Goldie Vance GN - Volume Five - Larceny in La La Land

Okay, this is it - my 500th post on this blog!  (Well, technically, it is my 501st post, but since the first post was not a book review, but more-or-less an introduction, I don't really count it.)  When I first started this blog, I don't think I ever imagined in August 2015 when I started this blog that five years later I would have read 500 books/comics/graphic novels - that averages out to about 100 per year. Wow, that's a lot of reading! So many have been so good, a few have been pretty bad, and some have been redeemable. But, above all else, I am thankful to my mother who got me started with my love of reading - it has opened an entire world (worlds, really!) to me and has taught me so much in terms of grammar, spelling, history, geography, and so much more.  Without books, I know I would never be where I am today!

 

So, that brings us to my next reading venture - the fifth Goldie Vance graphic novel by BOOM! Studios.  While I miss the regular monthly issues of the ongoing series that got cancelled after only 12 issues (and three stories), I am glad that BOOM! has seen fit to continue the series in the graphic novel format.  I am rather surprised, though, that the creators (Hope Larson and Brittney Williams) have stepped back and allowed other writers and artists take over the series.  While Williams does provide the cover for this fifth graphic novel, Jackie Ball provides the story and Mollie Rose provides the interior art - and Ball and Rose do a wonderful job of carrying on the legacy started by Larson and Williams and remain true to the characters, settings, and mysteries.

 

"Larceny in La La Land" finds Goldie heading off to California with her friend Cheryl and her girlfriend Diane - Cheryl has an internship at the Jet Propulsion Lab, while Diane has a summer gig shadowing Daryl Belchera. Goldie, on the other hand, is going out there with her mother, who has been called out as a consultant due to the movie filmed at her mother's Mermaid Club (which was a very nice reference to the recent book that came out, The Hotel Whodunnit, a review of which can be found elsewhere on this blog!). So, California, here we come...and a reunion with Goldie's old nemesis-turned-friend, Sugar Maple!

Goldie and her friends, of course, do all of the typical tourist things, but soon the others are caught up in their work, leaving Goldie on her own. As chance would have it, Goldie happens to spot a female detective chasing a criminal - and when the detective loses her hat, Goldie sees it as an opportunity to get involved in yet another mystery!  Goldie just happened to be taking photos at the time she saw the chase, and she happened to get a photo of the license plate of the car that the man the detective was chasing drove off in, and she happened to be able to track down the owner of that license plate, as well as the address of the owner - so, when she shows up at Del Avery's office with her hat, she also manages to talk her way into becoming Avery's assistant - especially when a well-to-do woman shows up asking for their help in finding out who stole a precious pair of tap shoes (not worth much, but the sentimental value is worth more).

Ball provides a great little mystery involving a string of stolen items that leads Goldie and Avery on a chase through the upper class of Hollywood and the forgotten stars of the silent film age. It seems a number of silent film stars have had items of sentimental value stolen, and Goldie, with a fresher, younger point of view, manages to point Avery in the direction to find the clues needed to solve the case. There are plenty of twists and connections among the characters, and, of course, there is a big climax with a plan to set-up the thief and wins Goldie the respect of a hardened detective who originally told Goldie she had absolutely no interest in teen detectives (because she used to be one herself!).

Rose's art, while not a mirror image of Brittney Williams' art, does maintain the same simple, almost-cartoon style art that works so well for this series.  As I read the story, my mind basically "saw" it as an animated film, making me realize that this series would make a wonderful series of animated movies (even if only direct-to-DVD) - I think they would sell pretty well to the younger audience as a family-friendly series of movies.  Maybe, one day...

No word yet on whether a sixth graphic novel is in the works, but my fingers and toes are crossed!

RATING:  10 cups of steaming hot rocket fuel out of 10 for proving that the innocence of yesteryear provides the perfect setting for some great mystery and detective stories!

The Fouth Goth Girl Novel - Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony

Young Ada Goth returns for her fourth (and final?) adventure in Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony. Author Chris Riddell has given readers an amazing series, both in his writing and his beautiful art throughout each book, and it would truly be a sad thing to see this series come to an end.  But, if this is the end, at least Riddell wraps it up nicely and gives Ada an unexpected surprise that she truly deserves.

 

From the first book in this series, Ada has been struggling to fit in, trying to garner the attention of her always-distracted father, and working hard to grow up without a mother.   She has had to deal with a ghostly mouse, a crazed cook-off, and a ludicrous literary dog show - and now her father has opened the doors to Ghastly-Gorm Hall once again - this time, for a music festival! It's Gothstock, a festival of new music! Maltravers (who, Ada is sure, has his own agenda with this whole thing) is organizing the various musical talents to perform at the festival, and people from all over are on their way to camp out on the spacious Dear Deer Park (yes, that's what it is called, because it is where all the dear deer roam freely) to enjoy the festival. Ada isn't sure what to make of her father's latest project, but that becomes the least of her concerns when she gets two very unexpected surprises...

First, she finds a young fawn sleeping in her closet (he's used to sleeping in wardrobes - those who enjoy reading might figure out what reference Riddell is making here! And, of course, if that is not enough of a clue, how about the young lion cub named Alsatian and the old wardrobe left abandoned in a lonely part of the great Ghostly-Gorm mansion)...

Second, her grandmother, Lord Goth's mother, the one and only Lady Carole, has come for a visit, and she's brought with her three eligible young ladies who are vying for Lord Goth's attention - there's Mademoiselle Badoit; Miss Highland Spring; and Miss Malvern...

Ada and her friends (the Attic Club, including Emily, William, Ruby, Arthur, and Kingsley) aren't really sure what to make of the three potential partners for Ada's father. Quite frankly, Ada isn't too fond of any of them - so she and Emily come up with their own schemes to make them as unattractive as possible to her father.  Thankfully, Lady Carole has brought her own seamstress - the ever-so-talented Tailor Extremely-Swift (yes, yes, the pun is very blunt with this one) - who quickly becomes friends with Ada.

The mystery pretty much plays second-fiddle (no pun intended there) to the outlandish characters - from the various musicians to the silly attendees; Riddell pulls out all of the stops to ensure that the reader giggles, smile, groans, rolls his/her eyes, and outright laughs at the names, descriptions, and antics of these characters. Riddell even pokes a bit of fun at our POTUS, with the orange-faced guest by the name of Donald Ear-Trumpet, whose hair looks like a raccoon-skin hat and who has the tiniest of hands! No one and nothing is off-limits to Riddell's humorous takes on literary, musical, and otherwise famous (and infamous!) people, so if you love to read at all, you will find the Goth Girl series to definitely be to your liking.

The novel ends in the most wondrous way, and fans of Ada Goth will be more than pleased with her change in circumstances. (The ending also pretty much confirms the conclusion of the series, sadly, but I would much prefer for Riddell to wrap up the series than to try and force out more stories when he doesn't really have any more to tell...).  It's been a fun run, and to Riddell, I give the highest praise for a series well-done!

RATING:  10 dinner served by The Frying Scotsman out of 10 for good, clean, fun reading that brings a true smile to your face!

Her Name is Savage - a Graphic Novel

So, apparently back in 1968, comic book artist Gil Kane (known to me for his work on the Green Lantern series by DC Comics) created, drew, and published a one-issue, digest-sized comic called "His Name is Savage."  The story centered around an espionage agent named Savage who has to stop a crazed villain from starting World War III.  I had never heard of this comic or character (although I had heard of the character Doc Savage, who is no relation whatsoever) when I came across this graphic novel in an issue of Previews not so long ago.  Her Name is Savage! The title caught my eye (since I love hard-hitting female leads), and the cover showing a dark-haired woman jumping out towards the reader, firing her gun with bullet holes shattering what looks to be glass (or perhaps the actual cover to the comic).  She reminded me so much of another favorite of mine (Ms. Tree) that I had to get it.

Written by Katie Batchelor and Shane Riches and drawn by Jesus Antonio Hernandez Portaveritas, Her Name is Savage! is the story of a tough-as-nails female espionage agent known only as "Savage" - and she definitely lives up to that name. While the story opens with her apparently trying to protect an orphanage in the Ukraine, as it progresses, the reader quickly learns that there is much more to Savage's ultimate goal than meets the eye.  Everything she does seems to come back to the Naude family, who have their hands in more illegal operations than one can imagine. Savage has ties to that family, and every move she makes, every action she takes is carefully calculated to bring the head of the Naude empire out in the open. Nothing Savage does is by chance.

Batchelor and Riches give readers a truly wild ride of adventure with this story - every time you think you know what Savage has planned, you (along with the characters in the story) discover that Savage has deeper ulterior motives and that she has been moving people and situations around like chess pieces to achieve her ultimate goal.  But despite that tough exterior, Savage has a soft side (although she doesn't necessarily like it), and she'll do whatever it takes to protect her friends.

I could easily see this as more than just a graphic novel, but as an ongoing series.  The character is strong and likeable, the tales of espionage and danger are certainly stories that would appeal to a lot of comic readers, and the art by Portaveritas fits nicely with Batchelor and Riches' narrative.  In fact, with the writing and art combined, the graphic novel has a very cinematic feel to it - no unnecessary, drawn out back stories; the pages and panels move the story at a fast pace to keep the action going; and while the story itself is constantly weaving this way and that, it is easy to follow and keeps the reader turning page after page.  (And that three-page "origin" story at the end of the graphic novel makes for a nice "post-credit" scene!).  Plus, I have no doubt the writers could come up with plenty of evil villains for Savage to take down (after all, let's face it - the world has plenty of evil men and women in the criminal underworld that need someone like Savage to take them out).

Unshakable. Irrepressible. Undefeatable.  Savage.  She definitely lives up to her name!

RATING:  9 pacifiers left behind out of 10 for a new, strong female lead that without a doubt can carry her own book!

Craven Manor - some secrets are better left forgotten ...

Although I rarely pick up books that are not part of a series, sometimes one catches my eye that I just can't walk away from.  Craven Manor, by Darcy Coates (whose two-book House of Shadow series I thoroughly enjoyed) is one of those. Supernatural. Gothic. Horror. These are story elements that I absolutely love, ever since I started reading Nancy Drew as a child and fell in love with Dark Shadows as a pre-teen. So, any time I am at a book store, I always check out the horror/Gothic books to see if anything stands out. This particular book caught my attention for one simple reason - the protagonist in the story is a man.

That may seem like an odd reason, but the fact of the matter is that most Gothic stories feature a young woman as the lead character; usually, the man in the story is her love interest who has a dark history and whose entanglement with the supernatural elements of a particularly forlorn palatial estate create fear and nightmares for the young woman.  In Craven Manor, however, a young man by the name of Daniel Kane takes the place of the young woman. Yet, instead of also switching the gender of the dark, brooding man of the manor, Coates maintains the mysterious, enigmatic man as the lord of the manor.  Which raised the question in my mind: is this a Gothic tale with an underlying male/male romance?  So, I bought the book to find out.

Craven Manor opens with young Daniel Kane at the end of his rope.  Formerly homeless, young Daniel has found a temporary home with his cousin, Kyle, who, it is easy to see, is taking advantage of him. Daniel, who has been floating from job to job on pretty much a daily basis, barely scraping by and rarely having enough money to eat, has a kind heart, and usually gives some of his much-needed money to his neighbor, Mrs. Kirshner, who is worse off than him. But one day, Daniel finds an envelope with his name on it lying on the linoleum floor just inside the front door. Inside the envelope, he finds the most unusual invitation - someone by the name of "Bran" is offering him a job as the groundskeeper for Craven Manor.  Daniel has no idea who "Bran" is and he has never heard of Craven Manor.  He doesn't know what to think - but when his cousin moves someone new into the apartment, kicking Daniel out of his room and putting him on the couch, he decides to take Bran up on his offer, since it comes with a small cottage on the grounds of Craven Manor, where Daniel can live for free.

Coates' description of the decaying mansion that is Craven Manor is so vivid that you can not only picture the peeling wallpaper and chipping stones, but you can hear the sound of dry leaves crunching underfoot and you can smell the decay and disuse within each room.  The crows that seem to always be present just outside the manor's front doors ... the black cat that seems to watch Daniel's every move ... the disconcerting painting of the young girl who Daniel discovers to have died so very tragically ... the locked room that Daniel has been instructed to never EVER open under any circumstances ... and the fact that Daniel has never met his benefactor, but instead gets all of his instructions through envelopes left on the foyer floor of the manor (and he receives payment each week in the form of two very old and very unique gold coins) ... so many mysteries, so many questions, but for inexplicable reasons, Daniel feels drawn to the manor.

As with any good Gothic tale, the manor has a sordid and sad history, filled with death and supernatural horror.  The Myrick family built Craven Manor - but the last of the family to reside in the manor met with a horrifying end - the daughter, Annalise, was thought to be a witch because of a rare disease she had, and she was burned alive (her remains kept in a small mausoleum, which becomes Daniel's first job to clean up); the mother was believed to be slowly going insane and ultimately was killed; and the son - well, the son was sent away to boarding schools, kept away from the house and the family, and upon his return, he discovered the horrible things that had happened to his family.  And when Daniel finally has the opportunity to meet his benefactor face-to-face, he discovers the unbelievable truth - Bran Myrick is the son that came home over a century before!

Coates never truly allows the reader to get too comfortable, because just like with poor Daniel, it's hard to determine what the truth is.  Is the story told by the barkeep in town about what happened with the Myrick family and the nearby town that has disappeared because of the horrors that occurred the truth? Or is the sad, heartbreaking tale told by Bran himself about his sister's untimely death and the curse placed upon his family the truth?  Or is it somewhere in-between?  And who is being kept locked away in that tower room, who Daniel catches mere glimpses of now and again?  And why must Daniel keep his cottage locked up tight with all the curtains drawn every night?  What lurks in the darkness of the estate's grounds at night, tapping on the door and windows of the cottage, trying to get in? And what will truly be unleashed is Daniel unlocks that tower door?

It is interesting to note that aside from Daniel's neighbor, Mrs. Kirshner, there are no women in the book (while, no living women I should say!).  The cast consists completely of men - Daniel, his cousin Kyle, the new roommate Fletch, the barkeep, Bran, the delivery man Joel, and Joel's father. And maybe it was just me looking too much into it, but during the first meeting of Daniel and Joel, there is an underlying sexual tension between the two men that made me think something was going to eventually come of it. Both men felt there was something unnatural about the manor and the means by which Bran chose to communicate with his hired help; they seemed somewhat awkward with each other (the same way two men might act when the first meet each other and feel an instant attraction); and the fact that before he left, Joel made sure he gave Daniel his phone number in case he needed anything - well, it just felt natural that these two would eventually express their feelings for one another - particularly since there is absolutely no mention anywhere in the book that either of these men has ever had a girlfriend or even expressed any feelings for the opposite sex!  Then there is the strange relationship between Daniel and Bran.  When Daniel finally meets his employer and, even more, when he discovers exactly what Bran is, he finds himself facing conflicting feelings of whether to trust the man or run away.  He chooses to stay (obviously), and the hurt he feels each time he thinks Bran has betrayed him or lied to him easily leads the reader to believe that Daniel is developing more than just feelings of friendship for Bran.

Maybe I am just projecting my own ideas into the story, but I really kept hoping Coates would explore either (or both!) of those potential relationships - and, perhaps, in her own subtle way, she did acknowledge this with the ending.  Maybe, just maybe, playing down the romantic side of things and emphasizing the dark supernatural horror of the story was a way Coates allows her readers to take the story in the manner of their own choosing, so as to allow readers to find their own satisfaction and enjoyment with the direction the story takes.  In any event, this book was truly a magnificent read, a definitely different take on the standard Gothic trope, and one that I hope to see more of in the future!

RATING:  10 old tin cans of Spam out of 10 for spinning a new twist on the Gothic horror tale and giving me a truly superb story of supernatural suspense!

Doctor Who, the 10th Doctor with Donna Audio Book - Volume 3.3 - The Creeping Death

I recently took a trip up to Jacksonville with a friend to visit the Chamblin Book Mine (a huge, huge, HUGE used book store).  Normally, I have the radio blaring, but with my friend in the car - someone who also happens to be a big Doctor Who fan, and who loves Donna Noble nearly as much as me! - we decided to listen to the third of the three 10th Doctor/Donna Noble audio stories.  The two hour trip there and return trip home gave us plenty of time to enjoy this latest story of my favorite Doctor/companion pairing.

The Creeping Death, written by Roy Gill, takes the Doctor and Donna to London in the early 1950s. Donna is hoping to have a vacation, but as it always turns out, the TARDIS has other plans for the Doctor and his companion! The Doctor and Donna arrive in London to find it enveloped with a deadly smog, so thick one can barely breathe. Donna is ready to go back into the TARDIS and head for someplace sunny and relaxing, but the Doctor knows they were pulled to this place and time for a reason - and anyone who knows the Doctor knows he will never pass up the chance to right a wrong, fix a problem, or help out those in need. So, off he goes, and before you can say, "Wait a minute," the the Doctor and Donna get separated in the ever swirling smog that makes it nearly impossible to see where you are going.

The Doctor meets up with young Ivy Clark, who works in a movie theater. But something strange has happened in there, and Ivy is crying out for help.  The Doctor can't help himself, and he runs to investigate, only to find the theater filled with dead people - all of whom seem to have died of suffocation.  Ivy tells the Doctor that things came into the theater - tiny, like insects - and killed all of those people. And when those shadowy things show up again, with their buzzing, the Doctor and Ivy do the one thing the Doctor does best - they run!

Meanwhile, Donna bumps into someone of her own - literally!  As she searches for the Doctor, a gentleman by the name of Terry Hopkins knocks into Donna, as he doesn't see her in the smog.  After a rather rocky start, Donna comes to like Terry (not in that way!) and joins him as he heads off to meet Richard Cooper, who just so happens to be his boyfriend (shhhh!  don't say that too loud - after all, it's only 1952, and their love is not something people of that time take too kindly to!).

It isn't long before circumstances reunite the Doctor and Donna and bring Ivy, Terry, and Richard, along with an overly dramatic stage actress named Alice and an out-of-shape vacuum salesman named Malcolm together at the bus station, where they find themselves trapped against an unknown enemy who seems intent on killing more people.  But the Doctor has a plan - he's ALWAYS got a plan - and soon enough, the survivors from the bus station (you don't really think I'm going to give things away, do you?) head over to the local museum for a final confrontation with these alien smog creatures (and before you ask - no, it is not those crab-like creatures from the Martha Jones season).  The final confrontation is serious, but fun, with plenty of danger and excitement, and provides a spectacular ending in true Doctor Who fashion!

Gill has a very firm grip on the characters of the 10th Doctor and Donna Noble - their dialogue and actions are so consistent with the television show that this feels very much like a missing episode from series 4 of the new Doctor Who.  The sound effects and music do not overpower the dialogue, as a previous audio or two have done in the past, and it makes for much easier listening and much greater enjoyment of the story.  Of all the Doctor/Donna audios to date, this one could very well be my favorite so far.

Now, to patiently wait for the Donna Noble solo audio stories to come out...

RATING:  10 glowing rocks from outer space out of 10 for continuing the adventures of Donna Noble's time with the Doctor in such a wonderful way!

The Virginia Mysteries, Book 8 - Escape from Monticello

It's back to Virginia with the eighth installment of this mystery series for children by Steven K. Smith. As the series has progressed, so has Smith with his writing, his characterization, and his ability to weave more complicated mysteries with more dangerous elements to them.  With this eighth book, readers will find that Sam, Derek, and Caitlin have all matured and grown based on their experiences in the past seven books, so when the door of opportunity drops yet another mystery in their lap, they each face it in their own unique way...

Escape from Monticello is another mystery about Thomas Jefferson - or rather, about his grandchildren.  When Sam and Caitlin come across a journal written by one of Thomas Jefferson's granddaughters, they find some clues in the girl's writings about possible treasure that was hidden by Jefferson when he had to flee his home hundreds of years ago. But when the journal is stolen from the bookstore that Caitlin's mom owns, the kids are left with just one page from the journal - a very important page that leads them on a hunt for the possible treasure!  The only problem is, someone else is also on the hunt. The girl who stole the journal keeps turning up - first, at the library in the University of Virginia, and later at Jefferson's homestead, Monticello.  Who is she, and why is she following them?

The clues Sam, Derek, and Caitlin find seem to be leading them back and forth, and when the thief owns up to what she did, Derek and Caitlin are willing to join forces - after all, she is in college and old enough to drive, meaning they won't have to be dependent on their parents to take them where they need to go.  But Sam is not so sure. He is wary of the thief, and his warnings go unheeded.  Then, Sam gets the worse possible news: a villainous criminal from their past (one they helped put away in an early case) has been released from jail!  Sam is fearful and can't seem to shake the feeling that their enemy is coming for them.  Of course, his fears turn to reality when Derek and Caitlin are kidnapped, their parents are out on the town for a night, and the only person who can help Sam is... Mr. Haskins?!

Smith, as with his previous novels, manages to put enough historical facts into the story to ground the story in reality, while adding in just the right mix of mystery, adventure, and danger to keep readers turning page after page.  Smith has gotten the hang of intertwining the real history with the fictional history, and readers of this mystery will never feel like they are sitting through a history class or being beaten over the head with stories from the past.

A very satisfying read, and it leaves me wondering...will there be a ninth book?

RATING:  9 loose bricks out of 10 for maturing the mysteries right along with the characters for a fantastic read.

The Con Artist - a murder mystery at the San Diego Comic-Con

I absolutely LOVED this book!  Not only goes it have a really great murder mystery, which has you bouncing from suspect to suspect as you try to figure out who did it and why; but, it is so chock-full of geekdom goodness that I couldn't help but giggle, cheer, and sign in remembrance of some of the long-gone comics and creators of yester-year.  And it is VERY obvious that the author, Fred Van Lente (whose name I don't recognize, even though it gives a list of comics he has written - of course, I don't read any of those listed, so maybe that's why I don't recognize his name....), is very familiar with comic conventions, fans, and the entire feel of a super-crazy, over-packed, twenty-four-hour-a-day convention like San Diego Comic Con (THE Comic Con).

So it's only apt that the name of the book is The Comic Con.  Not only does it immediately tell the reader the setting of the story, but it also gives a not so subtle nod to the premise of the mystery.  The protagonist, Mike Mason, is a comic book artist that has had his time in the spotlight, has garnered his fame and fortune writing the ever-so-popular "Mister Mystery" series, as well as the almost-as-popular "Gut Check" series.  Things have changed, however - a younger generation of creators have moved in; comics are more about what superstar is writing and/or drawing them than about the stories themselves; conventions have become less about the comics and more about the media and the cos-players; and Mason himself has a failed marriage behind him (his wife left him for one of Mason's co-workers!) and is basically homeless, living from hotel to hotel as he literally bounces from one convention to the next all year long.  And he makes his way to San Diego Comic Con ("SDCC") this year in order to present his mentor, Benjamin Kurtz, the creator of the "Mister Mystery" comic, with the lifetime achievement award at the Kirby Awards ceremony.

There's only one problem.  Kurtz is dead.

Now, he hasn't been murdered, mind you.  He died of natural causes.  But that one death sets off a chain reaction that forever changes Mason's life and that of those around him.  He suddenly discovers that everyone has something to hide.  People he thought he knew, he didn't.  Not really.  And the business behind Kurtz' work, and even Mason's own work, at Atlas Comics suddenly becomes a lot more dangerous that Mason ever could have dreamed possible!  Pages of Kurtz' art that were thought stolen years ago are suddenly turning up for sale at the convention.  The dealers are tight-lipped about where they got the art from, but they all have one thing in common - they are surprised Mason doesn't know.  And when his former co-worker (and his ex-wife's now ex-boyfriend) turns up dead the morning after he has an altercation with him, Mason becomes suspect number one.  He has an alibi, as he was being toted around San Diego by a pedi-cab driver - the only problem is, she seems to have disappeared, and no one knows where to find her!

With the help of an old friend, Dirtbag (not his real name, obviously), Mason begins his own investigation into what happened to Danny Lieber, if for no other reason than to clear his name.  But in order to do so, he has to evade two oversized bodyguards intent on hunting him down; the owner of Atlas Comics intent on making him a deal he can't refuse; the star-of-the-moment comic icon, Sebastian Mod, intent on collaborating with him on the latest "Mister Mystery" stories; and his own ex-wife, who seems to have reasons of her own for being at SDCC this year.  And then his ex-wife turns up dead, and wouldn't you know it - he's the one to discover the body, with no one else in sight!

Van Lente provides readers with a well-plotted murder mystery with fun, believable characters in a setting that will thoroughly thrill any comic book / sci-fi / convention fan!  So, so, SO MANY pop culture references - from calling the two police detectives investigating the murders "Sam" and "Twitch" (and any fans of Spawn will immediately recognize those names), to the appearance of the TARDIS, to the Ripley v. Alien burlesque show, the Plastic Man cartoon reference, Star Wars, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, and pretty much any other genre that you can think of - it's in there!  And not to be left out, one my other favorite fandoms gets a brief mention when Mason is actually using an old-time photocopier to copy a page out of a phone book and he says, "Kicking this Hardy Boys $#!+ old school, yo."   I mean, let's face it - for a nerd like me, books just don't get any better than this!

Obviously, the mystery eventually gets solved, but with some definite unexpected twists, and Van Lente literally brings the story full circle with the last page and the last few paragraphs.  Let's just say Lieutenant Yoo turns out to be a very important person (and when you get to that part, you will completely understand!).

I definitely hope Van Lente will eventually revisit Mike Mason and give us another mystery like this - I would thoroughly devour it!

RATING:  10 missing art portfolios out of 10 for the perfect combination of fandom, mystery, suspense, humor, and just plan good reading!