Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32012 - Castle Malice

"The bizarre incidents kept mounting until she had no choice but to unmask the source of evil" (cover blurb)

 

This 12th novel in the Harlequin Gothic Romance series is the second and final volume written by Marilyn Ross (W.E.D. Ross).  While his last novel was set in the 19th Century, this book is set in the present.  Further, both the story and the cover art are a strong reminder just how much these Gothic tales are like reading grown-up Nancy Drew mysteries - dark, foreboding mansions, hidden passages, repeated attacks on the protagonist, and long-kept secrets that must be uncovered before the heroine can find her happily-ever-after.  Thankfully, Ross knows how to write a strong protagonist that does not easily fall under the spell of the men around her and who can think for herself (although, let's face it, she ultimately winds up in a desperate and dangerous situation by the end that reveals the true villain of the story!), which makes for great stories.

 

Castle Malice is the tale of another young heiress who inherits a fortune from a distant relative and must travel to Europe to claim her bequest.   As with so many Gothic tales that have come before, that distant relative died under mysterious circumstances, the house our protagonist is to inherit comes with dark secrets, and someone is determined to get the heroine out of the way in order to take the property for themselves!  In this case, Trudy Stone, a young woman from New York, travels all the way to a small village on the Italian Riveria after receiving a letter from her aunt's attorney informing her that her Aunt Julia passed away, and Trudy is her only heir.  But she arrives by train to the lonely station (gee, sounds very much like poor Victoria Winters from Ross' other series of novels) to be met not by the attorney as she expected, but by Dr. Carl Redman, who whisks her away to the home of his employer, Benson Steiburn, and his lovely daughter, Sylvia - whose grand castle (known as "Castle Malice" by the townspeople because of its horrid past) is located right next to the villa Trudy is to inherit.  She soon meets their other neighbor, aging actress Lena Morel and the young reporter who is penning her biography, Tom Clarendon, as well as Adrian Romitelli, a con man who everyone says was taking advantage of Trudy's aunt.  With all of these characters, the stage is set for a deadly mystery to be played out...

 

As always, Ross manages to build up the suspense as Trudy finds some very strange things are happening at Castle Malice.  First, she awakens to find the likeness of her dead aunt's face on the pillow next to her; then, she comes face to face with ghostly masked swordsman that supposedly haunts the castle; next, she is locked in an underground tunnel that connects the castle to her aunt's villa; later, she is nearly killed as she chased down the stairs of the villa and chocked by the swordsman; and at a town festival, she finds herself trapped in an alley, facing certain death at the hands of a cloaked madman.  All of these "foibles," so to speak, could easily be seen in a Nancy Drew mystery novel, just perhaps with the threat-level lessened a bit.  But, like Nancy, Trudy fights back and refuses to be intimidated by the masked man.  She does not believe in ghosts, and she knows that a living, breathing human is behind all of her attacks.  In fact, she realizes whoever is after her is likely the same person that killed her aunt, anxious to get their hands on her inheritance - you see, her aunt did not outright bequeath Trudy her great fortune; rather, she merely gave it to her while she lives, and upon Trudy's death, it passes to another.  The only problem is, that "other" heir is unknown, as it is sealed in a second Will that cannot be opened until Trudy's death.  Which leaves everyone wondering - who inherits after Trudy?

 

It's a great mystery, and readers will likely go back and forth (like Trudy does in the story) trying to figure out who is the one with enough reason to get rid of our poor protagonist.  Is it Mr. Steiburn, who wants to tear down the villa and build a museum to house all of his art treasures?  Is it Adrian, who willingly admits he was Julia's friend and confidante solely for the money she gave him?  Is it Carl, who shows Trudy attention, while at the same time seems to have a love affair going on with the very married Sylvia?  Is it Lena, who claims to have been Julia's best friend, yet was completely left out of the deceased woman's Will?  Or is it Tom, who has no money of his own and who everyone believes has latched onto the aging actress solely to get the money from writing her story?  All of them have motives, all of them have means, and all of them seem to have opportunity with each incident - until Trudy learns that one of them did NOT have opportunity, and perhaps she has been trusting the wrong people.  And when that one person turns up dead of a supposed suicide, Trudy realizes she is next!

 

Unfortunately, like his last book, Ross builds up the story, gets you completely involved in the characters and plot, and then, instead of a very dramatic revelation at the end and a page-turning final battle, Ross wraps up the story in just four short pages, with very little climax at all.  It is somewhat disappointing that the endings to his stories feel so rushed, when the rest of his work is so engaging.

 

I would be remiss if I did not point out Ross' obvious Easter Egg to his most popular series.  I think in pretty much every book he wrote, Ross manages to weave in the phrase "dark shadows" (which fans easily identify as his most recognizable works, based on the 1960s television show), and he does not fail with this one.  In this case, it is in Trudy's dreams, as she has a sleep "filled with gliding phantoms and abrupt appearances of the masked swordsman from out of dark shadows" (p.166). 

 

The cover artist is not identified, but the scene is taken from pages 54-55, where Trudy is exploring the underground tunnel and gets trapped within the dark maze after someone locks her in there.  The artist manages to capture Trudy's fear nicely, and even accurately depicts her wearing the "light blue cotton-knit dress that was flattering to her blond good looks" (p. 54).  The scene could also easily be translated over to a Nancy Drew book (The Hidden Staircase, perhaps, or Old Attic, or even Blackwood Hall).  In fact, comparing this with Rudy Nappi's art on The Clue of the Dancing Puppet (published in 1962), Trudy here seems to be a mirror version of Nancy from that cover!

 

This is the first Harlequin Gothic to list the author's other works in the series in the front, just opposite the title page (identifying book 11, Shadows Over Briarcliff as other "Books by Marilyn Ross" in the line of Harlequin Gothic Romance titles.  The book also has a dedication by Ross to his "good friends Dot and Bill Swangren."  Research reveals a rather unexpected Nancy Drew connection, as Dorothy "Dot" Swangren was, at one point, a secretary at Wellesley College - which, coincidentally enough, is the very same college from which Harriet Stratemeyer Adams graduated back in 1914!  And fans of Nancy Drew are well aware of the Stratemeyer connection to that series, which reminds us that this truly is a very small world, after all!

 

RATING:  8 battered red clown hats out of 10 for a great mystery filled with plenty of twists, proving Ross is a master at Gothic suspense.

The Vampire Cameo - a Lancer Books Gothic

I finally come to a gothic novel that deals more directly with the supernatural than any of the gothics I have read to date - in this case, vampires.  While many gothic stories hint at supernatural elements, they are normally explained away by the end of the book as some villainous machinations of a devious man (or woman) out to destroy lives, gain a family fortune, or for some other nefarious reason.  Not in this case.  As the title clearly indicates, this story is about vampires - the blood-sucking, eternal creatures of the night that roam the countryside looking for victims.  Or is it?  Author Dorothea Nile (who, in actuality, is Michael Avallone, a rather prolific and talented writer who published books in a number of genres under quite a few pseudonyms - besides this one, he also wrote gothics using the names Edwina Noone and Priscilla Dalton) is quite cunning in the way she (he) tells this story, leaving the reader, and the story's protagonist, wondering right up to the very end!

 

The Vampire Cameo is set right at the turn of the 20th Century, in the year 1899.  Young Rosalie Lindquist, an American schoolteacher vacationing in Europe, is on the last leg of her journey when fate intervenes.  The coach in which she is riding overturns in the Transylvania countryside during a horrific storm, leaving her stranded without any luggage, money, or means to reach the Austrian border.  A mysterious man happens to be there, offering her sanctuary within the darkened halls of his crumbling home - Darkus Castle!  (That name alone is enough to conjure up demons and all sorts of other horrors!)  Count Alexander Darkus and his wife, Lady Carmela Darkus, are gracious hosts - but from the very moment Rosalie sets foot in the decaying castle, she can feel something is off.  As the storm strengthens and the darkness descends, Rosalie - and the reader! - must determine if someone in that castle is a vampire, and if so, who is it?

 

The people in the nearby town of Larksmore wholeheartedly believe that Count Darkus is a vampire.  He certainly fits the part, what with his dark, brooding manner, his dark hair and fair skin, and his old ways.  But Rosalie has seen him in the day time, so surely that would discredit any thought of him being a creature of the night, right?  However, Rosalie has also noticed that Castle Darkus is completely devoid of mirrors in any of the rooms, including her own guest room.  Could it be he wants to hide the fact that he casts no reflection?  And what about that huge bat that tries ferociously to break through the window into Rosalie's room the first night she is there?  Was it pure chance, or was it Count Darkus knowing exactly which room she would be in?

 

Rosalie cannot quite believe the handsome Count is a vampire.  After all, vampires are simply creatures of myth.  No God-fearing young woman would believe such fantastical things exist.  Yet, she cannot deny the facts in front of her.  She does not see Lady Darkus in the day - she's suffering from a headache, the Count informs her.  The Lady also reacts in terror at the sight of Rosalie's crucifix pendant.  Only a vampire would react in such a way, correct?  Yet, Count Darkus explains that his wife lost her parents in a horrific accident, and the silver crucifix her mother was wearing at the time of her death has inspired fear of crosses ever since.  A simple, logical explanation, no doubt.  But Rosalie has her doubts.  Although the next morning shines brights, and Rosalie is ready to put it all behind her and return home - until the carriage she is in meets up with an angry mob of townspeople who are out for blood.  Three young girls have disappeared, and they believe Count Darkus stole them away.  Unable to pass, Rosalie is forced back to the castle, back to the dark recesses of the morbid place, back to where all her fears are once again brought to the forefront.

 

The story takes place over the course of just three or four days, yet, Nile (Avallone) manages to build up considerable suspense and fear within 180-plus pages.  Poor Rosalie fights to rely on her faith in God and her own common sense to tell her that there are no such things as vampires.  But the things she sees and the people right in front of her are making her question everything she has ever believed.  What if one of them were a vampire?  What if one of them really did take those three village girls?  And what if one of them intended to make her their next victim?  Another horrific storm rocks the great castle, and the irate villagers show up at the castle's door, ready to take matters into their own hands, with wooden stakes and mallets, to find their missing daughters. Rosalie is forced to make a choice, knowing she could very well be killed right along with Count Darkus and his wife, and ultimately, a very dark secret is revealed about the inhabitants of Castle Darkus that opens everyone's eyes!

 

Oh, and yes, there is also the very large Mondro, the Count's right hand man (and the only staff in the entire castle).  He is a unique individual, being described as both deaf and dumb, a turn of words that the Count describes as "a shameful expression" (p. 85).  What is interesting is that Count Darkus apparently knows sign language, as he uses it ("a curious hand and finger sequence of motion") to communicate with Mondro (p. 85).  This is now the second book in recent weeks that I have read where one of the main characters is familiar with sign language (the other being The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage, a Dana Girls mystery where one of the sisters uses sign language to try and communicate with their teacher who is being held captive).  It is funny how I have gone years without reading any books that mention deafness or sign language, but now in the span of a couple of weeks, I have read two with it!

 

And speaking of Mondro being deaf and dumb, I have to wonder if Nile forgot that fact for a moment later in the story.  Much later, when Mondro starts to attack Rosalie, a shout from Count Darkus stops Mondro in his tracks, causing him to release Rosalie and turn to fight his master.(pp. 129-30).  Why would the Count's shout affect Mondro, if the man is deaf and cannot hear?  Even though Mondro is said in the story to have lip-reading skill, being able to lip read would not help him hear the Count shouting.  It might have been more realistic to have the Count come up behind Mondro, pull him off, and throw him to the other side of the hall - that would certainly have created a more dramatic entrance for the Count.  In any event, such a snafu does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

 

I am not sure who provided the cover art for this book, but I will say that it comes across more like for for a comic book rather than art for the cover of a book.  Rosalie holding the candle, Count Darkus seeming to appear within the swirling fog approaching the young woman, and the foreboding castle one can barely see against that black night sky.  It certainly sets the creepy tone of the story inside, and definitely gives the reader a sense that the vampire is about ready to attack.  Having been published in 1968, two years after the Dark Shadows television show first premiered and just one year after the vampire, Barnabas Collins, made his first appearance, the book and its cover art may well have been inspired by the popularity of the "sympathetic vampire" that was now so popular.

 

I did learn a new word while reading this book.  A number of times, Nile (Avallone) refers to Count Darkus' carriage as a "phaeton."  I have honestly never seen that word before in my life, so I looked it up.  Apparently, a phaeton can refer to several things:  in Green mythology, he is the mortal son of the sun god Helios; in more recent times, it is an open-top car (such as a Volkswagen luxury sedan); but a century or more ago, it referred to a four-wheeled carriage without doors, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. So, instead of simply calling it a carriage, Nile (Avallone) uses the term "phaeton" through the entire book.  Just goes to show, you can learn something new every day!

 

Finally, for those wondering about the title - yes, there is a cameo pin that plays a very important part of the story and ultimately leads to the final revelation of what is really going on and who is the vampire of the story.  And if you think you know, let me just say - think again!

 

RATING:   10 harpsichords softly playing out of 10 for a suspenseful, terror-filled story of vampires, hate-filled villagers, and a young heroine who stands firm in her faith and courage!

Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32003 - Castle at Jade Cove

"She had become the focus of an evil she couldn't see, hear or feel - until it reached out its icy fingers to touch her ... " (cover blurb)

 

Well, with this book, it's three for three so far in this Harlequin Gothic Romance series of books.  All of the first three books in the series have been great reads.  And despite the first person point of view, of which I am not a big fan, the stories have been engaging, suspenseful, and while utilizing many standard gothic tropes, filled with just the right amount of mystery.  I could not find any information on the author, Helen B. Hicks, other than the fact that she (he?) wrote two other books in this Harlequin Gothic series, as well as a gothic romance published by Kensington under their Zebra line (Riversbend, published in 1987, a year after her last Harlequin was published).  Thus, I am not sure if Hicks is the actual name of the author or a pseudonym, as so many gothic authors are.  In either case, this book definitely has me looking forward to the other two books she wrote in this series!

Castle at Jade Cove is set in the 1800s and follows the journey of eighteen-year old Laurie Westfall from Massachusetts to California, where she has been sent by her now-deceased grandfather to live with the Howards.  It seems he had made a deal with Matthew Howard to look after Laurie should anything happen to him.  The only problem is, when Laurie arrives in Coventry and makes her way to the great house known as Jade Castle, she learns that Matthew is dead and his son, Jason Howard, is now managing the house and family business.  To make matters worse, Laurie has no money available to her, as her guardian back in Boston had control over her funds, and she may have accidentally killed him after he made inappropriate overtures toward her!

As with any good gothic, Jason permits her to remain at Jade Castle, as he wishes to honor his father's contract.  But Laurie quickly learns there are sinister secrets hidden within the walls of the great house.  The housekeeper, Mathilde, makes it no secret that she does not like Laurie and does not want her there.  The ranch manager, Ben Hollister, cannot hide his jealousy of Jason's wealth and position.  The woman who runs the boarding house in Coventry, Mrs. Speers, is blunt in her warning to Laurie to stay away from Jade Castle.  The cook, Yang Lee, is overly protective of his kitchen, with more than a hint of a threat behind his eyes at anyone who enters his domain.  The young lady, Annalee, is more than obvious about her intentions to win Jason Howard's heart - at any cost.  And then there is Jason Howard himself - a man who is said to care little about business and more about enjoying the pleasures of this life; yet, he is repeatedly leaving for San Francisco for days at a time for reasons he refuses to disclose.  Then there are the mysterious sobbings that Laurie hears at night - a woman's cries that everyone in the house insists are not real. Are they really a part of Laurie's imagination, or does the house harbor some dark mystery?

The typical gothic trope of the female protagonist's uncertainty between two men is played up well in this story, as Laurie falls head over heels for Jason, yet, at the same time, questions his motives and wonders if perhaps she should allow Ben to win her heart.  We also get the near-empty mansion with hidden rooms, a musty attic filled with relics of the past, and an almost soap opera-style secret that connects Laurie's own past to the history of this house and its family.  I also like the fact that the main character has a co-conspirator of sorts in the young maid, Jennie, with whom she finds not only a confidant, but also a willing helper with all of her plans (particularly the one to turn the tables on Annalee, who is dead-set upon keeping Jason out of Laurie's grasp!).  And I will admit, the mystery of the mysterious barges out in the cove, the secret tunnel leading from the house down to the cave on the shores below, and the plaintive cries in the night did turn out to have a rather unexpected resolution - not something I saw coming.  However, once Laurie learns what is really going on, she takes on an almost Nancy Drew-style "can do" attitude in wanting to put an end to the horrors taking place, even if that means putting an end to the man that she loves!

Hicks writing is strong, with the ability to build suspense and keep the reader wavering back and forth just as Laurie does in the story.  And when Laurie's connection to the Howard family does come out, it throws quite the monkey wrench into everything, leaving the main character in quite a quandary as to what to do next!

For once, we actually know who the artist is who provided the cover for the book, thanks to his signature on the art.  Leonard M. Goldberg gave us this beautiful illustration of Laurie running away from Jade Castle (a scene that is very reminiscent of Ruth Sanderson's cover art for Captive Witness, the 64th Nancy Drew Mystery Story which was published in 1981, three years prior to this book).  Goldberg was known for his covers to the Fu Manchu books, as well as many Harlequin novels and movie posters, and he even painted an iconic Camel cigarettes billboard in Times Square back in the day.  His talent is obvious, based on the magnificent cover to this book!

A good, solid read that was enjoyable from start to finish - looking forward to reading Hicks' other books in this series!

RATING:  10 silver and jade necklaces with matching earrings out of 10 for superb gothic suspense, mystery, and romance all rolled into one great story!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #22 - The Clue in the Crumbling Wall (Original Text)

And so we come to the 22nd Nancy Drew mystery, one that definitely features plenty of gothic goodness to satisfy any mystery reader.  Written by Mildred Wirt (Benson) and first published in 1945, the story features some very dangerous criminals, but it also features a romantic element that, mixed with the crumbling castle, hidden secrets, and mistaken identities, provides an almost-adult like story that could have easily been published in the '60s or '70 as a gothic novel.  Based on other works by Wirt that I've read, it's clear that some of the clunkiness of this mystery comes from the outline provided by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who was said to have provided so detailed of an outline that the authors often had difficulty trying to fit everything Adams wanted into the story.  Despite this, we still get a pretty good tale that allows Nancy an opportunity to really shine.

The Clue in the Crumbling Wall opens with a bit of humor, as Wirt introduces readers to the ever-chipper seaman known as "Mehearty."  A man described as a "jolly, weather-beaten old fellow" (p. 4), Mehearty is a former sailor who was injured on board a ship some years ago and now digs up and sells clams to the locals in River Heights.  The story of how he got his nickname, though, is something many Nancy Drew fans will love, since it gives us a bit of insight into Nancy Drew as a child.  According to the story, Mehearty received his nickname from Nancy Drew when she was just a little girl (p. 4).  Wirt describes it in this way:

He often addressed other people as "me hearties," and sang nautical songs including these words.  Little Nancy had gotten the whole thing mixed up and called him "Mehearty man."  Her nickname had stuck to him.  (p. 4)

Rarely, if ever, do we get glimpses into Nancy's childhood, but in this instance, Wirt provides us with a fun fact about Nancy's past (even if it is for a one-off character that only appears in this one book).  She does not specify Nancy's age when she gave the old sailor his nickname, but based on the description, it was probably a pre-school age Nancy, as children of that age are more likely to misunderstand and confuse things like that.

And since we are on the topic of age, this book is silent as to Nancy's age.  There is no reference at all to Nancy being sixteen-years old, as she has been identified as in prior books.  I have to wonder if this was intentional based on the reference that "[o]ver the span of a few years she had solved many baffling mysteries" (p. 3).  While in real time, Nancy had been solving mysteries for fifteen years at this point (1930 - 1945); however, in the fictional time of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, Nancy was eternally sixteen (until she became eternally eighteen ... well, at least until she suddenly reverted back to seventeen in the last few paperback digests ...).  So, it would not work to say she had been solving mysteries "over the span of a few years" and at the same time indicate Nancy is the same age as when she solved her first case.

Which raises the question - was The Secret of the Old Clock truly her first case?  The reason I ask is that in this story, the police woman who comes to talk with Nancy and Hannah Gruen about their stolen rose bushes asks Nancy, "Isn't it true that you've been interested in mysteries ever since you were a little girl?" (p. 11)..  This is an interesting comment to make, since the first book seemed to indicate that was Nancy's first mystery; yet, now here, we get the impression Nancy has been hunting down mysteries since she was a little girl (which Simon & Schuster must have picked up on when they introduced the Nancy Drew Notebooks series back in the day).

But I digress.  Let's take a look at the actual mystery, which is introduced through the police woman, Lieutenant Masters.  Okay, one quick rabbit trail before we get to the mystery - the way Wirt describes Lt. Masters throughout this story is rather odd.  When we first meet the female officer, Wirt describes her as "a charming woman, not in the least masculine" (p. 10).  Why would Wirt think anyone would  assume Lt. Masters is masculine?  Just because she's a police officer?  Later when Lt. Masters comes to the Drew home to share a dinner with them (yeah, don't even get me started on that scene!), Wirt writes that the "attractive officer arrived, not wearing a uniform, but looking very feminine and pretty in a blue lace dress" (p. 38).  What is it with this emphasis that Lt. Masters is "not masculine" and "very feminine"?  Was Wirt afraid if she used a female police officer in the story, readers would assume she was not very feminine?  For me, at least, these descriptions seemed unnecessary and were actually a bit distracting.

In any event, Lt. Masters first comes to the Drew home to look into the stolen rose bushes, but while she is there, she invites Nancy to go with her to speak with the mother of the young girl (Joan) who stole the bushes.  Now, mind you, how an eight year old girl was able to steal four rose bushes, which Nancy tells Hannah she buried "very deep" (p. 2), and carry them from the Drew home all the way to her own some miles away with no one noticing is beyond me.  But, hey, this is River Heights after all, and I suppose the neighbors there are just like anywhere else - no one wants to get involved!  In any event, Nancy goes with Lt. Masters, and she meets Joan's mother, Mrs. Fenimore, and finally we get to the mystery.  It seems Mrs. Fenimore's sister, Florianna a/k/a Flossie Johnson (a grown up Bobbsey Twin, perhaps?) disappeared  some years ago.  She was an expert dancer who was engaged to a wealthy manufacturer, Walter Heath; but she needed a rest, so she went away and was never seen nor heard from again!  Heath died, and in his will, he left his entire estate to Florianna on the condition that she lay claim to it within five years - which five years is about to expire in just three weeks! Now, her frail sister (who is ailing with something that is undefined) and her sister's young daughter are in need of help, and if Florianna were to be found to claim the estate, their financial woes would be over.  Can Nancy help?  Of course, she is Nancy Drew, after all.

And so Nancy, along with Bess and George, sets about to find out what happened to Florianna.  The search takes her to the long-abandoned Heath Castle, which appears to be falling apart in places - but, upon closer inspection, Nancy learns that someone is actually tearing it down, piece by piece!  Someone is searching for a treasure they believe hidden somewhere in the castle, and so Nancy takes it upon herself to find that treasure first, since it would rightfully belong to Florianna and her family.  For astute readers, it is fairly obvious from the get-go who the villain is, but it's fun following Nancy and her friends as they pursue their search for both the treasure and Florianna.  It's interesting that it's Bess and George she always takes with her to search Heath Castle, but it's her father that goes with her on each of her visits out of town to find Florianna.  It's almost as if each of these two mysteries requires different "assistants."

As indicated above, the story has a distinct gothic feel to it, and Wirt does a fairly decent job of building some of that gothic suspense.  The castle and its grounds are described in such a way that the readers feels like the castle itself is a sorrowful character in the story.  Upon their first visit to the property, they come across a "vine-tangled, fern-matter bower" where "two handsome stone vases lay on their sides, cracked from water freezing inside" (p. 30), as well as a "water-stained loggia of stone" with "four handsomely carved pillars" that support the balcony (p. 30).  There's even a "Haunted Walk" (p. 31) that the girls follow, in which Nancy feels a "pair of penetrating human eyes" following them (p. 32).  Further along, they come across a "fallen-down, decayed summerhouse" (p. 33).  When they later return to the property, having not actually seen the castle itself on their first visit, they pass "a weather-stained statuette in a wall niche" (p. 73) and take a path through "slender twisted stone columns" which have "over them ... a roof of untrimmed vines, supporting by thick stalks..." (p. 74).  It is here George is frightened when she sees an old man pointing at them, which turns out to be a statue (p. 75).  When Nancy does finally reach the castle itself, she sees it is "constructed of massive gray stone covered in large part by ivy" with a "roof line [that] was broken by several turrets, a large one at each end, with smaller ones in between" (p. 82).  Upon entering, Nancy finds the "inside wooden shutters were closed, giving the few sheet-draped chairs a ghostly appearance" (p. 83), and she has a momentary fright when she sees an unexpected reflection of herself in a long mirror in the room (p. 83).  It is at this point that Nancy hears "a plaintive cry from upstairs" (p. 83), and she rushes up into one of the towers to offer help, only to find herself locked in the tower (pp. 84-86).  These beautiful descriptions give the reader a sense of forlorn abandonment, as if the castle was reflecting Walter Heath's own feeling of abandonment when Florianna left and never returned.

The story does require a large amount of "suspension of disbelief," particularly when it comes to how the police treat Nancy.  Lt. Masters is definitely the most accommodating when it comes to Nancy - she is the one who asks Nancy to come with her to visit Joan's mother - and from there, Lt. Masters basically gives Nancy the keys to the kingdom, so to speak.  She tags along with Nancy to review Walter Heath's will; she doesn't require Nancy to tell her what she and girls discovered while trespassing (!!!) on the Heath property;  she has Nancy inform Mrs. Fenimore that Hannah's relatives will watch Joan for a time; she jumps when Nancy asks her to to Heath Castle with her to search for Florianna; she bring several policeman, at Nancy's request, to surround the castle so no one can escape, and when they might have to actually break into the Heath Castle, Lr. Masters tells Nancy not to worry - "You have the Law at your side" (p. 195).  This is all a bit much for the police to cater to a sixteen-year old girl, particularly one who has plainly trespassed not once, not twice, but multiple times on a property that does not belong to her!  It goes even beyond that, because Heath's attorney actually has a warrant put out for Nancy's arrest (pp. 191-92)!  Yet, instead of holding her at the jail, she is allowed to go free after she not only admits to trespassing, but says she "felt she had a legitimate reason to do so" (p. 192)!  Seriously?  I think this stretches the reader's ability to suspend their disbelief a bit too far.

 

Aside from that, however, there is an interesting bit about Nancy's family in this book that I don't believe is ever mentioned again.  One of the ways Nancy obtains clues about Heath Castle is from a "portfolio of colored pictures and descriptions of famous old houses and gardens in England" (p. 128) that Nancy tells her friends she received as a Christmas gift several years before.  What is so interesting about this is the fact the gift came from "a cousin of Nancy's" (p. 129).  A cousin would be a child of either Mr. Drew's or Mrs. Drew's siblings.  The only sibling we know of Mr. Drew is Eloise Drew, who is a single woman living in New York.  There is never mention of any other siblings.  So this would presume that the cousin is from Mrs. Drew's side of the family - which means Nancy has an aunt or uncle (or more than one!) on her mother's side, with at least one cousin from that line.  It's a shame we never got a full family tree for the Drews, as readers would no doubt love to know more about Nancy's mother and her side of the family.

Overall, the books was a very satisfying read, and I truly enjoyed the gothic elements to it.  This book is a fine example of why I prefer Nancy Drew mysteries to the Hardy Boys - Nancy Drew is much more heavy on the mystery side of things, while the Hardy Boys seem to be more focused on the adventure side.

RATING:  9 lily ponds filled with clam shells out of 10 for a truly gothic-style mystery with an old castle, a lost love, and a hidden treasure!

The Dornstein Icon - an Avon Gothic original

I have to make a confession about this book before I even start this blog post.  The sole reason I bought this book is because a friend of mine had shown me the cover to the book, and we laughed about the comparisons it has to the second cover art to the Nancy Drew mystery, The Hidden Window Mystery.  Yes, the similarities are slight, but there are enough common elements that when I happened across the book in my local used bookstore, I went ahead and picked it up.  It has been sitting on my shelf for several years now, and I finally decided it was about time I read it.  

 

The Dornstein Icon provides that tagline that "[a] young American becomes a terrified prisoner and an unwilling bride in a castle in Austria" on its cover.  It tells the story of Caroline Dudley, who work for an American art dealer, Greg Alpert.  She was a student of art in college, and she has just started in her career with Greg.  The two are in Vienna, where Greg is hoping to return some very valuable art objects to their rightful owners, including an extremely old "icon" to a prominent Austrian family.  Now, I'll admit, I wasn't sure what an "icon" was in art world terms, so I had to look it up.  It turns out an icon is a religious work of art, usually a painting of a sacred image - in this instance, it is a small painting of the Holy Mother, Mary.  Caroline is excited about being in Vienna, and she is anxious to meet the Graf Rudolf von Dornstein, whose home they will be visiting so Greg can show him the numerous items in the hopes of returning some of the lost items to their rightful owner.

The mystery that presents itself as soon as Caroline and Greg arrive at the Dornstein manor is actually pretty dark.  There's a strange old man who seems to dance erratically in the garden and around the grounds' fountain.  Soon enough, he attacks Caroline, nearly choking the life from her.  He is revealed to be Rudolf's uncle, who became mentally unstable after the war with the Turks.  Then there's Rudolf's mother, the Countess von Dornstein.  She is friendly enough, yet when shown the Dornstein Icon, it is clear that she recognizes it immediately - so why does she deny its authenticity after her son sternly tells her to reconsider?  And then there is Rudolf von Dornstein himself.  Like hot and cold running water, he switches from the kind and considerate lord of the manor to the brash and domineering despot who demands obedience from those around him.  Caroline is not sure what to think, but she and Greg begin to realize something is wrong when Rudolf sends Greg's car down into the village to be "repaired," leaving them stuck at the castle.  Are they truly guests, or have they become captives with something much more sinister in mind?

 

I recently read some commentary about the author, Janet Louise Roberts, who was dubbed "The Mistress of Romantic Mystery," and who wrote quite a number of gothic and romance novels under her own name, as well as under pseudonyms such as Louisa Bronte, Rebecca Danton, and Janette Radcliffe.  According to an interview she gave to Publishers Weekly, Roberts used pseudonyms "to avoid embarrassing her father, a missionary in a rather conservative church."  Another blog I discovered gives some background information on Roberts (The Compleat Janet Louise Roberts), including a quote from essayist Barbara E. Kemp from the book, Twentieth-Century Romance and Historical Writers, in which Kemp opines that Roberts portrays women in her novels "as ineffectual beings, subject to much degradation," and that the men are"rough and overbearing..."  I have to say, that is a pretty apt description of the characters in this book.  

The manner in which Roberts writes poor Caroline is extremely submissive.  In the beginning, I thought Caroline was going to be a strong character, who would prove herself by overcoming and solving whatever mystery lie ahead at the Dornstein's estate.  Instead, she gets drugged repeatedly, to the point where she willingly subjects herself to a very unusual wedding in the family's crypt under the house.  And yet, despite Rudolf von Dornstein's actions, she still wavers back and forth between loving him and distrusting his action!  I mean, c'mon, seriously?  What woman is going to be knowingly poisoned by a man who is holding her captive and still believe he is a good person?  I think that takes the whole "suspension of disbelief" way too far.  And the overbearing, controlling manner in which Rudolf treats poor Caroline, I just can't imagine any woman falling for that kind of man (or, at least, if she does fall for him, why would she continue to accept such treatment?).  Thus, based on this story, I'd have to say Kemp gives an accurate description of Roberts' portrayal of women and men in her novels.

Regardless of the characterizations, however, I will say the mystery does resolve nicely.  Are the treasures truly the Dornstein's missing heirlooms, or are they fakes?  How does Rudolf's actions tie into the answer to that question?  And what is Greg's part in this whole drama?  The final revelation results in a rather tense cliff-side battle where two of the characters meet their untimely demise!

The cover art is beautifully rendered, with Caroline running through the Dornstein's manor, the only lights streaming through a stained-glass window behind her.  The emptiness and gloom of the manor, with its rock floor and walls, the empty dining room in the background, and the look of desperation on Caroline's face give the reader a clue as to the intensity of the story that is held behind the cover.  I'm not really sure the import of the stained glass, though, as the only mention of stained glass in the story is the fact that one of Caroline's artist friends actually did work with such glass. It does not really play into the mystery at all, particularly since the "icon" in question is a painting of the Virgin Mary.  I guess it was simply used to make a beautiful cover.

RATING:  6 pairs of sapphire drop earrings out of 10 for creating a dark and sinister mood of fear, dark motives, and desperation - all necessary elements of a good gothic tale!

Carolina Castle - an historical mystery

For many years, I have heard about this book, and I have known very few people who actually own a copy.  Apparently, this book did not have a large print run, and finding copies of the book (particularly with a dust jacket!) are very difficult, indeed. A company did reprint the book some years back, but even those reprint copies are hard to find (and expensive as well!).  Thus, I had resolved myself to the fact that is was VERY unlikely I would ever read the book, let alone own a copy.  But, lo and behold, a recent visit to a dear friend resulted in my being gifted an extra copy of the book that he had!  Talk about flabbergasted (I knew I would find a way to use that word one of these days)!  I was completely shocked, utterly thrilled, and forever thankful for such a truly wonderful, generous gift.  Needless to say, I couldn't wait to read it!

Carolina Castle is one of the few Mildred Wirt (Benson) stand-alone mysteries.  Yes, I know her "Mystery Stories for Girls" books were all individual mysteries, not connected in any way, but they were all under the banner of "Mystery Stories for Girls," so they can be viewed as a series of sorts.  But Carolina Castle, published in 1936 by The Penn Publishing Company, was not published any particular banner or series, and is one of the few books Wirt wrote that was published by Penn (in a "Chat with Cleveland Writers" article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1931, she indicated she was working on an aviation series for Penn Publishing Co. - not sure what series that was, because the Ruth Darrow series was published first by Barse, and then by Grosset & Dunlap).  But, that's neither here nor there - we're talking about Carolina Castle.

The lead protagonist for this book is Evelyn Brandleton, who shares the mystery with her best friend Joan Carling, as well as her brother, Benny Brandleton.  The story opens to a rather depressed Evelyn, as she is facing a rainy day at home in South Carolina, where her friend has come to stay for part of the summer.  She feels she is failing as a hostess (p. 6), as there were "few parties to enliven the week" (p. 6).  Apparently, one must host plenty of parties if one wishes to truly be a good hostess and entertain one's guests!  But as soon as the rain stops, Evelyn convinces Joan to visit Castle Hill, on old, burned down mansion not far from her own home (but, of course, set back from the road so it is not easily seen by passers-by).  They set out to explore the once stately estate, but by the end of that first chapter, Evelyn hears a terrifying scream, and then all is silent!

Before continuing, there are a few things to note about this first chapter.  First, let's look at the title to that chapter.  "Whispering Walls."  For those familiar with the Penny Parker Mystery Stories, you might recognize this as the title to the 15th book in that series, which was published in 1946 (ten years after the publication of this book).  Coincidence, or not?  Second, society's racial thinking is shown abundantly clear in this first chapter, as Wirt refers to "the negro shacks which were just visible..." (p. 5), to the distinct dialect Evelyn uses when mimicking the family's cook, Magnolia (p. 8), who is described as "the old colored cook" (p. 9).  These type of references continue throughout the story, both with regards to Magnolia (or "Aunt Mag" as they call her) and Wishy, the old man who lives in the woods - who even uses a surprisingly derogatory term when referring to himself: "You don't ketch dis niggah neah dat place" (p. 171).  I have read a number of vintage children's series books from the '30s and '40s that utilize terms such as negro, negress, darky, and others, but I have to admit, this is the first one I've read that actually uses that term!  This definitely dates the book, showing it is very much a product of its time.

But, moving along, the mystery begins as Evelyn finds her friend has fallen through some not-so-sturdy floorboards, which leads them to discover a secret staircase that leads down to some tunnels below the house.  They, of course, set out to explore them, and soon find that they lead to a hidden exit some distance away.  Needless to say, they set about to thoroughly explore every inch of the tunnel, and soon enough, Evelyn's brother joins them.  They uncover a buried chest, which they hope contains valuable treasures!  After some failed attempts, they ultimately locate the key to the chest at the home of an elderly woman who knows some of the history regarding the house, and upon opening the chest, they find some dresses, an old sword, two small miniatures, and a diary - one that belonged to Beatrice Dinwood, the daughter of the man who built the fine home back in the 1700s.  And this sets the stage for a historical mystery that leads these three young protagonists on a search for a long-lost family treasure, as well as a search to find a descendant of the Dinwoods so they can learn what really happened to Beatrice and the man she loved.

The book is very well written, probably one of Wirt's best, and if you aged the three protagonists, it would have made a great adult historical novel.  While there are a only a couple of "cliffhanger" type incidents, the mystery is intriguing enough to draw the reader in, wanting to know what treasure will be found, where the family heirloom is hidden, and what exactly happened to Beatrice Dinwood when she escaped capture by the British army that was overtaking the town.  Wirt plants clues throughout the story that are not overt or obvious, making it a much more fun read than normal series mysteries, where the solution is somewhat obvious to anyone who has been reading mysteries for any length of time.  Plus, the historical aspect is certainly interesting, as Wirt manages to slide in a number of historical facts about the Revolutionary War and what happened in Charleston (or Charles Town, as it was known back then).  

 

I would love to know who provided the art for the frontis piece (which depicts a scene from page 38 of the story, when the girls, by candlelight, begin to creep down the stairs into the tunnel below the plantation).  It is beautifully rendered, albeit a bit reminiscent of the scene from The Hidden Staircase when Nancy is walking down the stairs with a candle.  The shadows, the torn floorboards above the girls' heads, all work together to create a very creepy ambiance that is perfect for the scene!

Overall, I'd definitely rate this as one of Wirt's better books - it's a shame that copies of the book are so difficult to find, especially at a reasonable price!  Perhaps it's about time someone did another reprint so more people can enjoy the story!

RATING:  9 special charms to keep the graveyard ghosts away out of 10 for a wonderfully written mystery that employs history, lost treasures, and cryptic clues from a diary to create a great read!