Howliday Inn (Bunnicula and Friends) (edició 2006)

A harrowing tale of mystery and strange occurances in the night, 'Howliday Inn' is an incredible leap forward, in form and substance, for Harold X, here writing underneath the pseudonym of James Howe. He fully assumes his role as Watson, recording the feats of ratiocination performed by Chester. In the words of the author at the start: "If the memories of that week no longer make my blood run cold, they still have enough of a chilling effect to give me pause." 'Bunnicula's weakness was that the action barely left the living room and that drained vegetables, no matter how pale, somehow failed to inspire fear.

The story begins, as these things often do, with a journey. The Monroes are leaving on vacation and are leaving Harold and Chester to be boarded at the Chateau Bow-Wow, the forecast for the week is ominous, storm-clouds already filling the horizon as they approach the gates.

All of the classic elements of the gothic mystery are present: Our intrepid detectives are left in the care of strangers: Dr. Greenbriar with his impenetrable stare, surly domestic Harrison, and dizzy dame Jill. Fellow guests, travelers thrown together by chance with secrets of their own, each fitting archetypes: the gruff but strong Max, his dim and devoted friend Taxi, the French damsel Louise, southern belle Georgette, the mad cat Lyle and the reclusive blue bloods, Howard and Heather. How their fates intermingle and the identity of the first victim I leave for you to discover.

X, I mean Howe, fleshes out his mystery with literary and popular allusions high and low far beyond that which could be found in 'Bunnicula' that should please young and old, and the increase in intrigue and danger make up for the more cartoonish illustrations found here. Not for the faint of heart, 'Howliday Inn' is no doubt the product of an author at the peak of his powers.

Bunnicula

Next: 'The Celery Stalks at Midnight'

Previous: 'Bunnicula' ( )

Looks like Harold, the dog, and Chester,the cat, are going to spend the week at Chateau Bow-Wow while their human family are off on vacation. Not what they were expecting! Nor were they expecting the adventure they had!

Arriving at Chateau Bow-Wow, Harold and Chester meet their fellow borders: Louise - a French poodle, Max - a turtle-neck wearing bulldog, Georgette - a dog (these three are part of a triangle...maybe), Taxi - a mutt of a dog, Lyle - a wacky cat, and Howard and Heather - a pair of dachshunds. There are also the humans that are there to take care of the critters; Harrison and Jill.

The weather is stormy and rainy, complete with thunder and lightning; perfect backdrop for what happens! There is also that eerie howling that is heard and is later found to be Howard and Heather. Why the howling?

It seems that the next morning Louise is missing! Rumours go around that she has run off, or poisoned, or.... Then Chester is missing! Harold is pretty sure he hasn't run off, but was he poisoned? The animals decide they must find their missing friends.

There is a lot of humour in this and it is good fun kid stuff. There are also illustrations to go with the story. ( )

I have a deep and abiding love for [b: Bunnicula|281235|Bunnicula (Bunnicula, #1)|James Howe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348802537s/281235.jpg|1142982] so I was delighted to learn that the book was not merely a book. No, it was a series. While I don't think I'll delve into all of the spin-off series, I definitely want to read the whole of the initial run. It was to my excitement and pleasure that I read this sequel to [b: Bunnicula|281235|Bunnicula (Bunnicula, #1)|James Howe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348802537s/281235.jpg|1142982] and found it every bit as fantastic as the first book.

[b: Howliday Inn|443658|Howliday Inn (Bunnicula, #2)|James Howe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388210958s/443658.jpg|749560] follows the theme of the first [b: Bunnicula|281235|Bunnicula (Bunnicula, #1)|James Howe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348802537s/281235.jpg|1142982] book in setting up a mystery that needs to be solved. Where this book succeeds and differs from the original is that it sets up a firm murder mystery and follows the classic noir set up. The murderer? He could be anyone. Everyone has motive here at Chataeu Bow-Wow, from the dog residents to the crazed cat resident to the very humans working there. And are those werewolves in the distance? By creating a firm noir set up we veer away from the supernatural and get to enjoy the complicated threads of the mystery.

This is a longer book than I expected, and a far more complex one. I was delighted reading it, and am sure younger readers would enjoy it as well. It pleases me that [a: James Howe|51424|James Howe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1243833844p2/51424.jpg] doesn't pull many punches and spices the book up with more complex vocabulary, while simultaneously defining it and pointing out when characters are using the words erroneously. This is an exciting book, and a pretty great children's mystery. A worthy successor to [b: Bunnicula|281235|Bunnicula (Bunnicula, #1)|James Howe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348802537s/281235.jpg|1142982] with plenty of laughs. ( )

Cute little kid's murder mystery story. Not as good as the first book of course, but enjoyable. ( )

To build on my belief that this series should be called "The Harold and Chester Mysteries," Bunnicula doesn't even appear in this story. Instead, the Monroe's go on vacation and Harold and Chester are sent to a kennel called Chateau Bow-Bow. There, Chester immediately begins to share his suspicions of the other dogs and cats and their human caretakers. It turns out that there is something suspicious going on even if Chester's earliest assumptions were way off base, but it does lead up to a wonderful Holmes and Watson moment for Chester and Harold. Another fun book with a bit of mystery. ( )