Ken Holt #01 - The Secret of Skeleton Island

In the U.S., Grosset and Dunlap published the Ken Holt series between 1949 and 1963. There were 18 total installments, with the first 17 issued in hardcover with a dust jacket. The last installment was issued in a picture cover only. The series was published in the U.K. by World Distributors in hardcover with dust jackets. The series was authored by the married couple Sam and Beryl Epstein using the pseudonym of Bruce Campbell. Series Books for Girls has an excellent page about the series, including reviews.

Lately, I've been on a young adult kick, and I've sampled various series titles like Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators, Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, and Fighting Four. The Ken Holt series is discussed in collector circles as being very tight with descriptive detail, gripping investigations, and lots of action. I decided to try the book's debut, The Secret of Skeleton Island. (Note that this title was also used for the sixth novel in the Three Investigators books)

As the novel begins, it's explained that Ken is away at school when he receives a letter from his father, Richard. In the letter, Richard has invited Ken to join him on a fishing trip. While working as an investigative journalist for Global News, Richard has stumbled on a mystery in New York concerning two shipping vessels that seemingly come and go without any freight, events that he describes for Ken in the letter. As Ken is set to meet his father, he is intercepted by two strangers, one of whom is pointing a gun at him.

Ken's capture and then escape from the two baddies kicks off an exciting action sequence as Ken, paired with another boy named Sandy Allen, attempts to locate his father. Of course, Richard is being held by criminals because he's close to revealing their smuggling operation. Ken and Sandy dig into the investigation, prowling New York City stops like a large harbor, a hotel, and Richard's apartment. Eventually, they sneak on board one of the ships to learn more about the operation and ways to bring the empire to its knees. 

This novel introduces both Ken and Sandy, the two characters who will be the series' stars. Sandy's father is a journalist serving the family's small-town newspaper, the Brentwood Advance. Since Richard will be on assignment quite often, Ken goes to live with the Allens and, in turn, becomes an investigator for the newspaper. Ken's investigative techniques combine with Sandy's photography skills to allow the duo to tackle all of these tough mysteries. It's a solid setup that kicks off the series.

The Secret of Skeleton Island is written well, but in my opinion is way too descriptive for my tastes. Something as simple as boarding a ship is met with pages and pages of overly described steps, play-by-play action, and an abundance of tension that doesn't always mesh well with the scenario. It didn't ruin the reading experience, but it definitely had me impatient as I waited for the pace to quicken. There's 100-pages of running around pursuing criminals and clues, so the descriptions became tiring. 

I also found some of the details of the plot a bit confusing at times. The series has very little criticism from fans other than some of the more convoluted plots involving multiple characters. I've become accustomed to that after reading countless paperback whodunits over the years. I've written out a Game of Thrones-esque org chart just to keep up with who's who in those old stuffy mansions. 

Overall, I enjoyed this series debut and will continue reading more installments. This novel ends with a brief mention that the boys won't have long to settle in with their new roles, as a new mystery is at hand in Colorado with The Riddle of the Stone Elephant. 

Get The Secret of Skeleton Island HERE.