THE GHOST IN THE NOONDAY SUN

Here is a true pirate yarn spun out in fine style by the author of Mr. Mysterious and Company (1962). The crew of the Bloody Hand are a properly scurvy bunch, and the story of their voyage to an island off the Spanish Main to dig up buried treasure is launched on a strong headwind as 12 year old Oliver Finch is held on board ship at its departure from Nantucket. The boy was born at Midnight and should have the ability to see spirits including the ghost of Gentleman Jim, who alone knows where the treasure is buried. The ending is a bit soft — the villains all meet their due simply, going down in the briny — but the incidents along the way are all carried out in skull-and-crossbones fashion. Good adventurous seafare for boys.