The Magnificent Lizzie Brown, Book 4 - The Ghost Ship

I had put off reading this book, as I knew it was the last book in the series and, well, quite frankly, I didn't want it to end.  I have grown to really like the characters and the writing - Vicki Lockwood has created a very engaging world of mystery and supernatural intrigue that makes me long for the days when authors actually wrote stories about characters they loved and nurtured (rather than simply churned out stories for a profit like some do today).  But, as they say, all good things must come to an end...

For this mystery, Lockwood takes Lizzie and her "family" of circus performers to the English seaside, where they set up a very special circus for the Maharaja Duleep Singh.  The Maharaja enjoys the circus and has paid Fitzy well to provide free entertainment to the seaside locals in hopes of endearing them to him.  The only problem is - the locals have a ghostly secret.  The townspeople are fearful of a ghost ship that appears in the harbor, for people have disappeared, never to be seen again whenever the ship appears.  Naturally, Lizzie and her friends are thrilled at the idea of another mystery to solve, but when Lizzie starts experiencing visions again, this time not just about the ghost ship, but also about her friends and about the Maharaja's lady friend, she begins to wonder whether she can trust her own sight.

The mystery itself centers around some stolen jewelry.  The groundskeeper for the estate where the circus has set up shop believes that Lizzie's friend, Hari, is responsible, as he does not trust foreigners.  Lizzie knows he is innocent, but Hari's actions begin to lead her to question her own certainty.  Then she has visions of Nora with the very necklace that was stolen from the Maharaja's lady friend!  Can she trust her own friends?  And what of that ghostly, green ship that she sees in the harbor?  Is that a harbinger of more bad things to come?

The Penny Gaff Gang (as Lizzie and her friends call themselves) set off to solve the crime.  Lockwood throws in a lot of suspense and some dangerous foibles (a rampaging elephant, a dark tunnel, a near drowning, and a climactic battle on the sea) that will definitely keep the reader's interest.  Like the other three books in this series, this is a hard one to put down - you'll want to finish it in one sitting!

SIDENOTE - this is most definitely the third book in the series - as the Maharaja and the missing ruby are the very things that Lizzie mentions in The Fairy Child,  It would be helpful if they actually numbered the books, or at the very least, provided the listing of books in the front or back, so that readers can know what order to read them in.  Nevertheless, reading them out of order did not lessen the enjoyment of the book one bit.

It's a shame Lockwood did not write any more Lizzie Brown mysteries, but I am glad she wrote the four she did - this is one series I would highly recommend to all lovers of mysteries!

RATING:  10 jet necklaces out of 10 for providing a twist ending as far as the culprit goes and strengthening the bond between Lizzie and her new "family."

Wonder Woman Graphic Novel - The True Amazon

Back in the late 1980s, when George Perez took the reigns to the new Wonder Woman ongoing comic book series following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, nothing could have pleased me more.  Perez is probably who I consider to be one of the most talented comic book artists out there, so to have him not only drawing Wonder Woman, but also writing her tales, I was ecstatic!  While Perez remained the writer for five years or so, he did not do the art the entire time.  A new artist, of whom I had never heard, by the name of Jill Thompson took over the art chores.  The style of art was a far cry from the magnificent details of Perez, so for me, it was such a startling change, that I immediately took a dislike to her art.

Fast forward to the current decade.  Dark Horse Comics put out a few mini-series about the Beasts of Burden, a group of neighborhood cats and dogs who get into all kinds of adventures.  Thompson did the art for the various series, and quite frankly, her art style fit perfectly with the stories.  I loved it.

Now comes The True Amazon graphic novel.  While I am always excited to see one of my favorite comic characters get more attention and more comics, I will say I was less than pleased to hear that the book would be both written and drawn by Jill Thompson.  My memories of her art on Wonder Woman remain with me, so it was with a bit of trepidation that I bought the book.

I’m so glad I did.

This hard cover re-telling of Wonder Woman’s origin is an entirely new take, giving readers a young Wonder Woman (Wonder Girl, perhaps?) who is so doted upon as a child that she grows into a spoiled, self-centered little brat.  It is interesting to see how entitled she feels as the daughter of the queen, and how she simply expects everyone to love and respect her.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say this is likely what I’d expect to see happen when an island full of adult women have only one child, and all of them favor and give in to this young child’s every whim.  This Diana gives new meaning to the term “entitled,” and when she finds one Amazon who does not bow before her, it’s almost fun to what how she works so hard to prove herself worthy of Alethea.  For a brief time in the story, the reader can almost believe this is how Diana will redeem herself.  Thompson, though, does not follow any expected path; instead, she gives readers an entirely different “contest” for Diana to win – one that she wins at a very high cost, both to her and the Amazons as a whole.  And instead of leaving Themyscria to return Steve Trevor to man’s world, Diana is forced to leave, exiled due to her actions in the contest.

 

The art is definitely still Jill Thompson, the people drawn in the same manner as they were back when Thompson first drew Wonder Woman back in the day.  However, the art on the pages appears more like painted panels, rather than simply pencils, inks and colors, and as such, it gives it a more vibrant feel, giving the characters more life than simple comic book pages do.  Her facial expressions are so vivid, you can actual feel what the characters feel!  All in all, the story was intriguing and the art was more appealing, and I would definitely love to see more stories set in whatever universe this Wonder Woman resides.  Will we see more?  Only DC knows the answer to that question...

RATING:  9 silver serpent horns out of 10 for providing a fresh take on the age-old tale of Wonder Woman’s origin and making a hardcover graphic novel well worth the price.

Greetings from Somewhere, Book 5 - The Mystery of the Lion's Tale

Another “guilty pleasure” series that I read when I want something quick and fun.  So far, Harper Paris (the author) has yet to disappoint with these books as the twins, Ethan and Ella, travel around the globe with their parents and discovery a mystery to be solved in each of the locales.  In The Mystery of the Lion’s Tale, however, the mystery is nearly as elusive as the lion the family is hoping to see.

Paris takes the Briar family to Kenya in Africa for this book, where the kids are treated to an exciting safari.  Their guide tells them they should keep an eye out for “The Big Five” while journeying across the plains – the African elephant, the Cape buffalo, the leopard, the rhinoceros, and the king of the jungle himself, the lion.  Ethan and Ella keep their eyes peeled, and manage to find the first four animals, but as their stay in Kenya is about to end, they are desperate to see a lion!

The search for the lion does not make for much of a mystery, even by early reader standards.  Sure, a “missing” will or emerald or painting or pretty much anything that has been stolen or secreted away somewhere makes for a fun mystery.  But simply searching for an animal that is there but hasn’t been seen yet is not quite as exciting.  In fact, it’s a bit of a let down, since the prior mysteries actually involved the twins finding clues, following up on leads, and actually “solving” a mystery.  Here, they see glimpses of what might be a lion’s tale and ultimately are shown the lion by a scientist that their grandfather once knew.

As with the prior books, Paris does provide plenty of details about Kenya’s wildlife and natives, and Ethan and Ella even meet a local brother and sister with whom they make friends and exchange gifts before leaving the country.  Whereas prior books used a number of foreign words, defined in the back of the book in the glossary, this book only provides one word and one phrase in Swahili.

Marcos Calo once again provides the art, with the black and white interior illustrations bringing to glorious life the story Paris tells.  The animals, the natives, the houses and plains are all shown in such detail, it’s likely that any young reader who picks up this book will take away with it a fairly good idea of what it would be like to actually see Africa.

With only five books remaining in the series, I’ve reached the mid-way point, and I hope the rest of the books go back to actual mysteries for Ethan and Ella to solve.  I’d hate to see the series end on a low note.

RATING:  5 beaded necklaces out of 10 for providing young readers with an enjoyable way of learning more about the world beyond the borders of the United States.

Creepella von Cacklefur No. 2 - Meet Me in Horrorwood

When a hurricane hits and your power is out, what is there to do?  Read!  But not just anything – I wanted something to take my mind off of everything, something silly and fun; so, what better series to read than the next book in the Creepella von Cacklefur series!  (I mean, let’s face it, just saying the name alone is fun!)

Meet Me In Horrorwood finds Creepella playing matchmaker for the monster in the moat, Gorgo.  The only problem is, Gorgo’s love, Blobbina, is a famous movie star and she has gone missing!  It’s up to Creepella to find the missing star and cure the heart-sick Gorgo before he completely gives up on life (such as it is for a blob in a moat).

But there’s a lot more to this story than that one mystery – there’s a side story (that, quite frankly, I’m not sure why it’s there, unless it is simply to pad the story and add enough pages to make for a full-length book) about good ol’ Billy Squeakspeare (who readers met in the first mystery in this series).  Billy get an invite to the Rattenbaum Mansion for a special dinner and a wedding (little does he know – the wedding is his own!).  There are four chapters right in the middle of the story that deal with Billy and his invitation – and the story does not revert back to Creepella and her search for the missing starlet until Billy receives a call from Creepella asking for his help.

There’s a gloomy old castle and an abandoned amusement park (called, aptly enough, “Nightmare Park”), and Creepella and Billy must brave all the dangers of the park in order to rescue Blobbina and unite her with the lovestruck Gorgo.  There are plenty of illustrations throughout the book, including wonderfully fun illustrations of the Rattenbaums’ decrepit mansion, the overcrowded and bustling movie set, and the decaying room that holds “The Book.”

Sometimes, simple stories that are simply fun are the best reads to get your mind off of everything going on around you – and with rain and wind beating down on your house, no electricity, food spoiling in your refrigerator, and a cell phone slowly losing its charge, there’s nothing better than a quick visit with Creepella von Cacklefur to put a smile back on your face.

RATING:  6 invisible dinners out of 10 for reminding me that even the most gruesome of monsters can find love – doesn’t matter if you live in a moat or a mansion that’s falling apart!

Nancy Drew Diaries, No. 13 - The Ghost of Grey Fox Inn

I know the old saying is “Never judge a book by its cover” – but let’s face it, how many of us do it all the time?  I will readily admit that I have been guilty of it ever since I was a kid.  I can remember going into the Waldenbooks or Woolworth’s growing up and running over the section where all the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins, and other series books were.  I would spend my entire time there combing through the books, looking for ones that had the most exciting or mysterious covers to them, as I just knew that these books had the best stories.  And, admittedly, I still do it today every time I’m at Barnes & Noble or scrolling through Amazon.

So, it’s without a doubt that this cover would lead me to believe that The Ghost of Grey Fox Inn would be giving me a spooky ghost story, something this series desperately needed.  It’s been a long time (and I mean a looooooooooooooooooooong time) since the Nancy Drew series has had a good, old-fashioned ghost story.  And I give this ghostwriter credit, he or she got the story off to a great start.  Stories of hauntings at the inn that go back hundreds of years.  A glimpse of a dark figure in the mirror that isn’t there when you turn around.  A mysterious figure in an old Civil War uniform standing at the end of Nancy’s bed.  Doors slamming, all by themselves.  Books, flying off the shelves, with no one there to move them.  The perfect set up for the perfect ghost mystery.

“Nancy, maybe this is crazy, but it feels like someone is trying to ruin my wedding.”

And there you have it.  We had such a wonderful set up for a spooky ghost story, and the author had to go and ruin it by giving us yet one more in a long line of stories about sabotage.  Sabotage, sabotage, sabotage!!!  Why does it always have to be about sabotage?!  Has creativity when it comes to mysteries simply gone out the door, and “sabotage” is now the easy go-to for mystery writers?

Ah, well, that being said, I won’t say this mystery was a total loss.  The author did provide some nice little nods to the original books, starting with the old stand-by, “Bess and George may be cousins, but they couldn’t be more different.”  And with the haunted inn comes the secret panels and hidden walkways behind the walls (which, of course, was the manner in which the “ghost” was getting into and out of locked rooms).  The writer also gives some rather flowery descriptions of Charleston and many of the buildings therein – such vivid details that have been sorely missed in recent years.

The culprit, of course, was pretty clear from the beginning – the author made it too obvious with the actions and dialogue of the guilty parties.  But, overall, it wasn’t a totally bad read, and with 168 pages of story, there was a little bit more fleshing out of the characters than in some of the prior books.  If the series continues to head in this direction, even with the first-person point-of-view, perhaps it might finally return Nancy Drew to her glory days of storytelling and mysteries and revive the popularity that Nancy Drew and her fellow series sleuths once had!

RATING:  7 hunting knives tied with a yellow ribbon out of 10 for at least attempting to return Nancy Drew to her roots with a (sort-of) haunted mansion tale.

Courtney Crumrin, Volume Three - The Twilight Kingdom

My reading has taken a bit of a slow-down this month due to the play that I'm in (rehearsals in October, open in November), but I am managing to sneak a few books here and there...

This next book takes me back to the dark and brooding world of young Courtney Crumrin - I, for one, was extremely glad to get back! With each graphic novel I read, I kick myself for never picking these up back when these books first came out.  How in the world did I miss out on such a well-written, thoroughly engaging book like this?  (Well, I can tell you how - I was put off by the rather off-beat art - something I have learned to get beyond and, in fact, appreciate!)

"The Twilight Kingdom" sets our young heroine on a new journey - discovering just what it means to be a friend and to actually have friends.  The first chapter sees Courtney returning to her hometown with her parents as they try to sell the family home - and Courtney hopes to rekindle her friendship with Malcolm.  But she discovers that not only has Malcolm changes - so has she!  There's actually very little supernatural element to this first tale, but its most poignant because it shows that sometimes, you really can't go home again...

The remaining three chapters in this book bring Courtney back to Hillsborough, where she finds herself attending Saturday School at Radley Hall.  This was a secret school for children of witches and warlocks to have the opportunity to freely express their heritage and powers and learn more about themselves.  Courtney is once again an outsider, but when she steps up to help a young boy that is being bullied into having a curse put upon him, she finds herself pushed further outside when the boy casts aside her help, standing beside his brother and their friends.  Surprise, surprise - they don't listen to Courtney and end up placing a curse on the boy that cannot be undone.

But...it can be lifted!

The remaining chapters find Courtney, against her better judgment, helping the other kids by journeying into the Twilight Kingdom to obtain a specific fruit that, when eaten, will restore the boy to normal.  The others bully their way into joining her into the Twilight Kingdom, they get separated, and it winds up falling upon Courtney to, one-by-one, save each of the kids, calling in a number of favors to do so.

But creator Ted Naifeh is a crafty enough writer to not make the story a simply rescue mission.  Scattered throughout the chapters is the ongoing unrest with the council (with one in particular taking a specific dislike of Courtney).  He is out to put an end to Courtney for the evil he believes she has unleashed - but his attempt to exact revenge on the young girl results in a very surprising defense by the kids who had, up until then, been her worst tormentors.  And (spoilers here!!!!) Courtney discovers that her good deeds (such as they were) did not go unnoticed, and she suddenly finds herself with friends she never asked for, or even wanted.

Begging the question - where will Naifeh take Courtney from here?

This is one graphic novel series that I cannot recommend enough - for kids, for adults for comic fans, for fans of supernatural stories - really, it's just plain great storytelling that engages you and keeps you coming back!

RATING:  10 goblin markets out of 10 for providing not only some of the best storytelling I've seen in comic form in many years, but for breathing such life into each of the characters that I find myself rooting for them!

DC Super Hero Girls: Supergirl at Super Hero High

The second volume of this series of books for young readers aimed at fans of DC Comics' new "Super Hero Girls" product line follows the same pattern as the first book.  New super hero arrives at Super Hero High - - she is new to the world - - she is unsure of herself - - she is coping with new found powers and new friends - - she messes up multiple times before finally gaining the confidence she needs to ultimately save the day in the end.  Very formulaic, but it does work for the age level at which these books are aimed.

Supergirl at Super Hero High welcomes the arrival of Supergirl to the academy (and readers of the first book might recall that the epilogue of the previous book introduced Superman's cousin to the school).  Author Lisa Yee provides young Kara Zor-El's backstory, of her escape from the doomed planet of Krypton, of her delayed journey through space that put her on Earth years after her cousin's arrival, and of her stay with Jonathan and Martha Kent.  When her powers start to develop under the Earth's yellow sun, however, there's only one place she can go to learn how to use those powers - Super Hero High!

Yee brings back the entire cast of characters, including Wonder Woman, Bumblebee, Hawkgirl, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Principal Waller, Vice-Principal Grodd, Janitor Parasite, tech wizard Barbara Gordon, Flash, Beast Boy, and all the others, and introduces readers to the new librarian, Granny Goodness (hint!  hint!).  And with the introduction of Supergirl, Yee does something that I thought was a very nice homage to the pre-Crisis DC universe - throughout the story, Supergirl and Barbara Gordon become the best of friends (a nice nod to the "super" friendship that Supergirl and Batgirl had in the comics prior to 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths).

The story, while dealing with Supergirl adapting to her new-found powers and her place at Super Hero High, involves the mysterious locked room that contains Boom Tubes and Principal Waller's predictions that an invasion is coming.  At this point, it was pretty clear to me (and likely to any comic book fan) who the villain was going to be and what it would involve.  But it was fun watching the heroes gather clues and try to figure out exactly who was behind the attempts to break into the locked room (all clues point to Gorilla Grodd, but anyone who knows anything about Boom Tubes would know right away who the villain was).

What was disappointing about the book was the fact that Yee constantly had Supergirl bumbling around like an uncoordinated child, crashing into things, dropping things, accidentally knocking into people.  The author seemed obsessed with making Supergirl into the most morose young girl with absolutely no confidence whatsoever (I can definitely say I love the TV version on CW much better than the one presented here), and while I understand Yee likely wanted to show Supergirl growing into her powers and learning confidence, I think she overdid it with the constant whining, "woe is me" attitude throughout the book.

The epilogue gives readers a small preview of what's to come in the third book in the series (or better, "who's" to come in the third book), and I hope that given her characterization in this book, Batgirl at Super Hero High will tell a much better story of an already strong character.  With Wonder Woman and Supergirl, we've seen the insecurity - now let's show these young readers that it's okay to be strong and confident!

RATING:  6 crystal necklaces out of 10 for managing to sneak into the book a pretty cool little mystery and a great fight scene at the end!