KOKO AND THE GHOSTS

Aside from the occasional appearance of a would-be ghost, this mystery is totally spiritless. Koko was one of the boys who solved The Mystery of Green Hill (1962). As the leader of the group that manages to work out this new case, he makes a disappointing detective, for he seems not very bright and his bluster is unappealing. His concern is derived from rumors that the ghost of Vinchek (the former tenant of his family's apartment) had been seen, and from threatening notes sent to his family. The conclusion, arrived at in an interminably circuitous fashion, reveals that Vinchek, a miser, had feigned death and gone into hiding, and that the ""ghost"" was two men who wanted to get hold of his hoard--whether they know Vinchek was alive, and what their plan was is never explained. The text was originally written in Serbo-Croatian. Perhaps it is to the translation that some of the book's faults may be ascribed. These include the sometimes confusing settings for some events, some unexpected and uncomfortable personal relationships (two of the boys uncover the fact that their fathers were closely involved with the crime, and there is a surprisingly sophisticated flirtation between a ten year old girl and thirteen year old boy), as well as a long-winded style.