Mystery on Happy Bones by Kenneth Robeson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The last of the single edition Bantam books, I recently acquired a mint condition copy and I think that's why I grabbed it. Though usually not as big a fan of the later adventures, this one had a few interesting aspects including Hannah, the female lead who is no damsel in distress, but quite a capable brawler. Doc even seems to look upon her admirably and one could almost imagine them on further adventures if the series had ever been allowed to grow outside its normal formula.

This adventure takes place in 1943 and it one of the first ones that I've read involving the war effort. Doc tries to unravel the mystery of Happy Bones, an island in the Caribbean where the U.S. military wishes to build an airfield. But strange things are afoot as Doc and his crew investigate.

Being one of the later adventures, Doc isn't as infallible as he is in the early part of the series and he's seen making several mistakes. They're mostly minor and he regains control fairly easily, but it's almost a little refreshing to see them take place.

There's also an amusing ruse by Monk and Ham in the first part of the story when they try to fool a messenger boy who they think is an assassin and end up being outwitted.

Overall, a fun, but mostly typical adventure in the series.



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