Author: M.V. Carey

Translator: Solveig Karlsson

Swedish cover: Ola Ericson & Miralles

First edition: 1973 (1971 in the USA)

Editions: 8

Spine-number: 1734-35

Original title: The mystery of the Flaming Footprints

Review:

The eccentric Alexander Potter who is living in a house outside Rocky Beach suddenly disappears when he visits the Salvage Yard. Almost at the same time his daughter (Mrs Dobson) and her son (Tom Dobson) arrive to the house of the potter. They decide to stay and wait for Alexander. Very soon mystical things begin to happen. Flaming footprints are visible on the floor. Is it a ghost or is there a natural explanation? Tom Dobson requests the Three Investigators to solve the mystery. Some other people have also arrived to the region. Who are the two men hiring the Hilltop House near the potter´s house? And why is the dressed up angler, Mr Farrier, acting so strange?

The fundamental story is actually not about flaming footprints. It is a historical and political story seasoned with something mystical. The two men in the Hilltop House, Ilyan Demetrieff and General Klas Kaluk, come from a European country called Lapathia. General Kaluk was one of the leaders in a revolution in Lapathia in 1925 when the Royal family was overthrowed and killed. Now he and his partner have come to take the Royal Crown with Jewels which disappeared as the revolution took part. They know that the potter´s real name is Alexis Kerenow and that he is from Lapathia. He was allied with the Royal family and fled with the Royal Crown to America. Mr Farrier is only a jewelthief who tries to frighten Mrs Dobson to leave the house, so that he can start looking for the crown.

This is the first book of MV Carey and I think she is very successful. The plot is well chiselled with an intersting historical background. This story would have been fine even without the flaming footprints, but they are important for the creepy atmosphere. It is very clever of Mrs Carey to combine a political story with a mystical dimension. You can criticize her for not telling how the footprints were made in detail, and it is irritating, but that doesn´t influence my general positive impression.

The Three Investigators are described very skilful with three different personalities. Bob is brilliant in this story and we get the information that he has learned German in School. General Kaluk is one of the classical bad guys in the series - cruel but also very flexible. Implicitly he uses the methods necessary to get what he wants. The Potter is also ok as an eccentric person with secrets, but Mrs Dobson is a little bit extreme in her gush of emotions. Mr Worthington is also playing a small part.

The book has a nice mystical atmosphere. I like that the story is set in different places - the yard, a mystical garden and a mystical house. The story also has some memorable scenes - for example when Jupe and Bob is sneaking in the garden of Hilltop House and when they meet Mr Kaluk. I also like the scene when the footprints are visible for the first time. I also admire the accuracy when Mrs Carey writes about the Yard, the secret tunnel and entrances. In the whole book the surroundings are well reproduced.

This is a book with high cultstatus. For me it also has a very hight factor of Nostalgia.

The original cover and also many of the international covers are creepy and successful showing the flaming footprints. But on some of the covers You can see the scene when Pete and Bob attack Demetrieff. That is very hard for me to understand. Flaming footprints is more thrilling than two boys attacking a man with a gun.

Summarize:

The Story 10 (of 10)

Characterization 9 (10)

Atmosphere 9 (10)

Thrilling factor 8 (10)

Environment 9 (10)

Original cover 9 (10)

Cult status 10 (10)