Mary Eliska Girl Detective - Book 75 - The Temple of Death-The Bride of the Sun King-as re-written by William A. Stricklin (c) 2021The Bride of the Sun written by the author of "Phantom of the Opera," whose original tale takes us to Peru where Dick Montgomery hopes to marry his fiancé, Maria-Teresa de la Torre, the daughter of a Spanish marquis. Because of their disrespectful manner, Maria-Teresa discharges a group of Quichua Indians working in the household, including Huascar. It is heard that the Indians have found an Incan king and are going to celebrate an ancient ceremony wherein a virgin bride is sacrificed to The Sun King. Maria-Teresa (Mary Eliska Girl Detective in our story) is the chosen victim and is kidnapped. Dick and Maria-Teresa's father attempt to save her but are unsuccessful. Huascar comes to them, saying he will save Maria-Teresa, but is he to be trusted? Left with no choice, they take Huascar at his word, and a rescue begins. Please enjoy this mystery book.
William A. Stricklin is a Phi Beta Kappa scholar who earned his AB with honors Phi Beta Kappa at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1959. He was Cal student body president and selected as the outstanding cadet of the United States Army ROTC program at UC Berkeley; then trained at Fort Lewis, Washington; then Infantry Officer Training School at Fort Benning, Georgia, qualified as an expert using Army .45 caliber pistols, M-1 rifles and anti-tank bazookas. Cloak-and-dagger training at U.S. Army Counterintelligence School, Fort Holabird, Maryland, followed, learning Cold War spy-craft; six years active and reserve military service-then service as Correspondence Assistant to the Vice President of the United States for the final eighteen months of the Eisenhower Administration; followed by earning doctor of laws JD degree at Harvard Law School in 1964. For 20 years William A. Stricklin continues working for the Federal government headquartered in San Francisco while he lives in Alameda, California, with his wife Rebecca Robbins PhD and their two cats Zorro and Jupiter.