The boys are working part-time at Amigos Press, run by the smart but clumsy Beefy Tremayne. He’s just taken receipt of the potentially explosive memoirs of Madeline Bainbridge, an actress from Hollywood’s Golden era, who might or might not have been a witch. When the Amigos offices are burned down, the memoirs stolen and Bainbridge’s films snatched from a TV studio next door, it’s up to the boys to get to the bottom of things. Starting with a bang, this has a terrific pace and is a real page-turner, with some great supporting characters and a nostalgic appreciation for old Hollywood. The boys interplay was excellent, the plot was watertight and some of the set pieces were inspired. This is great fun and a terrific read, very highly recommended.
Another typical M.V. Carey story, full of supernatural and scary themes, especially witches. I think this was a great story, one of the author's finer moments in the series. However, she doesn't find much for Pete and Bob to do. Pete finds himself locked in the trunk of a car, but the incident seems to be there more to pad out the story than to make a contribution to the plot. Bob has virtually nothing to do in the story. As Robert Arthur based Bob on himself (literally the person who wrote the stories), Ms. Carey seems never to have got a grip on the character. But the story is good and the sneaky manager pulling a fast one on the secluded actress is a great plot. A nine out of ten here.
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Cheers, Robert. My personal favourite of the Carey books is "Invisible Dog", which I'm saving for Christmas week.
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