Make-Believe Daughter - a Mystery Featuring the Three Matildas

I remember growing up and seeing various Whitman books on the shelves at K-Mart and Kresge and Woolworth's, and I always thought they were sub-par books, not at the same level as series books, such as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, etc.  It seemed to me (as a kid, anyway) that the quality of the Whitman books were not as high as those from Grosset & Dunlap.  As an adult, however, my views on this have changed.  I have come to realize that while Whitman may have used lesser quality paper, and they may not have offered series with the longevity of Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys; yet, I've been finding in recent years that the stories are actually not bad at all - in some instances, equal to, or even superior to, some of those Grosset & Dunlap series!  Now, that being said, this particular book is one I passed on many times when I saw it in antique malls and used book stores.  One day, though, I happened across a copy of the book in excellent condition, with a tight binding, and for a relatively inexpensive price, so I thought - why not?

 

Make-Believe Daughter does not sound like the title to a mystery; and, although it is tagged as a mystery on the cover (in two places: along the top, it says "A Whitman Mystery," while under the title, it says "A Mystery Featuring THE THREE MATILDAS"), the story itself does not have much of a mystery to it - in fact, the first hint of the mystery does not come into play until after page 100!  The first half of the book reads more like a "malt-shop" story, as readers are introduced to Matilda Sterling - a young girl who lives in an apartment building over Brackenbat's International Restaurant in New York City.  She lives with her parents, and the older couple who run the restaurant (who live in the apartment just above the restaurant, while Matilda and her parents live in the apartment above that) are "Uncle" Tor and "Aunt" Alma.  They allow Matilda - or Tilda, as she is called - to stay in the restaurant and do homework every day after school until her parents get home from work.  Tilda's one wish is that she had friends in her area with whom she could hang out.  Sadly, Tor and Alma Brackenbat have no children, nor does Louis Confrere, the single French man who lives in the apartment above Tilda's family.  The top floor apartment is empty, and Tilda believes it is haunted, the way people move in and out so quickly.

 

The story begins with Mr. Confrere's dilemma - he has told his aunt, his only living relative who still lives in France, that he is married and has a daughter named Matilda.  A daughter the same age as and who looks just like Tilda!  This would not be a problem, except Aunt Therese is now coming for a visit and wants to meet his daughter!  Tilda rather likes the idea of pretending to be the Frenchman's make-believe daughter, but her parents are not amenable to the lie.  And that's when we, the readers, meet the second Matilda - also known as Mat.  The young girl is there in the restaurant when Tilda comes running in from the rain after school.  Tilda quickly learns that the girl has been raised in the circus, where her father worked until he died.  The circus fortune teller dropped her off at the international restaurant, and when she does not come back, Mat gives Uncle Tor a letter that reveals the fortune teller has no intention of coming back, asking the bearer of the letter to take Mat in and give the young girl a proper life!  Of course, Tor and Alma readly agree to take her in, and Tilda is thrilled to have a girl her own age in the building.  It seems things are working out for the girls ...

 

Enter: the red-headed Matilda!  Before you can blink an eye, a new family is moving into that top-floor apartment.  Big Chief, the huge red-headed man who is an artist, with his son, Genius (not his real name, nor does it accurately describe his intelligence, or lack thereof!), his wife (called nothing more than "Mother"), and Red-Top, which is the third Matilda's nickname.  An unusual family, but Red-Top just happens to be the same age as the other two Matildas, and as such, the Three Matildas are formed!

 

The book merely follows the day-to-day lives and adventures of the three Matildas until Aunt Therese arrives.  It is while at the docks where the huge boat has brought Mr. Confrere's aunt and many other travelers that the mystery begins.  Tilda notices a man in a grey suit appears to be following Aunt Therese, and while she does not like his face, nor the smell of his suit (she eventually realizes it is the smell of mothballs!), she keeps her concerns to herself, as the families welcome Aunt Therese into their building.  Tilda might have forgotten about the man, except she sees him again in the Brackenbat International Restaurant the same night a dinner party is thrown in celebration of Aunt Therese's arrival.  She soon forgets about him, though, as summer vacation begins, and the three Matildas explore New York City with their new "aunt."  A decision is eventually made to take a three-week trip in August across the United States, and it is during that trip that the mystery man makes more appearances, and the actual mystery starts to develop.  But, if you are expecting to have any idea what the mystery actually is, don't get your hopes up.  The actual mystery is revealed in the last two chapters, and it is so quick, you might miss it if you blink!  It's rather a shame we did not get any kind of hint as to the mystery earlier in the story, as it might have actually made it a bit less out of left-field. 

 

One aspect of the book I did rather enjoy was the distinctly different characteristics for each of the Three Matildas.  Tildy, with the light brown hair, was the more curious one; Mat, with the black hair and big hoop earrings, was the serious one; and Red-Top, with the red hair and jump rope, was the playful one.  Each was her own individual, and they actually complemented one another within the context of the story, thus making a simple story more interesting than it otherwise could have been. 

 

The author is Laura W. Douglas, and I'm not sure if this is a real person or a pseudonym (although I'm leaning toward a real person).  What I was surprised to discover, when I went searching for information on Ms. Douglas, is that she authored a book I already have in my possession, The Mystery at Crooknose.   That particular book is aimed at an older audience than this one.  I also found she wrote a third book titled The Mystery of Arrowhead Hill, which I do not have - but which I plan to hunt down and buy.  Both Crooknose and Arrowhead were published in various formats, including paperbacks under Airmont's "Mystery House" banner.  There were no other "Three Matilda" books published, which is rather a shame, as this one ends with Big Chief making an announcement that clearly was intended to be a set up for a second book (and a story that I would have loved to have read!).

 

The illustrations in the book are by Al Fiorentino, who was a talented painter / artist who received his training at the Museum of School Art in Philadelphia.  He worked as a commercial illustrator before becoming freelance in 1960.  A number of children's books containing his art can be found on eBay or other sites.  His work on Make-Believe Daughter is very well done, each illustration being careful to fully depict the scenes from the book down to some of the smallest details (such as Mat's dog stretching its front legs as the girl is getting acquainted with her new room in Tor and Alma's apartment).  A great choice of artist for this book!

 

RATING:  8 white mice rescued from a garbage can out of 10 for a uniquely fun concept that definitely deserved more than just one book!

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Meg and the Mystery in Williamsburg - Mystery #6 in a series

Alas, with this book, we come to the end of the Meg Duncan series by Holly Beth Walker (or whatever ghostwriter actually wrote this final mystery).  It has certainly been a fun journey, trailing along with Meg and her best friend, Kerry Carmody, as they stumble across one mystery after another, no matter where they are. The mysteries have become a bit more complicated and more mature in theme as the series has progressed, and the character of Meg certainly acts like someone much older than a girl barely in her teens.  And despite the likelihood of different ghostwriters for the books (especially for this one, whose writing style and sentence structure definitely differs from the previous books), the characters have, for the most part, remained consistent.  It's a shame the publisher did not commission more books, either during the series' first run or when it was later reprinted by Golden Press.

 

Meg and the Mystery in Williamsburg sees Meg and Kerry join Meg's Uncle Hal on a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia to help out at a vintage toy show.  This obviously caught my attention right away, having a house full of vintage and collectible toys myself!  But the toys that are the focal point of this mystery are dolls and a doll house that date back to the colonial days.  The girls are staying with Lucy Cameron, a friend of Meg's now-deceased mother, and she introduces them to one Miss Mariah Collins (yes! Collins! a shame more of the Collins' family didn't enter the story...), a quirky old woman who has agreed to allow her family's toys be displayed at the show.  Only, her toys come with a story - and a mystery!  It seems many years ago, when Mariah's cousin came for a visit (back when Mariah was a little girl), her cousin brought her two small children with her. The children had a quarrel and ultimately wrecked the play room, breaking toys, smashing the dollhouse her grandfather had built, and pulling the arms and legs off of Mariah's special doll named "Paris."  But worst of all, when the room was cleaned up, it was discovered that two clothespin dolls that had been carefully displayed in a glass cabinet were gone (p. 31).  Miss Mariah's grandfather did eventually find the two dolls, but he hid them away so they could never go missing again.  And so begins the mystery...

 

Miss Mariah has spent most of her life searching for those clothespin dolls.  She keeps the upstairs toy room locked so no one else can enter.  She has searched the secret room just off the toy room.  She has looked through the doll house.  In fact, her father told her if she turned the house upside down, she would find them - but she has searched her plantation home from basement to attic, and she has never found the dolls. Meg and Kerry are excited with the idea of another mystery to solve, and they are determined that before they leave Williamsburg, they will do their best to locate those dolls.  In the meantime, they must put on colonial-style costumes and greet guests at the toy show, giving memorized speeches about the toys themselves, and answering questions from the visitors.  What they do not expect is that the mystery of those missing dolls will cross over into the toy show, as strangers begin to start asking very pointed questions - about the dollhouse, about Miss Mariah's doll "Paris," and ab out the Collins' collection of toys.  The mysterious Mr. Adam, who takes an intense interest in Paris.  The friendly but overly-curious Stephen Anderson, who is more than determined to get a closer look at the dollhouse.  Then there is the unknown man that the girls see talking to both Mr. Adam and Stephen Anderson.

 

Someone tries sneaking up the stairs of Miss Mariah's house to her playroom.  Someone enters the toy show during lunch and makes a mess of the toys, which are in a roped-off room that no one is allowed to enter.  Someone steals Paris, but then leaves her at the door to the playroom.   Someone chases Meg and Kerry through the woods, determined to get their hands on that doll.  What has caused the roof of the dollhouse to not seal properly?  Why does the secret room in the dollhouse, modeled after the one in the real plantation, not have a door knob?  What has caused Paris to no longer say "Mama" like she did years ago? And why is Meg so certain the clue to unraveling this whole mystery has been in front of her face the entire time?

 

This was definitely a mystery worthy of Nancy Drew and some of the other "great" teenage detectives. If the series had to end, this was definitely a fantastic way to close it down.  The author integrates a number of real Williamsburg sites into the story - from the Duke of Gloucester Street (p. 16) to the Brush-Everard House (where the toy show is) located next to the Governor's Palace (p. 20); from the Raleigh Tavern Bakery (p. 52) to the holly maze located on the grounds of the Governor's Palace (p. 83).  You have to love it when an author includes actual locations in the book, providing readers with an opportunity to explore the same locations in the real world and truly follow in their favorite sleuths' footsteps!

 

The artists for the covers and the interior remain the same as the previous five books - Cliff Schule provided the cover for the original hardback edition, as well as the interiors for both, while Olindo Giacomini provided the cover for the later paperback edition.  Both covers depict the scene where Meg and Kerry are running back to River House Plantation to escape the man chasing them, and are ready to sneak in through the chimney door.  It is interesting that while they both depict the same scene, and both accurately portray Meg and Kerry in the correct costumes they are wearing in the story, the hardback gives us a perspective from above, looking down them as the come around the chimney to the door, while the paperback gives us a perspective from the side, watching the girls run around the corner of the house and directly into the door located in front of the chimney. 

 

On a complete side note, when Meg reads an article giving the history of the two clothespin dolls, which were said to have been made by George Washington for his sister, Betty, the article reveals that "when Betty was a grown woman, she had given the dolls to a girl named Nell Benson..." (p. 92).  I had to laugh out loud at that name, because there was a character by that very same name on General Hospital a few years back - a character who turned out to be quite a dastardly villain, but one who I grew to love immensely!  Funny coincidence!

 

And with that, we reach the end of the Meg Duncan series.  One can only wonder how many unrecorded mysteries Meg and her best friend, Kerry, solved, and whether either of them went on to find boyfriends (as none whatsoever are mentioned in these six books) and went on to college and careers...

 

RATING:  10 fresh-baked ginger cookies out of 10 for ending the series on a high note, with a well-plotted mystery with a great mix of real and fictional history!

 

 

Meg and the Mystery of Black-Magic Cave - Mystery #5 in a series

The penultimate book in the "Meg" series is the best one of the first five books.  One has to wonder if the ghostwriter for the previous book also wrote this one, as both books definitely have more mature themes to them than the first three books.  That, of course, is one of the reasons why I wish these book publishers back in the day had retained one author to ghostwrite a series of books, so that they stories would have a certain consistency to them, both in characterization and in tone.  Some series did (such as the Penny Parker series by Mildred Wirt Benson), while other employed any number of writers (such as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, etc.).  While having a series bible may help the writers remain consistent with character names, occupations, hair and eye color, settings, etc., the rotation of writers is still noticeable in the way a story is written and how a character talks and acts.  Now, one could argue that Meg and Kerry have grown some since the first book, and therefore, after solving several mysteries, they might have matured in the way they handle them, but that is stretching it a bit, I think.

 

Meg and the Mystery of the Black-Magic Cave takes Meg and Kerry out of their home state of Virginia and places them in Merrybones, Maine, where Meg's Uncle Hal vacations each summer.  This year, he offers to take them along with him, partially to enjoy the locale, but also because there is a mystery to be solved, and he knows how much the girls enjoy solving mysteries.  And, in case you are wondering, no, "Merrybones" is a made up township in Maine, although it perhaps draws its name from Marylebone, which is in the city of Westminster in London, England.   The mystery surrounds a schoolteacher friend of Uncle Hal's by the name of Emily Hawthorne (p. 16), who has asked for his help.  Now, I have to think that the author specifically chose the name "Hawthorne" for several reasons:  (1) the name is the same as that of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the famous author who hailed from New England, and (2) Nathaniel Hawthorne's great-great-frandfather (John Hathorne) was one of the judges during the famous Salem witch trials.  And, since this particular book deals with witches...

 

The author delves into a world of witchcraft and black magic, as the girls learn from Miss Hawthorne that someone has threatened her with a curse, and her black cat, Melissa, has gone missing.  Someone wants her out of Merrybones, and it's up to Uncle Hal, Meg, and Kerry to figure out who it is.  As if right one cue, Meg and Kerry learn about a nearby cave that is referred to as "Black-Magic Cave," and while picking blueberries near the cave, the girls find a makeshift altar with a candle burning and a pentagram drawn on the floor in front of it!  This begins the girls' quest to uncover the truth about the cave, the witches' coven operating in Merrybones, and whether the women who make up the coven are responsible for threatening Miss Hawthorne and stealing her cat.   

 

The witches' coven and black magic aspect of the story are played up well, and Meg and Kerry even manage to witness a gathering of witches in what they suspect is a meeting in which the women will attempt to cast a spell to rid the town of Miss Hawthorne once and for all!  But the girls are clever, and while the witches are in the cave, Meg, Kerry, and their new friends gather up the shoes the women left outside the cave and take them with them (so that, like Cinderella, they can identify the witches by having the women try on shoes to see if they match!).  It's quite a climactic confrontation between the defeated women and the police, alongside Meg and her friends.  And the author holds back one particular surprise, which a careful reader will pick up on earlier in the story as to the identity of the specific person that wants Miss Hawthorne gone and why!  Overall, the book offers a well-plotted mystery that is very entertaining reading.

 

I did find it rather amusing that when the girls find a book of black magic in the attic of the house where they are staying, they discover the words are written rather uniquely - in Old English, where the s's are written like f's, and some words have "e" at the end, which is pronounced like our current "y" (p. 75).  And there is even a paragraph written in that styles, with Old English font!  Definitely a great way to introduce young readers as to how much the English language has changed in the last couple of centuries!

 

The paperback cover art, by Olindo Giacomini, is definitely my favorite of the two, as it has Meg and Kerry hiding behind an old tree, spying on the witches as they are marching out of the cave, holding lit candles.  Of course, the scene is in the reverse in the story, as they watch the witches go into the cave, not out of it.  The cover art on the original hardcover version of the book, by Cliff Schule, depicts the witches heading in the proper direction  (and it even accurately shows 13 witches!).  Interestingly, both covers show Kerry wearing a blue top and Meg with a red/burgundy top, thus maintaining some consistency between the two.  And for those of you who are Nancy Drew fans, you might think this cover hearkens back to the cover art for The Secret of Red Gate Farm, in which Nancy is hiding behind a tree, watching hooded figures going into a cave.

 

I have been really enjoying this series, so it's somewhat disheartening to realize I only have one Meg book left to read, and then I'll have completed the series.  It almost makes me want to put off reading that final book ... almost ... 

 

RATING:  9 stones with oddly carved pentagrams out of 10 for a menacing tale of witches, curses, and black cats!

Meg and the Ghost of Hidden Springs - Mystery #4 in a series

This book is now the third of four books in this series to feature a mystery that centers around a house - Witch's Stairway involved the house that was about to be lost by the two sisters if they could not find the money to save it; the Treasure Nobody Saw centered around a house that was said to be abandoned, yet was not; and now this book features a house that is alleged to be haunted.  This is also the third of four books to feature a house that is located next to the title character's home - Disappearing Diamonds involved Mrs. Partlow's house, which is next door to Meg's home; the Treasure Nobody Saw centered around a house that could be seen from Meg's bedroom window; and this book features a house just across the river from where Meg lives. Leaves one wondering what the last two books hold in store...

 

The Ghost of Hidden Springs is actually a sad tale about the ghost of a young girl who died tragically after the entire town shunned her family and refused to attend a birthday party thrown in honor of the girl's sixteenth birthday many years before. The family up and left town after that, and since then, people have sworn they saw the girl's ghost haunting the Hannigan house.  Meg does not believe in ghosts, but even she can't explain the ghostly girl her best friend's brothers saw; nor can she explain the open window she sees on an upper floor of the house - one she knows was closed before.  She and her best friend Kerry set out to uncover the truth about what is going on, only to find that a descendant of the Hannigan family has come to Hidden Springs as an heir to the estate.  What is uncanny is the young girl's resemblance to the girl who did - in fact, she even shares the same name: Kathleen!

 

As dark as the back story is, the mystery itself is actually relatively fun.  Is there a ghost that is knocking things off walls and running down the stairs?  Did a ghost lock Kerry's twin brothers in the basement room?  Is a ghost playing the piano?  Did a ghost damage the step on the front porch, causing Kathleen's mother to fall?  Meg is determined to uncover the truth, and the electronics found in the basement room, the apple core she finds on the floor, and the shadowy figure she sees running into the woods convinces her the ghost is actually a real person.  Is someone trying to force Kathleen and her mother to leave the property?  The will of her great-aunt stipulates that Kathleen must reside in the house for at least a month, at the end of which she must throw a lavish party for the townspeople of Hidden Springs in order to inherit the house and all of the wealth that goes with it - otherwise, the bequest defaults to a second heir who remains unnamed (as the lawyer indicates that heir is not even aware of the bequest and will remain in the dark unless Kathleen fails to follow her great-aunt's instructions).

 

Meg suspects some local real estate developers who are anxious to get their hands on the property so they can tear down and build multiple houses on the land (p. 97) - which is an amazing coincidence, because the Zebra Mystery Puzzler I just read prior to this book also had the same situation, in which a real estate developer was suspected of murder just to get his hands on a large property he wanted to subdivide (The Green Lama Mystery).  Odd how I happen to read both of these books right after each other!  Meg also suspects the great-aunt's housekeeper, who Kathleen's mother hired to help clean the house and prepare it for the upcoming party.  The police chief thinks it may just be a local homeless man causing the problems, and Kerry even suggests that the unknown heir may be aware of the bequest and is trying to get Kathleen to leave.  As Meg's father tells her - she must put on her thinking cap in order to solve this one!

 

There is a moment in the story when Meg is exploring in the Hannigan house when she hears a noise in the hall, so she darts "behind one of the dusty draperies" and takes a "cautious peek" to see who it is (p. 72).  The scene reminds me of a very similar scene from the previous book, where Meg is hiding behind a curtain while an intruder breaks into the library of that house (a scene depicted on the cover of that paperback).  Interesting that identical scenes like this would be used in both both books, particularly one after another.

 

One thing I was glad to see in this story is the return (albeit very briefly) of Meg's Siamese cat, Thunder (p. 103).  Considering the fact the covers to the paperback printings of this series show Meg and Thunder under her name, one would think the cat would have a larger role in the series.  Sadly, such is not the case.

 

The original hardback printing of this mystery features art by Cliff Schule (who also continues to provide the interiors) and depicts a scene from the end of the story, where Meg and Kerry, wearing their costumes from the party thrown by Kathleen's mother, head outside to see if they can hear the ghost of Kathleen's long dead ancestor.  The later paperback version of the book features a cover by Olindo Giacomini, which shows Meg watching a ghostly figure retreat into the woods.  This scene does not specifically appear in the book, although there is a moment where Meg does see a furtive figure fleeing into the woods one night (although it is not a ghost, and she is aware of that).

 

This fourth entry into the series is not bad at all, but the culprit is fairly easy to spot, and even this person's motive is relatively simple to figure out.  Of course, the age group for which the book is intended might not find it quite so easy as an adult reader!

 

RATING:  8 old homemade transmitters out of 10 for another fun-filled mystery that gives Meg a chance to help yet another family in need!

Meg and the Treasure Nobody Saw - Mystery #3 in a series

This book marks the halfway point of the Meg Duncan series, by Holly Beth Walker.  It also turns out to be the book that has the only scene I remember from the series from back when I read these as a child (more on that below).  So far, I have been enjoying my re-reading of this series, and I am thankful my friend, Jarrell Dickey, made the suggestion that I should pick these up and re-read them.  Yes, admittedly, these stories are fairly simple and clearly aimed at early readers (not quite the Nancy Drew Notebooks age group, but definitely younger than the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories age group).  They are fun, and Meg is not your typical financially-secure, freedom-enjoying teenager - she is probably closer to Trixie Belden in that aspect, as her father, as well as the family housekeeper and her husband keep a close eye on Meg, and she does get in trouble when she does not listen to them.  This gives the series a bit more of a realistic feel to it, giving young readers someone with whom they can easily identify.

 

The Treasure Nobody Saw does not have an identifiable author; yet, despite what online sources say, the stories still feel rather consistent.  A slight variation in names (calling Constable Hosey "Mr. Hosey," or the Carmody children calling their dad "Father" instead of "Sir," do not really make much of a difference when the reader is focused more on the story and Meg's adventures in solving the mystery.  In this instance, the mystery starts off as one things and leads into something entirely different by the end.  With her best friend, Kerry Carmody, out of town, Meg is rather lonely and bored.  So, on a dark and stormy night when she witnesses a car driving up to the Haywood house (which is supposed to be empty, since Bud and Sally Haywood were gone for the summer for jobs), Meg smells a mystery!

 

For the first half of the book, Meg sets about uncovering the identity of the person or persons who have taken up residence at the Haywood house.  First, it was merely the car driving up.  Then there is the person she sees in an upper window.  Finally, she sees a girl not much other than her in the yard, and that is when she finds out the truth!  A traveling family was forced to stop the night of the rain because the father had taken ill, and with no place else to go, they stopped at the Haywood house - finding it unlocked and empty, they chose to stay until the father was recovered and could drive (planning to leave money for anything they used while they were there). Meg agrees to keep their stay a secret, and even helps them out by bringing them food from her own house (and don't think that does not go unnoticed by the housekeeper!).  

 

After Meg makes friends of the James family, she then learns that the family has heard strange sounds in the house, as if someone was breaking in.  Meg sets about to find out who could be breaking in and why, and what she ultimately learns is that the house contains a treasure worth as much as twenty-five thousand dollars (which would equate to more than $200,000 in today's currency!), a treasure that would greatly help out Bud and Sally Haywood, who are in danger of losing the house due to a lack of money.  This is now the second mystery in a row where Meg has uncovered a hidden treasure that helps save a family homestead.

 

As with the previous books, the internals are provided by Cliff Schule, with a new cover on the paperback painted by Olindo Giacomini.  Looking at the original cover, if one was not aware of the story inside, one would assume the picture is that of Meg and her best friend, Kerry; however, when you read the story, you realize the blond-haired girl is actually Abigail James, the daughter of the family staying in the Haywood house.  The cover for the paperback edition gives us a more dramatic scene, where Meg and Mr. James are hiding behind a curtain while the intruder is climbing in through a library window (although, admittedly, you cannot see Mr. James - you only know he is there if you read the story!).

 

A few tidbits gleaned from the story.  One is a reference to the county in which Meg resides.  Mr. Wilson mentions there are "big tree branches down all over Kenilworth County" after the big storm (p. 24); however, that is a fictitious county, as Virginia does not have a county by this name.  There are cities by that name in New Jersey and in Illinois, so perhaps the name was pulled from there.  We also get some information about Meg's mother, when Meg looks up at her mother's portrait hanging over the mantel (p. 43).  Her hair and eyes match Meg's, and the color of the dress she is wearing in the portrait even happens the match the color of Meg's outfit on that day.  Meg begins to wonder what her mother's voice sounds like, and whether Mrs. Duncan would have listened to Meg when she talked about her mysteries?  It is actually a very touching scene that will pull on the reader's heartstrings.

 

Finally, that "treasure" worth so much money - SPOILER ALERT - it turns out to be a first printing of Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue,  which the Haywoods had in their library without ever realizing its worth.  It is odd that the book places the value of the book at $25,000, when some research online reveals the book today is only worth about $7,500, which is considerably less!  The Haywoods may very well have been in for a big shock when they eventually tried to sell the book and discovered it was not worth near as much as Mr. James claimed it was!

 

Now, about that scene I remembered as a child.  Of all of the Meg books, the only thing I could ever really remember (before re-reading them now) was a scene where Meg wanted to pretend to be sick, so she took the thermometer the housekeeper gives her and sticks it in her hot chocolate to make the temperature rise - only, it rises too high, making the housekeeper realize the ruse!  Well, this is the book where it happens, right there on page 83, as Meg is hoping to make the housekeeper and her husband think she is sick so they will let her stay home for the day and she can escape over to the Haywood house to help out the James family! Mystery of the remembered scene solved! 

 

Overall, another fun read, and at least this time, we get some more time with Thunder (Meg's Siamese cat).  Not sure why, but I absolutely love the cat as a supporting character, and I'm glad the author chose to utilize her in the story.

 

RATING:  9 cans of pineapple, tuna fish, and baked beans out of 10 for another fun little mystery that is an easy and enjoyable read! 

Meg and the Secret of the Witch's Stairway - Mystery #2 in a series

This particular book (the original hardcover version) has special meaning to me, as I purchased it at the estate sale of a very dear friend of mine - Judith Weaver.  She was a wonderful woman who amassed a large collection of mystery novels (adult, young adult, pre-teen, and juvenile) in order to open a mystery bookstore.  Unfortunately, the local government persisted in putting up roadblocks that prevented her from ever opening the store, but that did not stop her from selling the books online, by word-of-mouth, and to her friends who would come by and visit.  When her health declined to the point where she needed constant care, her daughter moved her up north and all of those books were sold at an estate sale.  This is one of the books I obtained at the estate sale, and it will also be a treasured memory of Judith Weaver, a woman with more stories in real life than all of the books in her house could ever hold!

 

The Secret of the Witch's Stairway is the second Meg Duncan mystery, first published in 1967 (the same year as the first book).  The book is not written by the same author as the first book (which was written by Gladys Baker Bond), but the story is just as enjoyable as the first.  Having helped an elderly neighbor in the first book recover her stolen diamonds, Meg and her best friend, Kerry, help a pair of elderly neighbors search for some hidden family heirlooms in this mystery.  When Meg's Uncle Harold Ashley (her mother's cousin) visits, he tells her a story about the alleged missing Ashley silver, that was hidden away back during the Civil War and never seen again.  Many believe the silver is buried somewhere on the farm owned by Clara and Jenny Ashley (even more distant cousins of Meg's mom), but no one has ever found it.  Meg and Kerry, of course, are anxious to put their detective skills to work and help Miss Clara and Miss Jenny find that the treasure that would help them save their farm!

 

The book has a number of elements that remind me of some Nancy Drew mysteries.  First, the two elderly sisters who are trying to save their farm is similar to the plot of The Hidden Staircase, where Nancy helps two older women who are being frightened into selling their estate.  Second, the Ashley sisters have a rather unique doll collection, which reminded me of The Clue in the Old Album, where an older woman Nancy is helping has a large doll collection.  In fact, both collections of dolls include a peddler doll, which comes with an assortment of tiny objects - for the Nancy Drew book, it was musical instruments, ribbons, and laces (p. 15, Old Album), while for Meg, it was a bunch of keys, a lace handkerchief, and a tiny thimble (p. 32, Witch's Stairway).  What's even more of a coincidence is that the dolls first appear and are described in the second chapter of each book - "The Doll Collector" in Old Album and "The Doll Family" in Witch's Stairway!  And, if that were not enough, it turns out that dolls hold very important clues to solving the mysteries in both books.  This leads one to wonder if the author was a fan of the Nancy Drew series, as Old Album was published some 20+ years prior to the publication of this book.

 

The mystery turns into a rather fun adventure, as the girls begin their search with the help of a young boy named Glenn who turns up with a diary of the Ashleys' ancestor that gives them clues to the location of the silver.  Some of the clever poems written by their ancestor are actually rather ingenious clues, with double meanings and secret codes that ultimately lead the youngsters to the "Witch's Stairway," a seldom used path that leads down to the river.  Meg and Kerry and their new friend fall into some unexpected danger in their final effort to find the missing treasure, and it is only with the timely help of Curly, their four-legged friend, that they are able to escape what could be certain doom!  (Funny how both this mystery and the last feature a dog that plays a pivotal role in helping the girls' solve their case!)

 

Meg's Siamese cat, Thunder, is nowhere to be seen in this book, and while Mr. and Mrs. Wilson make a brief appearance in the first chapter, they are not seen for the rest of the book.  Kerry's little brother and sister are also noticeably absent from this story, but one can assume that is because we already have a helper in the form of Glenn, who turns out to be a relative of the Ashley sisters and finds a home with his new relatives by the end of the story.

 

The internals are once again provided by Cliff Schule, who I am assuming provided the cover art for the original hardcover version as well.  As with the first book, the cover to this book is not mysterious at all and gives no hint as to the mystery itself.  In fact, to me, this original cover reminds me of a Disney-type movie poster, what with Uncle Hal driving Meg and Kerry (dressed alike!) in his old roadster (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, anyone?).   For the paperback reprint, Olindo Giacomini again provides the cover art, which is definitely much more in-line with the mystery!  Showing an elderly woman, bent over and staring back into the dark woods where Meg and Curly are watching, the reader gets an instant feel that this mystery is going to be creepy!  This scene is pulled from the end of Chapter Six, where Meg spots an old woman with scraggly hair staring down at her from the top of the Witch's Stairway (p. 77).  While not an exact representation of what takes place on the page, it is definitely much more mysterious than the original cover art!

 

I found it somewhat amusing that Uncle Hal works in Washington, D.C., since Meg's father also works there.  Hal work in a museum, however, while Meg's father works in the government.  Of course, since Hidden Springs is said to be in Virginia, it should not be much of a surprise that they work in Washington, D.C.; it simply means that Hidden Springs must not be far from the state line.  In fact, the girls take a short trip with their Uncle Hal into the capital to search for information on an old Thomas Jefferson desk that once belonged to the Ashley sisters, hoping to find more clues as to the lost silver.

 

The story definitely holds up well and was an enjoyable read.  Simple, yet fun!

 

RATING:  9 broken wooden dolls out of 10 for an adventurous mystery filled with treasure-hunting, riddle-solving, and fortune-finding! 

Meg and the Disappearing Diamonds - Mystery #1 in a series

I can remember reading the "Meg" series of mysteries back when I was a kid, but the only thing I truly remember is a scene where Meg pretends to be sick, so she puts the thermometer into a cup of hot chocolate to make the temperature rise!  I do not even recall which book that scene is in, but I do remember at the time wondering if I could get away with that trick.  As an adult collector, I tracked down not only the six paperbacks I had as a kid, but also the six original hardback editions published by Whitman that came out nearly a decade prior to the paperbacks.  However, having them on the shelf and actually re-reading them are two different things.  Recently, though, my friend Jarrell Dickey was telling me he picked up and re-read a Meg book or two, and we got to talking about it, and I realized it was time to re-read this series - so, thanks to Jarrell, I've jumped back into the world of Margaret Ashley Duncan - the young sleuth known as Meg!

 

Meg and the Disappearing Diamonds is the first book in this series, written by Holly Beth Walker. From what I could discover, "Holly Beth Walker" is merely a pseudonym used by Western Publishing for the series.  It is believed Gladys Baker Bond (who wrote many Whitman Authorized Editions, as well as three Trixie Belden books) authored this particular Meg mystery.  The story centers around some precious diamonds owned by Mrs. Partlow, which she decides to show to the neighborhood ladies at an outside tea party.  The diamond bracelet, the diamond earrings, the diamond necklace, and the diamond snood (an ornamental headdress that is used to cover the hair on the back of your head, as Meg explains on page 53) all disappear from the party right in full view of the guests!  Meg, and her best friend Kerry Carmody, set about to discover who stole the valuable jewelry and return it to Mrs. Partlow in time for her to wear them to her niece's wedding.

 

The book only has 124 pages of story, of which 25 pages contain full-page illustrations and 11 pages contain half-page illustrations, which leaves less than 100 pages of actual story.  As one can imagine, this does not provide room for an in-depth, strongly developed mystery; rather, the mystery is somewhat simple and clearly aimed at younger readers (perhaps on the same reading level as The Bobbsey Twins or The Happy Hollisters).  That does not mean the story was not well-written, nor that it was not enjoyable.  On the contrary, the mystery was actually a fun read.  Meg is an independent, self-reliant young sleuth, and her friend Kerry feels like a combination of Bess and George - somewhat reluctant at times, but also ready and willing to jump in and help when needed.  Kerry's brother,Mike, makes a couple of appearances in the story, but he does not play a strong role.  Meg's Siamese cat, Thunder, on the other hand, plays a major role in this book!  In fact, for me, Thunder was the break-out character in the story.  He immediately recognizes the villain, being none too friendly with this person, and ultimately he has the secret to the hidden diamonds.

 

The character of Meg falls in line with so many of her contemporaries.  Her mother is out of the picture, and her father is a professional who permits his daughter considerable freedom.  In this instance, Mr. Duncan is described as "one of the men who work in government in Washington, D.C." (p. 14).  Meg is under the care of the Duncan's housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, and her husband, Mr. Wilson.  The family lives in Hidden Springs, Virginia (p. 15).  While there is no city by the name of Hidden Springs in Virginia, there is a "Hidden Springs Family Farm" that dates back to 1731.  Within Hidden Springs is Holly House, the name given to Mrs. Partlow's homestead.  It could be the name was taken from the "author's" first name; however, there is a Holly Hill estate in St. Stephens Church, Virginia, which is a 200-year old estate that is registered as one of Virginia's Historical Landmarks - so perhaps the name was inspired by that house.  Since the Holly Hill estate boasts a lavish garden-view sunroom with a terrace overlooking formal gardens, that seems to mirror the beautiful gardens in which Mrs. Partlow throws her tea party in the book.

 

Speaking of those gardens, the story describes some very interesting plants that grow within Mrs. Partlow's gardens.  Arborvitae, creeping phlox, candytuft, and yellow alyssum all grow around the garden, and in the corner are holly bushes, which "gave the place its name" (p. 38).  I honestly had to look up these plans, as I had never heard of them!  Arborvitae are a family of evergreen trees that are very hardy and are often used to make evergreen hedges.  Creeping phlox is a low-growing plant that creates a carpet of flowers that bloom in early to mid-spring, often with a pink, purple, or bluish hue.  Candytuft is another low-growing plant, which blooms some beautiful white flowers.  And yellow alyssum is described as a "hairy" herb that produces stems of yellow flowers from May to July that eventually fade to white, with four small petals.  Clearly, Mrs. Partlow had quite an eclectic garden!

 

The internal illustrations of both the hardback version and paperback version of this book are the same, provided by Cliff Schule (1918-2000).  Schule was well-known for his portraits, including one of Henry Kissinger.  He served as a commercial illustrator for a number of years, providing illustrations for Western Publishing books.  The covers for the paperback editions featured covers by a different artist - Olindo Giacomini.  I much prefer the cover design and cover art to the paperback versions, but I was disappointed to find next-to-nothing about Giacomini online.  I found numerous books that he illustrated and/or authored, but I could find nothing about the artist himself.  The only thing I did find was on the "Find a Grave" website, which lists an Olindo P. Giacomini as having been born in 1930, died in 1989, and buried in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum (Olindo P. Giacomini).  I was also able to find obituaries for Olindo's brother (Dino) and mother (Amanda), but none for Olindo.  I did find a mention of Olindo Giacomini as an art editor for the yearbook staff at Riverside High School in Milwuakee, Wisconsin, which would coincide with the city where he was ultimately buried. But nothing else! I find it extremely interesting that in today's day and age, someone could have so little of a digital trail, and that an author/artist who seems to have had a number of books with his work published has no information about his work out there.  A mystery to be solved!

 

The book may not offer up a difficult mystery for readers to solve, it does provide an enjoyable story that should bring a smile to your face by the end, making it worth the read.

 

RATING:  8 soft leather collars with tiny bells out of 10 for a cute, easy-to-read mystery with a perky young sleuth!