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Rick Brant Science-Adventures #15
The Blue Ghost Mystery
Rick and Scotty's Virginia vacation turns into an encounter with what seems to be a Civil War ghost.
181 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1960
31 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
John Blaine
166 books9 followers"John Blaine" was a pseudonym of Harold Leland Goodwin and Peter J. Harkins.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 9, 2018
The Blue Ghost Mystery is the fifteenth Rick Brant adventure, and is one of my favorites of the series; it's definitely the best of the later books. It was published in 1960, and I can't help but wonder if it wasn't an influence on the Scooby-Doo cartoons; the formula is all there, except for the dog. Rick is shown as a tinkerer/amateur inventor, who has come up with some amusing if impractical devices, and his pal Scotty is the trusty wingman. There are girls present for this outing, Rick's sister Barby and Jan Miller, the host scientist's daughter. (One has to wonder if the specter of Fredric Wertham had anything to do with that... you couldn't have boys be too close in the '50s without expressing an interest in girls or people would begin to wonder.) The adventure is set fairly close to home, and among the interesting sidebars is Rick Macguyvering a radio set. It's a fine story with lots of derring-do and slick investigation and I enjoyed it very much today as well as when I was ten. The Rick Brant books were a series of boys' (today they'd just be labeled "y.a.") scientific (originally called "electronic") adventures that were written between the late '40s and '60s. They were in many ways superior to the better-known Tom Swift, Jr. books; they were more realistic and included descriptions of projects and puzzles that engaged the reader, as well as having more down-to-earth settings and set-ups and more realistic and likable characters. Rick lived on Spindrift Island, the location of a small but superior scientific facility headed by his father, Hartson Brant, along with his friend Scotty (who was originally an ex-Marine veteran of World War Two), his younger sister Barby, his mother (who was never named other than "Mom" or "Mrs. Brant" so far as I can recall, and a large and expanding likable cast of scientists, and including Dismal (Diz), the family dog. Spindrift was a lovely and wonderful location, as detailed by the map on the endpapers in each volume, with a farm, a rocket launcher, cliffs and woods, a pirate's field, a dock and airfield, an orchard, a large house and laboratory facility; in short, everything a right-thinking young person of the 1950's could ever need. There was a fine and ever-changing cast of supporting characters in addition to the Island residents, including Chahda (an enterprising and bright young friend from India), and Agent Steve Ames, government liaison beyond compare, whom I always believed to be related to Harlan Ames, the security chief in the Tom Swift, Jr. books. Typically the stories started at home, on Spindrift, and then took the boys to some remote and exotic location in the company of one or more of the cast of scientists, where they would have adventures, solve mysteries, and perform valuable scientific experiments and research. They're fun and exciting stories despite inevitable dating, and I am enjoying revisiting them.
May 4, 2021
Of all the youth book series in the mid-1900s that strove to emulate the Stratemeyer Syndicate's Tom Swift franchise, the Rick Brant Science-Adventures is among the more prominent. Harold Leland Goodwin (writing under the pseudonym John Blaine) had a gift for writing about innovative science, and that gift is obvious in The Blue Ghost Mystery. Spindrift Island is a dreamland for any young scientist. Just off the coast of New Jersey, the huge island is populated by researchers of the Spindrift Foundation, headed by the distinguished Hartson Brant. Hartson's teen son, Rick, watches and learns as the older scientists debate concepts and conduct experiments. In so observing, Rick has built a knowledge base both deep and wide. Through the first fourteen books in the series Rick and his chum Donald Scott (known as Scotty) have applied their knowledge to solve some puzzling cases, and The Blue Ghost Mystery begins when Rick receives a letter from his sister Barbara, who is vacationing in Virginia with the family of Spindrift scientist Walter Miller. Barby is frightened: a repeating phantom has been spotted on a portion of Dr. Miller's land, scaring the locals out of their wits. Barby asks Rick and Scotty to come and confirm if the ghost is genuine. Do the boys want to tackle this mystery and prove there's a scientific rather than ethereal explanation? They sure do.
After Rick and Scotty arrive in their small Sky Wagon airplane, Barby and her friend Jan Miller tell them the legend behind the supposed haunting, which dates back to the American Civil War. A Union military leader, Captain Seth Costin, fell in love with a young lady named Ellen Lansdale during those years of national trauma. Their love was star-crossed, Ellen's father being a Confederate general. Arranging to meet her in secret at the town lead mine, Costin was instead greeted by her brothers, who shot him dead. The stories say Costin's spirit has haunted the mine ever since, but only in the last several weeks has his apparition appeared to large groups of people. The land, owned by Dr. Miller's family, is a popular picnic spot for the public, but at recent community events a white mist has arisen at exactly nine P.M.; out of it appears the flickering image of a man in Civil War garb, who silently goes through the motions of being shot in the chest, then fades from sight. Barby and Jan seem convinced Captain Costin's ghost is real, but Rick and Scotty are firmly grounded in the scientific method, and are eager to search for evidence that these sightings are a trick of some sort. Yet Rick is bothered by doubt as he and Scotty explore the area without finding any proof of a con game. Could the spook be legitimate?
Rick and Scotty find a possible lead when they interview Dr. Miller. A realtor named Jethro Collins recently approached Miller with an offer to buy the family's land around the mine. Collins refused to divulge the identity of his client, so Dr. Miller declined to sell. Could the strange bid indicate someone has a hidden motive to scare picnickers away from the mine? Rick and Scotty are also curious about the Frostola ice cream vendor who frequently shows up near the mine with his cart. The site isn't heavily trafficked, so why does the man visit so often? No evidence links him to the ghost, but the Frostola man is Rick's number one suspect. When Rick and Scotty see the ghost for themselves, the scene is every bit as chilling as advertised, the phantom soldier going through his routine of getting shot and blood spurting from his chest. It seems so real and disturbing; Barby insists that Rick give up his investigation and admit the ghost is authentic, and he isn't sure that's a bad idea. But a discovery deep in the treacherous old mine once again turns Rick and Scotty's expectations upside down. They may yet have a way to seize upon the almost invisible thread linking the facts of this case. Can Rick and Scotty expose the "ghost" of Captain Seth Costin as a fraud? Their reputation as young scientists is at stake.
Compared to the New Tom Swift Jr. Adventures (that particular iteration of the series is closest to the time frame of the Rick Brant Science-Adventures), The Blue Ghost Mystery includes more detailed scientific conversations and jargon. Dr. Miller serves as a good-natured skeptic to keep Rick and Scotty from jumping to conclusions; they need facts to establish the truth about the ghost, not conjecture, and clearly defining the two categories is key. As Dr. Miller remarks, "If we all sought precision in our speech many of the world's misunderstandings could be avoided." Apart from in-depth discussions about the science involved in creating a realistic ghost that leaves no apparent trail of evidence, there are other science innovations in the story. More than once Rick demonstrates his clever brain for chemistry, physics, and technology. I can't say he's brighter than Tom Swift, but he may be equal, and that's saying something. The Blue Ghost Mystery isn't deeply immersive, but has a few exciting scenes, and author Harold Leland Goodwin knows his science. For fans of Tom Swift who want to dig into a similar series, this might be just the ticket.
After Rick and Scotty arrive in their small Sky Wagon airplane, Barby and her friend Jan Miller tell them the legend behind the supposed haunting, which dates back to the American Civil War. A Union military leader, Captain Seth Costin, fell in love with a young lady named Ellen Lansdale during those years of national trauma. Their love was star-crossed, Ellen's father being a Confederate general. Arranging to meet her in secret at the town lead mine, Costin was instead greeted by her brothers, who shot him dead. The stories say Costin's spirit has haunted the mine ever since, but only in the last several weeks has his apparition appeared to large groups of people. The land, owned by Dr. Miller's family, is a popular picnic spot for the public, but at recent community events a white mist has arisen at exactly nine P.M.; out of it appears the flickering image of a man in Civil War garb, who silently goes through the motions of being shot in the chest, then fades from sight. Barby and Jan seem convinced Captain Costin's ghost is real, but Rick and Scotty are firmly grounded in the scientific method, and are eager to search for evidence that these sightings are a trick of some sort. Yet Rick is bothered by doubt as he and Scotty explore the area without finding any proof of a con game. Could the spook be legitimate?
Rick and Scotty find a possible lead when they interview Dr. Miller. A realtor named Jethro Collins recently approached Miller with an offer to buy the family's land around the mine. Collins refused to divulge the identity of his client, so Dr. Miller declined to sell. Could the strange bid indicate someone has a hidden motive to scare picnickers away from the mine? Rick and Scotty are also curious about the Frostola ice cream vendor who frequently shows up near the mine with his cart. The site isn't heavily trafficked, so why does the man visit so often? No evidence links him to the ghost, but the Frostola man is Rick's number one suspect. When Rick and Scotty see the ghost for themselves, the scene is every bit as chilling as advertised, the phantom soldier going through his routine of getting shot and blood spurting from his chest. It seems so real and disturbing; Barby insists that Rick give up his investigation and admit the ghost is authentic, and he isn't sure that's a bad idea. But a discovery deep in the treacherous old mine once again turns Rick and Scotty's expectations upside down. They may yet have a way to seize upon the almost invisible thread linking the facts of this case. Can Rick and Scotty expose the "ghost" of Captain Seth Costin as a fraud? Their reputation as young scientists is at stake.
Compared to the New Tom Swift Jr. Adventures (that particular iteration of the series is closest to the time frame of the Rick Brant Science-Adventures), The Blue Ghost Mystery includes more detailed scientific conversations and jargon. Dr. Miller serves as a good-natured skeptic to keep Rick and Scotty from jumping to conclusions; they need facts to establish the truth about the ghost, not conjecture, and clearly defining the two categories is key. As Dr. Miller remarks, "If we all sought precision in our speech many of the world's misunderstandings could be avoided." Apart from in-depth discussions about the science involved in creating a realistic ghost that leaves no apparent trail of evidence, there are other science innovations in the story. More than once Rick demonstrates his clever brain for chemistry, physics, and technology. I can't say he's brighter than Tom Swift, but he may be equal, and that's saying something. The Blue Ghost Mystery isn't deeply immersive, but has a few exciting scenes, and author Harold Leland Goodwin knows his science. For fans of Tom Swift who want to dig into a similar series, this might be just the ticket.
November 11, 2022
A nice, low-stakes spooky mystery that's got a lot of science mixed in, but in a way that's natural to the story.
January 29, 2016
Scooby-dooby-Doo, where are you!
Well, he's not in this book, but he could have been, the template of that cartoon is so similar to the one used in this science-based juvenile adventure story from 1960.
When the ghost of a Civil War soldier, killed visiting his sweetheart across enemy lines, comes back to haunt the Virginian locals at an old mine, Rick Brant and his ex-marine colleague Scotty decide to investigate.
Curiously, the ghost always appears at exactly 9pm, and even then only when there is a considerable audience. Rick, as keen to debunk the unscientific supernatural fears of his younger sister as he is to solve the mystery itself, uses courage and the scientific method to unmask the inevitably human face behind the ghostly blue apparition.
The books educational intent is present throughout the narrative, which necessarily stiffens the dialogue from time to time, e.g. "One experiment doesn't do more than give a single point on the curve. You need more evidence than tonight's failure", or "State only what you know as fact and identify what you infer from the facts as inference or speculation."
That said, it's not too intrusive, and as a kid you would have learnt some pretty cool stuff, such as how to create a foxhole radio with only an old transformer, a pencil stub, a few screws and a piece of board; or the 'ancient trick of using the cooling caused by evaporation of moisture from a damp finger to show the movement of air currents'.
Then of course there is the action and adventure, of which there is a healthy dose. The Rick Brant series ran to over twenty volumes across twenty years, from just after WWII up until just before the appearance of Shaggy and Scooby on American screens in the late 1960s, coincidentally enough.
Though I would be the last person to actively encourage an adventurous youngster to become a science nerd, if he or she were that way inclined and this book is anything to go by -full of period charm, short on creaky period detail- then this series could very well still delight them.
You can find a few of them online.
Well, he's not in this book, but he could have been, the template of that cartoon is so similar to the one used in this science-based juvenile adventure story from 1960.
When the ghost of a Civil War soldier, killed visiting his sweetheart across enemy lines, comes back to haunt the Virginian locals at an old mine, Rick Brant and his ex-marine colleague Scotty decide to investigate.
Curiously, the ghost always appears at exactly 9pm, and even then only when there is a considerable audience. Rick, as keen to debunk the unscientific supernatural fears of his younger sister as he is to solve the mystery itself, uses courage and the scientific method to unmask the inevitably human face behind the ghostly blue apparition.
The books educational intent is present throughout the narrative, which necessarily stiffens the dialogue from time to time, e.g. "One experiment doesn't do more than give a single point on the curve. You need more evidence than tonight's failure", or "State only what you know as fact and identify what you infer from the facts as inference or speculation."
That said, it's not too intrusive, and as a kid you would have learnt some pretty cool stuff, such as how to create a foxhole radio with only an old transformer, a pencil stub, a few screws and a piece of board; or the 'ancient trick of using the cooling caused by evaporation of moisture from a damp finger to show the movement of air currents'.
Then of course there is the action and adventure, of which there is a healthy dose. The Rick Brant series ran to over twenty volumes across twenty years, from just after WWII up until just before the appearance of Shaggy and Scooby on American screens in the late 1960s, coincidentally enough.
Though I would be the last person to actively encourage an adventurous youngster to become a science nerd, if he or she were that way inclined and this book is anything to go by -full of period charm, short on creaky period detail- then this series could very well still delight them.
You can find a few of them online.
February 4, 2016
Written in 1960, this is similar to the Hardy Boys series. An fun and enjoyable read.
Rick Brandt and his friend Scotty get an invite to fly down and visit friends in Virginia—and look into the haunting of the Blue Ghost that is scaring picnickers away from a favourite gathering spot. This Civil War soldier is putting on his act every time people are there. Is it really a ghost or is it a hoax?
A cave, a pool, mist, figures walking over the fields at midnight...are they real ghosts or real people. Maybe science can help explain it along with good old detective work. It is up to Rick and Scotty to solve this mystery.
Rick Brandt and his friend Scotty get an invite to fly down and visit friends in Virginia—and look into the haunting of the Blue Ghost that is scaring picnickers away from a favourite gathering spot. This Civil War soldier is putting on his act every time people are there. Is it really a ghost or is it a hoax?
A cave, a pool, mist, figures walking over the fields at midnight...are they real ghosts or real people. Maybe science can help explain it along with good old detective work. It is up to Rick and Scotty to solve this mystery.
August 14, 2020
This is a pretty straight forward mystery.
It was nice to see Jan and Barbie involved although they didn't contribute enough to the solution.
The science/engineering stuff was weaker than most of the books, but there was some good geology.
The foxhole radio they make was pretty cool to read about in the 1960s but now, I mostly wondered where somebody would get rusty razor blades.
At the end, when the bad guy is confessing, I couldn't help thinking he was going to say
"And I would have gotten away with
it if it hadn't of been for you meddling kids!"
It was nice to see Jan and Barbie involved although they didn't contribute enough to the solution.
The science/engineering stuff was weaker than most of the books, but there was some good geology.
The foxhole radio they make was pretty cool to read about in the 1960s but now, I mostly wondered where somebody would get rusty razor blades.
At the end, when the bad guy is confessing, I couldn't help thinking he was going to say
"And I would have gotten away with
it if it hadn't of been for you meddling kids!"
May 21, 2017
I fell in love with The Blue Ghost Mystery almost at once, but then again, I am an old school Scooby Doo fan. Barby and Jan Miller have sighted a Civil War ghost while vacationing in Virginia. Rick and Scotty fly out and join them hoping to solve the mystery.
The Blue Ghost Mystery has action from start to finish. The plot had many twists and turns and left me wondering who done it and why.
I recommend this book appropriate for any age group.
The Blue Ghost Mystery has action from start to finish. The plot had many twists and turns and left me wondering who done it and why.
I recommend this book appropriate for any age group.
April 26, 2020
What a fun book. I grabbed this one blindly off my shelf one day - I’m not entirely sure where I even got it.
It has a Hardy Boys feel to it. I very much enjoyed reading it, even when some of the scientific descriptions went over my head.
It has a Hardy Boys feel to it. I very much enjoyed reading it, even when some of the scientific descriptions went over my head.
July 7, 2021
Rather pedestrian as far as these kinds of stories go. Rick and Scott investigate a civil war ghost haunting a farm in Virginia. The ghost is created by dry ice and film projector. It is used to scare people away from a mining scam put on by a con man.
July 27, 2019
The title says it all as the boys travel to Va. to investigate titular character at his sister's request, searching for the how and the why.
December 6, 2020
Have plain without DJ
May 5, 2021
I enjoyed this mystery, and the solving thereof!
July 8, 2022
Good read
This book was good for it's time. Figured it out quickly. However, it was still fun to read and I will read more from this author
This book was good for it's time. Figured it out quickly. However, it was still fun to read and I will read more from this author
February 14, 2023
Fun little tale.
December 27, 2012
Great series for people who like science. Not much of a science girl myself, but love the way you have to try to figure out the bad guy yourself. This certain book in this series was not the best, but I still liked it alot. The part about the Confederate soldier is so sad. It is also sad to see how some peole can be so filled with hate.
August 12, 2017
This adventure didn't QUITE live up to the others I've previously read. I suspect the other co-author under the "John Blaine" pseudonym was mostly responsible. Especially near the end of the story, I kept hearing this in my head:
"Come on, Scooby-Doo, I see you, you're ready and you're willing;
If we can count on you, Scooby-Doo, you know we'll catch that villain."
"Come on, Scooby-Doo, I see you, you're ready and you're willing;
If we can count on you, Scooby-Doo, you know we'll catch that villain."
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews