The Secret of Stonehouse - a Gothic novel for young adults

I honestly cannot tell you where I got this book or when I got this book.  I've had it for quite a while, and the only thing I know is that I picked it up some years ago because the cover had a very slight resemblance to the cover of the fifth Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret at Shadow Ranch - a young woman on a horse, looking back at a foreboding house.  It has been sitting on my shelf for years, and I finally decided it was high time I read the book.  Coincidentally enough, this book was published by Tempo Books, a division of Grosset & Dunlap, the same publisher who was publishing the Nancy Drew books back in 1973 when this book was published (the text copyright is actually 1968, meaning this is a later edition of the story).  Thus, with all of these things running around in my head, I sat down to read the story...

 

the secret of stonehouse (yes, all of the letters are lowercase in the title) tells the story of Heather Mackenna, a young girl from Scotland who has been moved by her uncle Donald around the world to live in the small town of Sky Lake, Wisconsin for reasons unknown.  As the mystery opens, Heather is pondering her fate, wondering why her uncle has moved her to such a remote location, forcing her to give up the only home she ever knew in Scotland, leave her grandmother behind, and probably hardest of all, leave her horse, Lady, behind.  It does not make sense, and her uncle Donald refuses to explain.  (We must stop a moment here and acknowledge that "uncle Donald" is not clearly defined in the beginning - Heather always refers to him simply as Donald, but he refers to himself as her father, and at a later point in the story we learn he is her uncle - her father simply dumped her off with Donald when she was but a wee lass and took off, never to be seen again!)

 

The mystery here centers around Donald's strange behavior since they arrived at Sky Lake.  He warns Heather not to tell anyone she was adopted, and more strange is his reaction to her telling him about the abandoned stone house she and a neighbor boy explored when they were riding horses (Heather makes friends with Gus, a boy whose family lives on the neighboring farm and whose horse, Cloudy, Heather has taken a liking to).  Heather is struggling to fit in, and her uncle is not making it easy.  But the story takes a darker turn when someone nearly runs Heather and Cloudy over the side of a bridge, and then someone breaks into their house when Donald is away, forcing Heather to climb out a window and run to Gus's house to seek help.  And just how does all of this tie into the story Heather has been told about the family who owned the stone house ... how the father was killed ... the baby daughter was kidnapped and later found dead, with only her clothes floating in the lake ... and the death of the mother shortly thereafter.  The caretaker still lives on the property, taking care of the house...

 

While it's not overly difficult to figure out what is going on, it's the journey of following along with Heather as she slowly puts all the pieces together.  The one thing that had me stumped was just how old is Heather?  From the start, it seemed she must be in her late teens or early twenties, as there is no mention of school, and her actions and freedom seem to indicate a young lady not long after graduation.  However, I was completely taken back when, at the beginning of Chapter 7, it says that Heather was happier than normal because "[t]omorrow was her fifteenth birthday, and her birthdays were always an occasion in the Mackenna family" (p. 84).  It was at this point that I realized this was not your typical gothic novel, and in fact, it may not have been intended to be a gothic tale at all.  Sure, it has all of the elements - a dark, foreboding house with secrets in his dark history ... a young woman terrorized by an unknown assailant ... and a man in her life that may or may not be the threat behind her troubles.  But the age of the main character derails it somewhat, and makes me wonder if the book was merely repackaged with a gothic-style cover to help sell it during the height of the gothic paperback era.

 

Regardless, the story is well-written and a good read.  Lynn Hall, in this case, is the author's real name and not a pseudonym.  She has written a number of books for young adults that feature horses and other animals.  This book appears to be one of her earlier publications, as many of her books appear to have been published in the 1970s, 1980s, and even into the 1990s. One of her books, The Mysterious Moortown Bridge (published 1980), happens to have been illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, my favorite illustrator and cover artist of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories.

The cover art does have an artist signature of "FMA" - who, coincidentally did cover art for two Bomba, the Jungle Boy books that were reprinted by Grosset & Dunlap in the late 1970s. This would lead one to assume the artist was someone Grosset & Dunlap contracted with on a somewhat regular basis.  Some research online reveals FMA may be Francesco M. Accornero (1938-2020), who was apparently an Italian-born paperback cover artist who provided covers across many genres and was known as "Franco."  Interestingly, most of his romance cover art appears to have been signed as "Franco," so perhaps it was his earlier art that was signed under his initials of "FMA."  In any event, the cover here is definitely spooky, although it is interesting to note the variation on the gothic trope, since there is no light in any upstairs window of the house; rather, the only light appears to be coming from the partially opened front door.

While the book is definitely a young adult novel, I'd still say it's a good gothic read.

RATING:  8 cocoa-colored stuffed horses out of 10 for giving young adults a taste of the gothic genre, with the right amount of suspense and mystery!

Agatha, Girl of Mystery #3 - The King of Scotland's Sword

It's been a bit since I last went adventuring with young Agatha Mistery, so I figured it was high time to pick up another one of her books.  This fun little series from Italy, written by Sir Steve Stevenson and translated by Siobhan Tracy, with plenty of great illustrations by Stefano Turconi, is not heavy reading by any means, but it is enjoyable reading that will bring a smile to your face.  With characters named Agatha, Dash, Watson, and Chandler, it's obvious the author is paying homage to some of the world's greatest mystery authors, and the mysteries themselves share some similarities with some of the stories written by those greats.  Agatha may only be a twelve-year old aspiring mystery writer, but she's intelligent, observant, quick-thinking, and talented, and she can solve any mystery in 125 pages or less!

The King of Scotland's Sword is Agatha Mistery's third mystery, and this time, she and her cousin Dash (two years older than her) are staying with their grandfather Ian Mistery, who lives outside of Edinburgh, Scotland.  Our world traveling sleuths are given yet another mystery to solve when Dash's school sends him an urgent assignment - a valuable sword has been stolen from Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeen!  The sword on belonged to Robert the Bruce, the legendary king of Scotland, and it holds great sentimental value for the natives.  What makes this mystery to hard to solve is that all but one of the guests and employees at the castle all suddenly fell asleep at once, and when they awoke, the sword was missing!  Who came in and stole the sword while everyone was sleeping?  And how will Agatha, Dash, Chandler, and grandfather Ian solve the crime before nightfall?  They had better find a way, because if they do not, then poor Dash will fail his detective class!

With this mystery, Stevenson gives his readers a form of "locked room" style mystery, of which Agatha Christie was a master at telling.  An entire room full of witnesses were all somehow made to fall asleep at the same time, during which time the thief came in, removed the famous sword from its glass case without damaging the glass or its casing, and took off with his prize without anyone seeing.  And the only way in and out of the castle was guarded by two police officers (outside the walls of the castle, so they were not asleep).  The only person who avoided falling asleep was the professor's assistant, Ms. Ross, who had gone out to her car to find her purse, as they contained some very important papers the professor needed.  When she came back in after her fruitless search, she found everyone on the floor asleep and the sword gone!  She had not seen anyone come or go, nor did the police - so whodunnit?

Agatha's (and the reader's!) detecting skills are put to the test in trying to solve this crime before dusk falls.  Where was Ms. Ross's purse, which she claims she lost?  Did she lose it, or was that merely a ruse to get out of the castle before everyone fell asleep?  Who could have taken the sword without damaging the glass casing?  It must have been an inside job, but who?  Professor Cunningham, the antique dealer who organized the exhibit? The Earl of Duncan or the oil millionaire Angus Snodgrass, the investors who put up the money for the exhibit?  Director MacKenzie, who ran the exhibit?  The man who claims to have heard a gunshot?  The woman who claims to have seen a ghost walking upside-down on the ceiling? The painter who heard a wolf howl in the hall?  There are plenty of suspects, and limited clues - like the straw, the golf ball, and the peacock feather Agatha and Dash find outside ... the glint of metal at the bottom of the well ... and the secret passage that leads down to the beach at the bottom of the cliff ...

It's a fun romp through an ancient Scottish castle and its grounds as Agatha puts together the pieces of the puzzle, and once they all fit, calls together everyone (like her namesake always did in her stories!) to reveal the identity of the culprit and explain how he put everyone to sleep and managed to sneak the sword out of the castle without anyone seeing him!  Definitely a mystery worthy of Ms. Christie herself!

RATING:  9 deflated balloons out of 10 for a well-crafted mystery that features a hot-air balloon ride, a search through a dark tunnel, and a race against time to solve a seemingly unsolvable crime!

The Darkness of Love - a Gothic novel of romance and terror

This is a book I picked up in a flea market in Kentucky earlier this year.  I had never heard of the author, but for only 50 cents, I figured why not.  As it turns out, this particular book is one of only three books written under the name of Vivian Stuart.  Vivian Stuart, as should not be surprising, is one of many pseudonyms used by British author Charles Roy Stuart-Vernon.  Oddly enough, this is revealed by looking at the copyright page of this book, which give copyright credit to Stuart-Vernon.  A little research reveals Stuart-Vernon wrote historical, romance, and other genre novels under a number of pseudonyms, including Charles MacKinnon, Graham Montrose, Barbara Lynn, Vivian Donald, Iain Torr, and others.  He was actually a hereditary chieftain and laird of Dunakin and of Dunakin Castle, Isle of Sky (Charles Stuart-Vernon); this, the Scottish backdrop to this story makes perfect sense.

The Darkness of Love is the last of three books written under the pen name of Vivian Stuart.  It tells the story of lovely young Kate Penrose who is about to live the dream of every young girl - she is off to Scotland, where she is going to marry the handsome Allan MacAllander, the thirty-third in a line of Scottish chieftans, and live in his stately family home, Gaildhu, set high atop the cliffs overlooking the sea.  Sure, the manor may be set far apart from its nearest neighbor, and sure, it may seem somewhat forlorn and foreboding - but Kate is in love, and she can't imagine anything other than spending the rest of her life with this amazing man.  But this is a gothic tale of romance and suspense, so we all know that perfect dream is about to be shattered...

Like shards of broken glass, Kate's dreams splinter and break apart one by one.  First, there's Allan's cousin who appears at Gaildhu without warning.  He seems happy and carefree, but Allan has questions about his veracity.  Is he really his family's cousin, or is he perpetrating a fraud for unknown reasons?  Then there is Mairi, the MacAllanders' maid.  From the moment Kate arrives, the young woman makes it clear she does not want her there; but when Mairi warns Kate away and tells her she does not belong there, Kate is left to wonder how far the maid will go.  There is also Allan's mother, Julia.  She is always calm and settled, always the voice of reason; however, to what length will she go to keep the family's secrets hidden?  And just who is that mysterious woman that Kate keeps seeing on the grounds, particularly around the charred remains of a gatehouse not far from the cliffs - and why does just mentioning her have such a strange affect on Allan and his mother?

When someone takes shots at Kate, and later, when someone beheads her two small dogs, the danger becomes all too real.  Then Kate is poisoned to the point of making her violently ill.  Someone is targeting Kate, and if she does not figure out who it is, she may wind up as dead as her dogs!  I give Stuart-Vernon credit, he knows how to build up some suspense.  Yet, this book definitely veers from the path of the standard gothic in several ways.  First, the truth about what is happening pretty much gets revealed just a little over half-way through the story - leaving the remainder of the book to deal with Kate's attempts to escape Gaildhu and the terror that lurks on its grounds.  The second is that the story contains some very brutal violence - between the beheading of the two dogs, the horrific way one of the characters is killed right in front of Kate, and the rough manner in which Kate is kidnapped, tied and locked in a pantry closet, and the plans with which she is to die - well, let's just say I have not read a gothic story yet that is quite this violent.

The third manner in which this book deviates from the "normal" gothic of the time is the cover.  Instead of the standard woman in the foreground and the castle with one light lit in an upper window in the background, we get a man and woman running, with the man in front, and a car chasing them along the cliff's edge.  There is a castle in the background, but it is completely dark, no light showing in the upper window.  And, even more surprising is that this scene is taken from the climactic fight scenes near the end of the book, with only a slight variation.  Published in 1977, it could be that the publisher felt breaking away from the norm might boost some of the sales, as this would have been near the time when the gothic paperback craze was starting to wind down, and sales were no longer what they were at the beginning of that decade.  In any event, there is no artist signature on the cover, nor any credit given on the copyright page, so no way to know who painted this car chase scene.

 

A couple of tidbits I took note of while reading -  (1) when Kate is asked to play a game of cards, the game of choice is Canasta (p. 36).  This is the first time I've actually seen this game referenced in any book I've read, that I can recall, and it made me smile, since I love playing Canasta! (2) Later in the story, Kate ends up playing another game, this time it is Scrabble (p. 78).  I'm surprised the author would pick specific games like this, rather than simply saying a "board game."  (3) This is a bit more obscure, but during a conversation between Kate and one of the male characters in the story regarding golf, and the conversation made me think of a certain author of children's series books:

...Kate was a competent golfer who had almost always played with men. She had realised [sic] from the outset that the average man was stronger than the average woman - in the muscular sense, at any rate - and that he therefore hits further, if he's good.  To compensate for this she had cultivated accuracy ... The other thing she had concentrated on was putting; points could be picked up on the green by someone who was otherwise outclassed.  (p. 87)

This description made me immediately think about Mildred Wirt Benson, who was known to be a better than average golfer, and who has been said to have beaten her fair share of male golfers in her time.  While the author was certainly not thinking about Benson when he wrote this scene, I did find it of interest that he clearly established the fact that Kate, as a woman, was skilled enough and crafty enough to figure out a way to beat a man at his own game without having to be a man herself!

Overall, a fairly decent read, although some of the elements are a bit obvious, so the ultimate reveal as to who is behind everything and why does not come as much of a surprise.

RATING:  8 pellets of weed killer out of 10 for giving readers a gothic heroine who is stronger than most, unafraid to speak her mind, even to the point of facing down an insane killer!

Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity - a Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #5

Well, it appears with the fifth Myrtle Hardcastle, another great series has come to an end.  It is always disappointing to be reading and thoroughly enjoying a well-written series, only to buy and read a book and discover by the end of the story that you have reached not only the end of the book, but the end of the series!  The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, the Devil Quick mysteries, Aggie Morton Mystery Queen, the Curious Cat Spy Club, and so many others.  Now, I guess, I can add the Myrtle Hardcastle mysteries to this ever-growing list of finite series that has reached its conclusion.  Which is a real shame, as Elizabeth C. Bunce has given readers a truly wonderful young sleuth with Myrtle and her governess, Miss Judson, and while the ending to this story provides readers with a payoff that has been building since the first book, it still leaves the reader wanting for more!

Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity takes Myrtle, her cat Peony, and the Hardcastles' cook on a trip with Miss Judson to a Scottish isle where the young governess has unexpected inherited an estate from an uncle she did not even know she had.  An estate that consists of a lonely, isolated castle on an island with very limited access by boat.  A castle that is home to Jessie Craig, the mistress of the hounds of Rockfforde Hall; Jessie grandmother Mrs. Catriona Craig, the head housekeeper of Rockfforde Hall; young Muriel, the skittish and superstitious maid; Dougal Alastair Manro (a/k/a "Mac"), Mrs. Craig's grandson and all-around handyman for Rockfforde Hall; and, oh yes, lest we forget, there is also the Grey Lady, otherwise known as the ghost that haunts the halls of the great manor!  Jessie and her grandmother are none too happy that the English crew have invaded their territory, and it is clear there is more to their animosity than simply cultural differences.  One of those happens to be the missing treasure - the Brooch o' Clan MacJudd, which could restore the family's heritage and set things right.  But the brooch has been missing for many decades, and with the condition of the castle and its grounds, it seems selling the property to a fishing company on the mainland might be the only way to go.  It's what the family attorney is pressing for.  It's what the overly friendly Lt. Smoot is encouraging the to do.  But it is exactly what the Craigs do not want to see happen.  And last, but not least, there's the question of whether Augustus Horatio MacJudd (Miss Judson's uncle) died of natural causes or was murdered.  Everything is in place for a fantastic gothic mystery!

Bunce creates a number of stressful situations for poor Myrtle in this book.  First, she must not forget her father's request to make sure Miss Judson does not become too attached to Scotland, as he wants her to come back home (perhaps something to do with the ring he has in that small box in his desk drawer?).  Second, she is determined to find out the truth behind Augustus MacJudd's death, which will not be easy with everyone in the house so distrusting.  Third, she is reluctant to admit that the strange noises, the eerie moans, and the glowing lights throughout the dark house are leaving her very unsettled.  Fourth, with no indoor plumbing whatsoever, she is appalled at the thought of having to use a chamber pot for ... well, you know.  And fifth, and probably most important, she must uncover the identity of the person or persons who killed the family's attorney!  Yes, a body turns up in the dried out fountain in front of the house, and with all the boats gone and no way off the island, and with no phone service to call for the police, Myrtle realizes they are quite possibly trapped with a killer in their midst!

There are any number of suspects, including a neighbor they have not seen, yet who has no problems setting traps in the woods to kill the innocent wildlife - would he also kill a man?  There is the enigmatic Lt. Smoot, who seems to appear just after any sign of trouble, and who disappears without a trace thereafter.  There is also the unseen Mr. Balfour, who is believed to have taken off shortly after MacJudd died; yet, did he really leave the island, or is he merely hiding, hoping to stake his own claim to the missing treasure?  And is Jessie truly without guilt - would she kill in order to take her believed rightful place as the heir to Augustus MacJudd?  And what life-changing secrets is Mrs. Craig keeping from everyone under that gruff exterior?  And, of course, there's Mac, who has the strength of several men and could easily end one's life if he so chose.  And who is the mysterious stranger that is hiding in the upper rooms of the house?

Such a wonderful mystery, so perfectly written, and so grandly filled with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.  Sure, this is a children's mystery, but the plot is definitely worthy of some of the top mystery writers of our time, including Agatha Christie herself!  I was so caught up in the story that I did not want to put it down until I was finished.

There were a couple of things that did catch my eye as I was reading, though.  On page 4, there is what appears to be a typographical error where Bunce is describing Mr. Hardcastle's latest client:  "Viscountess Snowcroft, was the source of more work than he could handle on hwwis own..." (p. 4).  "Hwwis"???  Not sure where the two w's come from, and while some of the Scottish words in the story have double letters, I do not thing this was an intentional spelling.  The second item is not an error, but more the smile that came to my face when I read the name of one of the witnesses to Augustus MacJudd's new will he made out right before he did.  Alan Balfour was the first witness, and the second was a man by the name of Dr. Paul McGann.  I mean, seriously - the fact that Bunce even specified him as a "Doctor" clearly defines this as an obvious nod to the eighth actor to play the time-traveling doctor of the famous British television show.  Doctor who, you ask?  Exactly!

I suppose if the series had to come to an end, this was definitely a powerful way to bring it to conclusion.  It just seems a shame to end Myrtle Hardcastle's sleuthing career, when she's only had five opportunities to show just how clever she is when it comes to solving crimes.  But, alas, as it plainly says on the last page of the story:  "Finis."   (Then again...)  Hope springs eternal!

RATING:  10 sgian dubhs out of 10 for a wonderfully gothic-filled mystery with secret passages, bumps in the night, and all the elements needed to make a superb story!