Quite by chance, the Three Investigators encounter Mrs Darnley and her house filled with mirrors, including the goblin glass which appears to be cursed by an embittered sorcerer. Filled with some genuinely spooky moments, a cracking mystery and great (and often larger-than-life) characters, this is a storming entry into the series and has everything you want from a Three Investigator book. All of the lads get a chance to shine, the writing is top-notch and the ending highlights Jupe’s deductive powers to a tee. Well worth a read, this is one of the best of the series.
Sorry to say that I can't agree with you on this one. I did like this story when I was younger but it doesn't stand up to the test of time. There are turgid pages describing the politics of an invented country, Ruffino. When I reread this last year, only one question echoed in my mind: who cares? Jean, Jeff and Mrs. Darnley are one-dimensional characters. A strong elderly woman would emerge later in the person of Mrs. Macomber in Death Trap Mine. She seems to be what Ms. Carey is striving for here but can't quite get. And just like in Monster Mountain, the supernatural phenomenon seems to be forced into the title to make it more attractive to potential readers. The explanation for the haunted mirror has little credibility and is very weak. It kind of reads like a Scooby Doo story, where if the villain had just kept quiet and sneaked into the house at night to peel of the label, he would have gotten away with it instead of attracting attention to himself by inventing a ghost! However, Jupe's investigation, tracking down the ice cream van, is worthy of Sherlock Holmes himself and helps salvage the story a little. I'd give it five out of ten.
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Most the first 30 Investigators books were great. I love the early ones the best, but this a really good one.
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