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! 

Short Lived Comic Series #34 - The Big Prize (Eternity Comics)

Before I get started with this post, let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room. The author of this 2-issue comic series published back in 1988 got into trouble in 2016 and ended up being sentenced to six years in prison for a horrible crime.  This post is not about the author, and it's not about my thoughts of the crime he committed.  This post is about the two-book comic series that was published by Eternity Comics (a division of Malibu Comics) back in 1988, and how much I enjoyed the story.  I'm not looking to discuss the writer; rather, I'm looking at discussing the work itself, and quite frankly, it was worth the read.

 

The Big Prize (The Timedrifter's Odyssey) was intended to be a six-issue mini-series, the first of several mini-series that would tie together to tell the story of Willis Austerlitz.  Unfortunately, "best laid plans" and all that ... Eternity, for whatever reasons, decided to not move forward with the planned series, and the comic ended after its second issue.  Which is a shame, as the premise was fun, and the set-up in these first two issues definitely provided some wonderful fodder for future stories to come.  It is kind of a mix between Quantum Leap and Back to the Future, and it features some fun characters.  Although the author indicates in that second issue his hope to find a way to bring the series back under another title or a different publisher, sadly, that never happened.  Thus, we are left with only these two issues to tease us with the time-traveling odyssey of Willis Austerlitz.

 

The first issue introduces readers to our main character, a data entry clerk who daydreams about his favorite era - the 1930s.  Unfortunately, that daydreaming causes problems at his job.  He is an insecure, glasses-wearing nerd who has trouble with girls.  Walking home from work one day, his destiny literally falls right on top of him in the form of a plastic credit card with a full color hologram of a grinning man.  Approached by a man desperate for change, Willis stuffs the card in his pocket and rushes home.  He sits down to watch an old film, but falls asleep.  He awakes to discover he missed recording a show, and to make matters worse, he finds that card in his pocket.  And that is where things start getting weird.  While talking to his mother on the phone, the man whose face is on the card suddenly materializes right before his eyes, congratulating him as the "lucky winner!"  Willis learns this is his chance of a lifetime, as this three-dimensional hologram says his "Big Prize" is one 24-hour journey to any point in space and time.  He could actually go back in time to the 1930s and experience his favorite era live and in person!  Only, the trip back is not what he expects.  As soon as he and Glint Sparkle (roving emcee for The Planetary Lottery) reappear in his apartment, albeit in 1934, things go from bad to worse.  A woman is being threatened in the next room, but when Willis goes to her aid, he finds himself at the mercy of men with guns!  Glint disappears, Willis takes off running, and the adventure in time begins!  Matters become even more complicated when, on the last page of this issue, Willis finds out Glint has been killed - and he is now stuck in the past with no way home!

 

The excitement does not let up with the second issue.  Willis is driven by these fanatics up to where the Hollywoodland sign looks down on Los Angeles, where they are preparing to dump Glint's body and silence Willis permanently.  Willis manages to come to his senses and convince the men he is from the FBI, and that he is looking for bigger fish then them.  Once they take off, Willis ponders his predicament - only to have Glint come back to life (after all, he is only a hologram, and as such, he cannot really die).  Willis convinces his benefactor to allow him to stay in 1934 for the full 24 hours before returning to his own time, so he can experience more of life in the '30s.  He hopes to aid a certain damsel in distress, meet an actress who was involved in a huge scandal back then, and unintentionally gets involved with some very mob-like men who have plans for him.  Willis gets more than the experience he was hoping for, and once he has had enough, he heads for the place Glint told him holds the jump point for them to return home - Union Station.  There's only one problem - in 1934, Union Station is still under construction and will not be completed until the next year!  And Glint Sparkle is nowhere to be seen!  "It finally begins to sink in," Willis thinks, "I was going to be here for a long time..."

 

The art for the two issues is provided by Bryon Carson and Mike Roberts, who do a great job of creating a sense of that 1930s film style for the book.  The black and white pages, the shading, the action sequences, the looks of the various characters.  I think I actually prefer the interior art to the full-color covers by Tim Hamilton and Scott Bieser (issue 1 colors) / Brooks Hagan (issue 2 colors).

 

This comic turned about to be a surprising little gem, as I had never heard of it prior to stumbling across both issues at a local toy store that had a few boxes of comics in the back.  It is a shame the story was never allowed to continue, even with another publisher. I, for one, would like to have seen where Willis Austerlitz would have gone from here.  (Plus, loved his excitement at being able to pick up first printings of some now-valuable pulps and magazines when they were first hot-off the presses!)  But, I suppose like Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap, he will be forever left without an ending.

 

RATING:  9 time-drifting, 1930s-loving nerds out of 10 for a different kind of time-travel tale with some great art and fun geek-loving antics!

Carol on Tour - the Fourth (and final) Carol Page theater story

And so, it is with a heavy heart, we come to the fourth and final Carol Page theater story by Helen Dore Boylston.  I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Carol Page, her best friend Julia Gregg, and her gruff but faithful friend Mike Horodinsky, and it has been fun watching them start out as amateurs (Carol Goes on Stage), then spend the summer learning more of their respective crafts (Careol Plays Summer Stock), and finally return to New York to face the struggles of making their way in an already overcrowded industry (Carol on Broadway).  Now, here we are at last - Julia has been performing in a traveling show, Mike has been stage managing Miss Marlowe's show, and Carol has had a role in a Broadway hit!  So, what else is there for them to do?

 

Carol on Tour, by the title alone, gives a pretty strong hint of what comes next for Carol, Julia, and Mike. The story picks up not long after the end of the previous book, when the play written by Carol's new friend is picked up by a producer and brought to life by Carol's long-time teacher and mentor, Miss Marlowe.  The show is a success, and Carol has been getting rave reviews; although, Carol being Carol, she does not necessarily let those reviews go to her head.  At least, not at first.  The story throws a new (yet at the same time, old) twist into things.  One of Carol's fellow cast members sees Carol as a stepping stone, so she befriends her and starts taking her to a number of dinner engagements and parties - after all, in order to keep working on Broadway, it's all about who you know, not talent!  Carol is too naive to see the type of people she is associating with, and when Mike and Julia try to warn her, she only grows angry and defensive.  It's not until Carol has the opportunity to take on a major role in a touring company's production of The Merchant of Venice that she discovers the truth about her new "friend" - a truth that pushes her to take the role and head on a new journey in her career as an actress!

 

While the number of unbelievable breaks that come Carol's way continue to mount, Boylston manages to keep a certain level of believability to the story by integrating the various theater personalities around her - from those who simply use others to get ahead, to those who are always demanding to be the center of attention, to those who have years of experience and are only too happy to share their knowledge with others, to those who are anxious to get on the stage, willing to take any role offered!  And circumstances seem to always convene to make sure Carol remains humble, acknowledging her lack of experience and her great fortune to be where she is.  Of course, Boylston keeps Mike and Julia in the mix, as Julia gets a small walk-on part in the touring show, and Mike is promoted to an assistant director - so all three face some new challenges in this story, and not all of it on the stage.

 

One aspect of the tale I enjoyed was Carol's attempts to be a friend to one of her fellow actor, Harris Nichols, who seems despondent and depressed.  She soon learns he is having difficulties maintaining his relationship with the girl he loves back home, and he is fearful that she is going to turn to another man.  Carol tries to soothe his fears and boost his confidence, but when Harris gets notification that the girl has gone off to marry another man, he loses all hope.  The situation that develops is actually quite dark, and I'm rather surprised Boylston included it in a book intended for children and young adults.  However, it is that very incident that leads to a monumental decision that Carol must make - one that has been in the making since that very first book (and one I saw coming early on and kept hoping it would see fruition, and finally, at the end of this book, it does!).

 

There are couple of scenes in the book worth pointing out, as they reflect (or, rather in one case, do NOT reflect) true life in the theater.  The first is when Carol is considering the different types of audiences one must face when acting on the stage:

One never knew about the audience in the first few minutes, but as the play went on, one became more and more aware of it quality as a single, concentrated personality.  Sometimes it was responsive - quit to laughter or tears.  Sometimes it was dull and heavy - sitting out there like a great lump, a weight upon the performance and the players.  Sometimes it wasn't a personality at all, but just groups of differing reactions - "spotty" the company called it.  And sometimes it was maddeningly restless.

 

Each audience made the play a new play and each performance different from the one before. (p. 31)

Only someone who has been on the stage before can understand exactly how true this description is. The actors on stage react to the audience's reactions, and so a non-responsive audience can easily result in a not-too-exciting play; on the other hand, an audience that gasps, laughs, hoots, and is all-in can be a strong encouragement to the actors, who truly come alive in their performances as never before to make the play more real and more exciting for the cast and audience alike.  I thought this moment of reflection on the part of Carol shows just how much the character has grown over the past three books, and how much understanding she has gained with respect to the stage and its impact on those in each audience who attend.

 

The second moment in the book that caught my attention was closer to the end, as the touring group was preparing to get on stage for opening night.  As Carol fights those opening night jitters, Julia tells her, "Good luck!," to which Carol responds with her own, "Good luck!" (p. 138).  And just a few paragraphs later, as she slips by Mike to prepare for her entrance, she hears him say, "Good luck" (p. 138).  One might think these well-wishes are nothing to make note of - however, those who have worked in the theater know that you never, never, NEVER wish an actor "good luck" before they go on stage - that is considered BAD luck; instead, you tell the actor to "break a leg" (which is a theater superstition, along the lines of the ghost light that stays on at all times or never-ever saying the name of a certain Shakespeare play inside of a theater).  Considering how well Boylston managed to portray the theatrical world correctly, I was greatly surprised by this gaffe!

 

Other than that one flub, the book was another wonderful read, ending on a high note (despite the gloom of Harris Nichols) that takes Carol and Mike on to the next stage of their life (and if that doesn't give it away to you, then you have not been paying attention at all!).  The gorgeous black and white illustrations are once again provided by Major Felten, and the frontis piece is by far his best masterpiece of the series, showing Carol waking gracefully down a staircase in a stunning dress.  The color cover, also by Felten, displays Carol in her Shakespearean outfit as Nerissa, her eyes sparkling as she recites her lines on the stage.  The cover of the British edition is the same as the previous three books, with exception of the color, which changed for each book.  The British edition for this book is unique in one way - it is the only one of the four titles to use the same title as the American edition:  Carol on Tour.  

And with that, so comes to a close another wonderful series.  It is a true shame that Carol Page only had four books of adventures, as it would have been great to read her, Mike, and Julia's further adventures in New York and on Broadway as they took the theater world by storm!  Alas, all of those tales will remain forever untold...

 

RATING:  10 plain, wine-colored silk dresses out of 10 for sharing Carol's final theatrical adventures and ending the series in a very satisfying manner.

A Zebra Mystery Puzzler #15 - Time to Kill

This fifteenth book in the Zebra Mystery Puzzler series introduces readers to a new author and a new crime solving young woman (yes, at this point it is pretty obvious that this series will always have a woman as the lead character).  This is author Miriam Lynch's first entry into the series, but it is certainly not her first mystery novel.  Lynch, who has written under the pseudonyms Dolores Craig, Claire Vincent, Moira Lord, and Mary Wallace, was first published in 1957, and between then and the early '80s, she wrote more than 35 novels - mystery, romance, and gothic.  She only wrote two Zebra Mystery Puzzlers - this book and no. 25 (You'll Be the Death of Me).  She had books published under a number of various lines - Candlelight, Ravenswood, Ace, Paperback Library, Coventry, Lancer, Pyramid, and others.  I notice on the blogs I have read which feature reviews of her books, all of them raved about her writing. While this particular book put forth a fairly decent mystery, I'm not sure I would hold her in the same high standard as these other bloggers (although, to be fair, they were reviewing her gothic work, and this is a mystery).

 

Time to Kill (not to be confused with John Grisham's novel of the same name, which came out 10 years after this one) introduces readers to Nell Willard, a young woman working hard to make it as a reporter. Unfortunately, her editor seems to think she is only capable of handling obituaries or simple social functions and refuses to give her any assignments that could give her a chance to shine.  I suppose that even in 1979, when this book was published, women were still fighting for their equal rights in professions that had been male-dominated for so long (after all, 9 to 5 came out a year after this book, and that film was all about how men continued to hold women back from succeeding in the work place).  So much has changed since then, so in reading this story and the manner in which the men treated poor Nell, I had to keep reminding myself of the time period the book was written.  Lucky for Nell (but not so lucky for the victim), she happens to be in the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on your perspective) when a not-so-famous actress' longtime friend is murdered!

 

When Nell is assigned to interview an aging actress who has returned to her small town after years in Hollywood, Nell expects to have to sit through photo albums of memories and hours of boredom.  Instead, she meets an agitated older woman who seems nervous about something.  When they discover the body of the actress's friend at the bottom of the cellar stairs - shot in the back! - Nell goes into action, calling the police and the newspaper.  Suddenly, Nell is thrust into the limelight as a possible witness for the murder investigation.  Nell feels sorry for the actress and takes time off from work to stay with her so she is not alone in the house.  From there, things only escalate.  A strange man is seen watching the house from the shadow of the trees out back.  The actress disappears for hours at a time without any explanation (or, at least, without explanations that make sense).  And Nell is knocked unconscious by an intruder in the house - was it because someone mistook her for the actress, or is someone wanting Nell to stop looking into the murder?  And how does any of this connect to a young teenager who disappeared years ago after attempting to rob a bank, a case that the local police were never able to solve?

 

Lynch does provide readers with a determined young detective in Nell Willard, as nothing deters her from getting to the bottom of all the mysteries thrown into her lap.  A grouchy detective who does not want her interfering ... a self-absorbed actress who does not want Nell to leave for even one second, yet disappears herself without explanation ... a chauvinistic editor who is making snide remarks about Nell at every turn ... and a house that holds more secrets than Nell can possibly count.  A torn up photograph, a hideous lamp, some old receipts, and a secret staircase provide important clues that lead Nell (and the reader!) to figure out what is really going on in that house - but will she put it all together before it is too late and the killer strikes again?

 

While the cover artist is not identified, the interior illustrations are signed simply by "Hoffman."  A little research reveals this interior artist to be Sanford 'Sandy' Hoffman (1937 - 2017), who was a commercial illustration in New York for most of his life.  Hoffman did the art for a lot of album covers back in the late '60s and into the '70s, as well as concert posters of that era.  This is the first Zebra Mystery Puzzler for which he provided interior illustrations, and they are very distinct in their style.  Hoffman tends to "box in" his images, and the characters are defined with dark lines and shading, with considerable detail in the picture itself.  Interestingly, the clues in the illustrations are pretty straightforward (when viewed in conjunction with the story), and so it does help in solving the mystery (which, honestly, was not overly difficult to figure out - like any good Nancy Drew book, the two mysteries that appear unrelated are ultimately tied together at the end).

 

The story does contain a number of gothic elements, leading me to believe Lynch was more comfortable with the gothic romance tales than a straight up mystery story.  We have the dark house where the protagonist goes to stay; we have the two men fighting over the young protagonist; we have all of the secrets surrounding the house and its inhabitant; we have the secret panels and hidden staircases, the stranger outside watching, and the creepy attic filled with cryptic clues as to the past of the aging actress.  I could easily seen this book having been published as a gothic story just five or ten years prior (and with only a few minor revisions, such as Nell's relation to the actress).

 

While not exactly the best book in the series, it was still a decent enough read, and I am curious as to where Lynch will take Nell in her next mystery (10 books from this one...).

 

RATING:  8 bouquets of red roses out of 10 for a fast-paced mystery that provides the necessary clues to figure it all out before the end (although several are a bit too obvious).

V is for Victorine

When I finished reading Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen (Daring Darleen), it was my hope that the "cliffhanger" ending was a sign that another book would be forthcoming.  But each month that went by, and then each year that went by, and I saw no advertisements or solicits for another Darleen Darling book, my chances of getting a sequel seemed less and less likely.  Flash forward several years, and as I was scrolling through Amazon (I seem to do that quite a bit, don't I?), I happened across a book by Anne Nesbet with cover art that seemed awfully familiar.  Well, lo and behold, it turned out the cover seemed familiar, as that girl on it was none other than Daring Darleen, along with that young heiress, Victorine Berryman! Finally, after all this time, I got my long-awaited sequel to Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen!

 

V is for Victorine picks up some time after the conclusion of Anne Nesbet's previous book.  After saving Victorine ("Vee" as Darleen calls her) from unscrupulous people posing as her family in order to steal her inheritance, the Darlings have taken Vee into their home and allowed her to take part in their many films as an extra.  But Vee is not really interested in acting.  With her Grandmother gone and her inheritance still years away, she must rely on a monthly stipend from her granny's estate and the kindness of the Darling family until she can determine exactly what it is she does want.  One thing she knows for sure - she does not like lying, and she is tired of hiding under the assumed name "Bella Mae Goodwin."  She does not even know who she really is any more - is she losing her real identity?  Is Victorine Berryman slowly disappearing?  Well, thank goodness for the silent film serials - for when Darlene and Vee a/k/a Bella Mae go to the local theater to watch the 13th episode of The Vanishing of Victorine (a very fictional account of her life since she disappeared),  a title card appears after the film which provides viewers the opportunity to write the final chapter to the serial and explain just how Victorine's story ends!  Who better to write that story than the missing girl herself!

 

Nesbet offers up another thrilling adventure in the world of the early 1900s (1915 to be exact!), when silent films and serials with their exciting cliffhangers were all the rage.  And while this book does offer up some behind the scenes filming of various movies, Nesbet focuses more on Victorine's efforts to stay under the radar, particularly now that the whole world is looking for her.  In the last book, readers learned all about Darleen and got to experience the world through her adventurous, daring eyes; in this book, we get the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a debutante who is thrust into a normal (well, okay, somewhat normal as can be expected in the world of films) world where every penny is pinched and no one has hired help to answer to their every whim.  And I love the way Nesbet provides Victorine the chance to evolve, not only as a character, but also as a writer - from a shy girl who thinks she has no imagination and no ability to see the world as her best friend, Darlene does into a rather self-aware, strong young woman who realizes the real world around her offers her plenty of fodder for her imagination and her writing!  I think that is a lesson many of us would be well-advised to heed.

 

There is a slight mystery in the story involving a mix-up with a black bag carried by Darleen's uncle as he, Darleen, and Victorine head out to the new-fangled Hollywood (which was only just getting off the ground as a site for film studios in 1915) to see if the Darlings can find a place in this new film world.  Darleen and Victorine are both curious as to the secret "treasure" that Uncle Dan has hidden away in the satchel, and they must match wits with a rather dastardly thief who has his own black bag filled with stolen Egyptian treasures. This sub-plot is superbly resolved in true serial-cliffhanger style, with a surprise mastermind and a dangerous confrontation with a gun-wielding villain.

 

The book is chock-full of real Hollywood and film references - from Miss Mary Pickford (p. 71), a Canadian-American film actress and producer who worked in Hollywood for nearly half a century, to Lillian Gish (p. 128), an American actress who got her start in silent films in 1912 and continued to work in Hollywood all the way to 1987 and her sister, Dorothy Gish (p. 128), who was also an actress of the stage and screen.  The girls are also told about a party for Anna Pavlova, "[a] wonderful Russian ballerina" (p. 145), who also happens to be a real life ballerina who was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and who is most well-known for her role of The Dying Swan.  There is also an interesting reference to The Conquest: The Story of a Negro Pioneer by Oscar Micheaux (p. 82), which book an African-American train porter asks the girls to give to his sister, Ruth Waller, at Universal studios in Hollywood, with the hopes it might get made into a film. Well, in the real world, the book was made into a film in 1919, the first feature-length film made by an African-American!

Finally, the author also makes mention of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (p. 89), which was a world's fair, of sorts, held in San Francisco during most of 1915 (the year in which this book is set).  The girls talk about their desire to visit the exposition to see "a whole tower simply covered with jewels" (p. 89).  And, wouldn't you know it, there was a "Tower of Jewels" at the exposition, which rose to 435 feet and was covered with over 100,000 colored gems that sparkled in the light of the sun (Tower of Jewels).  It is all of these factual references from the real world that makes Nesbet's story all that more engaging, as it blurs those lines between reality and fiction, breathing some "real life" into the characters on the page.

 

Darleen Darling and Victorine Berryman have become two of my favorite little adventuresses, and I hope Nesbet has not put them on the shelf.  These two girls deserve many more stories and adventures, and I have no doubt there are plenty of fans out there like me who are anxious to read more!

 

RATING:  10 Egyptian cylinder seals out of 10 for making the 1915 silent film world come alive with mystery, adventure, cliffhangers, and all of the excitement one would expect from the movies of that era!

Janet Hardy in Hollywood - Book One of the Janet Hardy Series

I've had the second book in this series for quite a while, but it was some time before I finally picked up the first book (I was looking for one reasonably priced in a pretty good dust jacket).  I managed to find a great copy at an estate sale last year, so I bought it and am finally just getting around to reading it.  Now, I will admit that prior to picking up this series, I had never heard of Janet Hardy.  I knew that Whitman did quite a few "Authorized Editions" based on various actors and actresses from Hollywood, and based on the two titles in this series, I though perhaps Goldsmith had jumped on the bandwagon.  This, clearly, was not the case.  There was no actress named Janet Hardy back in the early 20th Century, although I did find a book by famed author Nora Roberts, in which the main character has a grandmother in the book named Janet Hardy who was a legendary actress.  Makes one wonder if Nora Roberts perhaps read these two books... (I should note there were two actresses named Janet Hardy who did films in 1971 and 1981, respectively, but those were obviously well after this book, so it could not have been based on either of them!)

Janet Hardy in Hollywood is the first of this two book series written by Ruthe S. Wheeler, the same author who wrote another book from Goldsmith that I reviewed a while ago (Helen in the Editor's Chair).  Although, from what I have learned since reading that book, apparently Ruthe S. Wheeler was actually author Graham M. Dean, who wrote these books for Goldsmith under his wife's maiden name.  I suppose at the time, it did not seem appropriate to have male author's names attached to series books intended to be read by girls,  In today's world, that would not matter in the least, but the 1930s were definitely a different time (in fact, stopping to think about it, that would be nearly 100 years ago - a century ago!).

The story centers around Janet Hardy and her best friend, Helen Thorne, two young ladies who are getting ready to graduate from high school in their mid-western town of Clarion (the state is not identified, but there is a Clarion, Iowa, which would fit the Midwest setting).  Helen's father is a successful film producer in Hollywood, and Helen is anxious for him to come home in time for her graduation.  In addition, Janet and Helen are auditioning for the lead parts in the senior play before graduation - and Helen wins her part but Janet ends up as a light technician and stage hand.  Of course, as fate would have it, when the opening night of the play arrives, the other lead actress is injured in a freak accident, and Janet has to step into the role at the last minute!  She and Helen do such a magnificent job, Helen's father decides to take the girls to Hollywood for the summer so they might have an opportunity to act in some western films his company is producing.

Despite the title, more than the first half of the book actually takes place in Clarion, with all of the events leading up to the girls taking their trip to Hollywood.  The girls face a pretty dangerous scenario when the bus taking the seniors to a skating rink for an evening gets caught in a horrific snow storm on the way home, trapping the students and their teacher in a blizzard with no heater and no help in sight!  Janet and Helen (along with the boys they like, Jim and Ed) manage to keep everyone safe and warm, and the bus driver eventually returns with help to get everyone back home for hot drinks and a roaring fire.  They also face some difficulties from the girls against whom they compete for the lead roles in the play, as the rumor is spread that Helen only got her part because of her father's fame in Hollywood, while another rumor begins that Janet caused the accident that injured the other girl so she could get her part!  No real mysteries involved in these events, but they do make for some enjoyable reading.

It's only after Janet and Helen arrive in Hollywood with Helen's father does the mystery begin. Janet and Helen audition and win small parts in a western film being made by Mr. Thorne's production company. From the get-go, it is pretty clear that the leading lady in the film is not overly fond of the girls, feeling they got the parts solely because of their connection to Mr. Thorne.  Sure enough, Janet has a mishap with a saddle she is using while riding a horse during the filming of a scene, and while recovering from the fall, she learns that someone purposefully cut through the saddle girth, so that it would slide loose during the ride!  Janet does not like to think someone would purposefully injure her, so she lets it go.  But when they are selected to be in another film, albeit small parts once again, they see firsthand how deep the sabotage goes - because it is not Janet the saboteur is after; rather, someone wants to ruin Mr. Thorne's production company!  A kidnapping, some aerial battles, some burning sets, and a deadly explosion threaten to close down the film - and Mr. Thorne's company! - if someone doesn't figure out who the saboteur is and fast!  (And I'll give you two guesses who cracks the case...)

Sadly, this book does not have any internal illustrations (I don't know why, exactly, but I really do love seeing internals - I guess having had them in the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Bobbsey Twins books I read while growing up has spoiled me!); however, it does have some beautiful art on the dust jacket, featuring the scene where Janet and Helen first arrive in Hollywood, where they are greeted with a horde of photographers as they step off the plane.  Interestingly enough, you even see "NBC" on one of the large microphones, which I'm surprised they were able to get away with using a national broadcasting company like that.  The book does not identify the artist, although next to Helen on the cover is the phrase, "Two Taylors" - I'm not sure if that is a signature of the artist or some other obscure reference.  I tried researching the question online, but came up empty-handed.  

One odd thing I did find while reading the story is that these people always seem to be up late, and they have no issue with eating meals at midnight or later.  What is odd about that is that they refer to these meals as "lunch."  I've always thought of lunch being the mid-day meal, usually around noon or so.  Looking online, I saw reference to a "midnight lunch" or "late night lunch" on a message board, referring to a term used in Canada to describe meals served in the middle of the night (for late night parties, wedding receptions, etc.).  Although, if I were awake at midnight, I probably would have no problem eating a "midnight lunch"!

Overall, this book was just as enjoyable to read as Helen in the Editor's Chair - not exactly heavy on the mystery side of things, but a well-written story that is nicely paced and easy to read and enjoy.

RATING:  8 heaping platters of celery, olives, and pickled onions out of 10 for a tale of two midwestern girls who make their dreams come true in Hollywood!

Ginger Fox - a Comico mini-series

Back in its "hey-day," Comico was an independent comic publisher who put out some pretty interesting material - Elementals, the Justice Machine, the Maze Agency, Grendel, the Fish Police, among others. One little known title, which, quite frankly, I had never heard of before combing through the $1 bin at a local comic shop, was Ginger Fox, a 4-issue mini-series written by Mike Baron and with art by the Pander Bros. (who, coincidentally enough, did the art for the first Grendel story I ever read).

Ginger Fox tells the story of ... well, Ginger Fox. Ginger is the C.E.O. of Peppertree Studios out in Hollywood, California. She has an ex-husband, a teenage son, an ever-loyal bodyguard / personal assistant, a nosy reporter, a fading movie star, a current boyfriend, and way more drama going on behind the scenes that in front of the camera!

Baron piques the interest of the reader right off the bat with opening pages that introduce a number of dramatic elements - Tammy True (the insipid reporter) shows up at Ginger's estate with questions about her boyfriend who may be cheating on her while making a film out of the country; questions about the new monster movie that was supposed to be kept a secret from the public while it was filming; and questions about the movie's star, Lewis Lassiter, a leading man whose stardom ended ages ago and who now could be fighting AIDS (the book was published in 1988, at the height of the AIDS crisis and the same year Worlds AIDS Day was celebrated for the first time - so it's no surprise that it was used as a topical issue in comics of that day). Before the first issue is finished, Ginger has found that her boyfriend is incommunicado, her ex-husband shows up wanting to see his son and creates a violent scene, and her babysitter attends a yacht party that leads to her being drugged and kidnapped by Tammy True! If that is not enough soap opera drama to capture your attention, then I don't know what is.

Over the next three issues, Ginger finds her attention divided between her love life, her professional life, and her home life, trying desperately to prevent all three from crumbling. Tammy True, with the assistance of an executive who wants to take over Peppertree Studios, will use Doris (the babysitter) to obtain information they can use against Ginger. Joe (the ex-husband) will stop at nothing to get his son away from Ginger.  And Creighton Caw (a new element added in the second issue) is determined to get back the motion picture that he believes Ginger stole from him. Each issue is filled with plenty of action, lots of drama, and the Pander Bros.' unusual art style that simply adds elegance to the story. Each page comes alive with the over-the-top characters, the creative panels, and the vibrant colors and backgrounds. I'm not a huge fan of artists who stray away from the realistic art style, but the Pander Bros. have an odd, abstact way of telling a story that it draws you in immediately.

And I would be very remiss if I did not mention that unique covers that Comico published these books under. Each issue is a different colored chapter (as in "Chapter Yellow," "Chapter Black," "Chapter Blue," and "Chapter Red") with a photo strip through the middle of each cover. Model Melissa Henderson brought Ginger to life on the covers, with other models used to create the Hollywood feel of the book. Quite honestly, it was the covers themselves that caught my attention and made me want to pick up the book - so kudos to Comico for offering up something different than the standard superhero / anti-hero fare.  Kind of a shame that Ginger Fox pretty much ended her career with this mini-series (although two years prior to this mini-series, in 1986, Comico published a graphic novel of Ginger Fox, which I hope to find one day and read).

If you ever come across this book in a back-issue bin, I'd definitely suggest picking it up - well worth the read!

RATING:  10 highly sought-after film canisters out of 10 for an out of the ordinary comic book
with extraordinary art and storytelling talent!