THE SECRET OF THE SPANISH DESERT

Teenagers Gary Cole, Tucker Browne and Tucker's cousin Sue were last seen in the edge of their Arizona desert in The Haunted Treasure of the Espectros (1962 p. 38-J76). The kids haven't changed much -- Gary is the leader, Tucker is clownish good company and Sue, the eternally spunky ingenue. The desert is big and contains another mystery. This time, Gary stumbles on the possibility of a lost Spanish Mission. A spectral figure in a friar's robes is only one of a series of desert dilemmas that face the persistent and thirsty sleuths. Just as sure as Perry Mason wins in court, the youngsters survive to uncover a counterfeiting ring in the heart of the waterless waste. It's a slick and quick teenage mystery by a writer who has proved to be popular in this genre at this reading level.