Fun middle-grade mystery story
The Dark Stairs is the first book in a cute middle-grade kid detective series, The Herculeah Jones Mysteries. I came across this series by accident, but I'm glad I did. I needed a lighthearted read to clear my mind between adult thriller novels, and The Dark Stairs was a fun, enjoyable read.
The basics: Herculeah (named after Hercules because her mom was watching a cheesy Hercules movie when she was in labor) Jones is curious, inquisitive and an amateur sleuth. She comes by it naturally -- her mom is a private detective and her dad is a cop. She always knows when something strange is going on because her hair frizzles (starts to stand on end). Her neighbor and friend is a boy called Meat. He's a bit of a chicken, but occasionally does help Herculeah out of a jam. In her first mystery, Herculeah is drawn to an old abandoned mansion in town. It's called Twin Oaks, but everyone calls it Dead Oaks. The old man who owned the house disappeared years before and nobody ever found him. Now someone is in town asking about the house and the old man. Despite her parents telling her to stay out of it, Herculeah's hair is frizzling and she just can't stand it til she investigates the old house. What happened to old man Crewell? And who is the creepy guy asking about him?
Meat reminds me a bit of Chunk from Goonies. He's the comic relief, but a good friend to Herculeah. They make a good team, even if he is a bit of a chicken. Herculeah is smart, curious and daring. At times, her curious nature gets her into big trouble.
There are seven books in this series. It is middle-grade appropriate. There is nothing too scary or graphic. Just a cute, light-hearted kid sleuth story. I thought her hair frizzling every time she felt a mystery coming on was cute. The books were written from 1994-2006. Betsy Byars is the author of many middle-grade books including the Bingo Brown series and the Blossom Family series.
Cute book! I'm glad I came across this series. I'm going to read the rest of the books in between adult mystery stories. Perfect quick reads to relax with and enjoy.
