I'm not exactly sure when this book came out, but I was packing up some paperbacks and had a desire to pull one out and read it. I chose this one, because I had no idea what it was about. Some of them I might remember bits and pieces, but this one I had no clue. And it's a diet book, meaning I got through it fairly quickly.
Hilda is headed to Valhalla (not where you would think) to check on her half sister, Ursula. Before she leaves, she gets a telegram telling her not to go. But she's worried about her half sister, so she heads there anyway. Once she gets there, she doesn't feel very welcome. The home owner, Lucia, is focused on the operatic debut of her daughter and doesn't like Hilda interfering in the event.
I'm curious if the person who wrote the summary on the back even read the book. It made me think the doctor would play more of a role. He was hardly in it. The same with the love interest. Most of the antagonism came from Lucia. And then there was the strange music. What was that all about? That was never explained. Yes, the footprints were explained, but they kept making a big deal about the music. OH! And don't forget that Ursula is Hilda's half sister. The author never passes up an opportunity to clarify that.
I also want to mention the biggest offense this book threw at me. They murdered a puppy. For basically no reason. I mean, they tried to explain it at the end, but no. No no no. It wasn't necessary, and I hated it. Not necessary and a major strike against the book. Add that to the other weird, disjointed elements, and I'm just glad I didn't invest a lot of time reading this one.
