Trixie Seeks to Bring a Family Together in The Mystery of the Castaway Children

A baby turning up in a doghouse is an inherently peculiar situation. When that doghouse happens to belong to the family of teen sleuth Trixie Belden, it’s the beginning of another mystery. Was the baby kidnapped? Abandoned by his parents? Could there be some other explanation? In between taking turns caring for the infant that has charmed them all, spunky Trixie and her fellow Bob-Whites are determined to find some answers in The Mystery of the Castaway Children, the 21st book in the Trixie Belden mystery series.

This book, written by a ghostwriter under the name of Kathryn Kenny, is especially warm-hearted as Trixie and her friends and family rally around this infant, growing more attached all the time but also yearning to reunite this wayward child whom they have dubbed Moses with his parents. It’s a mystery in several steps, and Trixie is very methodical about gathering new clues as parts of it are unveiled. While she throws caution to the wind a couple times, her dedication to the case is admirable, and some of her deductions are quite clever.

As is generally the case, Trixie’s best friend Honey is right by her side to help her, and this time, they have an unusual ally in their efforts. Usually, Sergeant Molinson of the local police department warns Trixie off of her sleuthing, but this time, he actually requests that she and Honey work with him. This adds a neat twist to the story and makes Trixie feel like her dream of being a professional detective is more within reach than ever. It also allows readers to see this frequently antagonistic side character in a more encouraging and kind-hearted light.

All seven of the Bob-Whites – the others being Trixie’s older brothers Mart and Brian, Honey’s adopted brother Jim and their friends Diana and Dan – are involved in this story and eagerly share the responsibilities of caring for a baby. It’s fun to see them all turning to mush over this newcomer, even the normally snarky Mart. Of course, the title indicates more than one castaway, and when Trixie and her friends learn of a second missing child, it adds a whole new dimension to the mystery and allows for her little brother Bobby to have a key role to play in the proceedings.

Woven throughout the story is a lesson on the importance of financial responsibility, as well as several pointers on how to take care of a baby. Mostly, though, this is just a solid story of teamwork and ingenuity as a close-knit group of friends try to figure out how an infant ended up in their care and how to reunite his broken family.

A Friendly Mouse Plays Sherlock Holmes in The Aristocats and the Missing Necklace

Some mysteries involve nefarious villains, while others hinge more on misunderstandings and peculiar circumstances. While the lack of a menacing antagonist can lessen the appeal for some, I tend to enjoy these mysteries that lack a “bad guy” just as much as more traditional fare. That’s certainly the case with The Aristocats and the Missing Necklace, a part of Disney’s Wonderful World of Reading.

In this simple picture book, dainty white cat Duchess and her three kittens, Marie and her brothers, here nicknamed Tu-tu and Berly, have headed for the countryside for the summer with the elegant Madame. A handsome estate in the French countryside is an enticing playground for three energetic kittens, but when their rambunctious antics coincide with the disappearance of a gold necklace, Madame becomes very angry and blames the cats for its disappearance. How will they ever find it again?

Luckily, they are not alone in having made this trek. Their faithful friend Roquefort, a mouse, has come along for the ride, and he fancies himself an amateur detective, so he volunteers to track down the culprit. Readers know before he does what happened to the necklace, but it’s fun to watch the intrepid mouse track its whereabouts. This is a tale about conducting a careful investigation and also about not jumping to conclusions.

Thomas O’Malley, the tomcat who is arguably the most dynamic character in the movie of which this book is a spin-off, does not make an appearance here, but goose sisters Amelia and Amanda are heavily involved in the story, upping the silly factor. Roquefort’s dashing little red detective’s outfit adds a touch of whimsy as well. Every animal in the book wears some type of clothing at some point in the book, but the mouse’s outfit is much more extensive, and more than the others, he acts in ways that are entirely atypical for his species.

The illustrations are lovely, particularly the ones that take the characters outside into the lush farmland and eventually to a refreshing pond. The information for the book, published in 1983, lists no specific author or illustrator, but whoever was responsible for the artwork here did a nice job. The writing is good as well but basic enough that it should pose few problems to budding readers, aside from the name Roquefort. I assume that the names Toulouse and Berlioz were shortened with those young tongues in mind.

Because the book reveals what happens to the necklace right off the bat, the plot will not be much of a mystery to young readers, but The Aristocats and the Missing Necklace is still a fun and engaging story about an unconventional friend using his ingenuity to help the unjustly accused.

Dylan Tries to Prove Whit's Innocence in Adventues in Odyssey: Shadow of a Doubt

Back in the 1990s, my grandparents introduced me to the Christian video series Adventures in Odyssey, which focuses on the residents of a small, close-knit community where extraordinary things always seem to be happening. That video was a spoof of science fiction, specifically Star Trek, and other videos have similarly spoofed particular genres. In Shadow of a Doubt, we get a nice blend of mystery and courtroom drama.

John Avery Whitaker (Hal Smith), the kindly Captain Kangaroo type who runs the malt shop Whit’s End, has been arrested under suspicion of being the Cat Burglar, a shadowy diamond thief. The evidence is stacked against him; his face is on surveillance footage, his fingerprints are on a glass at the scene of the crime and his faithful assistant, geeky Eugene Meltsner (Will Ryan),discovered some diamonds buried behind the shop. It doesn’t look good for Whit, but local kid Dylan Taylor (Victor DiMattia), who considers Whit a true friend and mentor, can’t believe he could ever commit such a crime. With a camcorder in tow and his trusty hound dog by his side, can Dylan clear his name in time?

This half-hour-long 1993 video written and directed by Mike Joens and Ken C. Johnson is fairly typical for the series in that it involves several established, realistic characters interacting with minor, overblown ones. Most of the really funny moments have to do with these quirky minor characters; in this case, that means the overzealous drill sergeant of a detective who comes to arrest Whit and the hot-headed prosecuting attorney who makes a case against him in court. The video also pokes fun at sensational journalism and people’s reactions to it in a series of newspaper clipping montages that remind me of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The animation is pretty standard for a direct-to-video series. It’s not blow-you-away great, but it’s perfectly serviceable, and some of the characters have a very appealing look to them, especially Whit and Eugene. The suspenseful music by John Campbell adds to the fun. The voice work is good as well, and I especially enjoyed the interplay between brawny, booming Investigator Stark and his diminutive partner, Reed, who rolls his eyes frequently and speaks in a flat, higher tone. Whit, arguably the central character in the series, speaks in his usual folksy, comforting manner, though there’s an edge of panic that creeps in now and then as he realizes how few people believe him.

The one thing that surprised me about this installment is that the video never quotes from the Bible or even mentions God. In Star Quest, for instance, the passage about the importance of each part of the body is crucial to the climax of the episode. Whit, Eugene and Dylan act in a manner consistent with the other videos, but it is a recollection of a pertinent childhood memory from his dad that helps bolster his faith in his old friend. Still, although this episode is not as overtly Christian as others in the series, it’s a funny, exciting episode that celebrates the value of supporting your friends in their darkest hours.

Darkwing Duck Throws Out the Rule Book in Clean Money

Disney superhero Darkwing Duck is a tireless defender of truth and justice, but he’s not much of a stickler for the rules. In the picture book Clean Money, written by Barbara Bazaldua and illustrated by Sue DiCicco, he is caught in a conflict between his own unconventional but tried and true methods and the secret agent handbook he has been instructed to follow. If he doesn’t go by the book, he incurs the wrath of his temporary boss, an ornery bear named Gryzlikoff. But can he solve this latest crime without using his own flair?

The main characters here are Darkwing Duck, who appears in costume throughout the entire story, and his faithful sidekick Launchpad McQuack, a lovable lummox who also plays a major role in the DuckTales series. We don’t ever hear any reference to Darkwing’s ordinary citizen identity, Drake Mallard, or see his adopted daughter Gosalyn; the complication of switching personas doesn’t come into the story at all. However, it’s still a fun tale.

J. Gander Hooter, Darkwing’s commander at the S.H.U.S.H. secret agency, is kidnapped shortly after appealing to him to figure out why all the money in the city is going blank. With stripped money and a missing boss on his hands, he and Launchpad have their work cut out for them to track down the despicable cleaning lady Ammonia Pine, whose villainous deeds we see before they do. Cracking this case won’t be easy with Gryzlikoff tailing them the whole way, however. Talk about making the job tougher!

This is a cute book that fans of the TV show should enjoy. The illustrations are enjoyable, particularly the depictions of super-resilient bubbles, and the resolution with the villain is amusingly rendered. The writing is fairly simple but not overly geared to young readers. It reads smoothly, with occasional puns worked into the dialogue. One thing I found interesting is the fact that in Ammonia’s encounters with Darkwing and Launchpad, she refers to them collectively as “ducks” in a sneering tone. It looks to me like she is a duck as well, though she is never specifically identified as such.

The idea of a cleaning lady being evil probably appeals to many kids, especially since the best weapon with which to fight her is dirt. Getting dirty is a good thing here, and tweaking the rules a bit turns out to be a pretty good idea too. Embracing messiness and “a certain disregard for the rules,” as Albus Dumbledore once put it, are urges that seem to hit most kids at one time or another, so Clean Money is an especially enjoyable bit of escapism for the mildly rebellious youngster.

Monsters, Inc.: Laugh Factory Generates Giggles and Intrigue Aplenty

Each of the Disney Pixar films has been outstanding in its own way, but for sheer sweetness and inventiveness, it’s hard to beat Monsters, Inc., so I was thrilled to find Monsters, Inc.: Laugh Factory, a BOOM Kids! graphic novel published in 2010. About a hundred pages long, this book was written by Paul Benjamin with artwork by Amy Mebberson and other contributions from Troy Peteri, Aaron Sparrow and Erika Terriquez. It includes four interconnected “chapters,” each of which requires protagonists James “Sulley” Sullivan, the jumbo-sized furry blue monster now running the company that supplies Monstropolis with energy, and Mike Wazowski, his one-eyed, wise-cracking best friend, to crack a mystery. Boo, the adorable toddler with whom Sulley shares a special friendship, has a hand in each tale, as does Celia, Mike’s snake-haired girlfriend.

One nice thing about this collection is that each story is fairly long, which allows for a more leisurely panel pace. I never had trouble jumping from one panel to the next as I sometimes did when reading Uncle Scrooge in DuckTales: Messes Become Successes. The pictures and the words tell the whole story every step of the way. What’s more, there is continuity in the storyline. We’re not just seeing four tales that happen to take place in Monstropolis; each follows the other logically. The last story does a particularly good job of tying the first three together.

Another great element of this book is the humor. I caught myself laughing several times while reading it. That’s partly because Mike keeps cracking corny jokes and partly because Boo is so cute she gives me the giggles, but really, it’s just a very lighthearted book with plenty of wit. Comical side characters include Roz, the ornery slug monster who oversees the Child Detection Agency; Mrs. Nesbit, a well-to-do tentacle creature with a jittery disposition; and George, an insecure fuzzy orange factory worker who is slightly smaller than Sulley.

Part of the humor comes from the allusions to other Pixar movies. For the most part, these show up in the form of posters, toys and furniture in the rooms of the children whose rooms the monsters enter in their quest to collect laughter from them. Boo’s room is a particularly rich source of references. Once I spotted the first couple of nods, I began searching for them deliberately, and that added to the entertainment value of the book. Each of them made me smile, but my favorite is when we see Sulley sitting in Boo’s room, reading her the Little Golden Book version of Finding Nemo. Additionally, two other Pixar characters play a fairly significant role, making this book more entertaining for those who are pretty familiar with Pixar.

Each of the four stories is a mini-mystery. In the first, gag props go missing, and since Mike is the top laugh gatherer at the factory, he becomes the prime suspect and must clear his name. In the second, Sulley has to figure out why all of the kids they’ve been visiting lately have been too terrified to laugh. The third deals with a sudden rash of toy disappearances among the kids on the monsters’ routes, and the final tale brings the villains from the previous stories together to kidnap Mike and Sulley, leaving Celia and Boo to do most of the sleuthing themselves. Though there are a couple of scary moments, the situation never feels too dire, and the humor is definitely kid-friendly.

Aside from the four chapters, this book includes a collection of covers and a page dedicated to a spotlight on the CDA. It surprised me not to see advertisements for other comic books and graphic novels, which I’ve encountered in other books from BOOM Kids!; this makes the book a bit leaner than most. However, I would not say that it detracts from it. Laugh Factory is an endearing book that follows logically after Monsters, Inc. and easily lives up to its name.

Garrison Keillor Dips Into Mysteries of Human Behavior in The Adventures of Guy Noir

“A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets. But on the 12th floor of the Acme Building, one man is still trying to find the answers to life’s persistent questions: Guy Noir, Private Eye.” This intro, accompanied by the distinctive piano melody composed by Richard Dworsky, is instantly recognizable to fans of A Prairie Home Companion, the radio show that Garrison Keillor has hosted for more than 35 years. The show has featured hundreds of installments of the adventures of this hard-boiled detective voiced by Keillor; the two-disc album The Adventures of Guy Noir, Radio Private Eye collects 11 of them, with a final track dedicated just to the theme.

Guy Noir is a rather acerbic man, and he often spends time ruminating on his displeasure with Minnesota’s weather or the ignorance of today’s youth or the tendency of clients to underpay him for his services. This collection is particularly pensive. Indeed, we sometimes spend more time in Guy’s head than we do actually doing anything. Some stories don’t involve a mystery at all; others put Guy on the case but spend most of the time sidetracked. I really don’t mind; I’m used to rambling tangents from Garrison Keillor, and I often find that the more random he gets, the more I crack up. Then again, my all-time favorite Guy Noir sketch, in which Poet Laureate Billy Collins had a guest role and imitations of William Carlos Williams poems flowed freely, retained a narrow focus and kept a mystery in the forefront. Those looking for that type of story might be disappointed here.

While Guy Noir, like A Prairie Home Companion, is based in Minnesota, he often travels for business, usually in conjunction with the show being on the road in a particular city. Hence, in this collection, he heads to New York, Los Angeles and a couple of other places, always commenting on the differences between them and his hometown. He’s an equal opportunity spoofer, making fun of the habits of Minnesotans as well as visitors from other states and those he visits elsewhere. There’s also plenty of political talk, again poking fun at both sides but seeming to give Republicans a slightly harder time. He also makes a number of pointed observations about Lutherans, particularly in the two stories about New Yorkers coming to Minnesota in search of love. While I’ve never been to Minnesota, I’d say his comments about Lutherans there apply pretty well to Lutherans in other parts of the country, particularly Erie, PA.

It always amuses me to hear him go on about casseroles and mild-mannered ministers and Norwegian bachelor farmers. I especially chuckled over Guy’s warning in one tale that “When it comes to finding single men in Minnesota, the odds are good but the goods are odd.” I guess Guy would know; most of these stories involve him pining over some gorgeous woman or another. He never seems to be romantically involved with anyone for long; most of them seem to just use him for his surveillance services and then move on.

This collection does include some puzzling cases, but it’s much more comedy than mystery. Sue Scott, Tim Russell and soundman Tom Keith, who also adds zany effects to each episode, provide their voice talents playing multiple characters, and guest stars turn up here as well, though I confess that Renee Fleming and Al Franken are the only ones I’ve heard of. The tales also frequently mention famous figures. For instance, in one story set mostly in New York, we get to hear New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura and singers Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan – all imitations, naturally.

My favorite track has Guy Noir stopping in on the taping of a movie based on a Minnesota radio show in what seems likely to be a commentary on the experience of filming his own movie, though this album was released before the movie so I’m not sure how much work was done on the film by that point. In any case, it’s a hilarious peek at the trials of making a movie, and it’s hard to say whether the Minnesota yokels who can’t seem to hit a cue or the breathless Hollywood starlet incapable of pronouncing “young’un” take first prize in the cluelessness department. This is also one of a few sketches that include music, and while it’s funnier if you know what they’re spoofing, the lyrics should be goofy enough to elicit a laugh on their own, and I love the harmonies even if the song’s primary intent is silliness.

I’d never heard any of the tales on this album before. While I was a little surprised at how little actual mystery was involved most of the time, I got a good laugh over the discussion of the tedium of calling a company for repair assistance or an order of clothing, the headaches that holidays like Halloween and Christmas can bring, the degradation of the English language and the blandness of Minnesota Lutherans in general. Meanwhile, I confess a couple of the tracks inspired my sympathy, particularly one in which a high-class New Yorker falls hard for an unassuming Minnesota dairy farmer, only to conclude that there is no way to bring their worlds together.

These are stories to make you think. Mostly, though, they’re tales to tickle your funny bone, something that Garrison Keillor does very well indeed. While I’m not sure these 11 tracks are necessarily the best possible representatives of the series, they are definitely entertaining.

Lemony Snicket Goes to the Orchestra in The Composer Is Dead

About a decade ago, my aunt introduced me to A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket’s 13-volume series of books involving the industrious Baudelaire orphans, who face a relentless barrage of misery after the death of their parents. The books are macabre and a bit repetitive, and most of the characters feel over-the-top and not very layered. However, there’s something deliciously fun about them, especially Snicket’s snarky, overly involved narrative style. I was sad when the series came to an end in 2006, so whenever Snicket releases something new, I’m pleased to hear about it.

My brother Nathan knows of and shares my appreciation for Snicket, whose real name is Daniel Handler, so last Christmas, he gave me his latest book, The Composer Is Dead. As a bonus, Carson Ellis, who has done album artwork for the Decemberists, one of Nathan’s favorite musical groups, illustrated this picture book, a good fit since the band, like Snicket, is known for delving into some pretty grotesque topics. What’s more, the story is a multi-media experience, since it includes an 18-track CD featuring narration by Snicket and music composed by Nathaniel Stookey and performed by the San Francisco Symphony.

Snicket’s distinct narrative style is fairly apparent here, though not as pronounced as it might be since the book is quite heavy on dialogue, particularly from the verbose Inspector. Still, some of the trademarks, such as self-reference and defining words, remain. Additionally, he has a lot of fun with personifying the musical instruments, all of whom are suspects in the investigation that follows the death of the Composer. I think perhaps my favorite description is of the Cellos and Basses, who are “often weary from dragging their large bodies around.” When it comes to dialogue, meanwhile, I love the sly Clarinets, who butter the vain Inspector up by showering him with compliments on his suit jacket.

You can read through the book without the benefit of the CD, and you’ll most likely finish it much more quickly, as it takes Snicket about half an hour to get through the story, what with breaks for music and the occasional off-script babbling, such as when Snicket wonders if he might be able to grab a sandwich before he continues with his reading. You’ll still have the benefit of Ellis’s pictures, which have a drab look to them, rarely venturing much beyond black, white and shades of brown. I love the picture of the composer slumped over his desk, quill in hand, as sheet music slides onto the floor. While most of the illustrations are detailed, each of the instruments is shown in silhouette form at the time of introduction, which creates a stark effect comparable to a mug shot.

Still, listening to the CD while looking at the pictures is really the best way to enjoy this book. Snicket doesn’t exactly have the sort of narrative voice I would expect to go with his gothic style; it’s really just a very ordinary American voice, but he makes up different voices for each of the characters, and that’s what we hear the most of anyway. I would estimate that for probably about half the time in the first nine tracks, he doesn’t speak at all, instead letting the instruments shine in their natural form. When my mom heard me playing this, she said, “So is this like Peter and the Wolf, Lemony Snicket style?” Not exactly, but the instruments definitely have particular personalities, and the music they play is consistent with their verbal characterization. Meanwhile, the last nine tracks are fun to listen to by themselves as long as you don’t mind a bit of dead air from time to time. Aside from some brass blasts, it would make pretty relaxing ambient music.

As a strict mystery, the book is a bit of a cheat. Snicket is more interested in spoofing the genre and making a point about the value of listening to orchestral music than he is in putting together an actual mystery. Hence, some might be disappointed with the unconventional ending. However, the book serves as a great introduction to various types of instruments and also includes a rather epic list of composers that kids intrigued by instrumental music may want to investigate further. From Beethoven and Mozart to Copeland and Shostakovich, many of the greats are included, which might prompt discussions with parents about their favorite composers. It’s a wonderful way to generate excitement about the orchestra, so while the Composer is dead, this book is alive with the sound of music.

The Bob-Whites Rally to Help the Art Department in The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road

My brother Nathan, who turns 23 today, graduated from college in May with a Fine Arts degree. Ever since kindergarten, Nathan’s school days were filled with as much artwork as possible, from the doodles that covered his worksheets to the cardboard stand-ups he created in middle school and the complex ceramics projects he undertook in high school. All along the way, he was fortunate to encounter teachers passionate about the arts and determined to give their students as many opportunities for growth as possible. Naturally, Nathan is very frustrated by the tendency of schools to cut art department support when funds are dwindling, so I thought of him as I read Kathryn Kenny’s The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road, the twentieth book in the Trixie Belden teen detective series.

I knew a bit about this book going in because Nick Roberts, one of the chief characters, resurfaces in the 35th book, The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire. One of the other major characters is Ben Riker, who appeared in two previous volumes. In the fifth book, Trixie made an exaggerated show of pretending to have a crush on him, while in this book, she makes no secret of the fact that she can’t stand him. He has gone from being a fun-loving prankster of the Fred Weasley variety to reminding me more of a thuggish Dudley Dursley or disdainful Draco Malfoy. Boarding school has not done his personality any favors, and now that he is attending public school in Sleepyside, the Bob-Whites – the semi-secret club of which neighbors Trixie and Jim Frayne are co-presidents – have to put up with him.

Jim’s adoptive sister Honey Wheeler is Ben’s cousin, which puts the mild-mannered teen in a tough spot because she wants to support him and help him feel welcome while he is a guest in her home, but she is as appalled by his rudeness as her friends are. The most striking thing about this book for me is the fact that Trixie and Honey have a fight that leads to a brief estrangement. It only lasts a couple of chapters, but it seems to drag on much longer because it is so painful to see these incredibly supportive friends so distanced from each other. It caught me by surprise, but it still feels realistic, with each girl lashing out in frustration stemming from outside pressures. I know what it’s like to fear the loss of a friendship because of a communication breakdown and to be afraid that any attempt at apology will only make things worse, so I really felt for the friends here, especially Trixie, since she is the primary one at fault.

While Ben is important to the plot, Nick, a surly artist from a poor family who fears he will not be able to attend college, fuels the story to a greater degree, as he is the one who inspires Trixie to suggest that the Bob-Whites organize a bike-a-thon to raise funds for the school’s art department. With enough money for decent supplies, Nick and other students like him should be able to produce works of art of high enough quality to allow them to put together portfolios to accompany their college applications. The other Bob-Whites – Trixie’s brothers Mart and Brian and their neighbors Dan Mangan and Di Lynch – warm to the idea quickly, but when mysterious threats surface, they begin to wonder who could be behind them and whether it is safe to proceed with their event.

This book casts both Ben and Nick in a suspicious light while leaving room for other possible culprits as well. Trixie’s curiosity and determination land her in a dangerous situation before the mystery is solved, but in the midst of the peril, there is the satisfaction of the Bob-Whites working together for a worthy cause and making plans to share the bounty of their hospitable friends with the rest of the town. Good food is usually a part of these books, but it seems especially abundant here, with several picnics and sit-down dinners, all culminating in a grand repast at the bike-a-thon courtesy of Mr. Maypenny, the kindly but reclusive old man who tends the Wheeler grounds. A great school-related read that makes you appreciate the value of a well-stocked art room and passionate students, Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road gets an A from me.

A Sleepyside Antique Pulls a Vanishing Act in Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper

I started reading the Trixie Belden teen mystery series in January. When I glanced through a list of titles to see what was coming up, one that really leaped out at me was The Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper. “Phantom grasshopper???” I wasn’t sure just what that meant, and I looked forward to solving the mystery of what exactly a phantom grasshopper was. And how would just a small insect provide enough intrigue to sustain an entire novel? I have finally read this 18th volume in the series, which was written by a ghostwriter under the name of Kathryn Kenny, and I now have the answer to that question.

Phantom Grasshopper is another hometown mystery for the Bob-Whites, who had some pretty wild out-of-town adventures in volumes 11 through 15 before settling down to more ordinary exploits in Sleepyside, NY. This time around, 14-year-old Trixie, her best friend Honey, Trixie’s older brothers Brian and Mart, Honey’s adopted older brother Jim and their neighbors Dan and Di are back in school after a seemingly endless summer, and they’ve made the acquaintance of Miss Lawler, a young woman who is helping out with history classes by showing off the coin collection in her care. Kind but reclusive, she seems as though she may have a secret of two to hide.

Thanks to that coin collection, this book incorporates the word numismatist, which is another term for a coin collector. It’s one of several interesting tidbits sprinkled throughout the novel, which also includes references to Benjamin Franklin, old-timey music and a movie that I can only assume is King Kong. In addition to having my favorite title in the series, Phantom Grasshopper also boasts what may be my favorite chapter title: A Squirrel Gives a Clue. Given my lifelong fascination with those bushy-tailed creatures, that one gave me a big smile.

As someone who doesn’t drive, the discussion of the peculiarities and challenges involved with being an adult non-driver struck a chord with me, and as someone who has always wanted a tree house, I loved seeing the “see-crud” arboreal hangout belonging to Trixie’s little brother Bobby. It also made me happy to see that Regan, the horse expert who works for Honey’s parents and is my favorite regular side character in the series, has a fairly large role to play here, mostly because of an adorable little horse named Mr. Pony who he is teaching Bobby how to ride.

The mystery itself does not, rather to my disappointment, involve an actual grasshopper but rather a local artifact in the shape of a grasshopper that disappears after a wicked storm. Trixie’s fondness for this piece of local history drives her interest, which leads to an investigation as well as a chance for the Bob-Whites to take to the radio in an appeal to help them find the missing Hoppy. The intensity of her investment in this object seems a little goofy, especially since it hasn’t come up in previous books, but then it does seem in her nature to throw herself wholeheartedly into things once she has latched onto them.

Unlike with some of the books in this series, nothing in the writing style really stood out to me. The characters seem themselves, and there seems to be a good balance of dialogue and narration, but the quirkiest thing about the book is the title object. It’s not an especially memorable entry, and none of the dialogue particularly jumped out at me as being quote-worthy. Still, I found the story fun, and it has some moments of real peril. While I think the book is ultimately a bit more mundane than the oddball title suggests, it still offers an excellent chance to see the Bob-Whites at work on their home turf.

Trixie's Most Pressing Enigma in The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest Is Herself

When I started reading the Trixie Belden teen mystery series in January, I took the first two books out at the same time, and I was glad I did, since the first ends on a pretty major cliff-hanger. Meanwhile, the third introduces Trixie’s older brothers Brian and Mart and includes the formation of the Bob-Whites of the Glen, the club headed by then-13-year-old sleuth Trixie Belden and her neighbor Jim Frayne, and the fourth brings a sixth member, Di Wheeler, into the group. After that, order isn’t quite so important, as events from one book rarely carry over into the volume immediately following it. I was a little surprised, then, to get warned off of reading the seventeenth book, which is in my library system, before the sixteenth, which isn’t, but I held off until I got my hands on the missing installment, and it was worth it.

The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest brings back several characters from the preceding novel, most notably Jim’s cousin Juliana, whose August wedding among her new friends in Sleepyside, New York, is the event around which most of the book revolves. The title pulls double duty as it refers to both Miss Ryks, an elusive elderly woman who wrangles her way into an invitation by claiming a close connection to Juliana and her fiancé Hans, and Hallie Belden, the spunky cousin who arrives at Crabapple Farm for an extended visit, much to Trixie’s aggravation. While Miss Ryks is one of the key players in the mystery, Hallie becomes a shadow detective, often adding valuable suggestions that aid Trixie and her gentle best friend Honey Wheeler in their investigation.

Hallie’s presence helps to make this one of the most introspective books in the series thus far as Trixie is forced to examine her attitudes about her younger cousin and contemplate the ways in which both of them have grown up recently. “It’s hard being a teen-ager, isn’t it?” she confesses at one point during a fairly deep discussion, and I suspect that most of those who have navigated the rocky roads of adolescence could agree with that. While Trixie’s argumentative nature in the first few chapters is a bit grating, it allows for growth later on as she allows herself to make a fresh start with Hallie, leaving old squabbles in the past.

Ultimately, I think the dynamic between these two may be my favorite element of the book, though I also love being able to see them participate in an intimate outdoor wedding, a lovely ceremony that reminds me of the golden nuptials that precede the chaos and darkness marking most of the final Harry Potter book. It’s fun to watch the girls help with the preparations, enlisting the aid of both kindly Dutch widow Mrs. Vanderpoel and practical Miss Trask, who helps run the Wheeler estate. The elegant simplicity of the wedding and the obvious affection the bride and groom have for each other casts a warm glow over the whole book, particularly for those who got to know Juliana over the course of the previous volume.

But all is not happiness and light here. Curious circumstances begin piling up, reaching a crisis point when Juliana’s ring vanishes and Dan Mangan, the seventh Bob-White, disappears shortly thereafter. Dan often takes a backseat, so it’s nice to see him so integral to the action here, even if he does spend several chapters missing. Meanwhile, Trixie’s mischievous little brother Bobby gets caught up in the mystery as well, becoming a more centric character than he usually is. In fact, he has a bigger role to play here than the older Belden boys, though they maintain a prominent presence, as does Di, whose family suffers a shocking blow toward the beginning of the book that helps set the mystery into motion.

While Uninvited Guest is clearly a sequel to The Mystery of the Missing Heiress, the writing style is very different. Instead of being dialogue-heavy, this book is more focused on narration, and there’s an artistic flourish to the descriptions that impressed me. This particular ghostwriter has a knack for metaphors and for finding new ways of expressing ideas that are present throughout the series. For example, she makes several comparisons between Trixie’s brain and a computer, a tribute to her tendency to process information quickly and make great mental leaps. Additionally, while I’m not sure if this was intentional, I like the fact that in a book in which a wedding is the focal point, the hotel room around which much of the mystery centers is number 214, as in Valentine’s Day.

I wouldn’t exactly call the ending of the sixteenth book a cliffhanger, but it does set readers up for the idea of Trixie and the rest of the Bob-Whites participating in a summer wedding, and I’m glad that whoever was in charge of these decisions felt that this event merited a book of its own. The mystery is intriguing, particularly Dan and Bobby’s roles in the strange events that unfold, but it’s the changing relationship between Trixie and Hallie, a great new character in her own right, and the joint effort to prepare a beautiful wedding for a deserving couple that made Uninvited Guest such an enjoyable read with which to begin the month of August.

New Friends and Relatives Occupy the Bob-Whites in Mystery of the Missing Heiress

I’ve reached the midpoint in my consumption of the Trixie Belden teen detective series, which has dominated my reading list since January. My latest was The Mystery of the Missing Heiress, the sixteenth book and the tenth written by a ghost-writer under the name Kathryn Kenny. This particular writer was also responsible for the seventh book, which of all the ones I’ve read thus far was the hardest for me to get into. I eventually succeeded, and while there are some great moments in that book, I much prefer this one, as it seems she settled into a more comfortable rhythm with the characters.

This volume brings exciting news for Jim Frayne, who thought that the last of his blood relatives died with the great-uncle who left him his fortune. When a factory construction project kicks up a search for the rightful owner of a local marsh, the co-president of the Bob-Whites of the Glen finds out that he has a cousin he never knew existed, and his fellow club members – Trixie, her brothers Mart and Brian, her best friend Honey and their friends Dan and Di – can’t wait to meet her. When Juliana arrives, however, her erratic and sometimes downright rude behavior confuses and disappoints them.

Meanwhile, a young woman who loses her memory after being the victim of a hit-and-run occupies much of the Bob-Whites’ time, especially after she temporarily moves into Crabapple Farm, the cozy Belden residence. Why is Juliana acting so strangely? What is the true identity of the girl they call Janie? Who is the strange man Trixie has seen skulking about? It’s all so mysterious…

Trixie is a super sleuth, but she is a little slow to catch on in this book. My guess is that most readers figure out at least part of the mystery before she does. Nonetheless, that didn’t bother me all that much. I was more annoyed by the peculiar premise and uneven characterization in Mysterious Code. Here, the established characters all seem more or less right. Bobby, the youngest Belden, and Mart, the second-oldest, lack the distinctive speech patterns they have in many of the other books, but otherwise the personalities seem pretty intact. This book also marks the return of several characters from the seventh, most notably Mrs. Vanderpoel, a cheerful Dutch widow, and Spider, a helpful young cop, and I enjoyed them even more this time around.

Other traits I noticed with this author before come to light again. We spend a lot of time in Trixie’s head, sometimes reading several paragraphs of her thoughts in italics. The added perspective is nice but often unnecessary. Similarly, the author seems to spend a lot of time on exposition and often repeats herself. For instance, more than once, she refers to Brian as a future doctor, seemingly for purely explanatory purposes. That gets a bit redundant. On the other hand, I like the continued prominence of Reddy. This author must have been a dog person because the Beldens’ Irish Setter has a major part to play in both the seventh and sixteenth books.

While we don’t spend as much time with Juliana as one would initially guess, Janie becomes almost like an eighth Bob-White here, and her sweet disposition makes her plight the most engaging part of the book for me despite the fact that I had a pretty good guess as to where she might belong early on. I also enjoyed the fact that this is the only book in the series thus far to involve my home state of Pennsylvania. Granted, we don’t actually spend any time there, but a family vacation in the Poconos is mentioned several times. Now if they’d just opted for the Appalachians in Little Pine Valley, the sense of familiarity would have been overwhelming.

Missing Heiress is not among the most mysterious books in the Trixie Belden series. To my amusement, it does include the classic line that concludes nearly every Scooby-Doo villain’s confession: “And I would’ve gotten away with it, too…” However, the real appeal of this book lies elsewhere. While the enigmas – and Trixie’s sleuthing skills – are a bit weak, it is an enjoyable read that demonstrates the Bob-Whites’ commitment to teamwork and helping others and introduces a truly lovable new character who I look forward to encountering again.

The Bob-Whites See Red in The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire

The other day, a hefty box of books arrived on my doorstep. Its contents: 25 Trixie Belden books. While not every book I have yet to read is among them, I can go back to reading in order, and it will be a while before I might have to skip one again. While I waited for the spoils from my eBay victory to arrive, however, I read the last book in my library system: The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire, the 35th book in the series and the 29th written by a ghost writer under the name Kathryn Kenny.

This book opens with 14-year-old Trixie, her brothers Mart and Brian, her best friend Honey Wheeler, Honey’s adopted brother Jim and their neighbors Di Lynch and Dan Mangan eagerly awaiting the titular parade. While they wait, they make the acquaintance of Jane Dix-Strauss, a rather pushy reporter who snaps a photo of the septet, collectively known as the Bob-Whites of the Glen. Jane’s brusque manner irritates Trixie, while the others are just tickled at the prospect of a group photo, which apparently nobody has ever bothered to take before, though I must say that as much time as they spend together, you would think someone would have thought to do that before. At any rate, photos and reporters are soon driven from their minds when a nearby building explodes. They all make it home safely, but who could have caused such a thing to happen?

This is one of the last books in the series, so I wasn’t too surprised to see that, like the 33rd book, it contains references to a previous mystery. In this case, I couldn’t tell which book it was right off the bat, but they spend so much time discussing the backstory of a supporting character that I figured they must be rehashing a previous plot. A little sleuthing of my own led me to discover that Nick Roberts, the boy whose father is both prime victim and suspect in this case, was introduced in The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road. So prominent is his role here that it seems this book could be considered a direct sequel, and it makes sense that both were reportedly written by the same ghost writer.

As with many books in the series, this one has the Bob-Whites putting their energy into a charitable project, though in this case, they too stand to benefit. To help boost the morale of Nick’s father, whom they believe to be innocent, and increase his business while he figures out his next move in the wake of his store’s destruction, they sell custom t-shirts and caps for his company, taking a commission from the sales to build up their sadly depleted club fund so they can repair their winter-battered clubhouse. At one point, Mart goes through the treasurer’s report, and considering that each of the Bob-Whites earns money weekly and that the group often receives bonuses related to the solving of mysteries, it doesn’t seem as though they spent nearly enough to be so bankrupt. One also wonders why they waited until late May to think about fixing the clubhouse up, though I suppose they may have just preferred to have school out of the way so they could devote several hours a day to the cause.

Once the mystery gets cooking, it’s pretty engaging, with more mysterious happenings, some false trails and a rather clever, if overly convenient, clue. It’s always nice to see the Bob-Whites working together for a good cause, and they’re all fairly integral to the process. While Trixie and Honey are the ones most intimately involved on the mystery end of things, the others have a role there as well. It’s also fun to see Trixie really stirred up about something, and she gets a great line that resonates with a starry-eyed dreamer like me.  On the other hand, while the characters mostly seem themselves in the later part of the novel, there are moments that seem off, like Honey going into hysterics over a cancelled t-shirt order or Trixie saying that there hadn’t been an arson in Sleepyside in recent memory when several books set in the Bob-Whites’ hometown incorporate the intentional starting of a fire.

Mostly, though, it’s the beginning that bugs me, and that’s because the Bob-Whites, but especially Brian and Mart, come across as so self-righteous. When the building explodes, they high-tail it home, but a majority of the spectators gathered for the parade remain where they are long enough to become an obstruction to the fire department. The Bob-Whites spend several pages railing against the crowd for their rudeness and stupidity, and while I agree that getting out of the way was the right call, not everyone can think so clearly in a crisis, and it isn’t as though the Bob-Whites pulled out a bullhorn and shared their wisdom with the rest of the community. Moreover, it’s a natural impulse to want to know what is going on. I appreciated the little speech Trixie’s dad gives defending those in the crowd, though it doesn’t quite put a stop to the griping. While I understand their malaise over the fact that further damages might have been prevented if the crowd had dispersed immediately, it doesn’t seem very fair to keep talking as though every person wandering around in confusion had malicious intent.

Once the book progresses past the immediate aftermath of the incident and the Bob-Whites stop seeing red, it becomes a much more pleasant read. There’s enough fire to stir up trouble in this book; we really don’t need the Bob-Whites on the verge of spontaneous combustion.

Cars and Compassion Come to the Forefront in The Mystery of the Vanishing Victim

Two weeks ago Cars 2 arrived in theaters, so I already had cars on the brain when I cracked open The Mystery of the Vanishing Victim, the 33rd book in the Trixie Belden series of mysteries. In this installment, written by a ghostwriter assuming the name Kathryn Kenny, 14-year-old amateur detective Trixie and the other six Bob-Whites of the Glen – her best friend Honey Wheeler, her older brothers Mart and Brian, Honey’s adopted brother Jim Frayne and their friends Di Lynch and Dan Mangan – are preoccupied with cars because they are organizing a rummage sale, and the most generous donation they receive is a Model A Ford in pristine condition. The donor, kindly Mr. Burnside, suggests driving the car around town all week to help drum up business for the sale, and it seems like a wonderful plan, but little sooner do they have the antique in their care then it conks out on them on the side of the road, leading them straight into another mystery.

Brian is the eldest of the Bob-Whites, and one of his distinguishing characteristics is his love of cars; his rattletrap old jalopy is one of the most iconic props in the series. Mr. Burnside entrusts the care of his Model A specifically to Brian, who is awed by the privilege and responsibility. Thanks to Mr. Burnside, Brian and the enigmatic title character, who stops to help the Bob-Whites when the car stalls on their way home, the book includes a lot of shop talk about the making and history of various models of cars, so it’s one of the more educational volumes in that regard. Moreover, although Trixie and Honey are more immediately involved in the mystery that follows, Brian is in many ways the standout character here, both because he and the Model A are virtually inseparable throughout the week and because, in a discussion with the “vanishing victim,” he provides the most succinct description of the Bob-White philosophy that I have encountered in the series.

That conversation becomes the cornerstone for the book as Trixie tries to figure out the motivations of their surly savior, who insists that it was interest in the car alone that compelled him to stop and offer aid, something he normally wouldn’t do. After the anonymous man is the victim of a hit-and-run, the question of his willingness to put himself at risk to help a stranger deeply concerns Trixie, who feels compelled to defend him against the accusations that come his way when he disappears and his identity comes to light. The book ends up being an interesting meditation on the balance that must be achieved between caution and compassion.

I enjoyed the sense of friendly competition that arises when Trixie suggests they break up into teams and see who can collect the most donations for the sale, though Honey seems uncharacteristically harsh on their first outing as she scolds Trixie for chatting with donors, thus wasting valuable gathering time. She even gets in a jab at her in the presence of the other Bob-Whites, which seems rather uncalled for, especially since Trixie only converses out of politeness. It’s only in a couple of chapters that Honey seems a bit off-kilter, however. She’s quite herself throughout the rest of the book, as is everyone else, though this writer seems to have gone a little overboard with Mart; practically every sentence he spews contains at least three or four advanced words, and even I found myself scratching my head a few times over his intended meaning.

This is very much a summertime book, as evidenced by the Bob-Whites’ ability to spend several full days soliciting items for the rummage sale. Hence, I found it easier to slip into than the previous book, which takes place in November. However, despite the early summer setting, Trixie makes two separate references to Christmas, and so does a nefarious character with whom she later tangles. Of course, this isn’t the first Trixie book to mention Christmas in the middle of summer; one of my favorite moments in the series is the impromptu Jingle Bells sing-along that occurs when the Bob-Whites stumble upon a sleigh while exploring a barn on Cobbett’s Island. Still, it made me chuckle to find Christmas come up so often in such an unlikely context at a time when I too have the holiday on my mind despite the soaring temperatures.

The book also includes what I take to be fairly spoilery references to a previous Trixie book that I haven’t read, but hopefully by the time I get around to reading The Mystery of the Ghostly Galleon, I’ll have forgotten most of the contours of that conversation. In any case, that’s the risk you run when you decide to skip around in a series. In this case, I’d say it was a risk well worth taking, leading me to a timely tale that encourages readers, while exercising a modicum of common sense, to follow the Bob-Whites’ lead and love boldly.

Trixie and Honey Get a Little Spooked in The Mystery of the Whispering Witch

When I think of mysteries involving haunted houses, the team of teen sleuths most likely to pop into my head is Scooby Doo and the human quartet accompanying him. However, Trixie Belden and her fellow Bob-Whites of the Glen are the ones on the creepy case in The Mystery of the Whispering Witch, the 32nd book in the series started by Julie Campbell and continued by several ghostwriters using the pen name Kathyrn Kenny.

This isn’t the first time that ghosts have been a part of the Trixie Belden series. Spirits allegedly roamed free in the Ozarks in the 11th Trixie adventure, and based on the titles of some of the Trixies I’ve temporarily skipped over, they seem to have made appearances in a few other books as well. In fact, recollections of some of these adventures surface here when the fear of supernatural entities becomes acute. However, this was the first book in the series that I have read in which the predominant focus is upon the possible existence of ghosts. Specifically, some worry that Sarah Sligo, an 18th-century woman burned alive inside her mansion by townspeople who branded her a witch, is haunting the house now that it is occupied by a single mother, Mrs. Franklin, and her daughter Fay.

The last several Trixie mysteries I’ve read have taken place in the summer, so it was a bit startling to crack this one open and find myself in late November. The setting is the week before Thanksgiving, which turns out to be a significant date in Sarah’s life. It also means that all but one of the Bob-White boys are involved in a school Thanksgiving play, though, to my disappointment, this doesn’t really come into the story. As is often the case with Thanksgiving tales, Christmas comes up, since Trixie’s younger brother Bobby goes to visit Santa Claus, prompting a discussion demonstrating that the Christmas Creep isn’t exactly new. Mostly, though, the book feels like a Halloween story, with all its talk of hauntings and possessions.

It’s the latter that makes the mystery especially ghoulish, as Fay, who is about the same age as Trixie and her best friend, Honey Wheeler, truly fears that Sarah is taking over her. There are moments when the story almost seems to veer into the territory of Poltergeist and The Exorcist. Even though I was pretty confident that it would all turn out to be smoke and mirrors and end with an unveiling of the “And I would’ve gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those darn kids” variety, I found some of the scenes quite unsetting. In The Mystery at Bob-White Cave, I often got the feeling that locals attributed strange weather and other natural phenomena to ghosts, but in this case, it’s clear that some real malevolence is afoot, and it could have lasting psychological consequences. What’s not entirely plain is who is behind it.

The author does a good job of introducing several characters who could potentially be responsible for the enigmatic events at the house. I changed my mind a couple of times as I tried to figure out what was going on. I found Fay a mostly likable chum for the Bob-Whites, though she’s incredibly jumpy, and it almost seems to rub off on Honey. While she remains consistently kind throughout the book, her nerves often get the better of her and she isn’t much help in calming Fay down. It’s a little odd to see Trixie trying her best to be tactful for Fay’s sake while Honey keeps blurting out any dismaying thought that pops into her head.

While all of the Bob-Whites – including Trixie’s brothers Brian and Mart, Honey’s adopted brother Jim and their neighbors Dan and Di – appear in this book, Whispering Witch feels mostly like Trixie and Honey’s story, one that they must share with Fay as they try to relieve their new friend of her jitters – or determine whether her fears are even genuine. I enjoyed the camaraderie among the three girls, and I found it oddly appropriate that a week after my mom’s hip surgery, I happened to pick up a book in which one of the major characters winds up in the hospital with a broken hip. While a few scenes didn’t sit that well with me, this is still a mostly fun installment. You just might want to save it for Halloween.

Rhys Bowen Brings Early 20th-Century Irish Immigrant Experience to Life in Murphy's Law

Like most people I know, I have a mixed bag of ethnic backgrounds, but the one with which I identify most strongly is Irish. Maybe it’s because my name is so Irish; maybe it’s because some of the first music I can recall listening to was Irish. Whatever the case, I am especially drawn to anything that involves Ireland, so when the Molly Murphy mystery series was brought to my attention during my All Things Irish Write-Off last year, I knew I would have to check it out eventually.

The series, written by Rhys Bowen, begins with Murphy’s Law, which finds the narrator, fiery redhead Molly Murphy, fleeing for her life from her tiny hometown of Ballykillin after accidentally killing a man while defending her virtue. Fortune works in her favor initially as she finds a friend in the big city who asks her to assume her name and escort her children to America on the boat. If she can just make it into New York City and find the children’s father, she figures she will be fine and free to start a new life. However, her luck takes a downturn when a man she had scuffled with during the ride turns up dead. While there is not enough evidence for police to hold her in custody, Michael, a gentle young man she befriended on the way over, remains a prime suspect. For both their sakes, she is determined to discover the true culprit in this crime.

Bowen does a good job of setting the scene for us, capturing the excitement and trepidation of the immigrant experience in the early 1900s. It reminded me of movies like Far and Away and An American Tail, where those coming over have big dreams of what their life in America will be like and reality doesn’t quite match up. Molly doesn’t really come to New York full of starry-eyed fantasies, but she does face some disillusionment when she sees how limited her employment options are, with most bosses hiring only workers from their own cultural background and most decent remaining jobs requiring references that she can’t provide since she is both on the lam and impersonating another woman. Her job search offers an interesting peek into the economy of the time.

But Molly doesn’t have much time for work when she has a murder investigation on her hands. Her contact at the police station is Daniel Sullivan, who initially suspects that she was an accomplice in the murder and later simply finds her a bit of a nuisance. He could use the help with the case, and he likes her plucky personality, but the mean streets of New York are no place for a woman fresh off the boat who doesn’t yet understand the way the city works.

Bowen puts Molly into several dangerous situations as she relentlessly pursues her leads. Even people who have nothing whatsoever to do with the murder pose a threat. Molly always seems to be in danger of unwanted amorous attention from various men who find her tart tongue intriguing and her unspoiled looks alluring. Considering the reason she went on the run in the first place, avoiding their advances without resorting to violence is a constant struggle.

Generally speaking, I enjoyed the spunky Molly and the historical setting in which she resides. It’s fun to spend time in the New York of a century ago, particularly when the focus is so much upon the Irish neighborhoods and way of life. Bowen makes many references to towns and counties in Ireland, and the atmosphere in New York seems consistent with what I know of the period. I didn’t hear the brogues in my head as readily as I sometimes do when reading fiction focusing on Irish characters, but the manner of speaking rang pretty true. Of everyone in the book, the one whose voice I had the easiest time imagining was Michael, my favorite side character.

Some of the sequences in the book, like Molly’s ill-advised foray into one of the seediest parts of the city unaccompanied, are gripping, while others seem a bit plodding. The climax is fairly satisfying, though it seems slightly unrealistic. Still, I certainly enjoyed it enough that I hope to continue with the series and see where Molly’s new life in America takes her next.

Mart Helps Trixie Solve a Hometown Mystery in The Secret of the Unseen Treasure

In January, I began reading the Trixie Belden series, written first by Julie Campbell and then by a number of ghostwriters using the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny. My library served me very well for the first fifteen volumes, but then I found I had to skip ahead until I get my hands on some of the later books myself, something I hope to do at the week-long city book sale that starts on Sunday. The first Trixie book I read out of order is the nineteenth, The Secret of the Unseen Treasure.

Fourteen-year-old sleuth Trixie Belden is an ordinary teenager, but she leads a pretty exciting life, especially in volumes 11 through 15 of the series. In each of these books, she embarks on a thrilling out-of-town adventure, along with her best friend, demure Honey Wheeler; her brothers Brian and Mart; Honey’s adopted brother Jim; and sometimes their neighbors Dan Mangan and Di Lynch. The last one I read was not only a lit geek’s delight, as they wandered through areas referenced by Mark Twain in his books, it featured perhaps the most harrowing encounter yet between the intrepid detectives and a nefarious criminal.

I took a bit of a break from the series for most of May as I poked my head in thrift shops to see if I could find any of the missing volumes, so when I returned to it, I found it rather refreshing to see Trixie and her friends enjoying some summer tranquility in their own hometown of Sleepyside. While the story lacks some of the excitement of their various vacations, they still find themselves with a puzzling situation before them, and side characters like Trixie’s parents and younger brother Bobby and Regan, who takes care of the Wheelers’ horses, have prominent roles in the story again.

In this book, summer vacation has just started, and that means having long days to spend with her friends and older brothers, who collectively refer to themselves as the Bob-Whites of the Glen. One thing they’ll be doing a lot of is exercising the Wheelers’ horses, and it’s one such trail ride that leads them directly into a mystery. As they approach the farm of elderly Mrs. Elliot, a shifty-looking man flees the scene, leaving behind the remnants of what looks like intended arson. Who would want to set fire to Mrs. Elliot’s property, and why? And could it have anything to do with the social security checks that recently failed to turn up in several Sleepyside mailboxes?

I like the fact that Unseen Treasure allows the Bob-Whites the freedom of summer vacation and the familiarity of home. Granted, the kids have responsibilities, ranging from camp counseling jobs to babysitting and household chores, but there’s still a lot of free time for fun stuff like horseback riding, picnicking and swimming. Of course, once Trixie realizes that there is a mystery afoot – and that solving it could save the livelihood of Mrs. Elliot, who is teetering dangerously close to bankruptcy – she wants to devote as much of her time to the case as possible, despite warnings from perpetually cantankerous police sergeant Molinson. She does find a more sympathetic listener in the form of Charles Hartman, a crusty retired cop who is probably my favorite new character in the book, but she and her friends have to do a lot of legwork on their own.

Trixie’s charitable intentions in this book make me smile, and it’s nice that all of the Bob-Whites have a hand in the story, though Di’s involvement is minimal. Mart, on the other hand, really has a chance to shine, showing a knack for photography and putting his botanical knowledge to work at the farm, which features a peculiar array of vegetation. He’s also his usual verbose self, and because he proves such an important member of Trixie’s sleuthing team this time around, he has even more opportunity than usual to show off his fancy vocabulary. “Indubitably,” “eschew,” “predilection,” “atrophied,” “soporific” and “syllogistics” are just a few extravagant words that he uses over the course of the book.

I’m not sure which Trixie book I will read next, but The Secret of the Unseen Treasure was an enjoyable way to dip my toes into the later portion of the series. While I’ve been warned about the inconsistent quality of the last 20-some books, I am still looking forward to finding more Trixie treasures.

Beatrix Potter Becomes a Vibrant Character in Susan Wittig Albert's Tale of Hill Top Farm

Several years ago, I had the distinct pleasure of watching Miss Potter, an enchanting biopic detailing the early publishing life of beloved children’s book author Beatrix Potter. I’d always loved her stories, but this film gave me a better idea of who she was as a person. I loved her spirit, her artistic drive and her conservationist fervor, and I was utterly touched by the deep friendship she shared with her publisher, Norman Warne, the childlike young man who would ultimately propose marriage to her. This chaste but intense relationship unfolds beautifully upon the screen, and echoes of it resonate throughout The Tale of Hill Top Farm, the first in a series of novels by Susan Wittig Albert that explores Beatrix’s life in England’s Lake District.

While the plots and most of the characters are invented for the series, the books use the contours of Beatrix’s life as a framework, and in this first book, Norman is still very much on Beatrix’s mind. The story is tinged with sadness because Beatrix is attempting to rebuild her life in the wake of his sudden death from a severe illness. Sometimes, the agony of her solitude nearly immobilizes her, as does regret over her failure to stand up to her disapproving parents, which could have allowed her a bit more precious time with Norman. Albert writes movingly of Beatrix’s struggle to get on with her life, particularly in the second chapter, when Beatrix reflects upon “Gentle Norman, whom she had loved with all the fierce, pent-up passion of a heart that had long ago despaired of loving or being loved.”

She also explores her devotion and bereavement through another character, Beatrix’s pet mouse Tom Thumb, who lost his wife, Hunca Munca, in an accident the year before. Of course, his feelings are not quite so deep as Beatrix’s, as we discover rather comically the first time he comes into contact with another mouse. But Tom is distraught enough to elicit sympathy from his perceptive owner.

Just as Miss Potter included understated animation to give us the sense of the way the animals she drew came alive for Beatrix, Albert incorporates animals organically as well. Many of them are meant to be animals Beatrix based her book characters on, and she has some fun setting up contrasts between the animals’ personalities or physical features and those of their fictional counterparts. Some chapters focus exclusively upon these animals, whose dialogue is all rendered in italics, a simple but effective way to help readers keep track of whether the speaker is an animal or a “Big Person,” as they call the humans. They are also present throughout the rest of the novel, commenting on the conversation of village residents and wishing they could make themselves understood. Some of my favorite parts of this first book involve the animals finding clever ways to help Jeremy, a sensitive, artistic child who has been falsely accused of stealing by his ill-tempered teacher.

Most likely, some people will find the integration of the animals annoying or feel that it takes them out of the story, but in my case, it drew me in more, and it was fun to see the differing perspectives on the same event. The human characters are enjoyable as well, though I found myself a bit overwhelmed by them. This is one of those tiny towns like Mitford or Ballykissangel where a host of colorful residents reside and everyone knows each other. Albert helpfully provides a glossary of characters, mentioning both humans and animals and indicating those that actually existed, but I still got a little bogged down at first. I’m sure this will get better as the books go along, since this one is so much about establishing the various characters. My favorites include the independent-minded Dimity Woodcock, who lives with her bachelor brother, a Justice of the Peace; Samuel Sackett, the mild-mannered vicar who does his best to keep the peace among the sometimes contentious townspeople; strong-willed Bertha Stubbs, who has a habit of accidentally inventing words in her attempts to be grandiloquent; and the aforementioned Jeremy, a thoroughly charming child. Then, of course, there is shy solicitor William Heelis, one of the few real-life characters and the man Beatrix would eventually marry.

Albert uses over-the-shoulder narration that flits from one person to the next, so meandering through the novel feels a lot like listening to one of Garrison Keillor’s tales from Lake Wobegon. We focus on one character, then another, then another, and by the time we get back to the first character we’ve half-forgotten what he or she was doing. But, as with Keillor, I was mostly too busy getting swept away to notice, even though few really extraordinary things happen. It’s a sleepy plot punctuated by a few exclamation point moments.

Albert lives in Texas, but her use of English speech patterns feels authentic, and her descriptions of the lush countryside are enough to make me want to book a trip there. While we spend so much time in other characters’ heads that I’m not sure it would be entirely accurate to call Beatrix the central character in this novel, the author does take particular care when writing about this spunky but reserved artist-storyteller in her early 30s who is looking for a fresh start. A woman with a sharp sense of humor but a compassionate spirit, Beatrix is very easy to latch onto, and I found myself empathizing with her often.

I grew up with Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Jeremy Fisher and so many other wonderful Beatrix Potter characters, and Beatrix herself is someone I relate to in many ways. Even though this first volume spends more time on background and character set-up than plot, I enjoyed it very much and look forward to visiting with Beatrix again soon.

Hannah and Her Sister Are Partners in Crime-Busting in Strawberry Shortcake Murder

Hannah Swensen is a talented baker renowned in the tiny Minnesota town of Lake Eden for her scrumptious cookies. Lately, however, she's getting a reputation for something else: stumbling upon dead bodies. You wouldn't think this would be a frequent occurrence in a quiet place like this, but homicidal urges bubble beneath the surface of several seemingly placid residents.

In Strawberry Shortcake Murder, the second book in Joanne Fluke's series that has grown to include 14 volumes and counting, Hannah's list of discovered victims expands from two to four. While her meddling mother Delores is mortified, Hannah finds in her ensuing investigations a surprisingly fertile opportunity to bond with her sister Andrea, an elegant real estate agent. Andrea's charm and Hannah's cleverness serve them well as they hunt down clues together. On this outing, Andrea and Hannah are definite partners in crime-busting.

This book picks up a thread from the first as it involves Boyd Watson, a coach beloved by the young men he mentors but reviled by Hannah for his abusive treatment of his mousy wife, Danielle. When Boyd winds up dead in his garage, Danielle is the prime suspect, and no one aware of her situation would blame her much for taking a hammer to the head of the guy who was always knocking her around. But she insists she didn't do it. Hannah believes her and worries that with so much circumstantial evidence pointing toward her, the sheriff's department won't try too hard to look elsewhere for a killer. She can't let her friend be falsely charged with murder, even if she gets off lightly because of self-defense.

I like the personal motivation Hannah has for taking on the case this time around, and it's nice to see her becoming closer with her sister, who is the most prominent secondary character in this installment. The book also is a decent showcase for Lisa, Hannah's hard-working assistant at The Cookie Jar, and Norman, the easy-going dentist who is one of Hannah's two love interests. The other, hardened detective Mike, is slightly less involved in the story even though it's his case. That's because, while he seems like a nice enough guy, he's pretty condescending, and he's warned Hannah not to do any amateur sleuthing.

In some ways, this book is quite similar to the first, and Fluke could perhaps have changed things up a bit more. In both, Hannah finds one body early in the book, then another midway through while she's chasing down a lead regarding the first murder. The climax also has striking parallels. Some of the tactics Hannah uses to get information are definitely a little shady, not to mention a bit dangerous. Her instincts are getting better, though; not all of her ideas are very fruitful, but she seems to spend less time chasing false leads on this outing.

This mystery takes place during the week of a bake-off, so in addition to all of Hannah's regular Cookie Jar activities, we get an extra dose of delectable desserts. I also found some of the commentary on the inane banter of evening news personalities to be pretty amusing. While the book is set during December, its central dessert is one I always associate with early summer, and Fluke describes it in great detail, so now I have a major hankering for strawberry shortcake. Of course, since she provides the recipe – along with six others that look nearly as tasty – I might just have to do something about that soon...

The Bob-Whites Enter Mark Twain Country for The Mystery on the Mississippi

Since I started reading the Trixie Belden series in January, one thing I’ve enjoyed looking out for in each volume is literary references. Usually they’re sprinkled in here and there, bearing little importance to the overall plot, but in The Mystery on the Mississippi, the fifteenth book in the series, they’re a bit more integral.

In this volume, the ninth written by a ghost writer under the name of Kathryn Kenny, 14-year-old sleuth Trixie and her closest friends, collectively known as the Bob-Whites of the Glen, are on vacation for the fifth book in a row. Six of the seven Bob-Whites are able to participate in this trip. Naturally, Trixie’s best friend, Honey Wheeler, and her adopted brother, Jim Frayne, are along; after all, the primary reason for this vacation is business that Mr. Wheeler must attend to in Missouri. Also joining them are Trixie’s older brothers Mart and Brian and their neighbor, Dan Mangan, who doesn’t usually get to go on these trips. The only one missing is their neighbor, Di Lynch.

Any chance to go out of town is exciting for the Bob-Whites, but they have to reasons to be especially interested in this particular excursion. For one thing, they expect to be able to catch an exhibition of spaceships in St. Louis. For another, they will be in Mark Twain country. All of the Bob-Whites, it seems, have read and enjoyed the tales of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, particularly the Belden boys, and the thought of being able to see some of the places Tom and Huck visited makes them wild with excitement. The adventure abounds with nods to Twain’s classic companion books, particularly once the Bob-Whites finally make it to the town of Hannibal, the boyhood home of Twain and of the fictional Tom and Huck.

I think my first exposure to Mark Twain came in second grade, when my class staged a short play based on the scene in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in which Tom cons several of his friends into whitewashing a fence for him. That fence plays a fairly significant role in the story, and several other landmarks make an appearance as well. What captures the imaginations of the Bob-Whites most of all, though, is the idea of traveling along the river in a steamboat like the one that inspired Twain’s pen name. In fact, they end up spending almost as much time on the water as on dry land in this outing, though it's not always as enjoyable as they expect…

Of all the Bob-Whites’ trips, this venture into Twain country is, perhaps appropriately, the most harrowing. Like Tom and Huck, the teens face genuine danger on and alongside the Mississippi River, thanks to some bad timing and a bit of poor decision-making. Trixie and Honey find themselves in some truly terrifying situations here, making for intense reading. Though they are in fundamental disagreement when it comes to their perception of certain secondary characters they meet in their travels and this leads to some problems, for the most part, Trixie and Honey support each other fiercely throughout their ordeal, and their devotion to each other is one of the most enjoyable elements of the book. They really have to be a team here, and their deep friendship serves them well.

It’s fun to watch the Bob-Whites geeking out over the opportunity to see Mark Twain territory for themselves, particularly during their time on the steamboat and in Hannibal. I did find Mart getting on my nerves a bit in this one, as he always seems to be impatient or complaining, though Trixie’s knack for stumbling into trouble does leave less time for simple sight-seeing so some frustration is understandable. All of the boys get a bit agitated at the thought that they might not be able to ride a steamboat – which doesn’t have anything to do with Trixie – but Mart seems to go above and beyond with his grousing. Also, this Star Trek fan feels compelled to point out that the narration incorrectly refers to a light year as a unit of time rather than distance, though we’re basically in Trixie’s head at that point, so perhaps it’s her mistake rather than the author’s. If she’d said it aloud and Mart had been there, no doubt he would have corrected her.

We seem to spend a lot of time in Trixie’s head in this book, with paragraphs of italicized text as Trixie has opportunity after opportunity to reflect on her missteps. Of course, this always comes after the fact; in the heat of the moment, when a decision must be made, she usually doesn’t have much time to think, and sometimes she’s not too bright. Then again, sometimes her companions aren’t either. Most of their mistakes in this book, however, come down to being too trusting, which is a reflection of their generous natures. This is especially true of Honey, though I was gratified to see her faith in the goodness of one of the characters ultimately be somewhat justified.

It was with some dismay that I discovered that I have come to the end of my steady stream of Trixie books from the library. Our system has only half a dozen of the remaining 24 books, so I will no longer be reading them in order, at least for a while. With book sale season upon us, I’m hoping to fill in some of those gaps before long. For now, though, The Mystery on the Mississippi is an adrenaline rush of an adventure that makes a nice conclusion to this stage of my Trixie immersion. With its scenic excursions, a ferocious villain, an oft-excluded Bob-White and more Mark Twain references than you can shake a whitewash-covered paintbrush at, I assert that missing The Mystery on the Mississippi would be a mistake.

Trixie Tries to Solve a Hundred-Year-Old Case in The Mystery of the Emeralds

I’ve always been intrigued by attics and thrilled at the idea of exploring one filled with long-forgotten treasures. In The Mystery of the Emeralds, 14-year-old detective Trixie Belden doesn’t need to go far to make a fascinating attic find. After stumbling upon a hidden crawl space, Trixie finds a Civil War-era canteen, along with a letter in a coat pocket. The canteen will be an excellent addition to an upcoming charity sale, but what really captures Trixie’s imagination is the letter, which mentions a hidden emerald necklace. The problem? The letter was written in 1861. What’s more, though the letter gives a clue as to where to start looking, Trixie has no idea where Rosewood Hall is. Is this mystery worth pursuing, or is it too far beyond her reach? Anyone coming into this volume as an established reader of the series would be able to tell you that Trixie is far too persistent to be deterred by a seemingly cold case.

This is the 14th book in the Trixie Belden series and the eighth written by Kathryn Kenny, a catch-all pseudonym for a number of ghost writers who continued penning adventures for Trixie and her friends after original author Julie Campbell tired of the characters. Along with Trixie, the intrepid blond tomboy with such a knack for attracting mysteries and following them to a satisfying conclusion, the main characters include the rest of the Bob-Whites of the Glen, a tight-knit club Trixie co-founded. Her co-president is Jim Frayne, the adopted brother of Trixie’s sweet-natured best friend Honey Wheeler. Other members include Trixie’s older brothers Mart and Brian and their neighbors, Di Lynch and Dan Mangan. At home or on one of their many group vacations, these friends always manage to work together to crack puzzling cases and have a lot of fun in the process.

The circumstances that set this mystery into motion are almost too coincidental. Trixie finds this letter that has been languishing in the attic for nearly a century, and as soon as her local detective work leads her to the disheartening discovery that Rosewood Hall is hundreds of miles away, Di announces that her parents just happen to be leaving imminently for a destination within easy distance of that stately manor. Then again, luck often seems to be on Trixie’s side in her investigations. If it weren’t for her initial skill in focusing on the right details to lead her in the proper direction, they never would have realized that the Lynches’ trip could have any connection with this long-concealed treasure.

Although the first five chapters take place in the Bob-Whites’ town of Sleepyside, New York, this is primarily another away-from-home adventure. I confess I’d hoped to see the Wheelers’ cheerful groom Regan in this installment, since he’s my favorite side character and we haven’t seen him since the tenth book, but it was nice to spend a bit of time with the rest of the Belden family, which includes Trixie’s supportive parents and her rambunctious little brother Bobby, before heading off for unfamiliar territory. While the previous installment, The Mystery on Cobbett’s Island – which this book references several times – allows the Bob-Whites a true vacation in many respects, Trixie and her friends know from the get-go that this will be a working trip. They have a very definite goal in mind and a limited amount of time in which to achieve it.

Hence, while the six friends – everybody but Dan, who has to bow out because of work – enjoy the sights and sounds of Washington, D. C. and Williamsburg, Virginia, this book has a more frenzied tone to it. Everyone thinks this is their most impossible case yet, and that just seems to increase Trixie’s determination, especially once she finds a few leads. The bulk of the investigation occurs at Green Trees, a home near the dilapidated Rosewood Hall occupied by Mr. Carver, an older artist restricted to a wheelchair.

While the current owner of the Rosewood property is surly, Mr. Carver couldn’t be more congenial. What’s more, he has a family connection to the correspondents, so he soon is as caught up in the search as the Bob-Whites. His stately manners and youthful exuberance make him one of my favorite minor characters yet, and his vivacious friend Miss Bates, who adores flowers and old houses but is deeply suspicious of most men, provides several laughs. The Bob-Whites themselves are well-drawn, and it’s especially nice to see Di playing a fairly major role here. While Trixie is intensely focused, she doesn’t come across as whiny as she sometimes does, and she seems more willing than usual to think the best of people in this outing. It’s also amusing to see her pleased but embarrassed reactions to several pointed compliments from Jim throughout the journey.

In addition to the intrigue of the mystery, which involves careful clue-finding, a spooky graveyard, a secret passage and a race to find the treasure before someone else who has gotten wind of it, the book includes historical tidbits of interest to those fascinated with the Civil War. I was particularly struck by the parts dealing with the Underground Railroad, and I found the reflective moment the Bob-Whites share at the Lincoln Memorial quite moving.

While this Trixie adventure is not as relaxing as the one that preceded it, The Mystery of the Emeralds is an engaging adventure from start to finish. Kinda makes me want to go rooting through my attic again…