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194 pp.
| Cricket/Marcato |
October, 2003 |
TradeISBN 0-8126-2680-X$$16.95
(4)
YA
In place of the pseudonymous authors of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books, McAlpine posits a real Frank Dixon and Carolyn Keene. Both walk away from childhoods similar to (though darker than) those of their fictional creations, mingle with famous expats in Paris, and hone their crafts (as private detective and as writer). Intriguing, though some of the literary invention is a touch labored.