Tom Stetson, Book 3 - And the Blue Devil

The third, and final, book in this vintage children's series was actually the real reason why I bought the series to begin with.  Unfortunately, of the three books, this was actually the hardest for me to get through.

Tom Stetson and the Blue Devil picks up the summer after Tom Stetson on the Trail of the Lost Tribe, as Tom returns to the Amazon jungles to visit with his uncle, Leo Jason.  While the prior two books were quick to swing into the action, incorporating the descriptions of the lavish jungles and its inhabitants, both plant and animal, this book spends the first 100 pages simply describing the men's journey down the Amazon to a place where they can search for an Indian known as the "Blue Devil."  The author, John Henry Cutler, provides such detailed descriptions of the plant life and wild animals that dwell in the forested land that it's obvious he has first-hand knowledge of the area.  However, it becomes a bit tedious when the descriptions begin to repeat, and there is no movement whatsoever in the story.

Once we get past that 100-page mark, though, the story picks up pace rather quickly.  Poor Manolo, Uncle Leo's adopted ward, once again gets kidnapped, and it's up to Tom and his uncle to rescue him.  In the process, though, Uncle Leo gets kidnapped, and Tom finds himself alone, having to not only save Manolo, but also find his own uncle!  In the process, Tom meets and must face off against the Blue Devil himself (who, interestingly enough, speaks perfect English and seems to live just as easily as an Englishman as he does an Indian).

Cutler builds upon Tom's previous experiences in the last two books to help him evade capture himself and to climb unbelievably tall trees and swing across vines.  I personally found it interesting that no matter what Tom was doing - whether it be climbing a tree, crossing between trees on a thick vine, swinging vines from tree to tree, or even swimming in piranha-infested waters, he always manages to have his backpack with him and it manages to stay dry at all times.  Only in series books, I suppose...

Ursula Koering once again provides illustrations throughout the story, and the beautifully-painted wrap-around cover (the artist of which is not defined) depicts the boys daring escape from the Motilon tribe of Indians.  I give the author credit - despite the lengthy and somewhat boring first half, the second half of the story more than makes up for it, with a lot of close-calls, dangerous escapades, and a rather sneaky plan to help them evade the clutches of the Blue Devil's tribe.

While the conclusion of the story hints at more adventures to come, alas, this is the last book in the series.  Whether Cutler never intended to write any more, or the books just didn't sell well enough for the publisher to ask for any more is a mystery, I suppose, that will remain unsolved.

RATING:  5 iron vests out of 10 for bringing the jungles of Brazil and the Amazon to life in such a vivid way and making an adventure story for boys interesting enough for me to read.

Nancy Drew Anthology - Writing & Art Featuring Everybody's Favorite Female Sleuth

First published in 1930, the enduring pop icon, Nancy Drew, has maintained pretty much continued publication for more than 85 years now. So, it should come as no surprise that fan fiction would sooner or later be collected into a published form.  The real surprise is only that it took this long to happen!

The Nancy Drew Anthology was published this year by Silver Birch Press, and as the tag line on the back cover says, it is filled with writing and art inspired by the forever-teenage sleuth, Nancy Drew.  With a rather appealing cover of Nancy Drew studying a book through a magnifying glass (with her iconic "mystery shadow" in the background) - an image I would love to get a print of! - the book holds out hope of being something special, something that long-time fans have probably dreamed of for many years.

I can honestly say I would be one of those fans.

My mom bought me Nancy Drew books when I was a kid, along with all the other mystery series back in the day, including Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Belden, etc.  But, for whatever reason, Nancy Drew always struck a special chord with me.  Perhaps it was because each book was all about mystery and not about adventure or science or nursing or such.  Perhaps it was because Nancy had strawberry-blond (or titian) hair like me, so I didn't feel so much like the odd-man out.  Perhaps it was because she was independent, quick thinking, and determined - qualities that any kid, male or female, would want in their own life.  Whatever the reason, I always loved reading the mysteries, and when I got back into collecting as an adult, I found the original text stories even more engaging!

So, I thought this book might turn out to give some interesting stories inspired by Nancy Drew.  Sadly, I found very little to be interesting (to me, anyway) within its pages.  First, this is not to say that the contributors were poor writers, or that the submissions were not worthwhile.  But, quite frankly, the anthology is overflowing with poetry in its many forms, and well, honestly, I can't stand poetry.  I have never liked it, and when I took two semesters of it to complete my Creative Writing degree at USF, they were my two lowest grades of my entire college career.

That was disappointment number one.

The next disappointment came when I realized that there was very little fan fiction at all in this anthology.  Rather, a good chunk of it is filled with authors' memories of how they first "met" Nancy Drew.  There is one short story, "Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Gravedigger," which is actually rather cute and brings back Helen Corning in a unique way.  There is also "The Mystery of the Northern Lights," which is toted as the last, unpublished Nancy Drew story, of which only the first chapter was written - it is a bit strange, in that it deals with supposed trolls in Iceland.  The author of that story does, however, have fun playing with Nancy's relationships with her friends, her father, and the police chief.

Now, that's not to say the book was a complete loss for me.  There were a few good little ditties that took the various Nancy Drew titles (either just the first 56 books, or in a couple of cases, the first 64 books) and integrated them into a story or poem, and there were several artistic images scattered throughout.

Would I buy it had I known?  Probably, simply because it is yet another Nancy Drew collectible.  I just wish it had been advertised as being more about poetry than anything else, so that I would have been aptly prepared for what I found when I opened the cover.  I have no doubt there are a lot of fans out there who enjoy poetry (Lisa coming to mind right away!) and who will thrill over the lyrics and rhymes they find inside, and honestly, I'm glad that they have something that appeals to their taste.  For me, however, this will go on my collectible shelf, likely never to be opened again...

RATING:  5 magnifying glasses out of 10 simply for giving Nancy Drew fans an opportunity to express their own creativity inspired by their favorite sleuth.

Young & Yang Mysteries, Book 2 - The Tiara on the Terrace

Sophie Young and Grace Yang are back in this second mystery by Kristen Kittscher. Admittedly, this second entry in the series is not quite as entertaining as the first.  The mystery is good enough, but Kittscher seems a bit uncertain with the story as to whether she wants a dead-on mystery or whether she wants a cross between Sweet Valley High and the Dana Girls. The story wavers too much between the girls fighting about Sophie's desire to spy and Grace's desire to "fit in" and be a part of the Winter Sun Festival's royal court of princesses, and the actual mystery itself.  This, in turn, leads to a lot of pages that feel like too much padding to the story.  By the end of 388 pages, I was left wondering if perhaps the story could have actually been told in closer to 288 pages.

Nevertheless, the mystery itself was pretty good, and the ending had a great payoff.  The Tiara on the Terrace, finds Young and Yang still riding on their success of revealing the Tilmore Eight fugitive from the last mystery, Sophie is none-too-thrilled to be helping her friend Grace with the preparations for the upcoming Winter Sun Festival, but when the dead body of the Festival's president turns up inside one of the floats, Agents Young and Yang (along with their trusty sidekick, Trista Bottoms) are on the case!  The police suspect there may have been foul play involved and that the investigation could take weeks - - but the girls are shocked the next day when the new Festival president announces that the police have wrapped up their case and have ruled it an accidental death, and that, as such, the Festival will go on as scheduled!

Sophie, Grace, and Trista know something is very amiss, and when the new president falls face down in his soup at a reception dinner, the girls suspect someone is out for revenge!  Is it the enraged mother, whose daughter was not named queen of the festival?  Or is it the former official who was demoted to "pooper-scooper" duty for the parade?  Or could it be the Festival's treasurer, who sent a very suspicious e-mail that could indicate he is mishandling the Festival's funds?  With too many suspects and not enough clues, Grace convinces Sophie and Trista to do something they would never dream of doing - going undercover as pages in the Royal Court of the Winter Sun Festival.  This means they will have to wait hand and foot on the Queen and her Princesses during the three days leading up to the big parade - but, it also provides them unlimited and unrestricted access to the huge mansion that serves as the Festival's headquarters.

The investigation serves up a lot of potential motives and opportunities - - and when the girls are locked inside of a refrigeration unit used for storing the Festival's flowers (and poor Trista is majorly allergic!), they realize that someone not only knows they are investigating, but also knows they may be getting close to uncovering the truth.  But when Trista stumbles onto a clue that could reveal the killer's identity, she finds herself locked on a runaway float, and Sophie and Grace must break away from the page duties in the middle of the parade and chase the runaway float before it goes careening off the side of the cliff, taking Trista with it!

Kittscher provides some interesting twists and turns with the big reveal at the end, leading readers to wholly suspect one person, and then turning everything on its head in the last few chapters.  I will admit there was one underlying clue throughout the entire book that seemed glaring, but even I had a difficult time connecting it to the murders until close to the end.   And perhaps the intended audience for this series might enjoy all of the girl-centric sub-plots (the fighting over spy-business vs. girl-business, the fight over Sophie revealing one of Grace's most embarrassing moments, etc), but for me, those elements felt unnecessary to the story and merely thrown in to pad the book and remind readers that these two young sleuths were girls with "typical" girl problems.

With only two books, it appears this series may be at an end already, as there is no third book listed on Amazon.com or on the publisher's website.  Perhaps, after all, I wasn't the only one who felt this second book did not hold up quite as well as the first...

RATING:  6 inspirational posters of seals out of 10 for reminding readers that  beauty goes far beyond skin deep and for providing a surprise twist with the identity of the killer!

Dark Shadows Audio Book 44 - The Darkest Shadow

A trip to Tampa = a chance to listen to the next Dark Shadows audio story.  And this time, Quentin returns, along with Amanda Harris, in The Darkest Shadow.

This story is truly one of the better written ones.  Not only does it provide a well-plotted bridge between The Eternal Actress and The Haunted Refrain, but it delves into the history of the relationship between Quentin Collins and Amanda Harris.  The author also ensures that the events within the story are very Dark Shadows-esque, with just enough supernatural elements to remind listeners that we remain in the very Gothic world of the Collins family.

The story opens with Olivia Corey being offered a role in a new horror movie.  At first she turns it down, not liking horror films, but when she discovers the film is entitled "The Curse of Collinwood," and it tells the story of Amanda Harris and Quentin Collins, Olivia realizes she has no choice but to accept - for she is Amanda Harris.  When she arrives on set, she meets some very stereotypical Hollywood-type actors and crew, but she is unable to meet with and talk to the elusive director, D. Curtis.  She and her friend, Norman Cope (who has stood by her for many years and is secretly in love with her), realize something is very off, so they are determined to investigate and get to the bottom of the all-important question:  who knows so much about the Collins' family and particularly about Amanda Harris.

For long time fans of Dark Shadows, you may recall that Amanda Harris is a creation of Charles Delaware Tate - she is literally a painting come to life.  This aspect of her identity plays a huge part of the story, and the author takes a unique look at not just her creation, but also Tate's power to bring art to life and what would happen if life could also be forced back into art?  Elspeth Gardner makes another appearance (once again voiced by Denise Nickerson, who portrayed Amy Jennings on the TV show), as does Dorcas Hanley.  There are also brief appearances by "Andy Warhol" and "Dorian Gray," which are scenes that are sure to bring a smile to your face as you listen.

This is the first audio CD that I've seen that actually is a two-disc set.  While the original 4-part story in these audio CDs came out individually, and the second story, Kingdom of the Dead, had several CDs, since that time, each audio CD has been a single-issue CD.  This story, however, was lengthy enough to require two CDs.  That does not mean, however, that it fees long or stretched out at all.  The story progresses at a pretty good pace, and with the amount of characters involved (10 main characters, and 3 side characters), it's no wonder it took two CDS - but I can honestly say that it never dragged and it never lost my interest for one second.

It was nice learning more about Espeth Gardner, and I was a bit surprised to find out exactly where she came from.  It was also fun learning exactly how Quentin was cursed so as to end up in that gramophone needle in The Haunted Refrain.  Again, this shows the depth of planning and the expert writing at Big Finish to tie these stories together, even when they are not sequential.  These stories are keeping my appetite in check for more Dark Shadows until Lara Parker's new book comes out next month.

RATING;  10 haunted film projectors out of 10 for simply telling a really, really, REALLY good Dark Shadows story!

Touching Evil, Volume One: The Curse Escapes

One of my favorite things to do at any comic convention is walk up and down the aisles of artist alley.  Sure, it's fun to meet some of the so-called "big name" comic book creators like George Perez, Jimmy Palmiotti, Mike Perkins, Greg Rucka, Jose Delbo, and so on.  But I know their work, and I see it so many comics from DC and Marvel and some of the big indy companies, like Image, Dark Horse, IDW, and Dynamite.  But what I love is going over to artist alley and discovering some of the most amazing (and, admittedly, some not-so-amazing) books that are not just a job to bring home the bacon, but a labor of love, sweat, and hours and hours and hours of hard work.

The first volume of Touching Evil is definitely one of the amazing books!

I met the writer and artist of this book, Dan Dougherty, the way I do so many other indy creators - I was checking out his book at this table and wondering whether (a) his work was interesting enough to buy and (b) whether his art was something I would like to see in one of my sketch books.  Dougherty was very personable and was clearly excited to talk about his book (but was not one of those pushy creators who basically yells at every person who walks past his table).  Glancing through his book, it was immediately clear that his art was something I wanted to see in one of my sketch books - and listening to him talk about Ada Mansfield and the tale of how she has a power (curse) thrust upon her that enables her to kill people with a mere touch - but only if they are evil people.

Admittedly, I did not pick up that book right away - I came back by and bought it on my second go around - and ultimately had him do a sketch in my Nancy Drew faux-cover sketch book.  He did an utterly beautiful job with re-creating the cover to The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, and although it is now nearly two months since the convention, I have finally had the time to sit down and read his book.

Wow.  I mean, really.  WOW!  This book totally blew me away.  The story of Ada Mansfield and how she is given the power to literally kill people with the merest touch - how it not only affects her, but the people around her - her family, her boss, her friends, and her new-found enemies.  Ada is not a superhero, and this is not a story about superheroes.  This is a supernatural tale about a woman who gains a "gift" that some view as a curse, while others would do just about anything to get their hands upon it (pun intended).  It is realistic, it is dark, it is all-too-human, and it takes a look at the age-old question of just what defines good and evil - when is someone truly good, and when is someone truly bad?  And what happens when a good person gets led down the wrong path?  There is nothing simple about the story, and Dougherty moves the tale so fluidly, that when I finished this first volume, I felt as if I had just walked out of a really, REALLY good movie.

Which brings me to the art.  Dougherty draws people like people.  He draws the backgrounds and surroundings like actual places and things.  There is no fancy "style" to his art, and there is no attempt to try and create some signature look (which is major problem I have with a lot of comics today, where I may enjoy the story, but the art becomes so stylistic that it overpowers the actual writing - The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Patsy Walker, Hellcat come to mind).  Instead, Dougherty's art compliments and helps move the story along.  There are no wasted panels, no unnecessary splash pages, and no "sexy poses" that are so prominent in the DC and Marvel and Image titles these days.  Dougherty tells a story, not just with his words, but with his art - and that, my friends, is what comic books are supposed to be about!

Do we find out everything about Ada and her son?  Do we know everything about her private eye friend?  Do we get the entire backstory about her boss?  And the book?  And the curse?  No - but we get enough to give us just what we need for the story at hand.  Is there more to tell?  Undoubtedly.  But that's a mark of good storytelling - give the reader enough to keep them coming back again and again.  And with "The Curse Escapes," Dougherty definitely has me coming back.  Volume Two will not be coming out fast enough!

Anyone interested can find out more about his book and his other work at his website, http://www.beardocomics.com/touching-evil.

RATING:  10 witches burned at the stake out of 10 for telling a story that is worth far more than the price paid for it and making me glad I picked it up!

Hardy Boys Adventures, Book 13 - Bound for Danger

Frank and Joe Hardy are back, and this time the mystery isn't stolen treasure or missing relatives or international smuggling - heck, it's not even about sabotage (pay attention, Nancy Drew writers - not every mystery needs to be sabotage!) - nope, this time around, the boys find themselves smack dab in the middle of ...

Hazing.

Yes, you read that right.  The Hardy Boys are now solving a crime involving the ritual that always seems to make the headlines with frat boys, sorority girls, and sometimes even sports teams.  For Frank and Joe, it's their basketball team at Bayport High.  Only, they don't know that when the Principal without warning informs them that they are both being put on the basketball team in order to earn more "extracurricular" credits for school.  It's not until they are grabbed from behind, have bags pulled over their heads, and taken to a dark basement do they realize that something very sinister is going on.  The robed, masked individuals who threaten and torture them to leave the team don't realize that their actions have just the opposite effect on the Hardy Boys - all that does is make the brothers more determined than ever to find out exactly what is going on.

With only 138 pages of story, the mystery moves rather quickly.  And while I admit that I wasn't overly thrilled with the idea for this mystery, by the time I finished the book, I found that I actually rather liked the plot.  I do wish, however, that the author had been a bit more creative with the villain behind the hazing.  It came somewhat out of the blue and was just a little too convenient for my taste.  However, I do like the fact that there are a number of red herrings throughout the story in an effort to throw off readers from figuring out who the culprit really is, so I guess I should give the author some credit for that.

I have to wonder what this story would have been like if it had been more fleshed out, and if the boys were out of high school and posing as college students to address hazing within the college setting?  It might have actually made for a much more intriguing story, one more worthy of the original Hardy Boys heritage.  I also have to wonder where Chet Morton and the Hardys' other friends are hiding these days.  For a story set in the boys' school, one would think their regular chums would be right there with them, but I guess they are another thing of the past...

And while the cover art is not really mysterious, it's definitely adventurous (albeit falsely so, as in the book, it is only Joe that is hanging from the helicopter, as Frank is being held captive inside the 'copter).  I guess since this is "Hardy Boys Adventures," the more adventurous the cover, the more in line with the series title it is.

With the next book titled Attack of the Bayport Beast, I can only assume that S&S is continuing its move away from the "Mystery" and "Secret" and "Clue" in the titles once again, which is a shame, as that is part of what always made Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys stand out among children's mystery series.

RATING:  6 servings of Aunt Trudy's turkey meat loaf out of 10 for at least providing some variety in the types of mystery-adventures being told.

Lilly Long Mysteries, Book 1 - An Untimely Frost

I've somewhat fallen behind in my reading due to the rehearsal schedule on the play I am in ("The Murder Room," which opens the first weekend of November) - but that doesn't mean I'm not reading. In fact, I just finished reading the first book in a new series!  A titian-haired young female detective out of the Midwest must find out what happened to a missing preacher and his family, who is accused of stealing funds from the local parishioners. Along the way, she must face men who belittle her ability as a female detective, she faces threats warning her to drop the case or else, she is nearly run down by someone who wants her off the case, she finds a secret room that holds the solution to the mystery, and she ultimately faces off against the most unlikely of culprits in a nice little twist.

A new Nancy Drew series, you ask?

If Nancy Drew were set in the late 1800s, and if she were an actress whose husband took advantage of her, stole her life savings, and left her destitute ... but instead, it's Lilly Long, the creation of author Penny Richards. It's very clear that Richards loved Nancy Drew in some fashion, as this first book so obviously pays homage in so many ways to the pop culture icon.  Only, in this world, Lilly is an accomplished actress (the book titles come from various stage plays) whose marriage turns out to be little more than a con, when she finds her husband threatening her adopted mother. He takes off with Lilly's life savings, setting Lilly on a brand new journey that puts her acting skills to use in a whole new way - as a detective!

While An Untimely Frost is definitely a mystery of a serious nature, Richards is not afraid to throw a bit of humor in here and there, where appropriate.  One of the best scenes in the entire book occurs when Lilly is first trying to gain employment with the Pinkerton detective agency.  Chapters 6 and 7 provide a rather intriguing scenario of interviews - first, Lilly interviews for the position, and while she impresses William Pinkerton and his father, Allan, she is told she is too young for the position.  Over the next several days, the Pinkertons interview several more women for the position, each of whom has peculiarities or eccentricities that keep them from being a good candidate.  One, however, manages to catch the Pinkertons' attention - and when they call her back, she reveals to them that she is actually Lilly - that, in fact, all of the interviewees over the past several days have been Lilly in disguise (remember, she is an actress!).  While Richard Pinkerton is put off, Allan Pinkerton approves and hires her on a trial basis.

Thus begins Lilly's first adventure, tracking down a missing preacher and his family for a client who wishes to buy their homestead that they left behind.  Lilly finds much more than she bargains for, though, from a town who refuses to provide her any information willingly and who are desperate to have her out of town.  A search of the actual property reveals that there is something more sinister afoot, and there are definitely darker secrets being hidden - from the bloody sheets to the unmarked grave in the backyard to the secret room in the attic.  And what of that rather dashing but brash boxer who seems to always popping up everywhere Lilly goes?

And beneath all of this mystery and secrets lies another mystery that will clearly be an ongoing subplot in this series - who killed Lilly's mother?

Richards provides a well-written mystery with some extremely interesting characters that I look forward to getting to know better in future books (the second book, Though This Be Madness, is set to come out next year).  She engages the reader from the get-go, and she definitely keeps your attention from page one to the very end.  Definitely a must read for mystery-lovers and Nancy Drew fans everywhere!

RATING:  10 mail-order brides out of 10 for providing a brand new mystery heroine with all the spunk and determination of Nancy Drew and the rich, vivid writing that brings the characters and story so easily to life!