This is not a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ book, nor is it a Scooby-Doo activity book where you solve riddles, join dot-to-dots and read jokes featuring iconic characters. Scooby-Doo and the Vampire’s Revenge is a Scooby-Doo mystery book where the Mystery Inc. solves a case, where the culprit would have gotten away, ‘had it not been for those kids and their meddling mutt.’

Think of it as a colourful short novel where illustrations make things easy to understand, and the narrative is simple, to-the-point and reminds you of the animated adventure of Scooby-Doo! The story follows Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo who, instead of spending their Halloween tricking or treating, volunteer to help at an auction at a hotel. When a vampire swoops in and steals a magical jewel in front of Mystery Inc., the team decides to investigate. Is the friendly porter disguised as a cowboy the culprit; or the person who claims to live in Transylvania, find out as you accompany the gang on a nail-biting adventure!

The best thing about the book is the easy to understand narrative; after they had nabbed the person (you will have to read the book to find out!) the team explains why they suspected the person and not the others. The motive is also very genuine and so are the lines spoken by Scooby-Doo, the antics of Shaggy, and the brainy talk between the others. Add to that the illustrations and you will have the perfect opportunity to spend an evening with your fictional friends and their very real mystery.

And yes, there are some of the things that we usually encounter when we enter a hotel; such as the revolving door, the porter, the vast halls and huge building where the action takes place. Do read the book so that when you visit a hotel next time, you will know who Scooby-Doo and Gang felt when they were solving the Mystery of the Vampire’s Revenge!

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 25th, 2020