The Hidden Assassins

by: Robert Wilson

The Previous 7 Arts BloodScenes from the BlanketBlue is for NightmaresShooting GalleryThe Book of Lost ThingsBody TraceEvery Secret Crime

Blue is for Nightmares

At first I completely disagreed with the title of this book 'Blue is for Nightmares' by Laurie faria Stolarz, since the color blue has always been associated in my mind with honesty and At other good qualities. That was before I read the book and discovered it refers to prevention of nightmares! I'll assume Ms. Stolarz other volumes featuring color are similar in that respect - Laurie faria Stolarz obviously writes for the young adult, although her writing captures mature attention as well. Blue is for Nightmares is a well-crafted murder-mystery, focused on teenagers. Ms. Stolarz knows the teenage mind and habits; she isn't that far from being one herself!

Stacey Ann Brown attends a boarding school where she rooms with her best friend, Drea. Except that recently Stacey has been having nightmares culminating in wetting her bed, much to her embarrassment. She attempts to keep such a childish mishap from Drea, although Stacey's nightmares always involve searching for Drea in a wood. She also happens to have a major crush on Drea's current boyfriend, Chad. Other boys from the co-ed school, PJ and Donovan become involved as the tale progresses.

Amber, a girl from a dorm room upstairs, joins them at an ungodly hour in the morning (when neither Stacey nor Drea can sleep) to mooch food. Then Stacey does a card reading for Drea, but doesn't tell her that the Ace of Spades (the Death card) comes up. Drea begins to receive odd communications, including lilies, which Stacey attributes to impending death. Then Veronica Leeman, a rather stuck-up girl with her own clique, tells them she'd also been receiving similar odd correspondence.

Veronica is discovered dead in one of the classrooms in the middle of the night by Stacey, and from then on she does her best to protect Drea, although simultaneously feeling guilty for Chad's obvious interest and approaches to Stacey rather than her best friend. Everything ends in the woods surrounding the school, then Stacey finds Drea, bound and gagged, plus the murderer. But all comes to a satisfying conclusion.

Laurie faria Stolarz must have a thing about falling in love with your best friend's boyfriend, since another book ('Bleed') coming in September, 2006, also features that predicament. Blue is for Nightmares is now the first part of a four-volume set, all about Ms. Stolarz' protagonist, Stacey, and each remaining based on the colors of White, then Silver, then Red. All of them will certainly hit a responsive chord with any teenager reading the resuscitated Nancy Drew books or similar murder-mysteries as well as potential 'white witch' types who can completely identify with Stacey's spell equipment. And - that's not to say that any adult gender, male or female, will ignore Ms. Stolarz' easy-to-read prose either!

Alan Paul Curtis

back