Nancy Drew: The Clue of the Leaning Chimney

    "As a result of an encounter with a sinister stranger on a lonely country road, Nancy Drew and her friend Bess Marvin discover that a rare and valuable Chinese vase has been stolen from the pottery shop of Dick Milton, a cousin of Bess. — Dick had borrowed the vase from his Chinese friend, elderly Mr. Soong. He is determined to repay Mr. Soong for the loss and tells Nancy that if he can find "the leaning chimney," he feels he will be on the track of a discovery which will solve his financial problems.

    Nancy finds the leaning chimney, but it only leads her into more puzzles. Can there be any connection between the vase theft -- one of a number of similar crimes -- and the strange disappearance of the pottery expert Eng Moy and his daughter Lei?

    Join Nancy and her friends in their exciting adventures as they unravel all the twisted strands of this intriguing mystery. " 

    This is my first time ever reading this book! It's one of only three Nancy Drew books I haven't read before and I'm very excited to read it.

- The book summary mentions that there is a character named Mr. Soong. There is also a Mr. Soong (Grandfather Soong) in Mystery of the Fire Dragon. I guess Harriet Stratemeyer didn't know any other Chinese names, eh?

- It's nice to see Masonville mentioned again.

- The way Nancy asked to be told about how pottery is made was very awkward.

- I thought Mrs. Wendell was going to be difficult with Nancy. I was pleasantly surprised when she turned out to be an old family friend of Hannah's.

- I found it hilarious that Nancy hacks down the secret panel door instead of trying to figure out how to open it. Maybe it's because I just finished reading The Hidden Staircase wherein Nancy takes forever to find a secret panel but I just loved that she got straight to business with it. I also liked that the villain had put in the secret passage instead of it just happening to be there.

- Nancy gives Helen a kitten for her birthday and Helen says "you remembered I've been meaning to get one". I thought "meaning to get one" was such a weird way to describe getting a pet. Also I love that Bess' present to Helen is a figurine she made in her pottery class.

- Nancy take on 4 cases in this book; the theft of Mr. Soong's vase, finding the location of the China clay pit, finding the Engs, and Helen's parents missing vase. Nancy's lucky these all intertwined.

- The Hotel Royalton that Carr is staying at is an actual hotel however it appears The Oregon, the restaurant Nancy chases Carr through, either does not exist or no longer exists.

- When Nancy and Ned investigate the location of the China clay pit they hear "a cry for help that sounds like bong". I don't understand what that means. How can a cry for help sound like bong?

Nevermind, it gets explained later. Mr. Soong says the Chinese word for "help" is pronounced like bong so basically someone was yelling "Help" but in Chinese.

- This book has every recurring character in it; Bess, George, Helen, Ned, Aunt Eloise, and Togo. Its just missing Burt and Dave.

- Ned doesn't seem to do much in this book except complain and tease.

- I suspected that Ching was working with the villains but I didn't expect him to be Carr's brother. Also how strange is it that David and Ching are brothers yet one, who looks more Caucasian then Chinese, is given a name like David while the one who looks more Chinese than Caucasian is named Ching. Kind of weird.

    Overall it was good. I don't think I can give an accurate opinion of this book since it was my first time reading it, since everything was new to me it's hard to judge. I do think it was unique and something about it was different than most other ND books.

Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase (original)

    This was the first original text Nancy Drew book I read. I had found it a mix of exciting, gloomy, and boring. I remember I absolutely loved that Nancy had a gun with her but I found a lot of the scenes at the mansion boring and became frustrated with how long it took Nancy to discover the secret passages. This was also my introduction to racist dialogue in old books.

    To be honest I'm hoping I don't enjoy this books because I would like to get rid of it to clear up some space to my bookshelf. Also every time I see it I think of how I foolishly spent a whopping $75 on it.

- I'm surprised Nancy left her house after Nathan Gomber's visit. I know she locked the doors and windows but if he's as unscrupulous as she thinks then he could break in.

- I thought it was interesting she went for a walk by the river. I don't know why but I always thought it interesting.

- The first time I read this book I was impressed and happy that the characters from the last book made brief appearances. I wish that had happened in more of the books.

- When asked for help by Rosemary and Floretta, Nancy insists she's not a detective. She doesn't even call herself an amateur detective.

- I think it's smart of Carson to arm Nancy with a gun. She's going to an unfamiliar place where sinister things are happening and the only other people who will be around to help her is two elderly ladies. I very much wish other books featured Nancy with a gun. It annoys me a bit how in the revised books Nancy has such close calls yet Carson and Hannah simply make her promise to be careful even though her promise never has helped in the past.

- I find it very annoying that when Nancy is looking for secret passageways and trap doors she doesn't think twice about the strange built in sofas. She spends days searching the walls of all the rooms. I have to assume the thought of checking the sofa would cross her mind.

- Although I love that Nancy has a gun I feel like sleeping with it under her pillow is not very safe. Also wouldn't it be easier to grab if it was on her nightstand? Or is she trying to hide it from any intruders since things have been disappearing from around the mansion. Not to mention a gun and a flashlight under the pillow would seem very bulky and uncomfortable. Maybe that's why she has trouble sleeping while there.

- Hold up, Floretta and Rosemary were just described as "nearly 30 years older than Nancy"...that means they're only 46 at most? I thought they were elderly! That changes things completely!

- Floretta and Rosemary remind me of Bess and George. Floretta is very timid and easily frightened whereas Rosemary is a little more brash and level headed. When the girls hear a scream in the middle of the night, Nancy wants to investigate it. Floretta doesn't want to but when Rosemary bluntly tells her to stay there then Floretta says she's rather go than be left alone. That's always happening with Bess and George.

- I'm surprised the girls don't think of hiring an actual, professional detective. They'd rather just leave their home.

- This book has a very depressing atmosphere to it. Nancy is alone in the empty, old mansion with just the two women and all three are sullen and worried. There is no electricity, no telephone, and they don't seem to leave the house for a week straight. It makes me feel depressed. In the revised Helen is present and that alone would have helped.

- I'm always fascinated by Mildred Wirt's racism in these books. Although I see people speaking about Nancy's racist past I do not see anyone actually calling out Mildred Wirt for this, people just seem to blame Nancy Drew as though she was a real person and responsible. Anyways, I actually had never considered Nathan Gombet as an antisemitic stereotype until I had read another review. Maybe this is because I was unaware that Gombet is a Jewish name, I had never heard it before. Also when I had read this before I hadn't yet read other original text Nancy Drew books and was unaware of Wirts' pattern of scheming, money hungry characters with "hooked noses" and Jewish names.

    It's unfortunate that racism is behind the character of Nathan Gombet as he's an excellent villain. He's extremely heartless and cruel as well as obsessed with seeking revenge for imagined wrongs against him. Where as other villains are just committing crimes because they're greedy or something, Gombet actually seems out of his mind and mentally unstable.

- I feel conflicted when it comes to Mr. Drew walking into Gombet's trap. On the one hand it makes sense that Carson would believe the story of Nancy becoming seriously injured in an automobile accident. Gombet did provide details such as the cars steering gear broke and she ran into a ditch. It also stands to reason that Carson would be unbelievably terrified of losing his daughter after already having lost his wife.

    On the other hand Mr. Drew should have been much more suspicious of Gombet especially after having been threatened by him. He doesn't even think for a second that Nancy may have been injured by Gombet nor does the strange telegram reply he got on the train cross his mind.

- Gombet is called a miser throughout the book which I don't think is the correct word. A miser hordes money and penny pinches but no reference is made to him doing this. He instead tries to scam and cheat other people out of money.

- Gombet says he will release Mr. Drew is he gives him a check and signs a paper promising not to prosecute. Carson should have just done this as contracts signed under force are not legal and will not hold up in court. As a lawyer he should know this. I mean, I guess Gombet could wait for the check to clear and then not release Carson but I doubt it as people would notice if he was gone long/indefinitely.

- I enjoyed two chapters being dedicated to Carson and his abduction. They're removed from the rewritten version and Carson just appears in the end.

- I'm not sure why Gombet thinks forcing the Turnbulls to sell their house equates to them selling it to him. Other people have been interested in the house so why would they sell to the person offering the lowest price?

- Talk about luck that the only room in Gombet house that Nancy goes into is the one with the secret passage. I feel like the closet it a strange place for a secret passage, even Nancy says the room would be an unlikely place. Also you would think an underground tunnel would have it's entrance in the basement or at least the first floor.

- Something I found a little strange was Nancy's full name being used a lot through the text.

    Unfortunately, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. As I mentioned I was hoping to get rid of it but I just don't have a reason to.

Nancy Drew: The Secret of Red Gate Farm (original)

    "Out on a leisurely shopping trip, Nancy, Bess and George encounter an odd French-Chinese perfume saleswoman, who is reluctant to sell a particular fragrance to Bess. On a return train trip to River Heights, they ponder her odd behavior and encounter the malnourished Millie (Joanne in the later versions of the book) Byrd, who is on her way to "the city" to seek employment. Millie becomes acquainted with the girls, and when Nancy accompanies her to a job interview, she uncovers a mysterious code in the office. Millie's grandmother, owner of Red Gate Farm, welcomes the trio and Millie to her farm where they plan to vacation as paid boarders, and assist with waiting on other boarders. Once on the farm, Nancy uncovers a strange group called The Black Snake Colony—a "nature cult"—who are tenants on an outlying portion of Mrs. Byrd's farm. Accused of passing counterfeit money, Nancy shares details of the odd colony and the codes obtained in the office building with Federal agents. Nancy, Bess, George, and Millie go undercover disguised in the white robes and hoods worn by the cult members, and join them in their cave hideaway"

    I've read the original red gate farm only once but remember it being almost identical to the rewritten except for the opening scene.

- As the book opens I feel bad for Nancy who seems overwhelmingly stressed about missing their train while Bess and George don't seem to care much.

- I've always loved that the girls went out of town to go shopping. That rarely happens as it seems River Heights has everything anyone could ever need.

- I always giggle at $3 for perfume being considered exorbitantly high. The $3 is equal to $50 in today's money but even that isn't too shocking for perfume. Especially if it's a rare imported perfume like the girls assume.

- When Nancy shows her father the coded message he "adjusts his glasses". I never thought of Carson wearing glasses.

- The word "sallies" is used to refer to Bess and George's jokes. I love finding new old fashion slang in old books.

- "That means another pound added to my weight," Bess sighed as she gave her order, "but I'd as soon be dead as to give up sundaes!" Same, Bess, same.

- One thing I don't like about Mildred Wirt's writing is her overuse of sudden storms (Secret of the Old Clock, Bungalow Mystery, Lilac Inn, Shadow Ranch, Whispering Statue, and The Missing Formula are just the ones I can name off the top of my head in an instant). They're in many of her books and this one is no exception. In fact this book has two storms, one immediately after the other.

- It's mentioned that Bess had previously taken an interior decorating class. I love getting a little bit of backstory information on characters, especially Bess as she's my favorite character in every Nancy Drew series.

- I was under the impression that Nancy and the girls had been at Red Gate Farm for several weeks before they visited the roadside restaurant again. Yet the employees who accuse Nancy of passing the counterfeit bill act as though it had just happened the other day.

- It's unfortunate that I don't remember the details of the revised version because the farther I get in the original text the more I feel there is a lot of subtle differences but I'm just not sure. I know the opening scene is not in the rewritten version but I can not remember if the elderly boarders are kept in it or not, I also don't recall if it kept the second trip to the roadside restaurant or Nancy giving a ride to Black Snake Colony woman. I might have to re-read the revised text soon out of curiosity.

- At first the woman from the Black Snake Colony is described as old. Then later the woman refers to herself as old when she thanks Nancy for her help. But later it says the woman is not old, she only appears that way because she has stress lines or whatever. So that's confusing.

- I never understood why white robes with hoods were chosen as the outfits for the Colony. I'm not sure if the was Mildred Wirt's own decision or if it was part of the outline written by Edna Stratemeyer but it's just quite strange to me for obvious reasons. Also I always thought black robes with a snake image would be far more fitting for a group called the Black Snake Colony.

- Nancy overheard the woman in the grocery store say she heard there was to be a BSC ceremony that night. At first I wondered how on earth the woman could have learned that but then I thought maybe the leaders of the syndicate spread word so people notice their late night ceremony and believe they truly are a nature cult.

- It's too much of a coincidence for me that three Colony members happen to not show up the night Nancy, Bess, and George infiltrate the syndicate. Talk about luck Millie stayed behind.

- The fact that the girls get caught having snuck into the syndicates meeting, had bought the secret signal perfume, and had applied for a job at 305 really does look suspicious as heck. It's understandable the gang thinks they're spies.

- I don't understand why Karl was leading the raid on the cave when he had no association with the police or FBI and he had only met up with them at the farm a little bit ago.

- I have a hard time believing that within a few weeks the cave and boarders could have generated enough money for the farms mortgage to be paid off, an extension added to the house, and a new car. I think Mrs. Byrd is getting ahead of herself for even if the popularity of the cave and farm hold out the summer was almost over and that would leave less people around.

    I'm not surprised that I enjoyed this book upon this reading, it's the early books like this one that helped make Nancy Drew such a successful series. I'd actually love to read the revised text now but alas I don't have the time to spend reading a book I already know I'm keeping as the whole point of re-reading these books is to find ones to clear out of my collection.

    Also thought I'd mention that I only have 6 more Nancy Drew books to re-read! That's pretty exciting since I started out having over 70 to read! Three of the books I've actually never read before so I'm saving them for last. I'm excited to be finished with this series and talk about what books I decided to keep and which to get rid of.

The Mystery of the Tolling Bell

    "Nancy becomes involved in another mystery when she accepts an invitation from Mrs. Chantry, a client of Mr. Drew, to vacation at her cottage in a picturesque seaside town. Carson Drew has promised to join his daughter, but fails to arrive. The alarming disappearance of Mr. Drew and the odd circumstances surrounding his rescue are only the start of a series of highly dangerous adventures for Nancy and her friends Bess and George. Mrs. Chantrey's story about a nearby cliff side cave reputedly inhabited by a ghost intrigues Nancy and she decides to investigate. Several frightened townspeople claim to have seen an apparition and heard the weird sounds of a tolling bell just before water rushes from the cave. Will Nancy discover the true cause of these mysterious occurrences?"

    I've read the original text version of this book twice and I really enjoyed it. However I've never read the revised. I understand the differences are minuscule, if this is true then I doubt I'll notice them since I haven't read the other version in quite awhile.

    I don't have very much interest in reading this version but since I'm getting rid of my copy I decided I might as well read it while I have the chance.

- I think the whole hotel scene didn't work very well in the 1970's setting. I think the scene worked well in the 1940's setting of the original as it had a very noir type vibe to it. Particularly the part where Nancy steps away from her fathers room for a minute just to return and find no evidence her father had ever been there. That was very Hitchcock-esque.

- I know a lot of people think Nancy's strange dream is a little too ridiculous but I love that part! I know that I've had dreams where things happening around me worked their way into my dream so I think it's very plausible. Also Nancy waking up in a ditch is so mysterious. I'm just surprised she wasn't freaking out. Imagine falling asleep one place and waking up in a ditch, whether she was moved there or had stumbled their herself, that would be very unnerving.

    I didn't take very many notes while reading this book. Mainly because I wanted to power through it.

    Overall it was ok. I liked the original version much more mostly due to the time period being a better fit for the mystery. I might end up re-reading the original in the near future and I'm interested to see if I still like it.