Shirley Flight #6, The Great Bullion Mystery

I hate to quote Red from That 70s Show, but seriously, sometimes Shirley is a total dumb ass. She's surrounded by even dumber people, which is about the only reason she gets away with it.

And end rant. In this book, Shirley has taken a temporary assignment on a "flying boat" or amphibious plane, going from Southampton to Canada, by way of Reykjavik. At the last minute, they're loaded up with special cargo: 500,000 pounds in gold bullion. Mrs. Dellery, another of those mean old ladies with a heart of gold, is Shirley's special charge. Mrs. Dellery is extremely demanding (she has Shirley sit with her, then pumps her for information about herself), which earns her a lot of grief from the obnoxiously, annoyingly chauvinist steward, since this prevents Shirley from assisting with the rest of the on-flight duties. Mrs. Dellery also attempts to smuggle a small gun onboard, which causes further conflict between Shirley and the steward over what to do.

Once in Reykjavik, Mrs. Dellery somehow convinces Shirley to ride with her and a menacing chauffeur to her house outside of town. Stranger danger, Shirley! I got so frustrated with Shirley after this point--everytime she rightfully gets her hackles up, someone (usually Mrs. Dellery [or *spoiler* one of her alter egos]) offers her a stupid explanation, that she swallows hook, line, and sinker. From at least the car ride, Mrs. Dellery is clearly up to no good, but Shirley ignores her instincts until she's taken prisoner in the house and ordered to remove her uniform. She does so and hides. Once the other two give up on finding her and leave the house, she finds an empty wheelchair and a grey wig. Shocker! Mrs. Dellery is not really crippled or elderly!

Somehow Shirley gets out of the house, determined to make it back to the plane before it leaves Reykjavik. There's a genuinely tense struggle in the Geyser Plateau that I really enjoyed. She's walking and spots the evil chauffeur and decides to lure him out of the car to steal it. She deliberately shows herself, then leads him on a dangerous chase through the steam and snow and hidden boiling springs. She manages to get the car and make it back to the plane but can't convince the guard that she's really a flight attendant, since she's wearing native costume. She also sees someone who looks exactly like her, wearing her uniform. Finally they're convinced and let her onboard.

Once on the plane, a girl claiming to be an Icelandic flight attendant getting training shows up unexpectedly. In a Transcontinental uniform. And Shirley's not at all suspicious. For real. Until she sees a British passport poking out of the girl's bag, and even then, she tries to think of an innocent explanation. She does start getting suspicious about a group of mining engineers, but when she tries to tell the obnoxious steward, he refuses to listen. And it's too much of a breach in protocol for her to directly approach the flight crew. She finally decides to open the engineers' cargo for proof, but of course by the time she finds the tommy guns, it's too late to go for help. They take over the plane. The female impersonator is really the male leader of a notorious gang, who plans to leave them abandoned in middle-of-nowhere frozen Canada. Luckily, Shirley uses the equivalent of knock-out drops from the first aid kit to spike their coffee. They're captured, the crew and passengers are rescued, and Shirley is vindicated in front of the steward. Since she's somewhat less dumb than everyone else.

• While there's a huge amount of guards for the loading of the gold, there's absolutely no security on board the plane. NADA.
• I hated the character of the steward. He's even more stupid than Shirley, impossible to please, and takes bribes. He won't report Shirley's suspicions because he would have to admit that he (a.)took a bribe and (b.)helped smuggle a gun into Iceland. I know he's supposed to be seen as a silly villain, but he was extremely annoying.
• I need to find pictures of old planes. This book mentions a bar, tables, card games, etc.
  
• The gang leader is described as short and slight, a master disguise artist. I can vaguely believe that he could make himself up convincingly as an old woman, but not as a gorgeous young girl.

I've been a bit disappointed in the Shirley Flight books so far, especially considering how much I enjoy other World Distributors series (Sara Gay Model Girl, Sally Baxter Girl Reporter) and the early Vicki Barr books. Next up is Escape by Night, which I admit was not much like The Dormitory Mystery.

Shirley Flight #3, Desert Adventure

Shirley Flight was published by the British company, World Distributors, in the 1950s and 60s. My copy of this book doesn't list a copyright date, but the inscription in the front is dated January 1959, and the first four titles are listed on the back cover. Shirley is an air hostess for Transcontinental Airlines and a trained nurse (as air hostesses were required to be at the time). The books differ from the Vicki Barr series much more than I would have expected. There's a definite international flair, and Shirley's family really isn't mentioned. The Vicki Barr books use flight as a way to get around to solve mysteries, while Shirley Flight mysteries center around the plane itself. There are also male stewards on board, and Shirley's experience of sexism is an element in both books I've read.

In this book, Shirley and her passengers are setting out from Beirut to Bahrain. Onboard, passengers include Wally the pop star, Mrs Rutter the harsh old lady with a heart of gold, and Carmen Vidette, an obnoxious ex-Folies Bergere chorus girl on her way to a gold-digging marriage with an Indian prince. The first hint that something is wrong occurs while the plane is still on the tarmac, with Shirley discovering and apprehending a native in the crew cabin.

Once in the air, the plane gets caught in an electrical storm, screwing with their flight instruments. They get off course, then lose most of their engines. The pilots make a forced landing in the middle of the desert. After ten days, it becomes obvious that they're going to run out of food, water, and strength before the plane can be repaired. Then they get captured by a band of Arabs, who, naturally, are the members of a secret society that vows to kill all white people. They've been after Carmen, whose interracial marriage for profit displeases them. Luckily, they manage to hide her identity somehow. Wouldn't they recognize her, though, if they really had a hit out on her?

They're taken to a hidden valley, where the origins for this vow are explained as shipwrecked English prisoners in the 1790s taking all their treasure. Now no white people can leave the valley alive as long as the treasure is gone. Shirley manages to convince the ruler to let them live by saving the life of his sick son with her nursing training and the onboard first aid kit. The ruler still keeps the vow by making them stay, albeit alive, in the valley.

The son befriends Shirley, though, and tells her about a secret passage out of the valley. The passengers plan to sneak out every night, repair the plane, and then finally make their escape. Of course, Shirley finds the secret treasure room and figures out the cobra belts worn by the assassins are the the key to the room. Really. So the treasure is restored, they have a feast, then get to fly off to England. At the last minute, they put the son on board the plane, so that he can see England.

• The 50s Brit xenophobia/colonialism is pretty offensive. Shirley says things like, "You big boy bring big truck 'long medical stores!" to communicate with her very adult ground foreman. The narration also explains that the local phrase, "If Allah wills it!" is used as a scapegoat for the natives' natural neglect and laziness.
• The sort of love interest is First Officer Tony Luckworth, who is described, I kid you not, as "ferociously moustached." Maybe that's him on the cover? He has a lucky teddy bear that's stolen by Carmen. Random much, for sure.
  
• All non-BBC English British accents are spelled phonetically. In particular, Alf, one of the stewards', Cockney speech is featured, with extensive use of Cockney rhyming slang.
  
• Shirley cures the son by giving him penicillin (an antibiotic) for what she believes to be a viral infection. Sense, it makes none. She also sets up an oxygen tent, opens the windows, and kicks out the oh-so-backwards-and-superstitious, incense-waving Arab physician.
• I have no idea who is supposed to care for the son, who is a child, once he gets to England. It's never explained.
• They describe the rather large amount of luggage brought for the son, but both SF and VB talk about how critical the weight of the cargo (and even the passengers!) and its distribution are on board the plane.

So that's Shirley Flight Air Hostess in Desert Adventure. Up next, The Great Bullion Mystery, which is also rather strange, if more Nancy Drewish.

Bonanzle

Long time no post! I was out of town for about three consecutive weekends and got out of my reading habit. I read two Shirley Flight books this weekend, though, so expect posts on them shortly.

I also got a copy of the other Alice Anson title in the C&L Mystery Stories, Escape by Night, for which I have high hopes. I managed to get the only copy in dj on ABE, Amazon, and eBay, for only $17--got to love the Best Offer feature. And it is MINT. I'm also very excited about some early, early Dana Girls books in dj that I got, By the Light of the Study Lamp and In the Shadow of the Tower, both listing to latter. They were $19 and $25, respectively, in dj (with all the listings on the back), four glossies, etc. While I don't love Dana Girls in general, I do LOVE the early cover art (very thirties/sophisticated for a children's book).

As you probably figured out from my widget, I've started a booth on Bonanzle for all my extras. I also decided to sell off my Kay Tracey books. It seems silly, when I've spent so long collecting them, but I really don't care for them (how can one series have such a combination of the bizarre and the boring?), and I need the shelf space in a bad way. I haven't sold anything yet, but I'm optimistic. I really love the community feel and got several welcome messages within hours of opening it.

I also got a message saying that the copy of The Clue in the Stagecoach that I have listed is a first edition. Points are synopsis on front flap, lists to self on back flap, and Dana Girls to Bamboo Bird on back cover. However, I found a completed listing on eBay, with the same info, only listing to Haunted Lagoon, so I'd think that was an earlier printing? *shrug*

Mary Lou #3, The Mystery of the Secret Band

Of all the Mary Lou books, this one had the most original plot. Mary Lou is asked by her father to stay at a guest house in Philadelphia and help the manager discover who has been stealing from the residents. Her side project is to find Margaret Detweiler, a local girl who has disappeared. Of course, the two cases end up being related.

Mary Lou poses as a guest of Mrs. Hilliard, the manager. She gets to know most of the guests and suspects several of them (an old maid who felt she should have inherited the house, the daughter of another guest, who elopes with her young man) before she moves on to the real suspect: a girl calling herself Pauline Brooks. ML realizes her mistake when she sees Pauline with another girl, Miss Jackson, and another guest id's Miss Jackson as the servant who cut out after two of the earlier thefts. ML realizes that there's a "secret band" of thieves working together to rob hotels.

Her search for Margaret Detweiler turns up that the girl was fired for theft from the store where she was working. Margaret was then offered a job by a mysterious Mrs. Ferguson, who witnessed the discovery of the theft. Of course, it turns out that Fergie is the head of the secret band (she planted the stolen item on Margaret), and Margaret is too good a girl to steal--she only stays with the loot, "under duress."

In the end, ML calls her dad to come help, and he's able to get everyone arrested, while ML drives out to the abandoned house to find the loot. She gets locked/boarded into the house by the local guy keeping watch. Mrs. Hilliard realizes something is wrong when ML doesn't come home that night and alerts Detective Gay. They come to the rescue and release her, arresting the watch guy, and finding Margaret in the process. They take all the loot back to the rooming house and distribute it to the residents, making a Merry Christmas for all.

• Max is ridiculously upset about ML leaving over Christmas, because she's going to miss some important dance, and he's the class president. He then shows up in Philadelphia for a couple of days to surprise her (sweet, because she's homesick) and proposes a secret elopement (creepy). What does he think they're going to do, find a JotP, tie the knot, consummate the marriage in the back of his roundabout, then reveal everything on graduation? Yeah, actually just that. Well, the roundabout is implied. ML is appropriately horrified. How Beverly Gray of her.
  
• In case you didn't figure it out, the previous two books took place over the summer between junior and senior years, and this book takes place over winter break of their senior year. ML is still 16 until spring.
• The secret band? Wasn't the word "gang" in use by this point?
• You know immediately that Pauline is going to be a bad guy because she's wearing "too much lipstick." If she were okay, it would have just been "bright" or "a lot."
• Illegal activity for this book: when ML gets trapped in the house, it's because she BROKE IN a window, then the guy covers it up when he notices it. It's not an intentional entrapment.
• Nothing happens to Margaret, even though she's been consorting with thieves for almost an entire year. I know she's supposedly coerced, but you think she could have told SOMEONE, if she's really so innocent.
• Pauline and the other girls disguise themselves as drunk men to get in people's rooms. I was kind of surprised by the mention of drunkenness/portrayal of drunken behavior. I did check; Prohibition was repealed in 1933, so it wasn't actually illegal, though.
• ML has a squirrel coat. And goloshes. And fashionable long snow pants.
• The Philadelphia thing pretty much confirms the Pennsylvania location for the first book/Mary Lou's hometown, Riverside.
  
• Edie does this in the other two books, but it's at its most annoying here: the upfront foreshadowing. Seriously, the end of every chapter is some variation on this: "Little did she realize at that moment how thankful she was to be . . . " Constantly. SHOW me, don't TELL me, Edie. Take me by surprise for once.
  
• Unlike some other breeder sets or canceled series, it doesn't hint at any ghost titles in the end. It actually ends in such a way to finish the series pretty satisfactorily, really.
• I love quaint inscriptions and bookplates. It's odd that this was owned by a boy, but I love he put that he was junior varsity, first team.

So, this series wasn't too bad. Lots of good fashion, very 30s, a little romance, three very different mysteries and settings, great cover art. My biggest complaint with the series is that I feel the secondary characters are lacking. They're either good or bad, without any real personality traits. These books totally need a Chubs. They're also not very gripping. It's not like the early Beverly Gray or Judy Bolton books, where I'm completely absorbed and have to finish and then read the next one, etc. I will say they're ahead of the times as far as being mystery-focused and stand-alone.

What's next? Shirley Flight, maybe? I did get inspired by aviation memorabilia on Antiques Roadshow this week. Speaking of which, I just love it when people are overwhelmed and cry on that show. Especially old ladies.

Mary Lou #2, The Mystery of the Fires

Well, thankfully, I quite liked this book, which gives me hope for the final volume, The Mystery of the Secret Band. It reminded me a lot of the Kay Tracey book, The Message in the Sand Dunes, with traces of Doris Force at Cloudy Cove. In other words, the basic idea of being on vacation at a beach cottage and being all chummy with the vacationers at other cottages.

ML, her mother, Freckles, and Jane are off to their cottage at Shady Nook (which there's a convenient map of in the front) for the summer. Sticking with the pattern of the last book, ML's dad is off on a case and doesn't show up until the final chapters. When they arrive, they're told that their friends' (the Hunters) cabin burned down last week, and arson is suspected. The main suspects are Cliff, who technically owns the cabin since his dad died and needs the insurance money, and Ditmar, an out of work architect, who needs the contract for the rebuild. Soon though, Flicks' cabin and inn/restaurant is torched, as well as the Smiths' house. David McCall, who is way unreciprocatedly into ML, manages to get Cliff arrested. Another suspect, Rebecca Adams, who is certifiably crazy, crops up.

In the end, ML figures out it's Mr. Frazier, whose overpriced inn is benefitting from the closure of the cabins and the rival inn, with the paid help of Rebecca's brother, Tom. Tom and Frazier catch ML eavesdropping and manage to get her committed by pretending that ML is actually Rebecca. In the end, ML manages to signal Norman and Max, who are out looking for her in their car. Tom and Frazier get arrested, and Cliff gets released.

• Cliff is described as "homely," but very personable and a good guy. He's known for his card tricks. I like the break from the typical gorgeous athlete type. He and Jane have a sort-of-romance.
• The mental institution bit is seriously scary. Every time ML tries to tell them who she is, they think it's part of her illness.
  
• The institution is described as a pretty nice place of its type (which is definitely unrealistic for the time), and Rebecca decides to go live there voluntarily.
• ML follows the Nancy Drew mold by not being super interested in any of the boys who are obsessed with her, even though she's grateful to Max for rescuing her.
• ML rescues the Smiths' little girl from the fire, in series stereotype #322.
• ML's dad seriously does nothing. He helps get the bad guys arrested, AFTER ML figures out who they are, and the boys rescue her.
• ML is supposed to be 16, and David McCall is 22. Rather icky, no? Cliff is around 19(sophomore at Yale), ftr.
• ML knows how to signal because she's a Girl Scout, which is also mentioned in the previous book (she uses it as a reason to not get rewards for good deeds). I don't really like these references, even though it's not surprising, since Edie was a troop leader. ML's just too old and not that much of a goody-goody.
• As you can see in the map, Shady Nook is on the Hudson. Adirondacks, possibly? It takes them a full day to drive there, so that would be in keeping with a Pennsylvania locale.
  

So again, Edie gets points for scary situations, and I like Jane's character a bit more after this book, even though she's still a little bland. I'm optimistic for the next (and final) book, The Mystery of the Secret Band, which seems like it will actually involved her father and yet another setting (urban).

Mary Lou #1, The Mystery at Dark Cedars

The Mary Louise Gay books were originally published as a breeder set by A.L. Burt in 1935. They either never caught on, or Blue Ribbon Books chose not to continue the series when they bought out Burt in 1937. Edith Lavell wrote two other, probably more famous, series, the Linda Carlton series and one of the many Girl Scouts series. I've never read either, so I can't make any comparisons.

I had been warned in advance by Jennifer's description that Mary Louise is not exactly a law-abiding citizen. And, boy, was she right. Her m.o. seems to be, "As long as someone's guilty, you can do anything. ANYTHING." She's the daughter of a police detective, but neither he nor the police plays too much of a role. Her mother is very much of the, "Yes, dear," variety and is completely extraneous. She has a little brother known as Freckles (Joseph) and her best friend is named Jane. As far as I could tell, Jane's only personality traits are being less fearless than Mary Louise and more interested in boys.

Mary Louise has an eccentric miser of a neighbor, Miss Hattie, who lives at Dark Cedars, her decrepit mansion, with two simple-minded servants (Hannah and her husband) and her niece, whom she treats like a servant. It's this niece, Elsie, whom Mary Louise and Jane befriend and enter into the mystery. There are mysterious sounds at night, and then Miss Hattie's safe is burgled for gold and paper money. Elsie is the immediate suspect of everyone, but, a la Murder on the Orient Express, there are actually multiple culprits. In the end, Miss Hattie gets her money back, and Elsie is sent to live with a more sympathetic relative.

• The book's opinions of "colored" people and gypsies would not pass current muster. At one point, Mary Louise gets important testimony from a black woman, the wife of a deacon, and her father tells her that the word of a colored woman doesn't mean a thing. And he's clearly not talking about "to other people," he's saying she's not trustworthy.
• A lot of the book is based around Executive Order 6012, ordered by President Roosevelt to prevent the hoarding of gold during the Depression. It was illegal to own any gold coins, bullion, or certificates. So Miss Hattie's stash is illegal. Elsie is considered a likely thief, because she's thought to be too ignorant to know that she couldn't use the gold. In the end, the true thief of the gold is a gypsy, as gypsies only traded in gold and silver.
• Edie talks a lot about clothes. Mary Louise and Jane give Elsie some of their clothes, including a green print silk dress, a wooly white coat, and a pink lawn dress, along with several items of lingerie. Elsie's old clothes are a dated purple calico, and she's envious of Mary Louise and Jane's bob hairstyles.
• The most shockingly illegal events of the book? ML&J stash away in Miss Hattie's nephew Harry's roadster (shades of Nancy Drew and Beverly Gray), and, when he stops, take his locked leather satchel. ML then cuts it open with a pen knife--completely destroying the bag. Luckily for her, some of the stolen money is inside it. It wouldn't be that bad, but at this point ML has no reason to suspect Harry more than any of the other relatives, and Jane is extremely upset at the proceedings. ML tells her that they'll replace it--if he's innocent.
  
• They talk about being near Harrisburg. Pennsylvania, maybe?
• ML's "boy-friend" is Max, Jane's is Norman.
• At one point, ML is bound and thrown into Miss Hattie's closet, which was pretty scary, I have to say. Very Nancy Drew of her, too.
• ML's mom is way too trusting of her, clearly for no reason. I just think it's bizarre to have such a clearly Nancy Drew/Penny's Parker & Nichols character with a mother.

So, not bad, but not the greatest. In 3-book series, though, I almost always prefer either the first two (Arden Blake) or the last two (Adventure Girls), so hopefully this is a case of the latter. Next up, the second book, The Mystery of the Fires.

C&L Mystery Stories for Girls #7, The Dormitory Mystery

Cupples and Leon published 10 mystery stories for girls in the 1930s and 40s, as a companion series to their mystery and adventure series for boys. They're probably best known for the titles by Mildred Wirt, The Twin Ring Mystery and Mystery of the Laughing Mask. While those titles are rather expensive, the rest of the series can usually be had for less than $20 apiece, even in dj. The order of the books isn't entirely clear--they're unrelated, so it doesn't really matter, but The Dormitory Mystery is seventh in order of publication dates, although my copy lists itself as the third of six titles on the front dj flap.

Honestly, I sought this particular title out because I liked the cover art, and the blurb made it sound like it was going to be a "college girl" type book, which I love. I was kind of wrong on both counts in the end. First off, the main characters are juniors in high school. They're all interested in drama and theater, and the dorm aspect comes in when the main character, Martha, is selected to participate in a summer drama program at Central University. She beats out her classmate, Angela Lee, who is a total Madonna-faux-British-accent pill. Somehow or another, Angela manages to get a special appointment to the program, and off they both go.

Once there, Martha meets the crazy "Dean" Jones (as far as I can tell, she's just the dorm mom). It's obvious that she's looking for something valuable on the property. Martha loves her roommate, Chubs, who collects pitchers. The mystery really gets underway when Martha buys Chubs a pitcher at a pawn shop, that exactly matches the design on their fireplace. They find clues through it, it gets stolen, they find a matching one, etc. By talking to the original owner, they find out that jewels have been hidden in the dorm, which used to be a fancy mansion.

The entire time, Angela and Dean Jones have been battling them to get all the clues and find the jewels--and not very subtly either. At one point, Dean Jones seriously locks Martha and Chubs up in their room, for not loaning the pitcher to Angela, supposedly as a prop for a play. I mean, really, that's kidnapping, no? In the end, the jewels are found underneath a stone frog in the garden, and Dean Jones is revealed as Angela's aunt. I have no clue how either knew about the jewels.

• At first, it reminded me of the Girls of Central High series, with Angela Lee being very similar to the Hessie Grimes character.
• This book has lots of light-hearted, funny moments. I'd read another Alice Anson book for this feature alone.
• Chubs' real name is Roberta. Safe to say, "Chubs" wouldn't cut it in a modern book. That said, Chubs is probably the most likable character in the book, is still considered to be pretty, and is admired by both boys and girls. She's very funny, loves to eat, and has a temperamental little roadster. Besides, she's a collector--what's not to love?
• Pen(elope) Price is another fun character. She's a good comic actress who has a lab set up in her room. They use her Bunsen burner and microscope to read the clues in the pitchers.
  
• Martha's "boy-friend" is named Jock. *snicker*
• Dean Jones is a BITCH. Like I said, she locks them in their room, confiscates the pitcher at one point, and randomly enforces strict rules.
• At one point, Angela trips Martha going down the stairs, and Martha sprains her ankle. They're in competition over a part, and Angela is trying to take her out. I mean, for real, that's totally the inspiration for Showgirls right there.
  
• There's a MUCH too long section in the beginning about the events leading up to Martha's summer program, involving different characters and a different setting (her high school). It barely relates to the rest of the book, and I was getting very impatient to get to the "real" part.
• The book takes part somewhere in the Midwest, within about 50 miles of Chicago.
• At one point, Martha's friend Lucia's sister invites them to the May Festival at Mount VERNON college. This book was published after the first Beverly Gray books--possible reference or coincidence?
  
• The cover art ticks me off, because it shows the final hiding place for the jewels, which isn't discovered until the almost the very end of the book. I spent most of the book thinking wtf, frog? I'd have rather seen the silver pitcher on the cover.
• There are several references to the Depression in the first chapters. Supposedly Angela's father has lost most of his money due to it. There's also references to then-contemporary actresses and some other pop culture items.
  

In case you couldn't tell, I quite enjoyed this book. The good guys were likable, even if Martha was sort of boring, and I seriously hated the bad guys (Angela and the Dean). Next up? The Mary Louise Gay series.

Judy Bolton #35, The Hidden Clue

I have to say, I liked this one more than the past few Judy's I've reviewed. And then I realize that it's because it's basically revisiting the Roberta books. I'm not the rabid Roberta fan that a lot of Phantom Friends are, but the Roberta books are seriously an improvement on these final volumes in the series.

The premise is that Judy and Peter are still taking care of a Sister, and her Younger Brother (seriously, that's what they're called) from the orphanage that burnt down, until the matron gets back from her honeymoon. The girl refuses to give any details about her or her brother's past, including their names. Of course, Judy immediately assumes that the children have been kidnapped. And I have to say, it was oddly satisfying to have her proved wrong--the children ran away from their foster parents, but their biological parents were definitely dead. Of course, once on the run, the kids accidentally choose to share a getaway vehicle with criminals and a bunch of loot, so Peter is able to get in on the action. Once Judy's obviously in the wrong, the children get adopted by the librarian (who Sister has bizarrely accused of being her mom all along) and her husband.

I think what I liked most about this book is that it considered a lot of moral and ethical implications of blissful ignorance and the rights of adopted children to know about their origins. Judy's opinion is that she always wants to KNOW, and that it's always better to have the truth. Pretty much everyone else, including Horace, Dr. Bolton, and the officials at a foundling home believes the opposite: that as long as the present situation is good, you're better off not knowing what happened before. Judy's biased, though, by her conviction that the kids' parents, or at least their mom, is alive and virtuous. Apparently, Judy's as caught by the parallels to Roberta as I am. Only, again, she's wrong.

• Holly again features as sidekick, although she annoys me less than usual. Again, I would have preferred more Horace and Honey in her place.
• I seriously dislike the Sister character. She's obnoxious and lies, which is played off as a mixture of trauma and imagination. I don't care, she's horrid. The best part? To an extent, Judy agrees with me. I also like that Judy isn't able to win her over; Sister instead prefers the woman who adopts her in the end.
• Good continuity: Horace quotes rather serious moral texts at her. In the earliest books, he's said to have considered the ministry, which gets revisited in a couple of the prior books.
• They're in Chicago, and they mention that they visit Roberta after the criminals are caught. However, nothing of this reunion is shown, which puzzles me. I think a nice chapter about the visit, emphasizing the parallels--and, ultimately, the differences-- of the situations would have been very much in place. Maybe this is another example of G&D brushing the whole Roberta storyline under the rug?
• Blackberry gets sent to the pound! I was seriously pissed on his and Judy's behalf. He's shipped off when their neighbor in Chicago complains about him to the super. Seriously. Pissed. The guy just does it after one word from the unpleasant tenant.
  
• I've always thought that the cover art looked more like a pulp novel cover than a Judy Bolton. The doll looks like it's about to go on a killing spree. I don't love the paperback format (the cover is . . . pixelly. and it doesn't blend with my other Judys on the shelf), but I'm not willing to shell out $50+ for a PC.
  

I WAS able to win a copy of The Search for the Glowing Hand, which means the only JB volume I lack is The Pledge of the Twin Knights. Which, by the way, is referred to as The Pledge of the Black Knights at the end of this book. I love it when the end of a text refers to a ghost text for the next title, or there's an obvious title or plot change from what was expected when the book was published, and the next volume was (or was not) released. That said, I'm thinking the next books up may be either a Shirley Flight or The Dormitory Mystery, by Alice Anson.

Judy Bolton #34 The Puzzle in the Pond

Let's start with the cover on this one. It probably helps that I have a truly gorgeous copy, but I love the level of detail in the artwork--it doesn't just fade away in the background. And as a fellow redhead discovering that yes, there are in fact shades of orange that one can safely wear, to the point of a mad love affair, I totally approve of Judy's outfit. Love the ballet flats and the delicate watch (bracelet?). The rest of the scene is true to the book, down to the boy (Danny), the beavers and their dam, Judy's camera, and the table leg. To be honest, though, I have to say I consistently like the cover art in Judy Bolton more than about any other series (exception: the bizarrely puppet-like cover of The Forbidden Chest).

Unfortunately, the book itself is only okay. The book is set at home in Dry Book Hollow, which is my preference for Judy books, and Peter is trying to round up the rest of the Mott gang from the last book. The scheme she stumbles into here is the refurbishing and selling of furniture looted during the great Roulsville flood, which, naturally, she discovers while attempting to take pictures of beavers near the Jewell sisters' house. She also meets Danny there, who lives at a nearby orphanage, although his original home lies abandoned near the dam. Eventually, by staking out the house, they find the real crook (Earle), clear Danny's dad, and reunite Danny's dad and the matron of the orphanage. Everyone lives happily ever after.

• Holly the neighbor (introduced in The Black Cat's Clue) has decided she has a crush on Horace. However, consistent with the events of the previous book, Honey and Horace are "practically engaged." Holly ends up meeting Roger, who's her age, and moving on.
  
• Honestly? Holly has always annoyed me. She could have been replaced by Honey, and I'd have been much happier.
  
• It's mentioned that it's been 6 years since the flood, which I believe would put Judy at 21. I've been wondering about that, since her age hasn't really been mentioned since The Rainbow Riddle, where (I think) she's 18.
• All the fashion fun is on the cover. *sigh*
• Blackberry ex machina: he gets into the abandoned house, pushes the orphanage matron's wedding ring where it can be found, and then escapes to the Jewells' house.
• I like the symmetry of returning to the flood. The Vanishing Shadow is seriously one of the best-written, most genuinely terrifying girls' series books ever. I love, love, LOVE it. The villain scares me to death, and the dance after the spelling match is just perfect. Also, great fashion.
  

I know I said I didn't have any until #38, but I forgot I had picked up one of the new paperback copies of #35. I also have hopes of getting a copy of #37 in the next week, but we'll see.

More eBay success

I have to say, one of the few good things about less traffic on eBay is that there's not NEARLY the competition that there used to be. Case in point: I paid close around $15-20 for the second and third books in the Mary Louise Gay series, and lost a few auctions that went for more. I've searched for over a year for a decent copy of the first book (and lost an auction or two that went higher than I wanted). A copy finally turned up this week, and I won it for only $7.99. I love the dust jacket art for this series, so I hope that the stories are equally good. Especially after all this time and effort.

So expect to be hearing about the adventures of Mary Lou in the coming weeks.