Whitman Mystery Stories - Tom Harmon and the Gridiron Plot

This is definitely a book I would have never imagined myself reading under any circumstances.  I am not now, nor have I ever been, a fan of professional sports or college sports.  I do not like football, basketball, baseball, or any other sport of that kind.  (I will, however, watch an ice hockey game, if I can see it live!)  That being said, reading a book about sports would never be on my radar - and yet, here we are.  In recent years, I have discovered that quite a number of the Whitman Authorized Editions actually contain some pretty solid stories, and the illustrations in some of them are actually very well done (better than many of the later line illustrations in the Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, and Hardy Boys books from Grosset & Dunlap).  Thus, when I happened across this book at a local bookstore for just $4.99, and the dust jacket was in such great shape, I thought:  why not?

 

Tom Harmon and the Great Gridiron Plot was written by Jay Dender.  Who is Jay Dender, you may ask?  Well, that's a really good question, and quite frankly, I have no idea.  From everything I could find online, this appears to be the only book written by Mr. Dender, and there is nothing I could find to even indicate whether "Jay Dender" is a real person or just a pseudonym.  I found this odd, since many of the Whitman books I have read have had authors who wrote more than just one book for the company.  (There are some exceptions, where the creator of a particular comic strip character may have written the Whitman book based on their character; but that's an exception, and not a rule.)  The one thing I can say is that Mr. Dender (or whoever was using that nom de plume) was very well versed in the area of football, as the story contains quite a bit of details regarding not only how the game is played, but very specific plays and descriptions of the various plays during the games.  Only someone well versed in the game (or a super-uber-fan) would have that kind of detailed knowledge of the game!

 

The story is set at the fictional university, Stockton, where Tom Harmon is a senior and is the star player of their football team, the Panthers.  While there is a real Stockton University in New Jersey, it is doubtful, based on the descriptions in the book, that this is supposed to be that particular campus.  And while the various colleges against whom the Panthers play reflect the names of real colleges and universities in our world, Webster, Harper, Douglas and the others are also fictionally created within the story.  As the copyright page specifically indicates, with the exception of the authorized use of the name "Tom Harmon," all names and places within the story are entirely fictional.  As far as the main character goes, Tom Harmon was apparently an all-around sports star, both in high school (in Indiana) and in college (University of Michigan).  According to the brief bio of Harmon on the dust jacket flap, Harmon managed to score "33 touchdowns, kicked 33 points after touchdown, kicked two field goals for a total of 237 points - the best scoring record in Big Ten history [at that time]."   While I am unfamiliar with the man or his fame (not being a sports fan), I have no doubt he was extremely popular at the time, for Whitman to seek out and license his name for use in a book like this.  And, as it turns out, he was the father of actor Mark Harmon (who, coincidentally, played in an episode of the Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries back in the 1970s - "The Mystery of the Solid Gold Kicker," which was about a successful football player that is framed for murder!  Coincidence?  I think not!).

 

While the main focus of the story is Stockton's goal of winning the "Big Seven" title in order to save their coach's job (his job is in jeopardy because a group of alumni were offering a rather large sum of money to the university to build additional buildings on campus - but the catch is, either the team wins the Big Seven this year, or the coach must be let go!), there are a couple of subplots that play into the story.  One is the obvious dislike that one of the players has for Tom, whether it be out of jealousy of his fame or for other reasons.  The other concerns attacks made on Tom just prior to games - the first, a physical attack when he and a fellow player are taking a shortcut through the woods; the second, an attempt to make it appear Tom cheated on an important test to have him expelled so he can no longer play for the team.  Everyone begins to wonder - is someone out to get Tom personally, or are all these tactics merely a way to keep Stockton from winning the Big Seven, so that the coach will be ousted from the university.

 

Honestly, I had to force my way through a lot of the story where the focus was on the football strategies and plays out on the field.  Dender goes into some excruciating detail that might be fun for fans of the sport, but was rather tedious for me.  The college antics of the students made for much better reading, and the tiniest bit of mystery is what kept my interest in the story.  That being said, Dender does manage to write the characters in such a way as to have you rooting for them, particularly when Tom keeps getting singled out for these attacks.  Nearly his entire team, as well as most of the students and faculty, all support Tom (as if they wouldn't, considering he is the title character, after all), and you know that, in the end, it is all going to work out for everyone - but it is the getting there that makes for enjoyable reading.  

 

The illustrator for this book is Henry E. Vallely (1881-1950), who has provided illustrations for quite a number of the Whitman Authorized Editions.   Vallely also provided illustrations for Big Little Books, women's magazines, in addition to his work for Whitman.  His illustrations are distinctive, with beautifully rendered scenes that truly stand out.  I'm always thrilled when I find a book that identifies him as the illustrator, as I know I am in for a treat with the internals.  The endpage spread is a nicely rendered scene from one of the many games played within the book, and thankfully, it does not spoil anything from the story (as some of the endpages for these Whitman books have a habit of doing).

 

While the football aspect is definitely not my cup of tea, the overall story was not bad, and I managed to make it through without getting overly bored.  A nice addition to my ever-growing Whitman collection.

 

RATING:  7 stolen brass canons out of 10 for plenty of college hi-jinks, locker room antics, and last minute winning touchdowns to craft a halfway decent story. 

 

 

Whitman Mystery Stories - Brenda Starr, Girl Reporter

This is one of the Whitman Authorized Editions that I have been wanting for quite a while.  While I never had the opportunity to read the original comic strip in the newspaper, I do have an edition of the collected dailies and Sunday strips from 1940 - 46 (Brenda Starr Newspaper Strips), as well as the one-issue Dell Comic published back in 1963 (Brenda Starr Comic Book), plus the collected editions of her original comic book series from Four Star Publications and Superior Publishing back in 1947 - 49.  The ones I still don't have are the Charlton Comics series published in 1955.  I have enjoyed reading her adventures, which are outlandish to say the least - this amazingly gorgeous, redheaded reporter that every man loves on sight manages to get in the most unbelievable situations - yet, with her looks and ingenuity, she manages to get herself and those around her out of every scrape and, along the way, scoops the story for her newspaper, the Flash.  So, I was overjoyed when a close friend of mine sent me this book (along with a Sunday color newspaper page featuring Brenda Starr paper doll with outfits!), and I could not wait to sit down and read it.

 

Brenda Starr, Girl Reporter gives credit to the main character's creator, Dale Messick, as the author of the story, as well as the artist for all of the internal illustrations and full color cover.  I think this is only the second Whitman based on a comic strip that I have read, which is actually written and drawn by the creator of the strip (although, there is some question as to whether Messick actually penned the novel or just the plot - more on that later) - the first was a book based on the Boots and Her Buddies comic strip (Boots - Whitman Mystery), the authorship for which was credited to the strip's creator. What I found interesting is that the title page says "An original story based on the Famous Newspaper Strip 'BRENDA STARR'." Thus, I was expecting a brand new story featuring Brenda and her supporting cast. Little did I realize that was not going to be the case.

 

The story begins innocently enough, with Brenda being sent off to the slopes of Colorado (which is funny, since the most recent Zebra Mystery Puzzler that I read was also set on the slopes of Colorado - Murder by the Book) on a mysterious assignment.  She does not know exactly what the story is or what the work will entail - all her editor told her was to go to the newspaper there and ask for Larry Nickels.  When she arrives, she finds the "newspaper" feels more like a posh hotel, and the "employees" seem to do nothing but lounge around and ski all day!  When she asks for Mr. Nickels, she finds he is out on the slopes, and his secretary - Flurry Snow (p. 19 - and, yes, that really is her name!) - informs Brenda that she is to meet him out on the slopes.  Brenda is somewhat nervous, as she is a horrible skier and that fact is proven when she goes out to meet him, but ends up falling backwards down the slope (p. 24).  He rescues her, much to her dismay, and she learns that the "Cloud" (the name of his newspaper) is nothing more than a hobby, and he asked her out there to breathe some real life into his newspaper.  That story turns up pretty quickly, when Nickels points out to her a nearby lodge, described as "a vast, sprawling building with many towers and gables.  Despite its many windows and entrances, it possessed a look of strangeness and complete isolation" (p. 45).  Nickels tells her the lodge is a mystery, because people go in, but not a single soul has ever come out!  Brenda senses a big story, which is only confirmed when Nickels tells her about the man who operates the lodge: "a queer old duck who calls himself 'Professor Squell'" (p. 46).

 

Now, it is at this point, I started to sense something strange as well.  Not about Professor Squell or his lodge, but about the plot itself.  It felt extremely familiar.  So, I pulled out that collection of newspaper strips I had read before, and sure enough, there it was!  The same exact story I was now reading in prose form I had read three-and-a-half years ago when I read those newspaper strips!  Before Brenda Starr had even been published in the newspapers for a year, she was on a plane, dreaming about the blond-haired mystery man who had kissed her on New Year's Eve - exactly as she did on the opening pages of the first chapter of this book.  In fact, the dialogue was lifted straight out of the newspaper strip and used word-for-word in the book.  Now, obviously, a lot of exposition and additional dialogue was added into the book in order to flesh out the story, the characters, and the page count (otherwise, it would have ended up being a very short book, indeed!).  But if you read the book, side-by-side with the newspaper strip panels, you will see that it is literally a full adaptation of the story written and published back in 1941 and not an original tale at all.  Therefore, I'm at a loss to explain why the publisher refers to this as an "original" story based on the comic strip, when it is in actuality an "adaptation" of a story from the comic strip.

 

The story follows Brenda as she watches first Flurry, and then Nickels, go into the strange lodge and never come out.  A reward offered sends quite a few of the men from the village into the house, none of whom ever come out, and before you know it, Brenda is in hot water, being blamed for sending the men to their doom.  So, what else can she do, but go into the lodge?  Meanwhile, reporter Tom Taylor and photographer Pesky head out to rescue Brenda - and thanks to an anonymous warning, Tom knows enough to wear a gas mask before he goes into house, which saves him from the gas that takes control of all who enter - but does NOT save him from the mysterious man who knocks him out from behind.  From here, the story gets even more wild, including a basement laboratory, underground caverns, a room of pirate booty, and an impromptu wedding between Brenda and the "queer" professor who is holding everyone captive under ground.  And while the collection of newspaper strips ends with Brenda, Tom, and Nickels getting out and rescuing everyone, the book goes beyond and jumps into the next storyline involving a missing detective, a mysterious doppelganger, and a secret surprise.  This story moves much quicker than the first and take up only the last few chapters of the book.  Since I did not get to read the newspaper strips for this tale, it was completely new to me.

 

Now, some have speculated that Messick did not actually write the book, but, rather, it was simply ghostwritten as an adaptation of the strips - and since Messick wrote the newspaper strips, she was given credit for writing the book.  Whether this is actually the case or not, I have no idea.  What I do know is that Messick provided brand new illustrations for the book - 19 of them to be exact.  While some of the scenes do seem to mirror those from the strip, there are differences, which provide proof they were not merely reproduced from the art of the strip.  Messick also provides the art for the endpages, which depict the professor's planned wedding to Brenda, with Tom and Nickels standing behind her and Pesky off to the side, down in the caverns. 

 

What is odd about these endpages is that, in my copy at least, the pages are reversed in the back.  In the front, Pesky and the professor are on the left side, with Tom, Brenda, and Nickels on the right (which appears to be the correct positioning, based on the smoke drifting overhead); however, in the back of the book, Tom, Brenda, and Nickels are on the left side, while Pesky and the professor are on the right - supposedly looking at each other, but because of the repositioning of the pages, they are looking away from each other!  I wonder if this production malfunction was only in this one printing, or if all copies of this book have this error.

 

Despite the story not being original, I still enjoyed it - Brenda is a fun character to read, and her antics are always guaranteed to bring a smile, if not a full laugh, to the reader's face.  The gorgeous Messick art is only an added bonus!  Rather a shame they did not adapt more of the stories into book form - would have made a great series.   

 

RATING:  8 hats that resemble flipped over pancakes out of 10 for a fun-filled romp in the snow, under the ground, in an Easter parade, and in the clubs of Washington, D.C. - all in a day's work for Brenda Starr, Girl Reporter! 

Whitman Mystery Stories - Judy Garland and the Hoodoo Costume

Here we are with another in the long line of "Authorized Editions" published by Whitman back in the 1940s.  The series featured big names like Deanna Durbin, Bonita Granvile, Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable, Ann Sheridan, Shirley Temple, Dorothy Lamour, and a number of others, so it should come as no surprise that Judy Garland's name should be among them.  After all, her role in The Wizard of Oz in 1939 made her a household name, and her many other movies (including several with Mickey Rooney in the "Andy Hardy" series) during the late 1930s and well into the 1940s kept her in the limelight.  So, it is only natural Whitman would want to use her name for a character in one of their "Authorized Edition" mysteries.  Unlike most of the other books, in this one, the main character is actually the famous actress whose name is being used (and one of the characters actually refers to her as a "famous actress" on p. 71).

 

Judy Garland and the Hoodoo Costume finds our protagonist agreeing to take an  expensive dress to its owner, unaware that this small errand is going to become a nightmare of a mystery.  It begins innocently enough, as Judy delivers a gift to the sister of a friend of hers.  While at the sister's house, she stumbles across a rather expensive dress that the sister claims is not hers - but she knows to whom it belongs!  Oddly enough, she asks Judy (a person she does not even know, other than as an actress she has seen on the movie screen) to take the dress to its owner.  Judy reluctantly agrees; but when she arrives at the boarding house where its owner resides, the two women who run the house inform her that Frederica Hammond has left to care for an ill relative not some distance away.  Judy gets lured into taking a bus to a secluded old house where Frederica is believed to be staying - and upon arriving, Judy finds herself facing a night of Gothic terror!

 

Yes, Heisenfelt once again takes her protagonist and places her in unusual circumstances, where she finds herself trapped in a foreboding old house with unseen danger lurking around every corner.  If you don't believe me, go back and look at Ann Rutherford and The Key to Nightmare Hall or Betty Grable and The House with the Iron Shutters, or even Ann Sheridan and The Sign of the Sphinx.  Of course, one of her best examples is Jane Withers and The Swamp Wizard.  In fact, this book has a lot of similarities to that last one, as both books feature a supernatural character of sorts that has people in the household frightened.  Heisenfelt seems to focus on a similar theme for all of her stories (well, at least with all of the ones I have read of hers thus far!), and it makes me wonder if perhaps at some point she did not delve into the world of Gothic paperback tales in the '60s and '70s, as her Whitman mysteries would fit perfectly in that genre.

 

From the moment of Judy's arrival at the old house, the Gothic tropes are at play.  A mysterious figure chases Judy outside, forcing her to run around the back of the house and enter in a rush through the kitchen.  She is then rushed upstairs by the very girl she was there to meet, as both the girl and the housekeeper are fearful that "Mr. Frazer" may find out she is here.  Judy then learns that Frederica, while not adverse to helping her aunt, is being forced to remain in the house, allowed no contact with the outside world.  Judy also overhears conversations that lead her to realize Mr. Frazer, along with Frederica's cousin and her uncle are hatching a plot against Frederica's aunt, who may or may not be ill - are the relatives convincing her of an illness, feeding her medication in hopes she will die and they can inherit her fortune?  One of the biggest surprises comes, however, when Judy finally sees the bed-ridden Mrs. Mattis and recognizes her - not as Myrta Mattis, however, but as a famous songstress by the name of Lucia Grayson!

 

While this book offers up some songs that Lucia Grayson allegedly sang (p. 130 - songs such as "Still as the Night," "Evening Star," and "Then You'll Remember Me"), a bit of research reveals that no such singer named Lucia Grayson existed.  However, there was an actress named Kathryn Grayson who sang in a number of MGM musicals alongside greats such as Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.  This real Grayson dreamed of doing opera, but instead ended up signing a contract with MGM to do film work; yet, interestingly enough, she received an offer to sing Lucia at the Met, but she was convinced to turn it down. This book was published in 1945, four years after Grayson's film debut in Andy Hardy's Private Secretary.  It does lead one to question if perhaps Heisenfelt based her aged character's name on this young up-and-coming singer/actress of the day.

 

The story takes place literally over the course of 48 hours - meaning there is 248 pages of mystery and suspense that lasts merely two days!  Heisenfelt spends considerable time having her protagonist worry and dwell on everything going on around her, constantly questioning her own actions, the motives of those around her, and the possibilities of what may happen to her - which is something the author seems to relish doing in all of her stories.  Despite her main characters being based on actresses who normally portray rather strong female characters in their films, Heisenfelt manages to turn them into whining, worrisome, and nearly wearisome characters who spend most of their stories agonizing over what is happening rather than taking any action to overcome the circumstances in which they find themselves.  While all of this anxiety of the characters may build some level of suspense, it does get a bit tiresome to read after a while, and I, for one, find myself reaching the point where I don't really care whether she makes it out of the house or not!

 

One difference between this and Heisenfelt's other books in this series is that this story actually features two mysteries - the first involves the happenings inside the old house and poor Mrs. Mattis (a/k/a Lucia Grayson); the second involves a con artist who is taking money from Mrs. Mattis' groundskeepeer and other neighbors, leading them to believe there is a lady ghost who comes from the lake.  Poor Judy, trying to escape the house, ends up a pawn in the con artist's game, and she must try and outwit him in order to escape his machinations. This second mystery is almost like an intermission in the main story, as it really has no connection whatsoever to Mrs. Mattis or her relatives.  One is left to wonder if perhaps the main story was not long enough, so Heisenfelt added this in order to "pad" the story out to a proper length for publication.

 

The illustrations are provided by Ruth Ruhman, who illustrated a large number of children's books, as well as (surprisingly!) a few comics back in the day, including pages in Big Jon and Sparkle, published by Ziff-Davis Comic Group back in the early 1950s.  She did quite a bit of work for Western Publishing, who acquired Whitman Publishing in the early 1900s, so it should not be any surprised that her illustrations would appear in one of Whitman's Authorized Editions.  While she does not do an exact likeness of Garland in her art, there are a couple of the illustrations in this book that do capture Garland's facial expressions pretty well.  The endpages, thankfully, do not spoil any of the story; rather, they depict the scene where Judy first arrives at the dark, old house and is forced to run in the freezing snow around to the back in order to escape the man chasing her.

 

While this book does read better than most of Heisenfelt's other stories (with the exception of Swamp Wizard, which I actually rather enjoyed), it certainly does not rate the same quality of story as most of the other Whitman Authorized Edition by other authors.  I've seen a few online sites that indicate this is one of Heisenfelt's most popular books; I can only postulate that the reason is because of the star name, Judy Garland, as opposed to the story itself.  Not the worst, but definitely not the best.

 

RATING:  6 stark white capes with high collars out of 10 for an attempt to thrust Judy Garland into a Gothic landscape of suspense and fear to create a story half-worth the read. 

Whitman Mystery Stories - Gene Autry and the Thief River Outlaws

This book is definitely a far cry from what I would normally read.  As I mentioned in a recent post about the Judge Colt comic book series (Judge Colt - Gold Key Comics), I am not a fan of westerns.  The only reasons I picked this book up is because (a) I have grown to realize that a number of these Whitman Authorized Editions actually contain some really good stories, (b) the book came with its original dust jacket in pretty good shape, and (c) the price was right.  I set it on my "to be read" pile some time ago and left it there.  Well, after enjoying the Judge Colt series from Gold Key comics, I thought I might as well give this book a try and see how it holds up.

 

Gene Autry and the Thief River Outlaws is one of two Whitman Authorized Editions about the western movie star, both written by Bob Hamilton. This book, copyright 1944, appears to be the first of the two, with the second being published two years later in 1946 (Gene Autry and the Redwood Pirates).  While the book uses Autry's name and likeness, and while the character is quite well-known to the people in the story, it is not the actual Gene Autry in the tale (which makes sense, since the story takes place in the 1800s and the Old West, and the actor was clearly not around then - he simply make films about that time!).  Autry is basically a drifter, going from town to town, sometimes serving as a special deputy for law enforcement, other times simply helping out those in need, such as takes place in this book.  Like the real Gene Autry, the book-Autry has a horse named Champ, clearly modeled after the real Autry's horse, Champion.  

 

The story is the typical western fare, which you would have likely seen on the big screen.  Autry has been asked to come to Thief River Canyon to help out a friend of a friend.  It seems Jim Farnsworth is have some difficulty with the construction of a bridge that is to cross the canyon, which would allow trains to save time by taking a direct route rather than going around the canyon.  But Farnsworth has been laid up after an accident has left him with an injured leg.  On top of that, strange accidents have been taking place - the workers were all made sick through food poisoning; necessary parts were delivered to the wrong place, delaying work; a nearby fire resulted in the men being called away to help put it out; and the donkey engine broke down, resulting in more lost time while they waited for a new part.  (And for those wondering, like me, what is a donkey engine?  well, that happens to be a steam or internal combustion engine with a winch and drums used for pulling cables to move heavy loads!)

 

Farnsworth and his right-hand man, Tennessee (his real name is never said) are certain someone is behind all of these mishaps, and Gene Autry has been called in to investigate.  Autry is concerned an old enemy of his, Trig Marsden, might be involved, but the workmen have to wonder if the new engineer, Dude Dudley, is not the cause.  (Man, you just gotta love these names!)  One of the workers winds up dead when the cables on the donkey engine snap, and Farnsworth has to struggle to keep men from walking off the job.  Autry starts to look into things, and he learns that if Farnsworth does not complete the job within a specified time, the government will take it away from him and turn it over to Mr. Hind, a competing engineer who is only ready to take the job (and the money that comes with it!) away.  But will he really sabotage the work being done just to make a buck?  What do you think....?

 

Surprisingly, there are no gunfights or showdowns at sunrise as one would expect in a western tale. However, there is plenty of kidnapping, brawls, and horseback riding to remind you that this is definitely an Old West tale.  Plus, we have the one obligatory woman thrown into the mix - Betty Jackson.  A not-so-near neighbor who has been coming over to cook and keep house for Farnsworth while he is down and out.  She has plenty of playful banter with Tennessee, and she's got quite the backbone, not being taken in by Dudley's plays for her.  Of course, as anyone with common sense can figure out, when a woman in a story like this is determined to keep a particular man away from her, it is pretty much a given she will end up with him by the end of the story ... and, wouldn't you know it, this book is no different.  

 

While the story was somewhat entertaining, I have to say that the climax is what I would consider the saving grace for this book (at least for those, like me, who don't really enjoy westerns). The villains have sabotaged the bridge itself on the night before the train is set to cross for the first time - just when they think they are going to win, Autry shows up with Hind in tow, forcing Hind on to the train to take the ride with them.  Well, you can pretty much guess what Hind's reaction will be, seeing as how he knows exactly what's been done to the bridge!  I found myself cheering Autry's ingenuity in turning the tables on the crooks and forcing them to reveal their own dirty work before any damage is done!

 

The interior art is provided by Dan Muller.  I can't say for certain, but it appears Muller is likely the same Dan Muller (1889- 1976) who was a real-life cowboy, known for his art depicting scenes of the American West.  It would only make sense that an artist such as Muller would be chosen to illustrate a book like this.  His line drawings give the reader a definite feel for the period and location, making it evident the artist was quite familiar with the subject matter.  His end pages provide a rather tame scene where Autry goes into town to see what he can find out about Trig Marsden, and it even accurately shows "Pete Lonergin's Cafe" as referenced in the story itself.  Unlike many of the end pages in Whitman books, this one does not spoil any of the action or surprises from the story.  The book came with two different dust jackets - one, which I have, showing a group of cowboys galloping across the plane with an inset of the actor, Gene Autry; the other is a full wrap around cover, which shows a full-figure of Autry, holding his gun and lasso on the front, and standing beside Champ on the back.  Not sure what prompted the change in covers, and honestly, I can't say which one came first (although some sellers online list what they call "first printings" of the book with the dust jacket I have, so perhaps that is the case).

 

While not exactly my cup of tea, I will say that the story was well-plotted and had its moments.

 

RATING:  7 orders of hydrochloric acid out of 10 for a western adventure filled with plenty of action and a bit of mystery, along with a few surprise twists at the end.

Jane Withers and the Phantom Violin - the third Whitman Authorized Edition

This third, and final, Whitman Authorized Edition to feature actress Jane Withers is so far removed from the previous two books - the title character, while referenced in the book as "an actress," is completely and utterly different than the version featured in the previous two books.  Thus, for three stories claiming to star the same person, the characterization in all three books, as well as the tone of the overall stories, are completely different.  Obviously, the fact that three different authors wrote the books plays some part in the variation; however, one would think if Whitman was going to produce more than one book on a particular actor or actress, they would put some effort into keeping the character consistent throughout the stories.  This was clearly not the case for poor Ms. Withers.

 

Jane Withers and the Phantom Violin was written by Roy J. Snell, who wrote a number of books for young readers.  His books were mostly aimed at boys, but he did write eighteen books advertised as "Mystery Stories for Girls," or sometimes as "Adventure Stories for Girls."  A number of those books featured a color in the title (such as The Blue Envelope, The Purple Flame, The Crimson Thread, and so on).  As far as I can tell, this book was the only "Authorized Edition" that Snell wrote for Whitman, although he did write three books from the "Fighters for Freedom Series" for Whitman.  I have heard a lot about Roy J. Snell over the years, but I believe this is the first books I've ever read that was written by him.

 

As indicated above, the Jane Withers of this novel, who is at one point identified as "an actress" (p. 206), is quite different from the Jane Withers portrayed in the previous two books.  In fact, the Jane Withers of this story is but one of three main characters, and so she shares the spotlight with her character's two friends - Greta Bronson (a gifted violinist) and Petite Jeanne (a young French gypsy girl).  The story alternates between the three girls, with the point of view shifting often, particularly when Jeanne separates from her friends to join her gypsy family as they travel the area to perform for locals.  The story takes place in Michigan, on the shores of Lake Superior.  Jane, Jeanne, and Greta are staying on an old wreck of a ship on the shore line of Isle Royale (which, by the way, is a real island in the Great Lakes, just northwest of Lake Superior).  The girls also make their way over to Greenstone Ridge (also a real location!) on the island, which is where the "phantom violin" comes into play - literally.  Greta is the first to hear its soft notes being played, but Jane also eventually hears it, leading the girls to seek out the "phantom" who is playing the instrument.

 

The mystery does go beyond just the phantom violin; there is also a strange black schooner that the girls see around their wrecked ship, as well as a diver who seems to be searching for something under the water around their ship.  In addition, there is a poacher on the island who is none too happy with the girls' interference with his attempts to bag a wild moose for its antlers.  On top of that is the isolated cabin deep in the woods, where a plane is seen dropping off a person.  Is it a victim of foul play or something else?  And, probably the most important one of all to Jane, Jeanne, and Greta is the possible "barrel of gold" they believe to be buried somewhere on the island.  The girls definitely have plenty to keep them busy, and unlike most children's series books, the mysteries do not eventually connect - they are all completely separate, and the one (the black schooner and diver) is left unsolved.  As Snell writes at the end, "Just who the men were on the schooner, with the diver on board, will probably never be revealed ... No one ever found out just who they were" (p. 247).  Very odd to leave something open-ended like that.

 

The story contains some very unusual names for the characters (although, perhaps for the time, the names were not as odd as they seem now).  Greta Bronson ... Swen Petersen ... Percy O'Hara ... Mr. Van Zandt ... Bihari (one of the gypsies) ...  definitely not very common names by any means.  Snell also uses some lyrics from "a half forgotten poem" (p. 180) titled Snow-Bound: A Winter Idyl, by John Greenleaf Whittier, a poem first published back in 1866.  On top of that, Snell also has Greta recognize the notes of "Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana (p. 139), a one-act opera from the late 1800s.  Snell's use of real locations and actual poems and musical compositions gives the story a bit of grounding so as to not make it too overly fantastic and unbelievable.  

 

Now, as for the story itself ... well, Snell actually recycled a book he had previously written in his own "Mystery Stories for Girls" titled - you guessed it! - The Phantom Violin!  Originally published by The Lee & Reilly Co. in 1934, the story in this book is identical in nearly every word to the original Snell novel published nearly a decade prior - the only changes are in the name of the main character (in the original novel, it was Florence Huyler; in this book, that name is changed throughout to Jane Withers) and in the title to Chapter XVIII, which is shortened from "At the Bottom of the Ancient Mine" to simply "The Ancient Mind."  Otherwise, all of the title chapters, the character names, and the words in the story are exactly the same as the original version.  This re-use of a previous story predates the Stratemeyer Syndicate's recycling of The Tolliver books for Bobbsey Twins stories by nearly 40 years!  It certainly leads one to wonder if there are other examples of authors re-using earlier stories for later publications, simply changing names to lead readers to believe they are new stories...

 

The interior illustrations are once again provided by Henry E. Vallely, who provided the art for a number of the Whitman Authorized Editions, including the previous two Jane Withers books.  His art is truly beautiful to look at, and the illustrations add so much more to the stories - it makes me long for the days when children's series books featured interior illustrations.  I wish today's books offered interior art, because for me, this adds something extra to the book (and when the story itself is not all that great, the illustrations can help make the story bearable!).  The end pages, thankfully, do not spoil anything for the story as some have done for other Whitman books; rather, Vallely gives readers a dramatic scene where Jane, Jeanne, and Greta are facing a horrific storm in a small boat, taken from Chapter XXVI where the girls are escaping the old ship wreck before the storm tears it apart (p. 232).

 

The story is a bit disjointed, with so many small mysteries, it basically jumps from one to the other and then back again.  In addition, the constantly shifting points of view can be a bit jarring, as you grow used to one character, only to get switched out to another one, and then another one, and then back to the first, to the point where you never really feel like you get to know any of the characters.  That being said, it is not an overall bad read - just not one of the better reads, and definitely the weakest of the three Jane Withers mysteries published by Whitman.  It also leaves me wondering if I want to read any other Roy J. Snell books...

 

RATING:  6  large, crippled loons out of 10 for at least trying to create a spooky atmosphere with mysterious music in the dead of night and a dark schooner with unknown assailants coming and going.

Jane Withers and the Swamp Wizard - the second Whitman Authorized Edition

The second Whitman Authorized Edition mystery to feature actress Jane Withers has some easily discernible differences from the first book.  There is a different author for this book - Kathryn Heisenfelt takes over the writing chores -  you may recognize her name, as she wrote quite a few of the Whitman Authorized Editions, including mysteries starring Ann Rutherford, Ann Sheridan, Betty Grable, Bonita Granville, and even the Powers Model girl.  I have done reviews of a number of these books, and if you look back, you'll see Ms. Heisenfelt's writing has never gotten more than a 5 out of 10 (in some cases, only 4, and in one case, as low as a 3!) rating.  I am definitely not a fan of her writing, so I went into this book with quite a bit of trepidation.  The story also has no seeming relation to the previous book - there is no mention of any of the characters from the previous book, and while Jane was a student in the first book, it is implied that she is an actress in this book (just like her real-life namesake).  The tone is completely different as well - much, MUCH darker.  The question in my mind as I started reading - how bad is this going to be?

 

Jane Withers and the Swamp Wizard takes young Jane Withers to a small town named Burley (the state is left unnamed) to spend some time with her best friend, Miss Cordelia Champlin (affectionately referred to as "Cokey"), and her mother, Alice Champlin.  The two women, along with Cokey's younger brother, Eddie, have moved into a farm to start a new life.  "Dad is still in Washington," Cokey tells Jane (p. 14), adding that they do not expect to see much of him, "[b]ut then, we didn't anyway - lately" (p. 14).  Thus, with the man of the house out of the picture, and with the younger brother off-screen, so to speak, going into the next village to buy a tractor, it is just these three women left to face the mystery that lies ahead.  It begins when Cokey tells Jane about a strange feeling she got after being told of the Simmering Springs and the legend of the "Swamp Wizard" that is said to haunt the springs.  Jane puts no stock in the story, but Cokey reminds her friend that her hunches have always come true in the past, and she is certain there is trouble ahead for the girls.  Needless to say, her premonition turns out to be true.

 

As much as I have not liked any of the previous books written by Heisenfelt that I have read, this one turned out to be quite different and quite readable.  Perhaps a large part of that is because of the gothic feel she gives to the story.  The girls run an errand for Cokey's mother, and end up taking a side trip to deliver a message for a sick woman.  As they say, no good deed goes unpunished, and the girls go out of their way, get lost, and mistakenly end up in the house of a bitter woman who makes it clear she does not want them there!  But a storm is unleashed, which takes out the bridges that are the only way across the raging river, leaving Jane and Cokey stranded at this lonely old farmhouse with the woman, her cantankerous father, and her brooding son.  All three want the girls gone, insistent that the Swamp Wizard does not like strangers near the springs - which is exactly where the farmhouse is located!  Jane and Cokey are not able to rationalize this family's fear, but when they hear the strange cries in the night, and when the woman's son appears to be missing, they have to wonder if there is some supernatural force at work.

 

  

 

The gothic tropes abound in this story - the secluded house, the family with secrets, the visitors who are not wanted there, the whispers of supernatural creatures, and the dire warnings of impending doom.  The night seems to be endless, and the storm unrelenting.  The girls are shuffled off to an upstairs room at the end of the hall, with strict instructions to not leave the room.  Of course, Jane is much too curious to remain locked in the room, and she and Cokey venture out in the hopes of learning some of the secrets behind the animosity this family had towards them and why they are so afraid of a superstitious wives' tale about a wizard in the swamp.  Heisenfelt does a decent job of building up the tension, of keeping the secrets right there on the edge of everyone's thoughts, and instilling terror in her characters, leaving the reader to wonder who really is the bad guy of this tale. There is even a scene where the woman's father takes the girls to the edge of the springs, claiming he wants them to understand why they need to leave and never come back - but Cokey loses her balance (or was she pushed?) and nearly falls into the deadly quicksand that makes up the swampy springs!  This scene is depicted on the endpages, with Jane reaching out desperately to save her friend!

 

The conclusion builds up nicely, as the secrets are not so quickly revealed, even after Cokey's mother finally arrives with some others, who were out searching for the missing girls (remember - they had simply gone on an errand to buy eggs, yet never came home for more than 24 hours!).  These villagers, who know the woman, are given the same harsh welcome that Jane and Cokey endured, and it is from the most unlikely of sources that the truth behind the Swamp Wizard is finally revealed. Once that truth comes out, and once the secrets of the past are laid bare, the woman is finally freed from all that has been haunting her for so many years, and Heisenfelt provides a very satisfying conclusion to the story and its characters.  The book even concludes with Jane observing that, "I've a hunch we're going to have a lot of fun this summer!" (p. 248).

 

Henry E. Vallely, who has provided the art for so many of these Whitman Authorized Editions, does the line illustrations for this book.  For this, I am glad, as he does a fantastic job of drawing expressions that help strengthen the scene depicted, so that even if there were no words given, you would get the impression of what was going on.  In one such instance, where Jane has left the upstairs bedroom to learn more about the secrets of this hose, Vallely shows Jane hiding behind the couch as Alma Frieson and her father prowl around in the night - just by looking at Jane's face, you can see the fear she feels at the thought of being discovered; while, at the same time, the harsh expressions on Mrs. Frieson and her father give you a clear sense of just how fierce this family can be. The mood created fits perfectly with the gothic nature of the story, and I can't imagine a better artist to provide the illustrations for this one than Vallely.

 

This was an unexpectedly good book to read, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  Now I am curious as to the third Jane Withers mystery, as it is written by yet another author (Roy J. Snell) - I wonder how it will compare to these first two...

 

RATING:  9 bowls of strawberry preserves out of 10 for a suspenseful story of gothic terror mixed with young adult mystery. 

Jane Withers and the Hidden Room - the first Whitman Authorized Edition

While most of the books in the Whitman Authorized Editions are single-issued books, there were a few in the line that gave the characters two books - such as Shirley Temple, Deanna Durbin, and Betty Grable.  However, once actress was fortunate enough to get three books, published one a year from 1942 to 1944, and that was Jane Withers (1926 - 2021).  Now, I'll be honest, before getting these books, I had never even heard of Jane Withers before, let alone did I know who she was.  Upon performing a bit of researched, I was surprised to learn she was an extremely popular child star in Hollywood in the 1930s and early 1940s.  I was even more surprised to find that she was "Josephine the Plumber" in those old Comet cleanser commercials on television!  These three books from Whitman seem to have been published just as Withers' childhood fame was starting to die down, so it is interesting that of all the actors and actresses who had books published using their name, she is the only one to have received three!

 

Jane Withers and the Hidden Room was written by Eleanor Packer - and this was Ms. Packer's only contribution to the Whitman Authorized Editions.  The "hidden room" of the title is a bit misleading, as it is not necessarily hidden (since it is easily seen from the outside), but it is a room that is only accessible from the inside by going through a hidden panel in the back of a closet or from outside by clicking a secret release under the ledge of the window.  However, it is what is kept in that room, who is using the room, and why access to the room is so obscure that create the real mystery for this book.  The room, in fact, does not really come into play until nearly half-way through the story!

 

The book actually opens innocently enough, with you Jane Withers arriving by train in the small city of Hollytown-on-the-Hudson. (NOTE - there is no such city; yet, oddly enough, there are two special events that take place with similar names: (1) "Holi on the Hudson" is a Hindu festival that celebrates love, goodness, and renewal; and (2) "Hooley on the Hudson" is an Irish festival that celebrates their culture and heritage. It seems both celebrations on the Hudson River are relatively recent, so it is unlikely the author was inspired by either for the name of her fictional town.)  Jane has returned late from her summer vacation in California due to illness, so she has a lot to catch up on now that she is back at Holly Hall, the "school for young ladies" that is Hollytown's greatest pride (p. 16).  This includes the new professor of Romantic Languages, Paul Berthon.  According to Jane's best friend, Ellin Dwyer, the teacher is the talk of the school, as all of the students (and some of the teachers) are quite smitten with the handsome man.  Jane, however, is more worried about catching up on all of her missed schoolwork rather than silly, girlish crushes on a new teacher.

 

Holly Hall reminds me quite a bit of Starhurst School for Girls from the Dana Girls series.  Both are prestigious schools for young ladies; both are run by a stern, but fair older lady (in this instance, Miss Abigail the second heads up the school; her aunt, Miss Abigail the first, was the previous mistress of Holly Hall until her death); and both have students who become amateur sleuths who fall upon mysteries that must be solved.  While the Dana sisters are both involved in solving the mysteries, in this instance, Jane is on her own - even though her best friend Ellin is in the picture, she does not actually become involved in the mystery.  As this book was published in 1942, some eight years after the first Dana Girls books were published, perhaps Packer was influenced by the Dana Girls series (and numerous other girls series from that era and before that were sent in girls' schools).  

In any event, the mystery begins when Miss Abigail announces some of her jewelry was stolen from her room at the school.  When one of the missing earrings is found under Jane's hatbox in her room, Jane's inquisitive mind kicks into gear.  How did it get there?  Who could have dropped it?  The mystery deepens when Jane is invited to join Ellin at her parents' home for the weekend, and the new teacher, Paul Berthon, and his sister, Lucienne, are also there - and shortly after the visit, the Dwyers' jewels are stolen from their safe!  Jane begins to have suspicions about Professor Berthon and his sister, but Ellin and her parents dismiss them.  Yet, when Jane and Ellin are guests at the professor's cottage, Jane happens upon a small jewel case under the cushion of her chair, which only strengthens Jane's distrust of the professor and his sister.  She is determined to uncover the truth, so she goes to confront her professor - but, instead, she stumbles upon a sinister plot much greater than she had originally thought and becomes the captive of a group of ruthless criminals!

 

The story was actually one of the best of the Whitman Authorized Editions I have read to date.  A strong plot, a very likeable main character, and plenty of danger, excitement, and mystery to keep the story moving at a good pace.  There are definitely some more adult themes to this story, though.  The constant threat of death looming over Jane while held captive by the criminals keeps it very suspenseful, and the fact that they repeatedly make it clear the school's caretaker was "already taken care of" only strengthens the reader's belief that Jane's fate is sealed.  "The little black boy won't never talk again," one crook comments (p. 142); but a more insulting comment is made shortly thereafter, when the same crook sneers and remarks, "You didn't wait to let the Chief decide when you got rid of that darkie" (p. 143).  This kind of comment reminds readers how dated the book is.

 

In addition, Lucienne's rather sarcastic comment to her brother when referring to all of the schoolgirls who have a crush on him, calling him "my gay Lothario," has some very adult undertones, since Lothario often refers to a man who acts very irresponsibly with regard to his sexual relationships with women (which stems from a character of this nature from the 1703 Nicholas Rowe tragedy, The Fair Penitent).  I am surprised such a reference would have been allowed in a book intended for children and young adults to read back in the 1940s!

 

Aside from that, the book was a great read.  It is illustrated by Henrey E. Vallely, who seems to have provided illustrations for a large number of the Whitman Authorized Editions, for which I am glad, as he provides some very beautiful illustrations. The only negative observation I have to make (and it's not about his actual artwork, but rather, about the scene he draws) is with regard to the end pages.  This is not the first book where the end pages provides a dramatic scene which actually spoils the story if you pay attention to it before you actually read any of the book - stories about Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable, and Ann Sheridan also showcased art on their end pages that revealed dramatic moments, either from the end of those particular stories, or from climactic moments that revealed important elements of the story.  Not sure why Whitman would choose these particular scenes, but they should come with a "spoiler alert"!

 

After reading this first Jane Withers mystery, I am anxiously looking forward to the next two - especially since they are not written by the same author as this one, and I'll be curious to see in what direction they take the title character.

 

RATING:  10 little gold typewriter charms out of 10 for a well-written mystery that is pretty much on par with the Nancy Drew and Dana Girls mysteries being published around the same time!

Whitman Mystery Stories - Ann Rutherford and the Key to Nightmare Hall

Yeah, I thought I might as well punish myself again and read another Whitman Authorized Edition written by Kathryn Heisenfelt.  I figure the sooner I get them all read and behind me, the sooner I can move on to some better written books.  I'm not sure what Whitman was thinking when they published her stories, and honestly, I'm surprised the publicists for these actors allowed the likeness of their clients to be used for these stories.  But, I suppose the old saying true - any publicity, whether good or bad, is good publicity.  In any event, I had absolutely no thought of enjoying this story when I picked it up to read it.  Surprisingly, while Heisenfelt remained true to her over-wrought and always-questioning protagonist writing, the underlying plot to this story was rather good.

Ann Rutherford and the Key to Nightmare Hall features the Candian-born actress, Ann Rutherford (1917-2012) who is probably most recognized as playing Polly Benedict in the Andy Hardy series of films from the '30s and '40s, as well as Careen O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.  This book was published in 1942, the same year that Andy Hardy's Double Life was released (which was the last Andy Hardy film in which Rutherford starred).  As with the other Authorized Editions published by Whitman, the Ann Rutherford of this story does not seem to be the actress, but merely shares the name - however, there is a vague reference by the protagonist in the story where she worries the people in the house may have recognized her (hinting that she could be the actress from Hollywood, although that is never explicitly said).  

As for the mystery, it centers around a mysterious old mansion Nath-Mar Hall.  Ann and her friend, Robert Gilmore (known to his friends as "Bop") are on their way to meet friends at a ski resort, when Bop decides to make a side trip to visit a property that is being listed for sale.  Bop wants to impress his father by getting the listing, so Ann agrees to the side trip.  But, as fate would have it, Bop mistakenly takes the wrong road and thinks that Nath-Mar Hall is the property being sold.  They quickly learn otherwise when they are invited inside by the great house's owner.  Without allowing them to explain the purpose of their visit, he ushers them into a large room where four others are waiting - two men and two women.  To their shock, Ann and Bop learn the old gentleman believes they are his daughter's adopted children, Josephine and Ronald, and every time they try to tell him his error, he shuts them down.  So, the two of them get stuck in a twisted game that Nathan Emans has set up for his heirs - find the key hidden somewhere in the foreboding house and win his entire estate upon his death!

It's actually a rather ingenuous little plot that might have been better executed by another writer.  The idea of an aging, wealthy man pitting his greedy heirs against one another in order to gain the inheritance could be a wonderfully thrilling tale, especially when you have two "heirs" who are actually unrelated to them all.  Throw in the quiet, yet powerful butler and the not-so-nice housekeeper/cook, as well as two vicious dogs waiting outside for anyone who tries to leave, and you've got the perfect setting for a very dark mystery.  The two men and two women tun out to be the old man's great-nephew, Richard Meaker, and his sister, Lileen, along with the old man's step-son, Stuart Palmer and his sister, Muriel.  Each of these four characters are overbearing and somewhat spiteful, and a couple of them have some very shady backgrounds.  Thus, the deeper Ann and Bop get into this search for the hidden key, the more afraid they become that someone might discover the truth - because what would these people do to them if they knew they were not members of the family?!

There's a definite gothic feel to the book, as Heisenfelt describes Nath-Mar Hall (which Ann refers to as "Nightmare Hall" - hence, the title of the book!) with plenty of arched doorways, frightening shadows, statuettes watching from above and around, darkened rooms, and a sense of danger no matter which way you turn.  There's even a poor little bird in a cage that no one seems to feed or give water to, making Ann's heart ache to care for it, since even its owner seems ambivalent to it as he does to the members of his own family.  There is an incident in the book that makes Ann realize how deadly the situation is, when she witnesses someone try and kill Nathan Emans!  From that point, Ann and Bop decide they have to find the key before anyone else so that they can get out of this nightmare mansion.

As I said, the plot is actually an interesting one, and the characters definitely make you hate them (like you are supposed to).  The drawback to the story is Heisenfelt's need to make her lead character do very little throughout the book other than question herself.  The incessant "why won't he listen to us?  why can't we tell him the truth?" and "do they know who we are? what will they do if they find out?" and "how can we escape this prison? why did we have to come here?" and so many more, to the point where you just want to reach into the book, slap Ann, and tell her to shut up.  I mean, seriously, the idea that neither she nor Bop can speak up and tell Nathan Emas who they are at the beginning of the story goes well beyond any suspension of disbelief.  She and Bop keep telling each other they are going to tell him, then when the time comes, they start questioning themselves and end up not saying a word.  After a while, it just gets ridiculous.

 

That being said, the book does have illustrations by Henry E. Vallely, which helps make up for the writing, as Vallely's art is always beautifully drawn.  And thankfully, this is one Whitman book that does not spoil any of the story with the endpages!  In this book, we get a two-page spread that show Ann and Bop when they first arrive at Nath-Mar Hall, mistakenly believing it to be the house of one Mr. Marshall who is looking to sell.  The house is this illustration is not quite as large, nor as mysterious as the one described in the book, but it is still beautifully rendered.

Of all the Heisenfelt books I've read to date, while this one definitely has issues, I would say this is the best of the group.  The underlying plot was engaging and interesting enough that I could get past all of Ann's constant self-doubts and questioning of everything. 

RATING:  5 green jars of bird seed out of 10 for at least giving us a mystery that catches your attention strong enough to keep you reading to the end!

Whitman Mystery Stories - April Kane and the Dragon Lady (a Terry and the Pirates Adventure)

I have, of course, heard of Terry and the Pirates over the years, but honestly, I've never read it.  I know that Terry and the Pirates was a newspaper comic strip created by Milton Caniff.  Looking it up online, I see the strip ran from October 1934 to February 1973.  Caniff left the strip in 1946, however, as Terry and the Pirates was owned by Chicago Tribune New York Times Syndicate and lacking any creative control over the strip, he went on to create his own work with a strip called Steve Canyon.  Terry and the Pirates went on under other writers and artists until it ended in 1973.  In recent years, I became aware that Whitman offered up a book in its line of "Authorized Editions" based on the comic strip, so when I found a copy in dust jacket, I picked it up.

April Kane and the Dragon Lady was published in 1942, just a few years before Caniff left the newspaper strip.  As with the other Whitman Authorized Editions that are based on comic strips, the book does not attribute any writer or artist to the book; however, on the copyright page, it does indicate the internal illustrations are "adapted" from the comic strip itself.  This might hint at Caniff himself being the artist and, possibly, the writer; or, it could be that the story is taken from one that ran in the newspaper strip and the illustrations are simply panels from that ongoing tale.  Having never read the comic strip, I cannot say for sure one way or the other.  The cover makes Terry and April appear to be children; the interior illustrations, thankfully, give them a somewhat older appearance.

I was not really sure what to expect from the story.  I had always assumed the "and the Pirates" portion of the name of the strip meant that Terry had a group of pirates that he went around with; but, I quickly learned this is not the case.  The "pirates" are actually the villains he fought against, with his trusty gang: his trusted friend, Pat Ryan; his Chinese helper, Connie; his silent strongman, Big Stoop; and, of course, his love interest, April Kane.  While the title of the book is April Kane and the Dragon Lady, the story would actually be more aptly titled "Terry and the Dragon Lady."  Based on the title alone, I had expected April to be the main character of the story, but, alas, that is no the case.  Terry is actually the main character - it is he who meets up with the Dragon Lady; it is he who takes dancing lessons in secret from the Dragon Lady so he can take April to an important ball; it is he who rushes to the aid of the Dragon Lady; and it is he who gets gravely injured during a battle on behalf of the Dragon Lady.

That's not to say April is not in the story.  But she is mostly a supporting cast member who is there to play nursemaid to Terry after he is hurt, and to help Pat recover after he defeats the villainous Klang during a cliff side fight.  It was disappointing not to see more of April, and more particularly, not to see her portrayed as a strong-willed heroine who is not dependent on the men to rescue her.  In fact, it is the Dragon Lady who seems to made of sterner stuff, and while she teeters between good and evil, it is clear that she is not dependent on anyone and can handle herself in any situation.  The way she handles the men who serve her, the way she confronts the enemy, and the way she does not hesitate to punish anyone who disobeys her - she is a definite leader, not a follower.  I almost wish the author had given us readers a bit more of the back story with her and Terry's gang, as it is evident Pat is familiar with her, as he speaks so comfortably with her, like no one else would dare.  

The one character in the story who kept me guessing was Deeth Crispin III.  The son of an important businessman, it is Deeth who ultimately takes April to the ball, albeit for the sole purpose of making Terry jealous (just as Terry takes the Dragon Lady to the ball in the hopes of making April jealous!).  Deeth ends up getting sucked into the adventure, as the Dragon Lady takes Terry, April, and Deeth hostage, flying them to a distant land where she plans to abandon them.  Deeth seems to lack courage at every turn - but when the final battle takes place, it is Deeth who sneaks away in the hopes of finding a way to save April, Terry, and the gang.  And it is Deeth who takes a bullet that potentially costs him his life - the only problem is, we never find out!  The book leaves so many things unfinished - does Deeth die?  Do Pat and April reunite with Terry and the gang?  Where did the Dragon Lady go?  A very unsatisfying ending to the story, that's for sure!

For an adventure story, I'd say the book was a fairly good read.  It was not a mystery, so if that's what you are looking for, you can pass by this one.  Not one of the best Whitman stories I've read, but by far, not one of the worst.

RATING:  6 glasses of poisoned punch out of 10 for not being afraid to put these characters in some very life-threatening situations and giving them the courage to make it through!

Whitman Mystery Stories - Ann Sheridan and the Sign of the Sphinx

I suppose I'm a glutton for punishment, because I decided to read yet another Whitman Authorized Edition written by Kathryn Heisenfelt.  The previous three books I have read by her have been less than stellar, and, in fact, it seems the more I read, the worse they become.  I honestly cannot figure out why Whitman utilized her as a writer for these books, particularly the authorized editions that were using the names and likenesses of relatively big name stars from that time (such as Bonita Granville, Betty Grable, Ann Sheridan, and others).  I have to wonder if any of these stars actually read the books using their names, and if so, what they thought of the stories.

Ann Sheridan and the Sign of the Sphinx has a fairly dark mystery to it.  Ann has come to the town of Coreyville to visit her friend, Tess Whitehouse, who owns a beauty parlor in town.  But, from the moment of her arrival, she can tell something is off.  The employees seem worried, and while Tess tries to play if off, Ann senses something is very wrong.  She quickly discovers that Tess's business partner, Gail De Lane, has given her notice and is leaving the business!  What's worse is the reason she is leaving - she is worried about her sister, who she believes to be missing!  Ann finds herself thrust into the middle of helping Tess and Gail, where she discovers that Lacey De Lane has become involved in some kind of cult that uses a poorly drawn sphinx as its symbol.  Ann is not sure who she can trust - the De Lanes' neighbor?  His rather brusque nephew?  The parlor's assistant?  All of these supporting cast come across as suspicious, and quite frankly, it's not easy for the reader to discern who is really on the up-and-up.

As with any mystery involving a "cult," they are, in reality, nothing more than con men, determined to swindle people out of their fortunes and leave them high-and-dry!  Only, this cult intends to do more than that - they don't believe in leaving behind witnesses!  Probably the best thing about this story is the final few chapters, where Ann and the nephew, Charles Boyden (also known as "Crunch"), sneak into an abandoned hotel that was never finished and try to put a stop to the cult's actions before Lacey, and the others being swindled, are sent to their deaths in a deep pool at the heart of the hotel!  Ann has to overcome her fears to create a distraction so that Crunch can rescue the women - and boy, she definitely creates a distraction!

Now, since we are talking about Ann's fears, let me say that this entire book seems to be mostly about Ann's fears.  Heisenfelt goes on for page after page with Ann's inner dialogue and her fears -her fear of going into the apartment building where Lacey might be; her fear of going back into the beauty parlor to pick up some papers; hear fear of climbing the stairs; her fear of getting into a car with Crunch; her fear of going into the dark hotel; etc., etc.  It becomes very tiresome that in order to get to any actual scenes of action, we are forced to read pages of fear-filled thoughts and feelings running through Ann's head.  It makes me wonder if Heisenfelt believed this was the best way to create tension and suspense in her writing, by giving her title characters unfounded fears, and then just rehashing them over and over until the action finally occurs, revealing the fears to be baseless (in most cases, but not all).  It becomes almost like the boy who cried wolf, as the readers starts doubting anything is going to happen every time Ann's inner dialogue goes to work in building up fear of what might be about to happen.

 

One thing that did surprise me about the story was the fact that Ann Sheridan was actually written as the actress, rather than just a character of the same name.  In other Whitman Authorized Editions, the "star" is not actually a movie star in the story, but rather, simply a character with that name.  In this book, however, the supporting cast immediately recognize Ann as the film star that she is, and there's even comments about her stardom and how she handles it.  

 

At least one saving grace about the book is the art.  Henry E. Vallely, who did art on a number of other Whitman titles, provides some beautiful line drawings that are a few of the only redeeming qualities for the book.  The end pages show a fantastic scene of Ann and Crunch getting ready to jump into action to save the women from the cult - which, as with other Whitman books, reveals part of the climactic scene, spoiling some of the story for readers (if they actually pay attention to the end pages before they start reading!).  

Of the 23 illustrations throughout the book, though, I'd have to say my favorite is probably the one on page 175.  The drawing depicts the unfinished hotel at night, where all that can be seen is the shadowy outline of the crumbling building, with only one light shining through a slim window and a full moon in the sky overhead.  It creates an eerie scene, and certainly relies on the gothic to project fear into the reader's mind.  And while I do really love the image, I am somewhat confused as to why the publisher placed it at this point of the story.  The tag underneath the illustration reads, "The windows glowered at them."  This comes from the previous page, 174, where Ann and Crunch had come up to the Stop-Off, a food stand that was the place where they would catch the trail to lead them to the abandoned hotel.  Ann is looking at the Stop-Off, not the actual hotel, when this line is applied, and so it begs the question of why Vallely drew the hotel for this illustration instead of a food stand.  Or did the publisher merely put the picture in the wrong place, tagging it with a line they thought might fit.  In either case, it doesn't fit the story here.

The remainder of the illustrations, though, are also beautifully rendered, and Ann looks absolutely stunning.  I give Vallely props for keeping Ann's clothes consistent from the one drawing to the next, including the rather ostentatious hat she is wearing at the beginning of the story!  The drawing on page 209, where Ann and Crunch are eavesdropping on two of the cult leaders, looks like it could have been drawn for a move poster!  You can actually "feel" the action in that scene.  I think that is part of the reason I like Vallely's illustrations so much, in that they come alive in most cases, and it feels like a moving scene rather than a two-dimensional drawing.

It took me a bit longer than normal to work my way through this story, mostly because I had to force my way past all of the repetitious "what's going to happen?" and "should I do this?" and "why am I doing this?" and "I must go on, but I'm scared!"  I suppose the big finale was at least a sort-of payoff for sitting through the rest of the book - but this is definitely not one of the Whitmans I would recommend.

RATING:  4 white-robed figures carrying candles out of 10 for at least making the reader question the motive of a number of the characters, so as not to give away the identity of the actual culprits too early in the story.