Hoosier Hills Book Fair: Return Trip

 

It should come as no surprise that I made a return trip to the Hoosier Hills Book Fair. After all--it was half price day. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to get even bigger bargains. And I didn't. I came home with 33 more books (w/two duplicates--that past Bev forgot to cross off the To Be Found List)...that makes a two-day grand total of 94 books, 5 holiday CDs, and one Sherlock Holmes jigsaw puzzle. I'm glad I scooped that puzzle up on Thursday--because the puzzle table was pretty much wiped clean when I went back. I thought most people got tired of puzzles after doing them like crazy during the pandemic. I guess not...

Here's the run-down of second trip treasures:

Vintage Mysteries/Spy-Espionage/Thrillers (pre-1960)

Beverly Gray Sophomore by Claire Blank

The Dissemblers (Puzzle for Inspector West) by John Creasey

Doorway to Death (Find Inspector West) by Creasey 

Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan

Murder Off Broadway by Leonard Falkner

The Case of the Angry Mourner by Erle Stanley Gardner

Decision Before Dawn (Call It Treason) by George Howe (Pocket Book #748)

Ashenden by W. Somerset Maugham 

Q.E.D. by Ellery Queen

To the Queen's Taste by Ellery Queen (ed)

The Murderer's Companion by William Roughead (true crime)

The Omnibus of Crime by Dorothy L. Sayers (ed)

New Mammoth Golden Book of Best Detective Stories by Various (A. L. Burt Company)

Silver Age Mysteries (1960-1989)

The Mystery Lady by Anna Clarke

The Whitelands Affair by Anna Clarke

A Connoisseur's Case (The Crabtree Affair) by Michael Innes

Green Grow the Dollars by Emma Lathen

Something in the Air by Lathen

Change for the Worse by Elizabeth Lemarchand

Remember to Kill Me by Hugh Pentecost

Dearest Enemy by Sara Woods

The Law's Delay by Sara Woods

More Recent Mysteries

Sherlock Holmes: The Breath of God by Guy Adams

Dirge for a Dorset Druid by Margot Arnold

Mrs. Jeffries Holds the Trump by Emily Brightwell

The Case of the Paranoid Patient by Anna Clarke

Other

Sherlock Holmes: Fact or Fiction by T. S. Blakeney (fictional biography)

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

Greenwitch by Susan Cooper

Indiana Jones & the Lost Treasure of Sheba by Rose Estes (Find Your Fate Adventure)

Bob Son of Battle by Alfred Ollivant

To Spite Her Face

 To Spite Her Face (1971) by Hildegarde Dolson

The ladies at the Second-Run Thrift Store don't just serve up second-hand bargains to the community. While sorting the donations and mending items worth fixing, they also like to dish a little second-hand gossip. The topics change about as often as the fashions and the current trend runs on the reinvention of Marian Colter.

Marian was an ugly duckling with a squashed nose until an expensive plastic surgeon transformed her into a lovely little swan. Her loving husband had readily supplied the means and was so proud that everyone could now see how beautiful his wife is (as he had always thought she was). But then his swan got restless and the rumor mill said that the town's newest beauty queen has found herself a secret consort. And when Marian later dies from a poison-laced daiquiri at a cocktail party hosted by the consort's wife it isn't any wonder that the rumor mill start concocting all sorts of theories. Was it the cuckolded husband? Was it deceived wife? Or had the lover gotten tired of his newest mistress and killed her when she wouldn't let go? 

Lucy Ramsdale, one of the thrift store volunteers, may dispense gossip with the best of them, but she prefers the gossip to have some truth to it. When Inspector McDougal is asked to lend the local police a hand and seems to be inclined to suspect the husband. Lucy is sure he's had too much malicious gossip poured into his ear--particularly by Myrtle Pickering--Lucy's favorite suspect. Lucy  believes Tad Colter is innocent and thinks the straight-laced biddy went over the edge and decided to start wiping out sin--literally. But when Myrtle winds up throttled and stuffed in the "Odds and Ends" bin at the thrift shop, it looks like Lucy will have to find a new favorite. She just needs to make sure the culprit doesn't suspect that she's spotted them....

Lucy is an interesting and complex, if sometimes irritating, protagonist. She is like a more forceful, more blatantly opinionated Miss Marple. But she is willing to admit her mistakes and tries to make up for her abrasiveness. She also manages to subtly convey (albeit unknowingly) the most important clue. Which I challenge anyone to spot as an actual clue. Versions of it are trotted out quite plainly for the reader to see and ignore because it just doesn't seem like a clue. Dolson gives things an interesting twist and I do wonder how the trial would have played out if the first murder had been the only one. [spoiler encoded in ROT13] V zrna, fher, Gnq qvq vagraq gb xvyy uvf jvsr. Ohg ng gur ynfg zvahgr, ur qrpvqrq ur pbhyaqa'g qb vg naq chg gur qbpgberq qndhvev cnpxrg onpx va uvf cbpxrg. Rkprcg vg sryy bhg naq yvggyr Zvff Qba'g Jnfgr Nalguvat cvpxrq vg hc naq chg vg onpx ba gur fgnpx. Fb, gur bar zbfg erfcbafvoyr vf Zlegyr Cvpxvat. Bs pbhefr, Gnq qbrf qrynl znxvat n erny pnyy gb gur qbpgbe...V unir gb fnl, V jnf fhfcvpvbhf bs gur svefg cubar pnyy sebz gur zbzrag ur fhccbfrqyl znqr vg.

McDougal is an early version of the somewhat angst-ridden detective. His wife cheated on him with a fellow actor and he retired early from the force (thinking everyone was either talking behind his back or thinking "poor Inspector McDougal couldn't even see what was happening under his own nose until it was too late." He moves to Wingate in the hopes of a new start, but is struggling to fit in and find a place to call home. When the local police invite him to take on the murder investigation, it gives him just the boost he needs. He becomes far more interesting and likeable by the end of the novel and I'm looking forward the other book from the series sitting on my shelf. ★★★ and 1/2.

[If you'd like to decode the spoiler above, then copy the coded portion, follow the link, and paste the the code into the box for decoding.]

First line: Owing to one of those mysterious social changes that come on as suddenly as elm blight, almost every hostess in Wingate was serving sandwiches for cocktail hors d'oeuvres that summer.

Last line: "In that case," the inspector said, "you can forget about the dog."

**************

Deaths = 2 (one poisoned; one strangled)

Friday Fright Night: Witches, Ghosts, & Mummies, Oh My!

 Curtis @The Passing Tramp (and sponsor of the Vintage Mysteries Group on Facebook) has revived the Friday Fright Night first launched in October 2020. Bloggers will take part in a month-long event sure to prepare us for Halloween. Friday Fright Night will find us serving up spooky, spirited reads at the end of each week throughout October. Curtis put out the call on Facebook but all bloggers are welcome to serve up ghastly delights and if you aren't on Facebook and would like to be included just provide a link to your post in the comments and I'll pass it along to Curtis.

I love Halloween. When it falls on a work day, I love to get into costume and go to work. But...I'm a big weenie when it comes to scary bits or horror. So, I'm going to start things off with a look at young adult mysteries with a spooky flair. First up is The Witches's Bridge by Barbee Oliver Carleton. Set in Massachusetts where young Dan Pride has returned to live with his uncle after his parents die in a plane crash. The Pride family has had its share of troubles over the years. During the time of the witch trials in America, an ancestor by the name of Samuel Pride was accused and executed as a witch--based on an accusation by the Bishop family. The years that followed found the Prides being blamed for all that went wrong in the area around Pride's Point and superstition kept everyone from using the causeway bridge that led to their land. Rumor said that the witch Samuel would appear as a large black dog and folks claimed to hear Samuel playing his fiddle near the Witches' Bridge. Carleton does an excellent job with atmosphere and uses the witch legend to full advantage. It may be the middle of summer, but the foggy marshland, eerie nights in the country, storms rolling in, and the spooky music near the bridge all work to make this a very appropriate book to read during the month of Halloween. We get all the trappings for a spooky story--a witch's ghost, creepy music, an ancient curse (uttered by the original "witch"), a large, ugly black dog, and an unexplained death. As a bonus, my edition of the book features cover art by Edward Gorey.

Second in our spooky line-up is The Ghost in the Gallery by Carolyn Keene. The Starhurst School where the Dana girls are residents is preparing to put on an operetta set in the time of Louis XIV called Spring Is Here in order to raise funds for a local charity. The operetta has generated such interest that the school has sold more tickets than their auditorium can hold. So, the girls suggest that they ask to rent the Mozart Music Hall which is owned by a former singing star. Mrs. Merrill is more than happy to let school use the Hall, but warns the girls that there are rumors that the Hall is haunted. It isn't long before the Starhurst students see a ghostly figure and hear weird singing when no one is around. Various attempts are made to discourage the girls from using the hall--from the ghostly sightings to a fake official declaring the Hall as condemned. Obviously someone wants them out, but is it all part of a real world plot or is there something other-worldly about the ghostly songs?

And finally, we have the Three Investigators in The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy by Robert Arthur. The boys take on the case of Ra-Okron, an Egyptian mummy that whispers to Professor Yarborough, a friend of Alfred Hitchcock's. There are all sorts of mysterious goings-on, from the ancient Egyptian mutterings to statues that topple all by themselves to huge marble balls that tumble down hillsides (apparently unaided) to the reincarnation of Ra-Okron in the likeness of his favorite cat to the god Annubis appearing and stealing the mummy. The Investigators have quite an adventure dealing with all those spooky events.

Of course, each of these books could almost be an episode of the Scooby Doo mysteries, but good writing and a decent plot go a long way to making these very entertaining stories for the target age group (and for adults looking for a bit of mild ghoulish hijinks). 

Book Fair Extravaganza

 

Well, dear reader, I did it again. I went to the Hoosier Hills Book Fair and handed over a sizable donation to the food bank in exchange for a rolling bag full of books. I spent a very happy morning with a huge spreadsheet of books-to-be-found and filled that bag up like there would never be another book fair ever. Now I get to sit down and log my treasures from the first day (I'll probably go back with the hubby at some point). Today's tally (including duplicates that I managed to pick up despite carrying around that spreadsheet...) is 61 books, one Sherlock Holmes jigsaw puzzle, and 6 Christmas CDs--because I can't resist new-to-me Christmas music. Duplicates that were not intentional upgrades of previously owned books are not listed below. We'll see if I pick up any more before the weekend is over.

Vintage Mysteries (pre-1960)

The Best of Mr. Fortune Stories by H. C. Bailey (Pocket Books #190)

All Men Are Murderers by Lee Blackstock (Doubleday Crime Club)

The May Week Murder by Douglas G. Browne (reprint)

The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude (reprint)

The Dull Dead by Gwendoline Butler

The Blind Barber by John Dickson Carr (vintage Penguin #528)

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie (Pan Books X736)

Murder Gone Minoan by Clyde B. Clason (Doubleday Crime Club)

Murder at the New York World's Fair by Freeman Dana [Phoebe Atwood Taylor] (reprint)

The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson (upgraded copy of Pocket Books #156)

Murder-Go-Round by G. P. Donnel, Jr. (1st edition)

The Fletcher Omnibus (The Middle Temple Murder; The Yellow-Orange Diamond; The Amaranth Club) by J. S. Fletcher (vintage edition)

The Punt Murder by Aceituna Griffin (reprint)

Murder in Piccadilly by Charles Kingston (reprint)

Terror by Twilight by Kathleen Moore Knight (Collier Crime Club edition)

The Black Coat by Constance & Gwenyth Little (reprint)

Black Corridors by Little (reprint)

The Black Gloves by Little (reprint)

The Black Paw by Little (reprint)

The Black Shrouds by Little (reprint)

The Dishonest Murderer by Frances & Richard Lockridge (upgraded copy w/dustjacket)

Murder! Murder! Murder! (a Mr. & Mrs. North 3-in-1 Volume) by Lockridge

The Norths Meet Murder by Lockridge (more pristine Pocket Books #166)

Murder Without Clues by Eleanor Pierson (Mystery Novel Classic #55)

The Penthouse Mystery (an Ellery Queen Junior Mystery) by Ellery Queen 

The Claverton Affair by John Rhode (reprint)

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers (hardback)

The Cape Cod Mystery by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (Pocket Books #171)

The Clever One by Edgar Wallace (Scotland Yard edition)

In the Tiger's Cage by Carolyn Wells (1st edition)

The Master Murderer by Wells

The Tapestry Room Murder by Wells (1st edition)

Mystery of the Green Cat by Phyllis A Whitney (1st edition)

The Curiosity of Mr. Treadgold by Valentine Williams (1st edition; dustjacket)

Collection (mostly vintage)

The Oxford Book of English Detective Stories by Patricia Craig (ed)

Silver Age (1960-1989)

The Twelve Deaths of Christmas by Marian Babson

Coffin in Malta by Gwendoline Butler

Nameless Coffin by Butler

Nobody's Perfect by Douglas Clark (more vintage copy)

Premedicated Murder by Douglas Clark (better copy)

A Child's Garden of Death by Richard Forrest

Landed Gently by Alan Hunter (better copy)

Alibi for a Corpse by Elizabeth Lemarchand

No Vacation from Murder by Lemarchand

Cold Light of Day by Emma Page

Nightmare Time by Hugh Pentecost

A Medium for Murder by Mignon Warner

Six Nuns & a Shotgun by Colin Watson

Newer Mysteries

Mrs. Jeffries Appeals the Verdict by Emily Brightwell

They Brother Death by E. X. Ferrars (academic mystery)

Murder Aboard the Flying Scotsman by Lee Strauss

Murder at the Boat Club by Strauss

Murder on Eaton Square by Strauss

Star Trek/Science Fiction

Captain's Table: Once Burned by Peter David

Captain's Table: Dujonian's Hoard by Michael Jan Friendman

Mickey Mouse: Adventure in Outer Space

 Mickey Mouse: Adventure in Outer Space (1968) by George E. Davie

Billed as a Mickey Mouse adventure--Goofy really takes center stage as his interest in looking at the stars at night turns into a journey among the stars when he gets mistaken for a scientist and kidnapped by a UFO. When Mickey is asked by Chief O'Hara to come to the science lab and help investigate the disappearance of several scientists, Goofy tags along. Then, while Mickey and the Chief take the remaining scientists to a safe place, Goofy stands guard over the laboratory. But donning a white lab coat makes the men on the UFO think that he's another scientist ripe for the taking...so they nab him. Mickey manages to figure out what's going on and disguises himself as a scientist to be kidnapped, but who "woulda thunk" that Goofy's expert skills at making lemonade would save the day and help defeat that ol' space pirate Black Pete?

Another trip down memory lane with a Big Little book--I had a number of these when I was small and nostalgia tends to kick in whenever I see these for a good price at our annual book fair or at a used bookstore. A fun little story--but seriously I don't know how the chief scientist (pictured with Mickey) could ever have thought Black Pete had his best interests at heart. Luckily, he had a craving for lemonade and Goofy was able to win his trust. ★★★

Welcome Death

 Welcome Death (1954) by Glyn Daniel

Poison pen letters plagued the village of Llanddewi in Wales during the war and then tapered off a bit. But now they have started up again. Miss Mary Cherrington invites her nephew, Sir Richard Cherrington to come and put a stop to it. Cherrington has often shown an interest in little detective puzzles. She doesn't need him to figure out who is doing it--she's sure she knows the culprit--but she wants him to find a way to get the culprit to stop before real harm is done. He arrives on the evening the village plans to celebrate its returned war heroes--the last two, Bryn Davies and David Morris, having just arrived home from the East. But before the evening is over the investigation will become more serious...from poison pen to murder. 

Evan Morgan was a philanderer who had caused grief to more than one woman in the village. It's rumored that he had seduced Bryn Davie's sister Daphne (whom David Morris had planned to marry) and that her death was the result of a botched abortion. On the night of the Welcome party, he had planned to announce his engagement to Janet Anderson--the girl Bryn had loved before setting off for war. But these events don't just affect Bryn and David and there are plenty of people with reason to hate Evan Morgan. With a new marriage,  Evan's long-time mistress Ellen Williams will be displaced as the consistent woman in his life...and they say there's no fury like a woman scorned. Add to that, the fact that Evan planned to change his will and practically cut out Ellen and his two sons, Rees (by his first wife) and Mervyn (by Ellen) in favor of the new wife and any future progeny. The Andersons aren't thrilled to learn that their daughter plans to marry a man old enough to be her father and the Davies are still upset about Daphne's death.

It was Mr./Ms. X in the library with the knife.

So, when Evan is found stabbed to death at his desk, no one is really surprised and most of the village really wouldn't mind if the killer is never caught. But the police mind and so does Sir Richard. Killing mustn't go unpunished...no matter how much the murderee seems to have deserved it. But there are several questions that will need answered before they can find the culprit. How did the murderer overpower two ex-commandos (Bryn & David)--leaving one tied up in the Manor and knocking one out cold? Do the anonymous letters have anything to do with the murder? Did anyone know that Evan planned to sign his new will the very next morning? And...was there a single villager who wasn't in or near the Manor that night? And why didn't any of them see anything of interest?

Daniel does an excellent job of portraying British village life where everyone knows everyone and their business. Supposedly, the circumstances of Daphne's death was hushed up and "no one" knows what happened. So, of course, this means that everyone knows. Given the tensions that are running under the surface, there are plenty of suspects for the murder and the investigators have too many to choose from. Just when it looks like they know who did it, they discover that another of their suspects has been telling lies and was on the spot near the time of death. 

While this is an entertaining mystery and it has something I always like--an academic amateur sleuth, to be honest, the plot is just a bit too complicated. I'm still not certain that I've got the timings down and I don't quite see how all those people could have been running about and not run into each other. I'm also not sold on Sir Richard as an amateur sleuth. He's not all that engaging and the reason for his being in the village is flimsy at best--especially when his aunt tells him straight up that she already knows who is behind the letters and just wants him to put a stop to it. Not sure how she thinks he's going to do that. And, finally, I would have been much more satisfied with the solution as given in one of the confessions (yes, there's more than one) than the one we are ultimately left with especially given the subtle hints inserted in the text that would make it perfectly plausible (highlight apparent empty space, if you're curious): we're told on a few occasions that people with nothing left to fear may take the risk of murder if they know they'll die before being hanged. There would have been a certain rightness to Daphne's mother exacting a revenge for her daughter's death. 

Overall, a decent mystery and I'm definitely curious to give Daniel's other mystery, The Cambridge Murders, a try. ★★★ and 1/4

First line: "Order, order. I call the meeting to order."

Last line: And that night for the first time his dreams were not disturbed by memories of Llanddewi.

*************

Deaths = 6 (one natural; one blood poisoning; one accident; one stabbed; one fell from height; one overdose)

Susanna, Don't You Cry!

 Susanna, Don't You Cry! (1946) by Mary Plum

"Murder is Murder and ghosts is ghosts and maybe the twain have met." ~Butch Milstone

Susan Marquette returned home early from a visit to an old friend in Chicago. and was shocked to learn from the taxi driver (an old friend) that her uncle James Blackett had died. She's especially concerned because the reason for her early return is a not she received from her uncle which indicated there was some trouble.

I want to talk to you. You'd better know what those crooks are up to. They'll get the Spreading Arms over  my dead body, but they're a trick bunch of thieves and you'd better know.

Susan should be his heir but no one contacted her to tell her about the death....or the inquest...or the funeral. Not his lawyer (who should have been trying to contact the next of kin. And not even her sister. She can't understand why. There also seems to be some mystery about whether or not she is her uncle's heir and whether there's anything to inherit if she is. All he seems to have had to leave is a huge and heavily mortgaged inn--the Spreading Arms. Susan also has doubts about her uncle's death--she learns that the inquest was rushed and there was no autopsy even though the circumstances were very odd indeed. 

Supposedly Uncle Jim went out rowing, overdid it, and his groggy heart gave out--so he fell in and drowned. But nobody told the court about the injury on the back of his head or the fact that there were no oars to be found. When she discovers the oars stored under the pier, precisely where her uncle always kept them her doubts increase. And when she finds out that the banker who held the mortgage on the inn has made a lucrative deal (along with a couple of politicians) to sell the inn to the Armed Forces so it can be converted into an Army Hospital, she's even more sure that something is rotten in Portland, Iowa. 

Two injured soldiers--one of whom is the son of the banker--show up at the inn because Uncle Sam has ordered them to the hospital. Nobody has told the government that the deal hasn't quite gone through and the hospital isn't operational yet. When Henry Curwood & his pal Butch Milstone hear Susan's story, they also suspect that something rotten is going on. Henry doesn't believe his father is the villain of the piece, but he's determined to get the bottom of it--no matter who the villain is. Susan, Anna, Henry and Butch all start investigating and find themselves in the middle of a plot that includes random thousand dollar bills, a stolen car, a "ghost" that pops in and out of cellars, a bank clerk's sudden resignation, and a certain character who has been double-dealing all along. It will take a few more deaths and a near-fatal attack on Susan before they'll produce the right culprit. 

This started out slow and I had to wade through a rather confusing scene when the soldiers arrive at the inn--everyone seemed to be talking at cross-purposes and/or in riddles. But once that was over, things picked up and moved quickly. Our four sleuths tracked down the necessary clues and made sense of the mystery in a tidy and nicely thought-out plot. I enjoyed Susan and Henry and watching everything unfold. Their banter back and forth (some quoted below) reminded me of Peter and Harriet on the beach looking for clues in Have His Carcase. It has a light and frothy air, but it is also good solid entertainment and a decent mystery. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Early June and already hot enough for the annual demonstration of frying eggs on a sunny sidewalk!

Is this where we start detecting? That must be the sand bar; it's the only one in sight anyhow. Looks as though Hercule Poirot, Mr. Fortune, Please, Asey Mayo, and Herr Hambledon Esquire had all precede me. Why can't people be more careful? Even my genius cannot find clues if all the riffraff of Scotland Yard and the FBI is permitted to run wild before my arrival. (Henry Curwood; p. 110)

HC: What do we do first?

SM: I haven't the least idea. I supposed you'd know. What sort of sleuth are you, anyway?

HC: Magnificent. Bunter, my camera and portable darkroom, please.

SM: I hadn't space for them and the calipers too.

(Henry Curwood, Susan Marquette; p. 111)

Last line: Ah well, tomorrow was another day!

Deaths = 3 (one hit on head; one shot; one car accident)

The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy

 The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy (1965) by Robert Arthur

The Three Investigators find themselves investigating two mysteries that intertwine. The first doesn't sound too exciting: an excitable woman by the name of Mrs. Mildred Banfry wants them to find her missing cat. The cat is an Abyssinian by the name of Sphinx with one orange and one blue eye. It's been missing about a week. The second mystery comes their way via their friend Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock writes to them and asks the boys to help out his friend Professor Yarborough.

The professor is an Egyptologist with many artifacts in his home--a veritable private museum. Among his treasures is the mummy of Ra-Orkon. The mummy has recently arrived from Egypt where it had been on loan to an Egyptian museum. No sooner had it arrived than it began whispering--but only to Professor Yarborough when he was alone in the room with it. The mummy seems to be muttering in a foreign language, but the professor can't quite make out any of the words. His butler thinks either his employer is getting a little senile or, if the mummy really is whispering, then it's because Ra-Orkon is angry and ready to carry out the curse against those who disturbed his rest in Egypt. Several men associated with the expedition have died...and Wilkins doesn't want the professor or himself to be next. 

Jupiter is eager to take on the case and he and Pete meet with the professor. They are unable to get the mummy to whisper while they're in the room. But they do capture (and then lose) an Egyptian boy who seems awfully interested in the professor's house. Jupiter gets an idea about how to fool the mummy into speaking to him and says they'll come back later. But when Pete seems to be reluctant to take on muttering ancient Egyptians, he sends the Second Investigator to interview the lady about her cat. Before Jupiter can fully unravel the mystery, the mummy is stolen. When the boys track it down, they're then able to beard the thieves in their den and discover exactly how and why the mummy speaks. And...they find the cat which has played an important role in the case.

This was an excellent Three Investigators mystery. Jupiter does a nice bit of deduction figuring out how the mummy whispers. That's the most ingenious part of the plot. And the adventures the boys have on their way to the solution are engaging and action-packed and just right for the target age group. It was easy to figure out who the villain of the piece was (there aren't exactly suspects thick and heavy on the ground), but I can't say that the Investigators really deduce that one....Jupiter (locked inside the mummy case) is taken straight to the suspect's place and the others wind up there purely by accident. But it is a nice wrap-up nonetheless. Very enjoyable. ★★★★

First lines: "Save me! Save me!" cried a strange, high-pitched voice in great terror.

Last lines: Whatever it was, it would be something unusual. Of that he had no doubt.

**************

Deaths = one hit by car; murdered in a bazaar; one snake bite

The Ghost in the Gallery

 The Ghost in the Gallery (1955) by Carolyn Keene

The Starhurst School is preparing to put on an operetta set in the time of Louis XIV called Spring Is Here in order to raise funds for a local charity. In addition the girls of the school are devising original songs and there will be a contest in which the four top songs will be included in the show. Jean and Louise Dana have written a song titled, most appropriately, "We're All Mysterious" which they believe will be a top contender. But their music is repeatedly stolen and then their rival Lettie Briggs insists that the Danas actually stole their song from the radio--because she has heard the same tune with similar words played. So--mystery number one: who stole their music? Was it Lettie, determined that she would get the better of the Danas for once? Or maybe it was the temporary maid who is filling for a reglar servant? And then there's a mysterious red-haired man who's been hanging around. And then, of course, they have to deal with the standard "mean girl" behavior from Lettie and her gang.

Meanwhile, there are other mysteries to be solved. The operetta has generated such interest that the school has sold more tickets than their auditorium can hold. So, the girls suggest that they ask to rent the Mozart Music Hall which is owned by a former singing star. Mrs. Merrill is more than happy to let school use the Hall, but warns the girls that there are rumors that the Hall is haunted. It isn't long before the Starhurst students see a ghostly figure and hear weird singing. Various attempts are made to discourage the girls from using the hall--from the ghostly sightings to a fake official declaring the Hall as condemned. But the Danas are determined that the show must go on and that they must discover why someone wants them out of the Hall so badly.

There are signs that someone has been searching for something, both backstage and in the basement. And when the Danas hear a story about the last musical performance to be held in the Hall--nine years ago--they believe they have their answer. On that occasion, Mrs. Merrill was playing her last stage role as well. It was a role that called for the singer to be covered in jewels. She unwisely chose to use her own valuable heirlooms which were stolen during the performance. The thief was never caught and the jewels were never seen again. The Danas suspect that that the jewels never left the building and that someone is trying to find them. They want to beat whoever that is to the punch.

As I noted in a previous Dana Girls Review (By the Light of the Study Lamp), I read a few of the Dana Girls mysteries when I was young, but I never got into them like I did the Nancy Drew stories. I never really thought about why, but now that I've read this one I really think it has a lot to do with the "mean girls" story line. I really find it hard to believe that a girls' school would tolerate the consistent bad behavior by Lettie and her followers. We're not just talking school girl gossip and pranks. In this outing, Lettie gets a fairly violent man to harass the Danas and he dumps them down an old well. They could have been seriously hurt. But no real punishment has ever been doled out to Lettie in any of the stories I read and Wikipedia notes that over the course of the series: 

 Lettie alters or steals school assignments, plagiarizes their work, destroys academic research, puts acid on Jean's towel before an athletic competition (to injure her hand), jeers/cheers against the Danas, short-laces shoes, hires a thug to disrupt an ice skating competition and winter carnival, and spreads rumors of all kinds about the Danas, along with making other character slurs. Incredibly, based upon their academic performance and favored status, Mrs. Crandal [the headmistress] remains neutral, or at times, becomes angry with the Danas, and requires the sisters to make an explanation. In most circumstances she is immediately satisfied with her investigation....Lettie, on the other hand, despite her disruptive, dishonest, and at times, actual criminal behavior, rarely receives due punishment.

My sense of justice is outraged. One would think that Lettie's wealth could only protect her (if that's what is happening) for so long before Mrs. Crandall would be obliged to do something about the outrageous and sometimes criminal actions. One of the things I like least about The Secret in the Old Clock (Nancy Drew) is the Topham girls and the way they behave. I can't imagine that I would have read all of the Nancy Drew stories if they kept popping up to throw a wrench in Nancy's investigations.

The mystery itself is a pretty good one and all of the stars are for that. ★★★

First lines: "Louise Dana! It's you! You startled me in that Louis XIV costume."

Last line: "And I'd like to know how two girls as young as you have discovered that we all are a little mysterious?"

***************

Deaths = one natural

The Witches' Bridge

 The Witches' Bridge (1967) by Barbee Oliver Carleton

Set in Massachusetts. The Pride family has had its share of troubles over the years. During the time of the witch trials in America, an ancestor by the name of Samuel Pride was accused and executed as a witch--based on an accusation by the Bishop family. The years that followed found the Prides being blamed for all that went wrong in the area around Pride's Point and superstition kept everyone from using the causeway bridge that led to their land. Rumor said that the witch Samuel would appear as a large black dog and folks claimed to hear Samuel playing his fiddle near the Witches' Bridge.  And a feud-state existed between the Prides and the Bishops from that day to the present. 

Years later Daniel Pride (our young hero's grandfather and namesake) decided that all the superstitions were bunk and determined to lay the feed between the families to rest. He offered an olive branch as well as making an offer to buy back the shipyard which the Bishops could no longer make use of. But on the night the transaction was to take place, something strange happened. Daniel set off across the causeway to meet the Bishops, but he never made it. Footprints showed that he had run--as if in fright--and he was found dead near the family chapel. There was a mark in the mud from the briefcase he had carried, but no briefcase was ever found. The Prides believed the case had the papers proving that the shipyard had been bought and paid for, but the Bishops claimed Daniel never arrived for the meeting and the case should still hold the money. Each side believed the other to be at fault--and so the feud continued.

Young Dan Pride's father left Pride's Point (and America) as soon as he could--living for the most part in England. When Dan's father and mother are killed in a plane crash, his Uncle Julian sends for him to come live at the family estate. Dan hopes for a warm welcome and a new home, but his uncle is withdrawn and the townsfolk are wary of a new Pride--especially when Dan hears the strange music and talks about it. And even when he seems to make new friends--the handyman Billy Ben and the twins Pip and Gilly--there is unexplained tension. He's just not sure who he can trust. Especially once he realizes that someone is still searching for that missing briefcase and someone is setting him up to be a scapegoat when things go wrong. Can Dan find the case before his unknown enemy and will he be able to prove himself innocent when the time comes? 

Carleton does an excellent job with atmosphere and uses the witch legend to full advantage. It may be the middle of summer, but the foggy marshland, eerie nights in the country, storms rolling in, and the spooky music near the bridge all work to make this a very appropriate book to read during the month of Halloween. We get all the trappings for a spooky story--a witch's ghost, creepy music, an ancient curse (uttered by the original "witch"), a large, ugly black dog, and an unexplained death. If the atmosphere hadn't been so good and the characterizations of Dan, Pip, Gilly, and Uncle Julian hadn't been so vivid, it might have been easy to read this as a Scooby-Doo type mystery. After all, good ol' [redacted] winds up being the villain and s/he nearly says "If it hadn't been for those meddling kids..." But Dan's struggles against loneliness and his efforts to find friends in a new place are very poignant and his bravery in the face of those against him and the mystery surrounding him makes this a better than average story. 

It was also good how Carleton used Dan's overcoming his fear of swimming to help him solve the mystery of what happened to the briefcase. If he hadn't finally made friends with Pip and Gilly and learned to swim with them, the mystery would never have been solved. There are a lot of good lessons about overcoming--overcoming one's own doubts and fears; overcoming prejudice; and overcoming superstition. The one thing I didn't care for was the escape of the villain at the end...after all that s/he had done we (and Dan) deserved to see them hauled off to jail. ★★★★

First line: The gray day ended as it began, too cold for May, and threatening a storm.

Last line: Then they reached the bend, and Pride's and all with it was lost to view.

************

Deaths = 5 (two plane crash; one hanged; one tortured; one natural)

September Pick of the Month

 

It's that time again...time to choose September's mystery star and take a peak at the reading statistics. September is another a busy month for me. The university is in full swing and it seems like everything is going on. But I still managed to do a bit better than last month--17 books--up just slightly from 16--even though my page count went down. All but two of the books had a mystery flair. We'll take a look at the star ratings in a moment, but before we hand out the shiny prize/s, let's take a look at the stats.

Total Books Read: 17
Total Pages: 3,741
Average Rating: 3.35 stars 
Top Rating: 4.5 stars 
Percentage by Female Authors: 53%

Percentage by Male Authors: 47%

Percentage by both Female & Male Authors: 0%

Percentage by US Authors: 41%
Percentage by non-US/non-British Authors:  6%
Percentage Mystery: 88%

Percentage Fiction: 100%
Percentage written 2000+: 6%
Percentage of Rereads: 12%
Percentage Read for Challenges: 100% {It's easy to have every book count for a challenge when you sign up for as many as I do.}    
Number of Challenges fulfilled so far: 72 (66%)

Mysteries Read

A Scream in Soho by John G. Brandon (4 stars)

Read & Buried by Erika Chase (2 stars)

Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie (3.5 stars)

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie (4.5 stars)

N or M? by Agatha Christie (4 stars)

The Witch Tree Symbol by Carolyn Keene (3 stars)

The Corpse on the Hearth by Harry Lang (2 stars)

Murder by Matchlight by E. C. R. Lorac (4 stars)

Zanzibar Intrigue by F. Van Wyck Mason (3.5 stars)

Six Deadly Dames by Frederick Nebel (2.5 stars)

Goodbye, Nanny Gray by Susannah Stacey (3 stars)

The World's Best 100 Detective Stories by Eugene Thwing [ed] (2.5 stars)

The Uninvited Corpse by Michael Underwood (3 stars)

Murder at the Pageant by Victor L. Whitechurch (4 stars)

The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo (4 stars)

And now it's time to award the coveted Reader's Block P.O.M. Of course, if we just look at the stars, it's easy. Agatha Christie's Five Little Pigs is the only 4.5 star winner in the bunch. In general, I don't give Dame Agatha the glittering pom-pom because when I read one of her books it is usually a reread. But in the case of FLP, I don't think that's the case. I know I have seen the dramatization with David Suchet, but I don't actually remember ever reading the book. This was an excellent read with a good plot. One thing I really enjoyed was the retrospective quality which had Poirot investigating a cold-case murder. He has to rely on his interview skills and the psychology of those involved to help him get to the truth of the matter. Even if he were one to use a magnifying glass and search for all the physical clues, that method is denied him here. He always says that all he needs is to hear all the facts and then to put his little grey cells to work in order to solve the mystery. This case allows us to see how well this works for him. And it works very well, indeed.

October Reading by the Numbers Reviews

 

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