Dark Shadows Audio Book 43 - The Devil Cat

It's the return of that detective duo, Tony Peterson and Cassandra Collins (better known to those of us as the witch, Angelique)! I have really grown to love this pair, and their mysteries are so much fun to listen to.  Jerry Lacy and Lara Parker have a natural chemistry (honestly, they seem to have more chemistry in these audios than Parker and Frid ever did on the actual show), and their banter is always guaranteed to bring a smile to my face.

The story picks up immediately following their last drama, which was 10 stories ago in book 33 - The Phantom Bride (which took place aboard the cruise ship to England).  The Devil Cat finds our favorite couple driving down a winding road, trying to figure out where they are going, when Tony must swerve to avoid hitting a black cat.  Needless to say, this starts a perilous journey that begins with them being chased by a cult of hooded figures who seem to want to sacrifice them to the burning wicker cat - until Tony's cousin, Lord Trent Malkin, shows up to save the day. What they expect to then be a relaxing weekend visit turns into yet another murder mystery when the town's police inspector turns up dead, followed thereafter by the local priest, the  Malkins' maid and her boyfriend.  Tony and Cassandra are aided by Lord Malkin and his wife in their search for not only the killer, but also their search for a stolen artifact.  As with prior Tony/Cassandra tales, nothing and no one is quite what they seem.

SPOILER ALERT!  SPOILER ALERT!

I sincerely hope the end of this story does not signal the end of the Tony/Cassandra stories - that would be extremely disappointing.  These have become a quick favorite of mine, and I look forward to each one.  But the ending makes it very difficult to see how the writers will be able to bring this pair back together again (although, it is Dark Shadows, so one never knows what could happen).

The story makes references to the prior audio dramas starring Tony and Cassandra, all the way from their first encounter to their most recent one.  There are references to former Collinsport Sheriff, Jim Hardy, as well as reference to "Cyrus," which could be referring to Cyrus Longworth.  Further, Cassandra/Angelique makes a reference to Reverend Trask (which, of course, was a character played by Jerry Lacy), and there are references to Angelique's passion for Barnabas Collins.  Thus, the writer manages to keep the story grounded in the Dark Shadows continuity, while providing a great little stand-alone murder mystery.  (Although, "stand-alone" may not accurately work, considering the end of the story kind-of ties in all of their adventures into one thread....)

I guess all good things must come to an end, and for Tony Peterson and Cassandra Collins, this seems to be their farewell tale...goodbye, Tony and Cassandra - you will be missed!

RATING:  10 racing black panthers out of 10 for providing yet another superbly written and well-read tale of this fantastic detective team - may the DS writers find a way to bring them back together!

Thea Stilton, Book One - The Dragon's Code

A spin-off of Scholastic's highly successful Geronimo Stilton books, the Thea Stilton books tell the stories of Geronimo's sister, Thea (surprise!), who is a special correspondent for "The Rodent Gazette."  The Dragon's Code is the first in a series of mysteries wherein Thea is invited back to her former school, Mouseford Academy and finds help in solving cases in the form of five young mouselings - Nicky, Collette, Pauline, Violet, and Pam.  As with the Creepella von Crackelfur series, the books are aimed at early readers, with large font and plenty of internal color illustrations.  Readers also get the fun of solving the mysteries with Thea and her friends, as there are small magnifying glasses on pages that hold clues - whether those clues are in the illustrations or in the story itself, well, that's up to the reader to figure out!

This first mystery finds Thea and the five girls searching for a missing student and the source of the various thefts around the school (including six cooking pots, a rake, and a water hose).  The clues lead them on a mysterious search into underground rooms and a secret entrance to a secret room that holds an unexpected treasure (and the answer to all of their questions).  It's a fun little mystery, and it definitely teaches children not only how to pay attention to even the smallest details, but it shows the value of working together to solve your problems, regardless of your differences.

At 159 pages, the page-count is more than that of the Hardy Boys books these days - although with the font and illustrations, the actual word count is considerably less. However, that is not to say that the story isn't just as readable and enjoyable.  The reading level is 3rd grade, which, quite honestly, is when I was reading the regular Nancy Drew books back in the day (along with the Boxcar Children, Happy Hollisters, and any other mystery series I could get my hands on in the library at the time).  So, I have to admit that it is a little disappointing to see that the reading levels have dropped so much in the past ... eh-hem ... "few" years.  When I was in school, this book would likely have been 2nd grade reading level.

As with the other Stilton series, this was originally published in Italy, written by Piccolo Tao, and the English translation was first published in 2009.  The author, despite the reading level, does provide a pretty intricate mystery involving secret rooms, a clever code, and an Indiana Jones-style treasure hunt that will no doubt enrapture children who read the book.  That being said, the author is careful to keep the clues at the forefront, reminding the readers now and again of what the clues are and how they are leading Thea and her new friends to the solution of the mystery.'

While clearly aimed at young female readers, I think the book would be enjoyed just as much by young male readers as well - there is little focus on the feminine nature of the characters (other than Collette, which is because she is a very high-maintenance girly-mouse) and more focus on the mysterious things going on at Mouseford Academy.

(One Side Note: while all of the other Stilton series, including Creepella von Cracklefur, are numbered, for some reason, Scholastic does not number the books in this series - so the only way to get them and read them in order is to look at publication dates to determine in what order the books were published...)

RATING:  8 booby traps out of 10 for providing an interactive children's mystery that lets the reader follow the clues to the solution right along with Thea Stilton!

A Cainsville Novel, Book 3 - Deceptions

Kelly Armstrong has me hooked!  I picked up the first book in this series, Omens, because the description gave me the same feeling I get when I watch Dark Shadows.  A supernatural saga with a real world setting.  Deceptions is the third novel in this ongoing saga of Olivia Taylor-Jones (who discovered in the first book that she is actually Eden Larsen, the daughter of two convicted serial killers!), and just as the prior two books, we not only learn a bit more about Olivia/Eden's past, we also learn more about the fae heritage from which she was born.

The book picks up pretty much right after the ending of Visions - Gabriel and Olivia are recovering from the car crash and the attempt by Macy Shaw to kill them both.  From there, the story keeps up the pace, as Olivia finds that she can't stay away from Cainsville and still learn what she needs to know about her own past and about whether her real parents, the Larsens, are truly guilty of the killing spree they are accused of.  Her visions continue, leading her to understand that not only does she play a part in the grand scheme, but also biker-boyfriend Ricky and her lawyer-friend Gabriel.  Readers discover, right along with Olivia, just how connected the three of them are and what their decisions will mean to the various factions of the fae living here in the real world.  Are they really controlling their own destinies, or are they mere pawns that will be forced to replay the same scenario done so many times before?

Of course, this book also brings to the forefront the killings of which Todd and Pamela Larsen are accused.  Without spoiling anything, the entire truth behind the killings comes out by the end of this book, and Olivia must find a way to come to terms with the truth - the truth of who instigated it, the truth of who really committed the murders, the truth of how those murders and her parents' actions are tied into the fae, and the truth of how those murders play into her own life.  The book is aptly titled, as there are quite a number of deceptions that finally stand revealed by the end of this book.  And, to give you fair warning, there is an unexpected death in this book that not only is integral to the continuing story here, but it also has an impact on Olivia.

I will admit, there was a bit more "romance" in this book than I would have preferred ... and Armstrong gets a bit graphic at points.  While I get that this series is likely aimed at females, and perhaps these type of scenes are somehow titillating to women readers, for me, they seemed needless distractions to the story (gratuitous sex scenes, if you will).  That being said, I'm still rooting for Olivia to end up with Gabriel!  (Poor, Gabriel, he just is too uptight for his own good!)

Anyone that loves supernatural thrillers is bound to love this series.  And even though I known pretty much nothing about the "fae" and about Celtic history, Armstrong is very careful about not just throwing things out there without giving some sort of history or explanation to the reader, so it's easily accessible.  Of course, this is an ongoing series, so it absolutely has to be read in order - Omens, Visions, and now Deceptions (with Betrayals being the next book that will be coming out).  It's my hope this series will continue indefinitely, but we shall see...

RATING;  9 boar's tusks out of 10 for keeping the roller coaster ride going, for keeping me guessing, and for a startling payoff in the end!

Dark Shadows Audio Book 42 - Carriage of the Damned

So, I strolled back into the world of Dark Shadows today, picking up where I left off with audio book 42 - Carriage of the Damned.

The story picks up shortly after the end of The Happier Dead, where Amy lost her latest love, Simon, at the hospital where no one was dying, no matter how horrific the injury.  Residing at Collinwood, she is asked by Sabrina to undertake a mysterious task of digging up the unmarked grave of Gerard Stiles!

I'm glad they are back to the ongoing DS saga here, and even more thrilled to have a number of original cast members - Lisa Richard (Sabrina Jennings), Kathleen Cody (Hallie Stokes), and James Storm (Gerard Stiles), as well as Denise Nickerson (although she is not playing the role of Amy Jennings, which she created back on the original show - instead, Stephanie Ellyne continues as Amy, while Denise takes on the role of actress Elspeth Gardner, who was previously seen in The Darkest Shadow).  Then, we also see the return of some minor characters, such as nurse Pauline Brown (who was in The Happier Dead) and Matthew Samuels (who was seen twice before on the trail to Collinsport in The Enemy Within and The Lucifer Gambit).  Thus, the continuity of the DS audio world continues to grow.

The writing of this story is very Dark Shadows-esque - with not only the head of Gerard Stiles (a la the head of Judah Zachary), but also the use of a crystal to track Stiles, and a spell cast to connect the lone train car with the drawing room of Collinwood.  This author, thankfully, tones down the use of expletives that seemed to overpower the last audio.  Plus, we get reminded that Barnabas and Julia are off with Professor Stokes in Egypt (which will be told in an upcoming audio story), Carolyn is still at school in Salem, and Elizabeth Stoddard is away for a month.  No word on David and Maggie, although there is reference by one of the characters towards the end as to whether Maggie will be prepared for all these guests.

I did enjoy the "mystery" of this tale - who exactly is trying to resurrect Gerard Stiles and why?  Is it Sabrina, looking for a way to end her werewolf curse?  Is it Hallie, hoping to gain revenge for what she perceives Gerard did to her all those years ago?  Is it one of the other passengers who are stuck on the train car with them?  The eccentric actress, Elspeth Gardner?  The highstrung nurse, Pauline Brown?  The gruff military major Crawford Jacobs?  Or the mild mannered train conductor, Matthew Samuels?  It really is anyone's guess until more than 2/3 of the way through, at which time it becomes clear who is really behind it all and why.

I will admit, however, there are a few places where it becomes a bit difficult to tell who is talking - Kathleen Cody and Lisa Richards at times sound very similar, and when you add Stephanie Ellyne into the mix, well, let's just be grateful they do say each other's name on occasion to keep the cast clear!

The story ends (SPOILER ALERT!) with Amy saying goodbye to Collinwood and Collinsport, vowing to never return...(of course, having listened to the Bloodlust series, we know that she later returns as Amy Cunningham, having married and now with step-children).

RATING:  9 stranded rail cars out of 10 for keeping the "creep"factor alive and well in Dark Shadows, and for maintaining a roster of background characters that show up when you least expect it!

Greetings from Somewhere, Book 4 - The Mystery in the Forbidden City

Those ever-curious twins, Ethan and Ella, now find themselves in China, as their parents continue taking them on a world tour to allow their mother to write her travelogue.  Author Harper Paris opens the world of China to the twins (as well as readers) by taking a look at Beijing, one of China's popular tourist destinations.

Despite how simplistic the writing and stories are, these books for young readers are actually quite enjoyable (even if it takes less than 15 minutes to read them).  Paris captures the innocence and curiosity of second-graders with Ethan and Ella, and the awe and wonder that any 8-year old would have when visiting such magnificent cities as Venice, Paris, or Beijing.  Of course, the kids do act a bit older than they probably should when they get separated from their parents and neither one of them seem very worried (as they are more interested in solving the latest mystery that their grandfather has sent them) - but, that can be overlooked for the sake of simply enjoying the book.  After all, this is fiction.

The quest that the kids' grandfather sends them on is to find the three dragons, located somewhere within the mysterious Forbidden City, the former home of the great emperors.  The only clue provided is that the dragons could be found near the old pine tree.  Needless to say, Ethan and Ella are overjoyed at the chance to solve another "mystery" - but that mystery gets bigger when they stumble upon an old map they find on the floor.  They use the map as a means to try and locate the old pine tree, but somehow get separated from their parents and lost among the many trails and buildings within the Forbidden City.  They ultimately find the old pine tree, they find the three dragons, and they find that the old map they discovered is actually older than they thought and is a treasure that was to be placed on display in the Forbidden City.

Marcos Calo once again provides not only the cover art, but all of the interior illustrations. Since this is a young reader's book, the interior illustrations are numerous, pretty much every other page, and in some instances, spread across two pages.

I'm still disappointed that I never had this series when I was in first and second grade; however, it's great to know it's out there now for young readers as a stepping stone into the wonderful world of reading!

RATING:  9 fried scorpions out of 10 for providing kids with an easy to read mystery that is also educational and fun!

Teen Titans, Earth One - Volume Two

The "Earth One" stories continue with the second volume of the Teen Titans.  I've always been a huge fan of the Teen Titans - from the original run, definitely through the Wolfman/Perez run, and even that run with the Atom as the leader (although, honestly, the New 52 run has left a bitter taste).  So it's rather refreshing to see a brand new take on the characters and team, introducing them as science projects gone wrong rather than various sidekicks brought together by fate.

Volume Two picks up some time after the end of the first volume.  Raven and Starfire are in hiding to protect Starfire from those that are after her.  Changeling, Terra, Cyborg, and Tempest are secretly hiding in an abandoned urban subdivision, doing everything they can for Cyborg as the metal slowly takes over his body.  Meanwhile, Niles Caulder's men are searching far and wide to locate the teens and bring them back.  Enter: Jericho and Deathstroke.

Jeff Lemire writes a story of teens on the run and introduces a whole new group of "Teen Titans," in the form of super-powered agents working directly for Caulder - Kole, Impulse, and Wonder Girl.  But these are not the heroes at all that you might remember from the regular DC Universe.  As with any good super-hero team book, there is a fierce battle as Teen Titans versus the runaway Titans, and Raven and Stargirl do battle alongside Deathstroke against Caulder and his men.  Stuck in the middle of this is Cyborg, who is slowly becoming more and more metal, losing what last little bit of humanity he has left.

Andy MacDonald's art is a bit rough around the edges in places, but it's not so bad that it takes away from the story.  The first five pages (opening sequence) are probably some of the best in the book, with Terra breaking into a pharmacy to get pain pills for Cyborg, then getting caught by the police in the rain, forcing her to use her powers to escape.  Throughout the rest of the book, though, it seems he struggles with facial expressions on the characters, and more times than not, you'll find the characters scrunching their face with their eyes closed (honestly, it looks like they are trying to go to the bathroom, if you get my meaning here).  Thankfully, though, there are not many splash pages or two-page spreads.  MacDonald saves those for only the very important moments, giving them more impact and giving the reader more bang for the buck as far as story goes.

There are still several plot lines hanging, which leaves the saga open for another graphic novel, and since I love these characters, I do hope there will be a Volume Three.  Guess only time (and sales) will tell.

RATING:  8 ugly mes out of 10 for keeping the story and characters of the Teen Titans fresh and exciting and not rehashing old material again.

The Virginia Mysteries, Book 3 - Ghosts of Belle Isle

Okay, while I was not entirely enthused with the previous book in this series, I can say that I found this third book to be a bit more enjoyable to read.  And while Ghosts of Belle Isle may not have had much of a mystery to it (nor did it have the treasure hunting adventures that the prior two books had), it does have something the first two books lacked - stronger characterization.

Perhaps the author, Steven K. Smith, is getting a better hold on his three main characters by this book.  Derek, Sam, and Caitlin are no longer cookie-cutter kids - instead, in this mystery, they actually read and feel very natural, both in dialogue and in action.  Which, obviously makes for a better read.  And once again, Smith provides a number of history lessons scattered throughout the story, this time involving the Civil War and the surrendering of the South to the North.  As the kids learn about Jefferson Davis and General Lee and the number of lives lost in the war between brothers, so do the readers.  Thankfully, Smith manages to integrate the history lessons pretty well into the story so that the reader does not feel like he or she is being hit over the head with it.

Now, as far as the mystery goes - as you can expect with a title like Ghosts of Belle Isle, there are ghosts.  Only, they are not the "ghosts" in the typical sense.  Sure, the kids' crotchety neighbor, Mr. Haskins, tells the boys about the mysterious lights that appear on the river that separates Belle Isle from Richmond and how those could possibly be the spirits of the hundreds of men who gave their lives for the South right there on Belle Isle.  The only problem is, the kids never really see those ghosts at all (albeit one very brief moment near the end); rather, the "ghosts" more prominently on display throughout the story are a motorcycle gang who appear to not only be rough and tough, but are also involved in some very suspicious and mysterious activities in the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

I'd have to say this story is more of a typical "day in the life" type story - the kids' parents go away on a vacation, leaving them in the hands of an older cousin who pays little attention to them, leaving them to fend for themselves; they have to face bullies who are intent on making their lives miserable (although Caitlin does have the right attitude when it comes to bullies, and there is a scene at the end where the bullies get what's coming to them in a very deserving way), and having to face the consequences of their actions.  There are no really overly dramatic scenes, no big cliffhangers or foibles standard to the children's mystery genre, and no scary moments.  So, for those looking for a mystery to solve, or hoping for another "National Treasure" type adventure, this is not the one for you.  However, if you want a quick, nice little read, then you'll probably enjoy this one.

RATING:  7 Eiffel Tower snow globes out of 10 for good, clean family fun - would have preferred an actual mystery for the kids to solve, but hey - you can't have everything.