THE NIGHT RIDER

by Tom Ingram ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 21, 1975

Two young girls share the curse laid on an intricately fashioned set of gold jewelry: first, there's Merta who in some shadowy past loves the wealthy Loen and becomes the target of his vengeful stepmother; later (or rather, simultaneously as the tale unfolds) there's I. aura who finds the bracelet while trout fishing and must recover and destroy the matching necklace to release herself from the visions and physical debilitation of the old spell. Laura's task is complicated by evidence that someone--could it be her tutor Madame Boulard or her own antiquarian stepfather Julian?--wants the necklace for his own evil purposes. Neither tale has much substance on its own, but Ingram skillfully blends two moods--dreamlike saga and contemporary suspense. Laura, thankfully, learns nothing definable from her time travel; she is drawn away from her immersion in Loen only by the crash of everyday detail. And what her experience lacks in terms of plot development--Merta is passive, the mystery villain too obvious--can be forgiven for the sake of the vivid, carefully chosen imagery and the energized pace. Enjoyable, high-gloss fantasy.

Pub Date: April 21, 1975

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 176

Publisher: Bradbury

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1975

Categories: FICTION