Roy J. Snell (1) (1878–1959)

Watching the mc continuously miss the obvious was too painful for me. Everything else I have read by this author has been great. I feel like the author dropped the ball on this one, but other readers seem to like it. Then again, I do hate books with stupid characters.

It was midnight. The room in which Johnny Thompson sat was a place of odd noises and strange flashes of light. Here in the corner a tick-ticking was followed by a yellow light that curved upward, over, then down; upward, over and down again. A gong sounded from overhead. A shadowy form moved across the floor. Instantly came the clatter of a score of instruments sounding as one and a score of yellow lights curved up, over and down; up, over and down again. After that a voice said:

“Cross and show more Fifty-fifth Streets. The Arlington Flats. The Arlington Flats. Cross and Fifty-fifth Streets.”

[8]
There followed twenty seconds of silence; then in a hollow tone, as if coming from the heart of a tree, there sounded the repeated words:

“Cross and Fifty-fifth Streets. The Arlington Flats. Cross and Fifty-fifth Streets.” Then again there was silence.

All this while, on a great board above and before him, Johnny saw a hundred and fifty glowing spots of light. The spots of light seemed like eyes-red, white and green eyes that stared and blinked at him. Even as he looked, two of them blinked out-a red one and a white one. show less

Dnf. I really tried to like this, but I just couldn’t

20. Witches Cove, by Roy Snell (read in 1937 or 1938) If I remember correctly, this is a book which my sister had brought home and I, five years younger than my sister, read it--with appreciation