SICILIAN MYSTERY

On the island of Stromboli, more than the volcano solders and some turtles provide a really hard shelled case for Neville Brown, presumably studying rock formation, and his friend Giuseppe Solderi whose life he saves. Solderi's father has been hired to retrieve some turtles for an Englishman and a local hotelkeeper and the two boys take on more than a man's work when his father becomes ill. Giuseppe is mired in sand and sinking fast in a sulphuric cave; the turtles themselves are very angry antagonists (and under their carapace, there are packets of heroin) and from beginning to end, there's some really snapping action. All of it is good (except the characterization which is non-existent).