Do you dare enter Dr. Frankenstein’s
la-BOR-uh-tree?
Upas Street:
Shocking Specter
The Botanic Hill
Detectives Mysteries Book 6
by Sherrill Joseph
Genre: Middle Grade Paranormal Mystery
Do you dare enter Dr. Frankenstein’s
la-BOR-uh-tree?
A fearless quartet of teen sleuths, the Botanic Hill detectives, travel to Llanfair, a fictitious Welsh village in present-day California, to solve the mystery of the Shocking Specter.
The green-glowing apparition reportedly roams the countryside, setting
fire to buildings and meadows during the new moon. The occurrences began
shortly after a motion picture stagehand Scotty Roberts’s accidental death by
electrocution in this case inspired by the filming of Universal Pictures 1931
classic horror movie Frankenstein.
Supernatural?
Coincidence?
Or is criminal activity at work?
And why, nearly a century later, has the Shocking Specter returned?
Readers will enjoy learning about real-life horror film star Boris
Karloff, Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, other key players
in the movie’s production, and some early Hollywood cinematic history. Our fabulous four might need to kick some monsters to the curb to solve
this challenging mystery!
What
readers are saying:
--KIMBERLEY KRAMER, Literacy Specialist, Saint
Katharine Drexel Academy, San Diego, CA
“I loved this book and could not put it down! I
loved learning about the Hollywood monsters from the old-time days and meeting
the people of Llanfair. You will not be sad that you chose this book to read.”
--SOPHIA O., age 10, San Diego, CA
“As a professor of History of Film and Monster
and Character Makeup Design, I was intrigued from the first page of this book!
The Golden Age of Hollywood is brought to life in the eyes of the young
protagonists through their exploration of Universal Studios’ Frankenstein
franchise. Joseph not only captured my attention with the charm and
intelligence of her four detectives but had me searching for clues and secret
messages (Easter eggs) to unravel this horror-movie-inspired mystery. Joseph
includes facts about Boris Karloff that I did not know, which delighted me to
no end. Jack Pierce may have never received an Oscar for his iconic makeup
designs, but he gets a wonderful tribute through this exciting story. A
must-read for mystery lovers and film buffs of all ages.”
--SHARON LYNN, award-winning author of A
Cotswold Crimes Mystery series; aka SHARON BOLMAN, Senior Professor of Digital
Video and General Education, University of Advancing Technology, Tempe, AZ
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Author’s Site
**Don’t miss
the rest of the series!**
Find them on Amazon!
Sherrill Joseph was a shy kid whose BFF was
Nancy Drew. From her, the author learned to seek adventures, be kind and fair,
help others everywhere, and become a mystery author someday.
Convinced early on that she was an architect in
a former life, Sherrill was receptive to the magic of her Southern California
neighborhood’s historic houses. To this day, she dramatizes those old
“castles,” filling them with mysteries, staircases, a ghost or two, and
exaggerated occurrences.
The author graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa
cum laude from San Diego State University. Once retired in 2013 after
teaching kids for thirty-five years in the San Diego public schools, the inner
child in Sherrill created the multi award-winning Botanic Hill Detectives
Mysteries series so her grandkids and all kids can gallop with her and her four
forever-thirteen-year-old sleuths in their standalone cases after clues to nab
the bad guys.
Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
On moonless nights, something called The Shocking Specter roams the laboratory originally seen in the old, classic movie, “Frankenstein.” Sounds like a case for these teen detectives.
Story right away dives into the rich history of Golden Age cinema. In fact, the whole case becomes a learning experience for the kids. Right before they get into anything, they have a lively discussion about black-and-white movies vs. color movies. Very interesting topic! So much talk about movie history and filming techniques. How fascinating!
Even though it takes a while for the mystery to get underway, I was still intrigued by the movie facts. At times, the history can be too informative, and the pace can be a little long and slow. But it’s the educational element about classic horror films that will keep readers motivated. You’re basically a tourist to Movieland history. What fun! Following the kids’ investigation was like watching the Scooby Gang—it was all wit, smarts, and innocent fun. The gang had their list of suspects and they were trying to eliminate each one with clues and info.
A nice, little mystery!
Rating:
4 stars
This was a great book! Look forward to checking out the rest of the series!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. Sounds like an interesting story.
ReplyDelete