Edith Lavell

Collecting and reading young adult series from the 20s, 30s, and 40s, is a fun hobby of mine. As a writer, when I’m working on something which is emotionally draining and complex, and adult, I often enjoy reading something nostalgic which transports me to a simpler time.

I have run across some truly wonderful, and sadly long-forgotten writers while indulging in this hobby/passion. Up till now, Clair Blank, who wrote the wonderful Beverly Gray series, has been my greatest discovery as a show more reader. Edith Lavell is in the same ballpark. Here are the fabulous three books in this Kindle collection, which is well-formatted, and a very clean read as per any typos, etc.


MYSTERY AT DARK CEDARS

Though Edith Lavell’s Mary Lou Gay series was so poorly marketed it only lasted for three books, it is on a par with the early Mildred Wirt-written Nancy Drews, and the better Wirt series, Penny Parker. Dark Cedars, the inaugural entry in the series, is in fact so good that it leaves little doubt that the series got a tough break. The mystery adventures of Mary Gay could easily have been a long-running and beloved series if given the chance.

Mystery at Dark Cedars is a gem! Sixteen-year-old Mary Louise and her best friend, Jane Patterson, befriend an orphan named Elsie in this one. Elsie has been forced to live with her stern, penny-pinching aunt, Mattie Grant. Mary Louise gives the girl some of her clothes to wear in hopes that she can attend high school with them.

Set during the Great Depression, Mary Louise turns detective — her dad is a real police detective — when the miserly Aunt Mattie’s gold — which she is supposed to have turned in to the government — and cash are stolen. The harsh Mattie, of course, blames Elsie. Mary Lou has suspects galore in the family members not living with Mattie, and soon learns that Mattie is hiding something valuable within her big house which may be what the thief is really after.

Filled with a sense of adventure, a warm and likable protagonist, and a good plot, this series is really special, despite its brevity of three entries. Gypsies, a family living in the woods behind Mattie, some greedy relatives, and Jane’s growing belief that in spite of Mary Lou’s faith in Elsie’s innocence, she might actually be the thief, add color and interest to a sterling story.

There are quite a few similarities to the template for Nancy Drew here, but it is so well written and enjoyable, that the Mary Lou Gay series stands on its own. Written in 1935 there is, of course, the perfunctory view at the time of gypsies, and the black family living behind Mattie’s house in the woods. This is reflected in most young adult series of the period, and this one is actually much kinder and less pronounced than many series from this era.

This was a wonderful find. The Mary Lou Gay series should not be forgotten, and neither should Edith Lavell, who was a fine writer in this genre.


THE MYSTERY OF THE FIRES

Edith Lavell’s brisk and easy narrative style, an enjoyable mystery, an extremely likable heroine in Mary Lou, plus excellent supporting characters, set this series apart from others. As I noted in reviewing the first book in this series, Mary Louise Gay might be as fondly remembered as Nancy Drew had the series been backed more vigorously by its publisher, and given a chance to catch on.

The Mystery of the Fires is the second of the three entries, and like the first, it’s a gem. Mary Gay and her friend Jane Patterson are excited about holidaying at Shady Nook. Lavell perfectly captures the exuberant mood and immediately presents both Mary Lou and the reader with some mysterious happenings concerning a recent fire. Is someone deliberately setting fire to the wonderful homes around the lake where they have such fun? And if so, why?

Blending outdoor fun at a resort-like setting with a mystery for Mary Lou to solve makes for a splendid story. David continues to point the finger at the affable Cliff Hunter, suggesting money as the motive. But Mary Lou isn’t buying it. As her list of suspects grows, so does the trouble, and danger, with more fires occurring while they are enjoying sun and fun at Shady Nook.

Before this one is wrapped up, Mary Lou is kidnapped, and spirited away to an insane asylum! Someone doesn't want Mary Lou poking her nose any further into the mysterious fires, and Mary may have to rely on her own smarts, and some help from her Riverside chums in order to get out of this one all in one piece.

A warm and likable protagonist who doesn’t act too stupidly, a nice setting, and a sense of young mystery and adventure make this book, and the entire series a nice and nostalgic read. There are a lot of similarities to the Nancy Drew series here, but overall I believe the Mary Lou Gay series by Lavell would have outshone it had it been given more of a push. With this series, and her slightly longer Linda Carlton series, Edith Lavell proved she was on a par with the best writers of stories for children and young adults of her era.


THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET BAND

Mystery of the Secret Band was the last of the Mary Louise Gay series written by Edith Lavell. This one takes place over the Christmas holidays, and was a nice note on which to end the three-book series — though that certainly wasn’t the plan. As I've lamented in previous books, it is a shame this series didn’t get more push from its publisher, because it ranks high among the various series for young adults of the era. This was an unusual entry in the series because Mary Lou’s friend, Jane, and her pup, Silky, barely play a role, due to the circumstances.

As this one begins, Mary Lou is looking forward to two weeks of Christmas holiday from high school in Riverside, her mind on ice skating and skiing, and bobsled coasting in the snow. Lavell gave this one lots of winter atmosphere and scattered Christmas charm throughout the mystery. Detective Gay, Mary Louise’s father, has an assignment for her in Philadelphia which changes everything. Though it will mean she’ll miss out on all the vacation fun leading up to Christmas, she jumps at the chance to earn her stripes as a paid detective.

This trip will also be Mary Lou’s first time alone in the city, away from home. There are some nice moments created by Lavell surrounding Mary Lou’s feelings upon checking in as a guest at the small Philadelphia hotel for women. There to sniff out who has been stealing valuable personal items from the guests, this entry is loaded with snowy atmosphere, augmented by poignant moments of loneliness as Mary Lou realizes she’s on her own during the Christmas season. At night she listens to the sounds of a city filled with honking horns and the clanging of the trolly. It makes her feel very far from the small town of Riverside, endearing her to the reader.

Mary Lou quickly makes friends with the much less refined Pauline, but knows she must be skeptical of everyone if she is to discover who the thief is. A second mystery, involving a girl named Margaret Detwiler from Riverside, who seems to have disappeared in Philadelphia, is also on Mary Lou’s mind. Mary Lou intends to check into it for the sake of Margaret’s grandparents, who are very worried.

Mary Lou doesn’t have to wait long before things begin happening. She has an intruder in her room on her first night away from home! Strangely, because it is a hotel for women, the intruder is a man, which briefly confuses Mary’s investigation. Discovering later that Margaret was dismissed from her job for theft — which Mary Lou is reluctant to believe — it might just be that the two cases are connected.

There’s a visit from Mary Lou’s beau, Max, and she gets knocked out while investigating a house in the country. Max’s reaction to a rejected proposal is the only false note here, as his taking the rejection so easily doesn’t ring true. But it’s handled quickly, and because of the swift, easy flow of Lavell’s narrative the reader barely has time to ponder on it at all.

Mary Lou has a suspicion, and convinces the house detective at another Philadelphia hotel to help her on an all-night stake-out that bears surprising fruit. But Mary Lou knows the captured culprits are only part of the secret band of thieves. Mary Lou finally realizes she needs to call in her father. Before she can wrap up both cases and find Margaret and the stolen goods, there is a very well written scene of Mary Lou being trapped overnight in a dark thieves’ lair.

While the mystery isn’t as challenging as the two previous entries in the short-lived but wonderful series, the atmosphere of the holidays, the warm and breezy narrative, and some really nice — and today, nostalgic — moments, make this a nice if somewhat melancholy way for the series to say goodbye.


On a closing note, these three books are part of a big Wildside Megapack I own, which includes many other great stories. They are also contained in this Mary Louise Gay trilogy on Kindle, which I also happen to have. They also appear to be available FREE at Gutenberg, along with some other books by Lavell. Here is the link, for anyone interested — http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/26346 show less

Collecting and reading young adult series from the 20s, 30s, and 40s, is a fun hobby of mine. As a writer, when I’m working on something which is emotionally draining and complex, and adult, I often enjoy reading something nostalgic which transports me to a simpler time.

I have run across some truly wonderful, and sadly long-forgotten writers while indulging in this hobby/passion. Up till now, Clair Blank, who wrote the wonderful Beverly Gray series, has been my greatest discovery as a show more reader.

Though Edith Lavell’s Mary Lou Gay series was so poorly marketed it only lasted for three books, it is on a par with the early Mildred Wirt-written Nancy Drews, and the better Wirt series, Penny Parker. Dark Cedars, the inaugural entry in the series, is in fact so good that it leaves little doubt that the series got a tough break. The mystery adventures of Mary Gay could easily have been a long-running and beloved series if given the chance.

Mystery at Dark Cedars is a gem! Sixteen-year-old Mary Louise and her best friend, Jane Patterson, befriend an orphan named Elsie in this one. Elsie has been forced to live with her stern, penny-pinching aunt, Mattie Grant. Mary Louise gives the girl some of her clothes to wear in hopes that she can attend high school with them.

Set during the Great Depression, Mary Louise turns detective — her dad is a real police detective — when the miserly Aunt Mattie’s gold — which she is supposed to have turned in to the government — and cash are stolen. The harsh Mattie, of course, blames Elsie. Mary Lou has suspects galore in the family members not living with Mattie, and soon learns that Mattie is hiding something valuable within her big house which may be what the thief is really after.

Filled with a sense of adventure, warm and likable protagonists, and a good plot, this series is really special, despite its brevity of three entries. Gypsies, a family living in the woods behind Mattie, some greedy relatives, and Jane’s growing belief that in spite of Mary Lou’s faith in Elsie’s innocence, she might actually be the thief, add color and interest to a sterling story.

There are quite a few similarities to the template for Nancy Drew here, but it is so well written and enjoyable, that the Mary Lou Gay series stands on its own. Written in 1935 there is, of course, the perfunctory view at the time of gypsies, and the black family living behind Mattie’s house in the woods. This is reflected in most young adult series of the period, and is actually much kinder and less pronounced here than in many series from this era.

This was a wonderful find. It's available in both Kindle and paperback formats, I believe. All three stories are available as a bundle on Kindle, and also as part of a Wildside Megapack, which features some rare series from Mildred Wirt as well, and Roy Snell. The Mary Lou Gay series should not be forgotten, and neither should Edith Lavell, who was a fine writer in this genre. show less

Edith Lavell’s Mary Lou Gay series ended up with only three entries, but today stands head and shoulders above some of the more popular series of this era (1920s - 1940s) with multiple titles. A brisk and easy narrative, an enjoyable mystery, an extremely likable heroine in Mary Lou, plus excellent supporting characters, set this series apart. As I noted in reviewing the first book in this series, Mary Lou Gay might be as fondly remembered as Nancy Drew had the series been backed more show more vigorously by its publisher, and given a chance to catch on.

The Mystery of the Fires is the second of the three entries, and like the first, it’s a gem. Mary Gay and her friend Jane Patterson are excited about holidaying at Shady Nook. Lavell perfectly captures the exuberant mood and immediately presents both Mary Lou and the reader with some mysterious happenings concerning a recent fire. Is someone deliberately setting fire to the wonderful homes around the lake where they have such fun? And if so, why?

Blending outdoor fun at a resort-like setting with a mystery for Mary Lou to solve makes for a splendid story. David continues to point the finger at the affable Cliff Hunter, suggesting money as the motive. But Mary Lou isn’t buying it. As her list of suspects grows, so does the trouble, and danger, with more fires occurring while they are enjoying sun and fun at Shady Nook.

Before this one is wrapped up, Mary Lou is kidnapped, and spirited away to an insane asylum! Someone doesn't want Mary Lou poking her nose any further into the mysterious fires, and Mary may have to rely on her own smarts, and some help from her Riverside chums in order to get out of this one all in one piece.

A warm and likable protagonist who doesn’t act too stupidly, a nice setting, and a sense of young mystery and adventure make this book, and the entire series a nice and nostalgic read. There are a lot of similarities to the Nancy Drew series here, as was intended, but overall I believe the Mary Lou Gay series by Lavell would have outshone it had it been given more of a push. With this series, and her slightly longer Linda Carlton series, Edith Lavell proved she was on a par with the best writers of stories for children and young adults of her era, and should never be forgotten. show less

The protagonist, in modern terms, is a bit of a Mary Sue. She's the best and brightest and most beautiful. Her family is quite rich, of course. Yes, I pictured her as a dashing young Clara Bow, and you might, too. The somewhat older male crush, Ted, would probably be played by Clark Gable in the film version --because it's black-and-white, we wouldn't notice that Ted is supposed to be a redhead. I'd possibly cast Sterling Holloway as the wannabe boyfriend who doesn't quite make the grade.

The show more plot wasn't really predictable, so that was a plus. (It did involve a fair number of startling coincidences that stretch the bounds of credibility, but...) The writing is smooth and competent. It doesn't have any quirks, either good or bad, that make it stand out from a crowd of similar books for a 15-18 female demographic of the 1930s.

Having said that... I liked the book. It's fairly short and easy to read. Linda seems to be an excellent role model for young women of the period. She is perhaps a bit like you might imagine young Amelia Earhart: adventurous, sophisticated, strong, smart, ambitious, and charismatic. Her father adores her to bits and is magnificently supportive of her aspiration to be an aviatrix, even if he's not so keen on the beau she's crushing on.

Her father gives her an airplane for high school graduation... Well, she already has a roadster that she got when she was sixteen, so what could be more fitting than a new biplane, right? Yes, they're that kind of family with oodles of money and ranches all over the place. Linda's mother is deceased so she's being raised by a paternal aunt (who of course just wants her to snag a husband and start popping out kids). Her father seems to be gallivanting all over in pursuit of business or whatever.

There are some stolen jewels and plane crashes involved. I probably shouldn't mention that Linda saves the day, because that might spoil the surprise...

(Fwiw, I read the Project Gutenberg e-book edition and found two typos that I'll bet are actually in the original printed edition as well.) show less