In this sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy has grown up and become an investigative journalist. She still has the silver slippers, which help her go places she otherwise wouldn't be able to get into. She's investigating War Secretary Diggs, the former Wizard of Oz, who has constructed a huge factory in Kansas to build dirigibles. His goal: to get back to Oz, and Dorothy must stop him.

I enjoyed this lightweight adventure (albeit with a high body count). Maxey clearly knows much more about Oz than I do, and he's evolved the main characters and brought in one new and interesting one: Esau, billed as the "Flying Monkey Man," a former carnival sideshow freak and engineering genius who constructs gliders and jumps from hot air balloons as his act. Diggs' theory on what Oz actually is was really intriguing, and I wish that aspect had been followed up more. Clearly, this loving tribute to the Oz books is left open for a sequel.

Not my usual fare, but I read this because Maxey is from my hometown, and this was our book club pick (we frequently try to read local authors).