Saber Dance

Charisma Inc. #1

by Ruth Glick, Eileen Buckholtz

Samantha St James is a bundle of nerves. Her first undercover assignment for the detective agency Charisma, Inc. sends her to the Goodwill Games to catch a spy. Posing as a TV reporter, she's interviewing all the world class athletes.

One blue-eyed skier on the Russian team raises Samantha's suspicions--and sets her heart on fire. Whenever Aleksandr Danchev is near, Samantha's instincts warn her to beware. But his warm gaze melts her heart.

Still, Samantha can't let her feelings interfere with her mission. She has to find the athlete carrying secret information, the key to Project Saber. Can she trust Aleksandr with the truth about her identity? Or is he one of the many obstacles in this dangerous game?

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Ruth Glick is an American writer of cookbooks, romance and young adult novels. She has written novels under the pseudonym Rebecca York; until 1997 these were written in collaboration with Eileen Buckholtz.

Reviews

[Pastel Paperback · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this a few days ago but I'm finally marking it read.

An enjoyable start to the series! Charisma Inc is a "talent" agency that serves as a detective business's front. They train fresh out of high school teens who can pass for models/actors and prep them for a world of undercover operatives.

We meet Samantha, one of the main girls, and her roommate Amber, who are thrown into a mission with just a few months of training. In the first few days, a fellow operative is killed and another one stabbed, but they're still kept on the mission. Shocking!

There's a lot of glitz (think big parties and beautiful dresses and disguises) and plenty of action (bugged lipsticks and boots with secret compartments to hold dangerous information) that make this really exciting. Also, our heroine gets buried alive at one point!

Reminded me of The Nancy Drew Files, with just a touch more glamour. Definitely reading the rest.

[Nadine Keels · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd never heard of this YA series from the late '80s, Charisma, Inc., until a few days before I tried this novel that kicks it off. The look of it reminded me of the adventurous and romantic Nancy Drew Files mystery series from the same era.

However, Charisma goes for a sexier vibe. And they want you to know it, as they set the tone with the literal use of the word "sexy" about four times during the book's first half.

Also, unlike the Nancy Drew novels, this book isn't a mystery but rather a suspense read. Unlike in a mystery, where the reader receives info/clues at the same time the detective or sleuth does, this story openly announces key facts to the reader before Samantha knows anything about them. Including the identities of the bad guys.

A few times, the story switches to show developments from the bad guys' perspectives. Even mentioning how one of them "[smiles] wickedly" to himself as he's doing some of his bad-guy stuff.

Now, speaking of bad stuff, a lot of it happens around Samantha or at least within her knowledge, and some of it happens to her. But for much of the book, she herself doesn't really do anything exciting to advance the mission she's on. She's busy getting distracted by a hot skier.

When Samantha becomes more proactive about her work in the second half of the book, though, it gives the action more meaning and raises the stakes of the danger. And I like that the big win in the end has a bittersweet aspect, instead of wrapping everything up like a fairy tale.

I'll probably try at least one more book from this series sometime.

Note:
• the violence involves deadly weapons
• some of the romance and sensual details teeter right on the edge of "PG"
• two people briefly make "obscene gestures" at each other that aren't described further

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nancy Drew meets Charlie’s Angels with romance, glamour, outfit descriptions, and some gadgets. Boots big enough to fit an entire wig!

The constant mention of the KGB and suspicions about Russians was very “of the time.” This book was published in 1988.

The romance was instalust and I’m pretty sure she dates a new guy every book.

The plot didn’t make much sense. Definitely not as strong as Nancy Drew. I don’t know if I’ll continue with the series.

[Paula Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can you say no to a series of books about teenage girls working at a private detective agency, that also doubles as an acting and modelling agency? I certainly can't! This first entry in the ten book series was so daft that I ended up really enjoying it! It actually played out a bit like a Mills & Boon Intrigue book, but shorter and featuring teenagers, mixed with a dash of Charlie's Angels!

Samantha St James and Amber Carson's first mission at Charisma Inc is to go undercover at the Goodwill Games to find a contact who has absconded from behind the Iron Curtain (just so you know how 80s this book is), to deliver important documents related to Project Saber. What is Project Saber? Well, the book doesn't tell us! They're to interview athletes in order to do this. Samantha finds herself getting all weak at the knees for handsome skier Aleksandr Danchev. Can she keep her hormones in check long enough to complete her mission?

Dealing with KGB agents and the like, this feels kind of dated, yet also a bit relevant, considering what Putin gets up to these days! Anyway, it's a quick, fast-paced read, and a lot of silly fun.

[Reba · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! I loved these books! In fact, I loved them so much, I am torn between wanting to reread them, or just leaving them in my memories as perfection!

[elissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in a YA series from the late-80's/early 90's. Not bad at all.

[Reading with Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was... This... I don't know...I really have no words. This was completely batshit crazy. But if you can suspend all the disbelief, it's also a lot of fun.