Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt

 Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt (1938) by Clair Blank

Beverly Gray, aspiring reporter, and her friends are on a sailing cruise around the world on the Susabella. Their trip has taken them to the far east (and included adventures related in the previous two books). Earlier in the journey, they discovered half of an old map with directions to a treasure located on an island near China and had to outsmart a nasty Count to retrieve the other half. The treasure is hidden on an island with hostile inhabitants and when her friends are captured it takes all of Beverly's ingenuity to effect a rescue. The adventures come fast and furious. The exploits include the discovery of a jeweled dagger that must be returned to the Chinese temple where it belongs; Beverly & Larry flying over Mount Fuji (and an emergency parachute jump when the plane loses power); the exploration of an Indiana Jone-style temple with skulls lining the walls; Beverly being swept overboard and rescued during a hurricane; and Beverly's chance at a foreign correspondent job when Shanghai is invaded. 

There really isn't much mystery to be had in this installment--it reads more like the "Perils of Pauline" as Beverly and company repeatedly fall into danger and get out of it again. It almost felt like Clair Blank was trying to stuff as many types of exotic adventures into the book as possible with nothing to hold them together except the idea of travel. I think I would have enjoyed this one much more if there had been a more intricate mystery connected to the treasure hunt and the focus had been there rather than hopping from danger to danger and adventure to adventure. ★★★

First line: A group of six young people waited impatiently on the Shanghai dock and cheered lustily as a girl fled through the crowd.

Last line: Let us say "Aloha Oe" to them here to meet again in "Beverly Gray's Return," when we shall find them in new and exciting adventures.