The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Collins

Reprints of these novels are being marketed as "in the tradition of Harry Potter" but they were originally written in the 1970s and really are not much at all like the Harry Potter books. Written for young adults, the only things they have in common with HP is that the protagonists are kids, the battle is between good and evil, and there are some adults who are good guys and help out, along with some who are bad guys and try to defeat the children in their quests. Oh, and the kids are all English.

With all that said, the books are well written even though they are aimed at young children and the storylines are simple.

Over Sea, Under Stone introduces the Drew children - Barney, Jane, and Simon - and their quest for a grail. Not _the_ grail, the one Jesus used at the Last Supper, but rather a grail crafted in the time of King Arthur that tells of the battle of Light and Dark and how the great king of the Light can return again to England.

They find the grail but lose the manuscript that would translate the inscription - that waits for the third book, Greenwitch. But in the second novel, The Dark Is Rising, we meet young Will Stanton, a seventh son of a seventh son who, on his eleventh birthday, must gather the six signs of the light and use them to drive off the darkness.

The fourth book, The Grey King, takes Will to Wales to meet Bran, a boy who is odd in more ways than one. An albino, he seems strangely out of time. But with Bran's help, Will is able to recover the golden harp, which is one more of the magical tools, and wake the sleeping warriors that will help battle the influence of the Grey King that is assisting the Dark.

The final novel, Silver on the Tree, unites all five children - the Drews, Will, and Bran - to fight the final battle against the Dark. Each faces his or her great fear in the process.

The sequence becomes more sophisticated and intriguing as it goes on. The first book is simplistic, but Collins' work becomes deeper and more tightly written as the series continues. By the time we reach the last two books, the story has become interesting enough to keep one reading. While it is not as detailed and well-plotted as some more recent young adult series, it is worth reading and a good effort in its own right.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

Swedish author Stieg Larsson delivered three manuscripts before his death - this is the first one. It was well reviewed and I can see why. If you like original characters, the title character, Lisbeth, is definitely one. Larsson also gives you an equally interesting co-protagonist (Mikael), a triad of mysteries, and a rich cast of subordinate characters to fill out a hefty novel. The Swedish background is an added bonus.

Mystery number one - the journalist Mikael Blomkvist is a financial reporter who has just been convicted of libel due to the publication of a story that paints an important financier as a crook. Mikael has made no defense in the case, and is facing three months in jail atop a hefty fine. What happened?

Second mystery - an elderly man, head of a large family and CEO of a company that rivals the one headed by Mikael's journalistic target - has wanted to know for the last 40 years what happened to his 16-year old grandniece, who vanished from the family compound in 1966. Worse yet, each year on his birthday he receives a pressed flower in a frame - just like his grandniece used to give him before her disappearance. Is the murderer taunting him from afar?

Third mystery - Lisbeth Salander has no social skills to speak of, seems unequipped with even the most common emotions, and appears to be not too bright - but she works as a researcher for a security company, finds out things that no one else seems to be able to, and severely punishes people who abuse her, although in an exceptionally cold-blooded manner. What made Lisbeth what she is, and what secrets is she hiding?

The mysteries are strung in a satisfying sequence, like a series of frames, with the first one introduced being the final one solved. It is a neatly written, well-plotted book. One might have wondered if the original Swedish manuscript was a bit livelier in phrasing and sentence construction, as some of the wording is very plain and even flat. But for all that, it clips along at a good pace and one finishes the book with a definite interest in what the next novel will bring.

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Also read since the last posting - The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett.