover (the cover to the right, here) accurately shows Christie with her auburn hair, and it has the spa more accurately painted.  Not sure about the red sky thing going on, unless that color was chosen to match the lettering of the title, or to give readers the color of blood on the cover as an enticement to see what the story inside holds.  I do think the tagline for this edition is appropriate:  "Was he the man of her dreams - or the prince of darkness?"  That question makes one think this is more of a nocturnal romance rather than an "occult Gothic."

 

While not at all the type of story I was expecting, and definitely not a happy ending I'm used to with these Gothics, I did enjoy the book for what it was.  And looking ahead at the description of the next book, it seems the characters do carry over from one book to the next - book two contains a story that centers around Nadine Janos, the devil worshiping priestess who appears a few times in this first book.  With that in mind, I'm hoping Coffman builds upon an over-arching story with each book, so that by the sixth and final book, we will see a satisfying resolution, with all questions answered and the villain either redeemed or vanquished.  Looking forward to see what the next five books have waiting for me when I read them!

 

RATING:  9 black gowns and pointed hoods out of 10 for a completely different kind of Gothic tale hinting at a dark power that could come from the one named in the title of both the series and this first book! 

Larabee Heiress - a Warner Paperback Library Gothic

This is another book that I've had in my collection for quite some time.  I originally picked it up because the cover scene bears a slight resemblance to the 18th book in the Nancy Drew Diaries series - both covers feature a woman running down the stairs, dogs surrounding her, and a mansion in the background.  It has sat on my shelf for some time, but I've somehow never picked it up to read.  The author, Dorothy Daniels, is said to have been America's Most Popular Gothic Novelist (Dorothy Daniels).  She had more than 140 novels published by a number of different publishers.  Her last Gothic novel was published in 1980, and after writing some romance stories, her last published book was in 1985.  There is some dispute as to whether Dorothy Daniels was an actual person (despite some books carrying a biography and photo of the author on the rear cover!), with some sources claiming she was a man named Paul Hugo Little and several paperbacks being copyrighted by "Norman Daniels."  Regardless of whether Dorothy Daniels was an actual person or a pseudonym, there can be no question that her writing was superb!

 

Larabee Heiress was first published by Warner Paperback Library in 1972, and it was later re-issued by Warner with a different cover (the cover to the right is the copy I have, which is the later edition).  The story is actually very engaging, as it deals with a young woman who awakes in a hospital after a car accident with no memory of anything, including her own name.  After months in the hospital recovering (having had extensive surgeries, including brain surgery!), the Larabee family identifies her as the widowed wife of their son, Larry, who died and bequeathed the entirety of his considerable estate to her - Sandra Larabee!  Shocked to discover she is wealthy beyond her wildest imagination, the young woman returns to the grand estate where the Larabee family resides - Janet Larabee and her husband, Richie, who are Larry's parents; Marilyn Larabee, the oldest daughter who is their golden child; and Nancy Larabee, who is stand-offish and not at all interested in the wealth and beauty the others are enamored with.  There is also Gilbert, the family chauffeur, and Ethel, the housekeeper.  On top of that, the family has two maids: Ava, the upstairs maid, and Dicie, the downstairs maid.  To say that Sandra is completely overwhelmed is an understatement!  It's a good thing Marilyn's husband, Sidney, has always handled the finances since Larry's death, as Sandra knows she would have no idea where to even begin!

 

But things are not what they seem ... which is no surprise for a Gothic novel of this nature.  Sandra not only has no memories of the family or the house, but she also has no memories of her own two children - the twins, Carol and Christine. How could she not remember her own children?  And why does the house have no family photos whatsoever?  Slowly, Sandra begins to pull information from various members of the family, in the hopes of piecing together her life before the accident.  Unfortunately, the more she learns, the more she discovers that she was not the nice, caring person she is now.   In fact, she was a vicious, cruel alcoholic that, just before the accident, had demanded the family move out of HER home!  It is her concern for Nancy, the outcast of the family, that starts Sandra on the path to uncovering the truth about the things she is learning.  Why, after her husband died, did she disappear for days a time?  Where did she go?  What did she do?  And why did she always return home wearing different, cheaper clothing?  Something was wrong, and with the help of a friendly doctor who was at the hospital when Sandra was first brought in, Sandra starts investigating.  What she uncovers, however, are some horrific secrets and deadly plans that already resulted in one person dead, made an attempt to kill a second person, and could very well bring about Sandra's demise!

 

"A beautiful young amnesia victim, a luxurious mansion holding a deadly secret, and three keys that don't fit any doors..."  The blurb on the front cover definitely describes the mystery within, and those three keys are the biggest clues to unlocking Sandra's true past.  From the very first chapter, I was enthralled, and I had to keep turning page after page, because I could not put it down.  Even though early on I had my suspicions about what was going on, I could not wait to get to the conclusion to find out if I were right.  While the story lacks standard Gothic tropes, such as hidden passages, ghostly sounds or apparitions, or dark and brooding mansion (the mansion in this book is quite bright and lovely!), it more than makes up for it with the secrets, the lies, the suspense, the tension, and the danger.  This book is a definite example of just how gifted Dorothy Daniels was at writing Gothic fiction.

 

The second cover art (above) was painted by Vic Prezio, as identified on the copyright page inside.  Not very often do we see credit given like this, which is refreshing.  You can see more about the artist and his work (as well as a full-size version of this cover art) at the Paperback Palette blog (Victor Prezio Art). Prezio provided art for quite a number of Gothic titles back in the day, including quite a few of Dorothy Daniels' books.  The original edition of the book featured an entirely different cover that finds Sandra simply standing at the gate, staring out, with the dark mansion behind her, a light shining from the highest turret. Not sure who the artist, as I do not yet own a copy of this version.  However, despite its more Gothic feel, with the dark mansion, the fog, and spooky clouds above, I prefer the copy I have with the dogs attacking Sandra as she tries to escape the house.  For me, Prezio's art on the later edition provides a more tension-filled scene, as Sandra is racing down the steps to not only escape the horrors of the house, but the angry jaws of the attack dogs that guard the estate!  Hopefully, I can pick up a copy of this earlier printing one day and discovery who the artist is.

 

I may have picked this book up based on the cover similarity to the Nancy Drew Diaries book; but I am now holding on to it as one of the better Gothic stories in my collection, because, while I have enjoyed nearly all the Gothics I have read to date, very few have pulled me into the story and kept my interest as intensely as this one did.  I definitely recommend it - well worth the read!

 

RATING:  10 old 1971 Chevrolet Impalas out of 10 for superb storytelling and skillful plotting with so much suspense and mystery, I can't imagine anyone NOT liking this book! 

Secret of Pirates' Cave - a Thorne Twins Adventure Book

This is a book I picked up for a couple of reasons.  First, the title is reminiscent of the second Bobbsey Twins mystery published back in 1980 under the Simon & Schuster "Wanderer" imprint, with even the cover art bearing a slight resemblance to that book.  Second, the book features twins (a brother and sister), and I'm always picking up books about twins - although, unlike the Bobbseys, this series features only one set of twins, not two.  Now, normally, I would not pick up just one book in a series - my OCD would force me to go find all of the other books in the series, so I can have a complete set!  In this case, however, I made an exception, since my main reason was the similarity in title and cover art - the fact that it features twins is merely a bonus.  I could not find out anything about the author, Dayle Courtney, and it appears this series is the only books written by the author.

 

Secret of Pirates' Cave is the 19th, and from what I could find, final title in the Thorne Twins Adventure Book series. Interestingly, the book opens not with the title characters, but with one of their ancestors, Eric Thorne, and his family, who are sailing along the California coast, preparing to settle and start a new life in America in the year 1850.  Their ship inadvertently runs into a pirate ship, and the band of pirates - led by one known only as Scarab - take over the ship, stealing all of the family's belongings, as well as those belonging to the Roberts family, who has joined them in their adventure to the New World.  It is not until the second chapter where we flash-forward 130 years to the present, where young Eric Thorne and his twin sister, Alison, are sitting down to dinner, and Eric is telling his father about a boy in his class that shared a story about his ancestors having been robbed by pirates along with another family by the last name "Thorne."  It is here that the twins learn from their father the history of Eric's namesake, and how the stolen good were never recovered - however, the pirate reformed later in life and wrote a letter that he sent to both the Thorne and Roberts families, giving each half of the directions as to where they could find their stolen valuables (hmmm, what other story have I read where there are two pieces of a "map" that must be put together to lead the sleuths to a lost treasure...?).  The two families never found each other, and so the treasures were never recovered.  Until now...

 

As with all good series books, it's a series of coincidences that puts Terry Roberts in Eric Thorne's class, and provides them the opportunity to join forces to locate their family's heirlooms.  As Mr. Thorne is heading to Africa for his work, he sends Eric and Alison to California with Terry to visit Terry's aunt and cousin, who live in a large house on a hill, just outside of Monterey.  While the Thorne family had kept and preserved the pirate's letter and half-instructions, those sent to the Roberts family had been lost over the years, and no one knew where to find them.  Thus, the children plan to inspect every inch of the Roberts' ancestral home in the hopes of finding the other half to those instructions so they can find the treasure. The house is filled with plenty of hidden compartments and secret passages, and after some false starts, they happen across the missing half of the instructions in the pocket of a pair of pants they find inside an old trunk hidden away in a cave far beneath the great house.  Now, armed with both halves of the instructions, Eric, Alison, and Terry firmly believe they will find their families' missing heirlooms!

The author does not make it easy on the kids.  With a letter written over a century before, the places mentioned in the letter are certain to have changed considerably.  The old church was long destroyed after an earthquake.  The stained glass through which the light points the way is no longer there.  The walled fort, the boulder in the shape of a lion's head ... such cryptic clues made all the more hard to decipher, since the landscape has changed so much over the past hundred years.  But the twins are determined, especially Eric, whose growing desire to find that treasure and become rich seems to increase in strength the closer they get to finding it.  He refuses to give up, even if that means breaking a few laws to find the lost heirlooms - such as sneaking into a cemetery at night, breaking into a caretaker's shack, and opening a long-sealed crypt, all in the hope of recovering the Thornes' and the Roberts' stolen belongings.

 

Astute readers will begin to pick up on some subtle clues along the way that someone is working against them - someone wants the kids to find the treasure only so they can take it away from them.  There's the sudden appearance of the "ghost" that haunts the cemetery.  There's the odd reluctance of the elderly caretaker to provide the twins and their cousin with any information regarding the old pirate and his family (as it seems the pirate changed his ways, turned to God, and worked hard to make amends for his old life - including sending that letter to the two families, in the hopes they would forgive him if they got their heirlooms back!).  There's the strange feeling that someone is always watching them, following them, always just out of sight.  But, as with any good teen detectives, these three persevere, ultimately finding the missing treasure - which discovery also brings to light some secrets about the two families that have repercussions on a number of members of the families!

 

From what I have been able to learn about the Thorne Twins series, this is the last book in the series.  It is a rather unique series, in that it is a Christian-based series, with the main characters devout in their faith; yet, the mysteries involve chasing UFOs (book 17), saving a captive girl from a drug ring (book 16), finding a foreign dignitary (book 15), chasing down bigfoot (book 13), outwitting terrorists (book 12), and even fighting to stop a civil war on an island in the Aegean Sea (book 11)!  These are some rather adult themes for a young adult series, and definitely some themes I am surprised to find in a Christian-based series.  Although, if the rest of the series is anything like this book, right always conquers wrong, and any temptations the twins may face (such as the idea of riches in this book), by the end of the story they see the folly of their ways and realize their faith in God is more important than anything else.

 

As indicated above, I picked up this book because of the similarity in title and cover art to the second Bobbsey Twins books published back in 1980. Since this book did not come out until four years later, one is left to wonder if the Courtney, or the cover artist for this book (who is unidentified, although could be John Ham, who provided the interior illustrations), was influenced by the earlier Bobbsey Twins' book.  The stories are not overly similar, since this book is set in California and the Bobbseys travel to Bermuda in their book.  However, both stories involve pirate thieves and hidden caves under a property that is used for smuggling.  It is the covers that are more similar, with the boat heading for a cave, and the girl standing/seated above the boys, looking toward the dark entrance of the cave ahead of them.  What's funny about this is that the Bobbsey Twins' book, Secret in the Pirates' Cave, is actually taken from an even older book written by Andrew Svenson (using the pseudonym Alan Stone), The Mystery of Pirate Island, which was the second of the three-book Tollivers series published back in 1967.  When the Stratemeyer Syndicate needed new titles for their new Bobbsey Twins series being published by Simon & Schuster, they simply took the three Tollivers books and replaced the names of those characters with the names of the Bobbsey Twins and published them as "new" books in the Bobbseys' series!  Thus, we have one basic story, and three books...

 

While I did enjoy the story for the most part, it was not engaging enough for me to want to go out and hunt down the entire series.  I'll simply put this with my Bobbsey Twins collection as a knock-off of one of their books.

 

RATING:  7 broken lanterns out of 10 for combining pirate legends, hidden treasures, secret passages, and torn maps into a fun little mystery! 

The Mystery of the Brobdingnagian Beast - the Second (new) Three Investigators Mystery

It has taken me a few months, but I finally picked up the second book in this new series of The Three Investigators.  Elizabeth Arthur, the daughter of Robert Arthur (the writer of the original series), and her husband, Steven Bauer, are clearly trying to re-establish these characters and this series in the 21st century, and it is evident from the stories that they are making certain changes in the hope to appeal to today's readers.  In some ways, I am fine with that.  Obviously, the use of technology (cell phones, internet, etc.) makes obvious sense, since kids today would likely not know how to function without these things.  But other changes, such as the change in heritage for each of the investigators, feel forced and unnecessary, as if the authors are making the changes simply to show that Pete, Jupiter, and Bob are not simply "white, American boys."  Whatever the reason, I hope the authors move away from the constant emphasis on their family heritage and move back to what made these stories great back in the day - the great mysteries and the fun interaction between the boys!

 

The Mystery of the Brobdingnagian Beast picks up not long after the conclusion of the first mystery.  The three boys are excited at the prospect of receiving money from Isabella Change, for whom they helped clear up some mysteries surrounding her family's past (and find some long-lost gold in the process!) - see the previous book, The Mystery of the Abecedarian Academy.  They have ideas on how to not only save that money for college, but to use part of it to buy a car and hire a chauffeur (since their time with Worthington was now over).  But fate has a way of keeping these boys busy, and before the first chapter is over, Pete's father, who is working a set construction supervisor for a historical film about John Fremont, and his impact on California and the old west, wants Pete, Bob, and Jupiter to come visit the set with him to help solve a mystery.  It seems ever since a man named Daniel Hernandez has published a book that disputes the claims of Dr. Phillipa Paxton, upon whose book the film is based, the movie has been plagued with problems.  Small mishaps, such as stolen equipment and break-ins, have been happening, and there is a group known as OUTLAW (Outing Lawbreakers from Past Centuries) that has been loudly protesting at the film site.  The Three Investigators are only more than happy to look into it!

 

From the beginning, it is not really hard to see who is causing all the problems, and even the three boys are fairly certain who the criminal is - it's just a matter of proving it.  Thus, the mystery is focused less on who is committing the crimes and more on how and why he is committing the crimes.  John Fremont, who is the central figurehead of the mystery, was a real person (January 21, 1813 - July 13, 1980), and as related in the book, he did, with the help of Kit Carson, explore the new country, deep into the western area - and, just like stated in the book, there was an incident where three unarmed men were murdered by Carson and a couple of other men, and it still remains a mystery today whether they murdered the men of their own volition, or if it were on the orders of Fremont.  Elizabeth Arthur and her husband use this as the focal point of their mystery, as Dr. Paxton is said to have two letters in her possession from Kit Carson that exonerate Fremont, while Hernandez has a letter that lays the blame right at Fremont's feet.  Someone has a forged letter, and it is up the Three Investigators to figure out who.

 

Not all of the historical information in the book is on point, however, so one has to be careful to take all of the "history" given in the story as factual.  While Mallory (remember that Scottish girl the boys met in the first book?) tells Pete that John Fremont's wife made a bear flag for him as a present, measuring 15 feet by 20 feet; however, the legend is that his wife made him a flag with an eagle in the upper corner, which Fremont carried with him on his first expedition into Wyoming.  Thus, Arthur and Bauer fudge the facts a little bit to keep in theme with the mystery (and her alleged 15 x 20 flag does play an important part of the mystery, as the boys are commissioned with locating someone who supposedly has a replica of the flag, which, when they find it, turns out to be the original and not a copy!).

 

I did enjoy the reference that Pete makes to "an old science fiction TV show he'd seen a couple of times on late night TV" (p. 157); although, I'm not sure if I like the idea that it is considered an "OLD" science fiction show!  Pete describes it as "a show in which the aliens looked just like regular human beings, though if you ripped off their skin, they were really lizards underneath" (p. 157). That's a great way of describing the NBC television show V without actually naming it. Again, I just hate the idea that the show is labeled as "old" (although, looking at the facts, the show did come out in 1984, which was over forty years ago now!).  Yet, despite omitting the name to this show, Arthur and Bauer had no problem name-dropping Jurassic Park, The Terminator, The Fifth Element, and The Deer Hunter as movies Pete had seen with his father.

 

I also agree with the authors' view on news reporting, which is expressed by Mr. Andrews (Bob's father) when he and Bob's mother are discussing how everything has become politicized - from teaching at universities to news reporting.  "News reporting at least used to try to be objective, but now every article reads as though it belongs on the Opinion page," he says, going to say that journalists "need to work as hard as we can to present facts, not opinions - to stick to the objective truth" (p. 197).  Mrs. Andrews even pipes in with the comment that "Anything else is basically propaganda" (p. 197).  This is clearly a commentary on the state of teaching and reporting in today's society, and quite frankly, I could not agree more.

 

What I do have to question about the authors' choices, though, is the imprinting of previously never stated ethnic backgrounds for the boys.  As we learned in the first book, Bob's mother is Chinese, and people have sometimes commented that they see it in Bob's eyes.  In this book, we learn that Jupiter's mother had been Serbian, and, thus, he was able in this mystery to determine that a particular character was Serbian and how to pronounce his name (p. 125).  We also find out that Pete's father is Mexican-American (p. 90).  The author's webpage (The Salvage Yard) reveals that she wanted to build upon the boy's backgrounds, to more fully flesh out the characters as befitting of the "melting pot" nature of America, and therefore, Bob, Jupiter, and Pete suddenly have a mixture of ethnic heritages.  Unfortunately, the expression of these ethnicities feels forced and does not read naturally within the stories.  Nor does the fact that Pete's family is Catholic, yet his mother is caught up in "other interpretations of the invisible world" (p. 1), such as I Ching, serve any real purpose.  I am all for diversity, and I love for the stories I read to represent the reality of different people that exist in our world; but I am not overly thrilled when new authors take existing characters and change them simply for the sake of wanting to promote "diversity."  If there were a compelling reason to reveal these "new" backgrounds (say, for instance, a mystery was to take the boys to Serbia, where they had to solve a mystery involving one of Jupiter's distant relatives), that would be one thing.  But imprinting the boys with these new backgrounds without reason feels unnecessary and forced.

 

Oh, for those wondering about the title - the word "Brobdingnagian" comes from the book, Gulliver's Travels, which Mallory reads during the course of the story.  "Gulliver goes to another country called Brogdingnag, which has a race of giants, and where everyone is huge," she tells the boys (p. 87).  At the end, when Bob is trying to come up with a "B" word to go with Bear or Beast, Pete suggests the name.  Bob likes it, commenting, "in a way, it's been there all the time ... something large and menacing..." (p. 310). 

 

Aside from that, the mystery itself was fairly entertaining, and the boys do retain their natural instincts for working together to solve a crime.  I have the third book in the series (I bought the first three at one time when they came out), and I'm going to give the series another chance - but, to be completely honest, I'm not really overwhelmed by the stories, and they do not have the same feel that the originals had.  The next book will determine whether I continue buying and reading the books, or whether I shelve these alongside the originals and simply re-read the originals for my TI fix!

 

RATING:  7  Ghost-to-Ghost hookup e-mails out of 10 for navigating the worlds of movie-making, history, publishing, and social media and mixing them into a relatively enjoyable mystery to read!

Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32009 - Return to Shadow Creek

"She returned to the place of her birth - only to discover a sinister web lurking in wait for her..." (cover blurb)

 

Helen B. Hicks returns to this series for her third and final entry in the Harlequin Gothic Romance line, and she is the first author in this series to have two books in a row (Hicks having also authored the previous book in this line, Legacy of Raven's Rise).  As with her other books, this book is set in California, although unlike the previous two, this book is set in the present time (well, present for when it was published back in 1986).  Hicks also strays from a number of the standard gothic tropes - there is no dark mansion, there are no hidden rooms, no "bumps in the night" ... but there is plenty of mystery and some great soap opera type moments to keep the story exciting!

 

Return to Shadow Creek is the story of Cindi Moore's return to Fairhaven, California, and more specifically, Shadow Creek - the place where she was born and spent her early childhood, until her father died and her mother moved them to Wyoming.  Now, nearly 20 years later, Cindi has come home.  Her mother, step-father, and fiance died in a tragic car accident, and unable to cope with the loss,Cindi has nowhere else to turn.  Royce Christopher, the man who manages Cindi's trust.  Kim Christopher, Royce's young sister who used to be Cindi's best friend when she lived there as a child. Laura Christopher, Royce and Kim's stepmother who continues to live on the ranch.  And Gabriel Dussault, Royce's cousin who is carefree and living live to its fullest.  They make Cindi feel welcome to their California ranch, but there is something a bit off.  Something Cindi cannot quite per her finger on...

 

Hicks provides readers with one heck of a great mystery.  What was so horrible in Cindi's past, that her mind has repressed it for so many years? And why did the tragic car accident that killed her mother, fiance, and step-father have such an affect on her?  And how could she not know that Royce and Kim's father left Cindi half of his estate when he died, giving only a fourth each to his son and daughter?  And what is going on in the avocado orchards that makes Royce keep everyone out of there?  And just what kind of evil does the old, abandoned stagecoach stop on the Christopher property contain?  Just being near the place sends Cindi screaming in the other direction!

 

I truly love the mystery aspect to this story.  Hicks builds the story nice and slow.  From the beginning, the reader knows that Cindi has no real memory of her childhood at Shadow Creek, and it is fairly obvious that something horrific happened to make her block it away.  The longer she stays, the more she begins to realize that whatever happened all those years ago is something so sinister that someone is desperate to make sure it stays in the past!  She catches someone watching her as she is out horseback riding.  Then she sees a mysterious man watching her as she enjoys an afternoon outing.  But when she is nearly run off the road by a speeding vehicle, Royce and the others realize that something is definitely wrong.  Cindi begins to suspect that someone at the ranch does not want her remembering the past - but which one is it?

 

The climatic moments in this story are so worth the read!  The cover art depicts those final moments, when Cindi is being chased by the madman across an old wooden bridge (pp. 207-11), and Hicks does a superb job of keeping that man's identity a secret until the final chapter - while Cindi recognizes him, Hicks merely refers to the man as "he" for those pages, not revealing his identity until the final chapter!  It makes for some great suspense, particularly when another character shows up to rescue Cindi, resulting in a deadly battle on the rickety bridge.  And, as one can see from the cover, the art is not the typical gothic scene - there is no dark house in the background, with a light in the upper window; rather, we get the open California countryside at night, the moon obscured by the shadowy tree limbs, and poor Cindy running fearfully from the shadowy man in the background.  While not necessarily gothic, it definitely sets the tone for the mystery within!

 

Overall, yet another winning story for this line of gothic romances, and a nice send off for Helen B. Hicks (this being her last book in the series).  One thing I do find odd, however, is that these books do not advertise the gothic line - instead, the final pages in the book tell readers about 'Six exciting series for you every month ... from Harlequin," and list the Harlequin Romance, Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Superromance, Harlequin American Romance, Harlequin Temptation, and Harlequin Intrigue lines.  At this point, the Gothic Romance line was still going, so I find it odd this series was omitted from the list.  Perhaps Harlequin was already aware the series would not be lasting much longer; or perhaps they felt the "Gothic" line would conflict with their new "Intrigue" line.  I would be curious to know if any of those six lines had an advertisement for the gothic books in them.

 

RATING:  10 shiny sky-blue convertibles out of 10 for a dark mystery involving illegal border crossings, get-rich-quick schemes, secret marijuana plants, and suppressed memories of even more illicit and evil crimes!

Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32008 - Legacy of Raven's Rise

"She set out to unravel one mystery, then found herself caught in the grip of another, more deadly..." (cover blurb)

 

This eighth Harlequin Gothic Romance is the second of author Helen B. Hicks' three gothic tales for this series. Hicks seems to have an affinity for stories set in California during the 19th century, as both her first book (Castle at Jade Cove) and this book find the young heroine of the story making her to a small town in California where she must face the secrets of the past.  There are definitely some similarities between the two books, but there are sufficient differences to keep the story fresh and engaging.

 

Legacy of Raven's Rise tells the story of Selina Ames, an orphan who was raised by foster parents, and who has come to Bittercreek, California in response to a mysterious letters she received, indicating the secrets of her past might be unlocked in this small town.  In a way, Selina reminds me of Victoria Winters from the Dark Shadows saga - a young girl who knows nothing of her true parentage who travels to a somewhat remote location where there is a dark mansion overlooking the town, from which she hopes to unlock the secret of her past.  I suppose that trope is a somewhat tried and true scenario for gothic tales, as it is steeped with so many of the proper elements - veiled secrets, dark houses, mysterious pasts, and young women desperate to find their identity.  Hicks does not make Selina's identity the main focus of the story, although the reader does not realize it until about half-way through the book.

 

From the get-go, the only clues Selina has to her past is the strange note beckoning her to Bittercreek and the enormous emerald ring, surrounded by diamonds that her foster father gave her before he died, indicating it was from her mother.  While the note does not lead her to to any answers, the ring definitely does!  As soon as Selina arrives in Bittercreek, she is met with hostility from the townsfolk - the only ones who are nice to her is the gentleman who road with her in the stagecoach, the owner of the local newspaper, and the town's doctor.  The hotel clerk is downright rude to her, and the rest of the townspeople merely stare and whisper behind her back. She soon learns it is all tied into that dark house overlooking the town - the house called Raven's Rise.  It seems the owner has died, and if no heir appears to claim the fortune left behind by Raven Winfield, then the house and all of the other Winfield assets will revert to the town.  Well, you can pretty much guess what "secret" is going to come out about Selina...

 

As indicated, Selina's past is not really the big mystery of this novel; rather, the mystery involves her grandmother's strange hold over the town and the people in it - especially the banker and the mayor.  There is also the rumor that Raven's Rise hides somewhere within its walls a great treasure, and someone is determined to find it.  Then there are the stories about Raven's ghost haunting the halls of the great house.  And when Selina sees a small light in the windows when the house is dark ... when she hears her name being whispered ... and when she is sure there is someone in the house with her, watching her ... it is all she can do to keep it all together.  Marcus Hannaford, the charming man from the stagecoach, urges her to sell the house and leave town.  The town doctor encourages her to abandon her hopes of staying in the great house and move back to San Francisco.  Even Jared Newcomb, the newspaper editor, questions her decision to keep the house, when the townspeople clearly do not want her there. But the more she is told to leave, the more determined she is to stay.  e

 

Interestingly enough, Hiram and Dulcie, the handyman and housekeeper at Raven's Rise who stayed on after Raven died, do not have any animosity towards Selina at all.  In most gothic tales, the household staff are either extremely antagonistic, not wanting the interloper to be in the house, or they are actually the villain(s) of the story.  In this case, Hicks does not play up to the reader's expectations, and instead, Hiram and Dulcie welcome their former employer's granddaughter into the house and do what they can to protect her - not only from the town's feelings about her, but also from whomever it is that is "haunting" the house.  I rather like this twist, as it is nice to read a tale where the heroine has someone who will support her and have her back when there is so much doubt about those around her.

 

The mystery slowly begins to unravel for Selina, as she learns that Raven Winstead was not exactly the woman she believed her to be.  Blackmail, revenge, murder, unrequited love, and a runaway daughter are all tangled into an intricate web of betrayal and deceit, and Selina must ultimately decide whether she will pick up where her grandmother left off, or whether she will put an end to the legacy that has haunted Raven's Rise for decades and walk a different path.  Can she allow the murderer of her grandmother's love get away with it?  Can she forget why her mother ran away and never looked back?  Can she escape the one who is intent on frightening her from the house so he can lay his hands on that elusive treasure?  It all makes for a rather dramatic conclusion (with a couple of surprising twists) that leaves the reader well satisfied with the outcome.

 

Once again, Harlequin offers up another gorgeous painted cover for this title, but fails to identify the artist.  The scene, with Selina running out of the front gates of Raven's Rise in the dead of night, casts the right amount of gloom and shadow to set the right atmosphere for the story.  I truly love the cover design and art for this series, and I would love to one day find some of the original paintings used for the cover art.

 

RATING:  10 overtrimmed silk lamp shades out of 10 for a gothic tale of mystery upon mystery, with some great soap opera-style themes of blackmail and betrayal thrown in for good measure!

The Mystery of the Abecedarian Academy - the First (new) Three Investigators Mystery

As a kid, my mother introduced me to Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators, knowing how much I loved mysteries (I was already well into reading Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, and other series at that point).  She loved Alfred Hitchcock films, and she and I watched Alfred Hitchcock Presents... every Saturday afternoon; so, when she saw the series books with his name on them, she thought I would enjoy them.  And I did!  Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrew solved some creepy mysteries involving Terror Castle, a Whispering Mummy, a Fiery Eye, a Moaning Cave, and many others.  There were 43 books in the series (with an unpublished 44th book), along with two off-shoot series:  four "Find Your Fate" books (similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure books) and eleven "Crimebuster" books (with two additional books published only in German).  Only 10 of the first 11 books were written by the original creator of the series, Robert Arthur; he died in 1969, after which, the series continued publication with various other authors.  The series ended (here in America) in 1987, with the publication of the 43rd book, and it seemed that we would never see any more adventures of Jupiter, Pete, and Bob ... until now!

 

The Mystery of the Abecedarian Academy marks the return of The Three Investigators in book form here in the States (as the series has continued over in Germany, but that is a whole 'nother story that is too complicated to go into here).  Written by Elizabeth Arthur (the daughter of the original author and creator of the series!) and Steven Bauer (Elizabeth's husband), this first book in the new series gives readers new adventures of Jupiter, Pete, and Bob for the first time in decades, and based on the references to former mysteries in this book, it would seem that it is set fairly early in the original series (the mysteries referenced are those written by Elizabeth's father, Robert Arthur).  Since they do not have the rights to use Alfred Hitchcock's name and likeness (Hitchcock was dropped from the series in 1980, following the famed director's death), Arthur/Bauer used Hector Sebastian, who took Hitchcock's place in the original series (and who was retconned into the early books when they were later revised by Random House to remove references to Hitchcock), as the investigators' benefactor.

 

The mystery begins rather benign - a friend of Sebastian's asks the boys to look into her family's history to learn more about one of her ancestors who is rumored to have discovered gold and hidden it away.  Most believe any gold found is long gone - including the client's distant cousin who lives in the Gold Country area - but Isabella Chang simply wants historical information on her ancestor and the one room school house where he attended as a youth.  Jupiter, Pete, and Bob, along with their trusted friend and chauffeur, Worthington, head north to see what they can dig up about Li Chang.  The boys quickly learn there is more to the story when they arrive to learn the one room school house, which has stood for over a hundred years, was recently torn down - and the one who gave the order was none other than Isabella's cousin!  There's also the coincidence of the Chinese talisman used to ward off demons that Jupiter's dad happened to come across back in Rocky Beach, which has a twin talisman right there in Auburn!  Some missing letters, a secret code, and some deep research at the local library ultimately reveal the truth about the death of Li Chang's father, an Irish curse, the history behind the Changs' family secrets, and the location of the hidden gold!

 

The plot is actually rather interesting, and the fact that Arthur tries to steer the boys away from depending on technology to do all their work for them is refreshing.  What I have to admit I was not particularly thrilled with was the sudden change in ethnicities of some of the characters.  Now, admittedly, it has been several decades since I read any of the original Three Investigator books; but I do not recall Pete Crenshaw's parents both coming from Hispanic backgrounds, and that his family originally had a Spanish name that was Americanized when they migrated here. I also do not recall Bob Andrews' mother being Chinese, and Bob having eyes that give others the instant impression that he is part Chinese.  Then we get introduced to Mallory MacLeod, who turns out to not only be Skinny Norris' cousin, but she is from Scotland and talks quite a bit about her heritage.  Yes, the subject of family history plays an important part of the mystery - but it is Isabella Chang's family history that is important to the case.  The fact that Arthurs spends an inordinate amount of time focusing on Pete's, Bob's, and Mallory's heritages feels out-of-place and unnecessary, and quite frankly, it bogs down a large amount of the opening chapters.  Perhaps Arthur and Bauer simply wanted to give some backstory to these characters for first time readers of the series and provide something new for longtime fans; but, whatever the reason, I wish it had been spread out over the series and not force-fed to the reader in such large amounts in this first book.

 

Those family changes aside, it was fun to follow along with the boys again on their adventures.  I do believe Arthur and Bauer worked hard to remain true to her father's original characterization of the trio.  Jupiter is the boy genius who is always one step ahead; Pete is the action guy, always looking for physical activities; and Bob is the organized one, the team secretary and recorder of all things.  Their individual strengths complement one another well, and they work together nicely to get to the bottom of things.  It is pretty clear that Mallory is going to be sticking around, most likely joining the boys as an honorary fourth investigator (although that will not happen if Jupiter has anything to say about it!).   

I do like the alliteration of the series' titles, going through the letters of the alphabet. It reminds me of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone series, which started with A is for Alibi and sadly ended with Y is for Yesterday (since the author died before she wrote the "Z" novel). This is even integrated into the story, as Bob tries to come up with a catchy way to make the documenting of the Three Investigators' cases more interesting.  He ultimately settles on the alphabet names, starting with "A."  And for those wondering, the word "Abecedarian" (pronounced "a-b-c darian") means arranged alphabetically, although it has an older meaning, of one who is learning the rudiments of something.  The name does play a part in the mystery, but I will not spoil that by revealing it here.  

The cover design for this book (and the next two, which all came together as a breeder set of three) is creative and eye-catching.  The credited artist for the cover is "Pashur House," which, when I looked this name up online, is the name of a rather famous body painter - one who has traveled the world to participate and show off his work at various events for nearly two decades.  I hope Arthur/Bauer and the publisher retain this artist for all 26 books of the series, because I would love to have a complete set of this series in a uniform style and art!

 

I am hoping that book two (the "B" book) will ease up on the boys' family histories and focus more on the mystery itself!

 

RATING:  8 Scottish music camps filled with fiddlers out of 10 for reviving these lovable investigators with a unique and interesting new series of mysteries to enjoy!

Shadow of the Caravan - a Pocket Books gothic

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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