The Mystic Ball

The Mystic Ball by Margaret Sutton (1934) This is the craziest Judy Bolton novel yet. The kids all go to see a fortuneteller named Madame Wanda, performing at a local theater—it’s a huge event in town—everyone’s going and people are even waiting in line to get in. Wanda uses a big crystal ball and other dramatic effects. Her fortunes seem to resonate with people, but they’re brutal. It’s entertaining to the audience, but her insights freak out the subject. Somehow Irene gets picked, and the negative, bizarre predictions have her reeling emotionally. Naturally, Judy suspects a scam is going on, and wanting to protect her friend, she and Irene decide to switch places—even wearing each other’s clothes. It’s pretty funny—and kind of a crazy idea—but it seems to help Irene. Then Judy goes after Madame Wanda in her usual relentless, fearless fashion. It’s a pretty good mystery overall, and there are a lot of surprises. Also, we get to know all the regular characters more deeply—as I’ve said before, you get a lot more out of Judy Bolton books by reading them in sequence. I’m very much looking forward to the next one.