Connie Blair Part 2

I finished "The Riddle in Red" yesterday and really enjoyed it. Despite the fact that the tone is sometimes a little too sweet, I found the story very readable, the plot engaging, and Connie's character gaining more depth. She has developed into a round dynamic character, one who is confronting situations in life and helping to find solutions to the problems facing the other characters. I liked the way the writer created suspense, as one began to wonder if Cleo the cosmetic queen has been kidnapped, and how Connie alone figures things out.

I thought I would share pictures of my collection of Connie Blair books. As I mentioned in my last post, the only book I am missing is The Mystery of the Ruby Queens. I have my eye on one currently on Ebay, but I have seen the seller run an auction with the book at a lower Buy It Now price, so I am waiting for it to come down. Hopefully it will!

I will be keeping my eyes out for first printings in this series. I have a few, but some are later printings. My plan is to find firsts to upgrade my collection.

I especially like the artwork on the covers of this series. They are atmospheric, and speak of dark mysteries and situations. I like the ominous mood they create.

I was pretty fortunate to find all of these in dustjackets, and for the dustjackets to be in such good shape. The Clue in Blue and The Riddle in Red are in the roughest shape, and even they are acceptable.

Here is a complete list of Connie Blair mysteries:

1. The Clue in Blue, 1948
2. The Riddle in Red, 1948
3. Puzzle in Purple, 1948
4. The Secret of Black Cat Gulch, 1948
5. The Green Island Mystery, 1949
6. The Ghost Wore White, 1950
7. The Yellow Warning, 1951
8. The Gray Menace, 1953
9. The Brown Satchel Mystery, 1954
10. Peril in Pink, 1955
11. The Silver Secret, 1956
12. The Mystery of the Ruby Queens, 1958


Volumes 1-4 were reprinted in the familiar picture cover format, with a lime green spine. As I mentioned in my previous post, they were also available in paperback in the late 1960's.