Author: Nick West

Translator: Solveig Karlsson

Swedish cover: Ola Ericson

First Swedish edition: 1973 (1970 in the USA)

Editions: 8

Spine-number: 1690-91

Original title: The mystery of the Coughing Dragon

Review:

The detectives go to Seaside - a town in decay - to help a man who has seen a dragon in the sea. A few dogs also have disappeared in the town.

This is the first story by Nick West, with very high cult-status. The plot is not complicated, but the crazy story is full of atmosphere and it is rather exciting with interesting characters. The story also has a lot of crazy humour and Nick West must have had very fun when he wrote this story. The idea of a town in decay with an underground almost forgotten railway and a missunderstood joker is a brilliant.

As many fans have noticed there are some similarities between The Mystery of the Coughing Dragon and The Mystery of the Vanishing Treasure. 1. The beginning when Jupe is thinking of how to make a perfect crime. 2. The crime with the tunnel and the bankrobbery. 3. Strange creatures to scare someone. (gnomes and a dragon, though the dragon also serves other purposes.)

But perhaps it is not only plagiarism. Perhaps Nick West had a special sense of humour, and perhaps Coughing Dragon is partly a parody. Many parts of the book and the similarities are exaggerated, exactly like a parody.

As Philip writes on his site (see links) some of the villains in the books of Robert Arthur weren´t true villains or at least not that dangerous - Stephen Terrill in Terror Castle, Mr Claudius in Stuttering Parrot, Professor Freeman in Whispering Mummy, Mr Won in Green Ghost, Mr Rhandur in Fiery Eye. Arthur Shelby is an extreme variant, a parody, of that kind of character.

Then we have the whole idea of a dragon, a tunnel and a bankrobbery, which could be a parody of the theme in The Vanishing treasure. The absurd scene with the projektor and the ants could be a parody of the Green Ghost.

Nick West also has a particular humour when he describes Jupe. For example - when Jupe fell in the stairs Mr West gave him time to think some really qualified thoughts. That is a sense of humour very close to a parody of Jupe´s character.

As an act of compassion Jupe, Pete and Bob did not report the robber Mr Shelby to the police, and I guess that is a criminal act, although I personally find it very merciful. It is true that Mr Shelby returned the stolen gold, but he did make a criminal action which should have been reported. I guess that the hole in the wall is still a mystery in Seaside. In the books of Robert Arthur You can also find this kind of compassion for people in need, but in Coughing Dragon it becomes almost a parody.

Summarize:

The Story: 9 (of 10)

Characterization 9 (10)

Atmosphere 9 (10)

Thrilling factor 9 (10)

Environment 9 (10)

Original cover 10 (10)

Swedish cover 10 (10)

Cult status 10 (10)