RETURN TO MOROCCO

by Norma Johnston ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1988

A contrived but suspenseful spy thriller, set in a classic location, with a squeakyclean romance attached. Tori Clay, 17, escapes her upcoming debut when her beloved Grandmother (""Nannie"") invites her along on a Mediterranean cruise. It becomes evident that Nannie has a hidden agenda when the two explore Tangier amid deadly traps, corpses, assault, and unknown intruders. Tori sees a new side to Nannie, who kills a man with a rolled-up magazine and is shortly thereafter struck by a speeding car. With Nannie hospitalized, C.D. Mackenzie, a fellow passenger, provides Toff with a masculine ann to lean on. After an investigation festooned with remarkable coincidences, the story comes out: while working for the OSS in WW II, Nannie found and hid proof that her lover was a double agent; now, 40 years later, he's a famous French war hero and about to be Premier; he will stop at nothing to save his career. In the course of learning this, Toff has a propensity to scream, hyperventilate, or burst into hysterical laughter. She's passively willing to be led around by men until the climax, when she impulsively enters an obvious trap alone. Face to face with the bad guy, she persuades him to retire by appealing to his better nature, meanwhile gunning down the two henchmen he has left. As usual, Johnston captures the distinctive flavor of her setting. The chemistry between Toff and C.D. will set young hearts athrob, but even Phyllis Whitney's mysteries feature spunkier heroines.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 176

Publisher: Four Winds

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1988

Categories: CHILDREN'S