The Invisible Chimes

The Invisible Chimes by Margaret Sutton (1932) This is Number 3 in the series of Judy Bolton Mysteries, and I have to say, more than a lot of series books, it pays to read these in order. You could get to the bottom of this one, I guess, but to understand the resolution of the mystery with any depth, you really need to have read the previous book, if not the first two. Which is okay, and kind of great in a way. Also, it would be terrible of me to give away pretty much any of this story to anyone who might read it. I highly recommend Judy Bolton—there's a whole world here, and quite a bit different than her contemporaries Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. The one thing I will say is that it's a pretty serious story, even a little heavy, but not unpleasantly so—you just need to invest in it a little. It's almost not a kid's book, unless kids were smarter in the Thirties than adults are now—which may very well be the case. Not that there isn't a lot of fun stuff, and some nice old book details, like near the end, someone is going to make Floating Island Pudding, which I've never heard of. Of course, one can find a recipe on the internet, but I want to find a restaurant that has it, or a person who's made it. Like, does the term “floating island” even make any sense? I searched for that, images, and it was like looking at the (actual) X-files—scary, watch out—rabbit-hole to another dimension—there's a signpost up ahead—one that says: “Floating Island / 2 Miles”—and I'm sorry, but it scares me a lot more than a Treacle Tart.