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.

Nancy Drew: The Clue in the Crumbling Wall

    "When Nancy is asked to find a professional dancer who disappeared several years before, the young detective becomes involved in a mystery reaching far beyond a missing-person's case. During Nancy's investigation at Heath Castle, she and her friends Bess and George realize that its crumbling walls contain a secret, but what is it? And who are their enemies that try to foil their every attempt to unravel the intricate puzzle? Danger lurks in a castle tower and throughout the vine-tangled grounds of the estate. The girls' gripping adventures culminate in a dramatic climax when Nancy exposes a sinister plot to defraud the dancer of her inheritance." [x]

    I've read this book either once or twice and did not enjoy it. I actually confused it with Moonstone Castle and when I re-read that a few months ago I kept think "where are all the parts I hate like George getting her clothes stolen?" then I realized I was thinking of the wrong book and it's actually Clue in the Crumbling Wall I can't stand (Moonstone Castle is an excellent book by the way).

    I don't remember much about this book except for George getting her clothes stolen while they're drying and the girls looking through a box they find in the crumbling wall. As for what's in the box I don't recall at all.

    Gosh, I am not looking forward to reading this but lets get it over with.

- Nancy has 3 weeks to find Juliana Johnson so she can claim her inheritance. Why would anyone wait until there's only 3 weeks to hire someone to track her down? Someone should have been on that a year ago. I know the lawyer is crooked and not really trying but Juliana's sister should have tried.

- I find Salty a little disturbing. This man just walks down the street with a wagon full of oysters for sale. It's kind of strange and seems unsanitary. And of course Nancy just happens to get an oyster with a pearl.

- Nancy's purse gets stolen. It contains her drivers license, car registration, credit cards, money, the pearl from the oyster, and some cosmetics. She says she's just thankful she didn't lose more but like...what else could she have lost. It's not like she's going to keep her real valuables in her purse. Instead of being thankful she should be concerned about those credit cards.

- Bess stuck in a tree with vicious dogs surrounding her, George stuck clothe-less in a tool shed, and Nancy locked in the tower of an abandoned castle may be the most hopeless situation the girls have been in.

- Heath castle just happens to be based off an English castle and Nancy just happens to have a book featuring that castle and the book just happens to mention the secret hiding place in the wall. Talk about luck!

- Nancy only finds the metal box because she happens to be at the right spot at the right time.

- I think the task of making and selling the dye as well as bottling and selling the spring water are much bigger than Mr. Drew makes out.

- I enjoyed the castle becoming a home for handicapped children at the end.

    Overall this book wasn't as bad as I remember it being. It's not my favorite and I'm not keen to read it again anytime soon but it certainly wasn't as torturous as I thought it would be.

Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Golden Pavilion

    "One of Mr. Drew's new clients, Mr. Sakamaki, requests Nancy's help solving a mystery. Mr. Sakamaki recently inherited his grandfather's estate in Hawaii, but two strangers arrive, claiming to also be the grandchildren of his deceased grandfather. Can Nancy uncover the truth?" [x]

- This book opens differently from the others. Usually Nancy is discussing a new case with someone but this one opens with Nancy in a helicopter bringing Togo home from a dog show "in a city some distance away". Not quite sure why Nancy is taking a helicopter home but ok.

- Why would Mr. Sakamakis grandfather will his home to "any living grandchildren" if Mr. Sakamaki was the only grandchild? If I was him or Mr. Drew I would see this as possible evidence that there really is other children.

- Ned, Burt, and Dave just happen to be going to Honolulu at the same time as Nancy. I always thought poor Nancy can't go anywhere without Ned having to show up but lately it seems poor Ned can't go anywhere without Nancy showing up.

- Ned and the boys stay at the Halekulani Hotel which is still in operation. As is Volcano House where the whole gang stays for a night.

- The dark lei with the poison tacks gets handled a lot and surprisingly no one gets poked with a tack.

- I think Its really adorable how Nancy buys a lei for her father when at the airport. The description of her standing there with Ned eagerly waiting for her dad to get off the plane was just very cute.

- I'm no lawyer but I'm pretty sure the Roy and Janet couldn't legally move into Kaluakua when the estate has not been settled yet and their claim to it is still being investigated. The caretaker should have just called the police and got them removed.

- George saying she needed to go grab her purse from her bedroom before Roy claims it as part of the estate made me laugh, I love George's humor sometimes.

- While trapped under the pavilion Ned tries opening the door by lunging at it. Why did he not simply lay on his back and kick it since they only had about 3 feet of height to move in.

- It's pretty horrifying how much the ancient cape made from extinct bird feathers is thrown around.

    A little side note, I looked up Hawaiian capes made from o-o bird feathers and they're really lovely and don't look how you would think they'd look. Definitely not how its drawn in the frontispieces illustration.

    This book was ok. The amount of travelling around Hawaii was boring and the whole scavenger hunt seemed a bit ridiculous. The fact that there was a whole legitimate gang behind the mystery wasn't appealing to me. Not to mention the gang name Double Scorps is stupid. I didn't remember much from this book except for the feather cape being in the top of the pavilion so that kinda took away any suspense.

    To be honest this book actually made me long for the Vicki Barr book Clue of the Broken Blossoms which features Vicki in Hawaii. I did not enjoy that book but it had a lot more of a Hawaiian feel to it which is obviously important when that's the selling point of the book.

    Oh, also got to mention how great the cover art for this book is. The pavilion isn't draw especially well but the ghostly figure is great and the fact that one of the boys (Ned?) is there instead of George is pretty cool.

Nancy Drew: The Haunted Showboat

    "When Nancy, Bess and George travel to New Orleans, Louisiana to the Mardi Gras they are enveloped in a mystery involving a haunted showboat. Nancy unravels the mystery involving an imposter and a search for pirate's gold." [x]

- The bomb in Nancy's car is such a serious incident yet the girls seem to shake it off as nothing but an inconvenience.

- I'm surprised Mr. Drew would buy Nancy such a flashy car that's easy to spot. Being a detective you'd think a subtle car that blends in would be the smart choice.

- The second the girls find out Uncle Rufus is a voodoo doctor they start to think he must be holding secret voodoo meetings on the old showboat and is responsible for scaring away visitors. This is such a leap.

- I'm surprised Nancy doesn't consider Charles a suspect. As a spurred lover of Donna Mae he has plenty of reason for wanting to sabotage the showboat thus ruining her engagement announcement.

- Both restaurants mentioned in this book, Antoines and Broussards, are still in existence and have pretty good reviews. Makes me think how fun it'd be going to all the real life restaurants Nancy's been to.

- Donna Mae is really obnoxious with the way she threatens to get the Emerson boys there with jealousy and tries to waylay the girls from making it to dinner at Charles by conveniently running out of gasoline while out in a launch. The way Nancy just jumps overboard into the Mississippi river and swims to shore was hilarious. I love that Nancy was not going to put up with her shenanigans.

- Interesting that Charles had been shot at twice but Nancy doesn't gets shot at. Also Charles says he's been shot at twice by a mysterious sniper and the girls don't seem to care much. Why is no one freaking out?

- Nancy and Ned discover the pirate gold so quickly that there is no way it wouldn't have been discovered before.

- It annoyed me that we didn't find out Alex's real name.

    Overall this book was alright. There wasn't as much time spent on the showboat as you would think there would be. For example in the book Patty Duke and the Chinese Junk, Patty and the gang are trying to stop an old ship from being vandalized in the night so they sleep aboard the ship. Nancy should have spent a night on the Showboat. 

    One of the things that does make me like this book is, interestingly enough, Alex. He's a unique criminal; he lied and wanted to steal the pirate gold but did truly plan on marrying Donna Mae and being in upper class society. Is it too much of a stretch to think that his crimes were committed simply to give him the foundation to build a better life? I dunno, but I like the guy.

Also the illustration below always makes me think of this photo of Lillian and Dorothy Gish.

Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Fire Dragon

    "Nancy Drew is called to New York City by her Aunt Eloise to solve a missing-person case. The granddaughter of her elderly Chinese neighbor, Mr. Soong, has been kidnapped. The search is on, first by disguising Nancy's friend George Fayne as the missing Chi Che, and then pursuing a lead at Chi Che's place of employment, a book store, where Nancy encounters its suspicious owner, Mr Stromberg. A series of clues leads the girls to Hong Kong, where Nancy's boyfriend, Ned Nickerson, joins the action" [x]

    I've only read this once before and I did not like it however I don't remember anything about it.

    I've been terrible at writing reviews for the last few books I've read and this one is starting quite late into the book.

- I decided to do a quick research on Kowloon, which is where Nancy and the gang stays, and it was quite interesting. The hotel Nancy stays at, The Peninsula, is still up and operating and has an interesting history in itself. The Kai Tak airport is no longer in existence but it was the reason for the 3 story buildings Nancy comments on; the skyline was kept low for the planes.

- Nancy is so stupid for having gotten on the plane with the girl claiming to be Chi Che. It was clearly a trap as there was no reason Chi Che couldn't have gotten off the plane to talk to Nancy.

- While walking down the street of Kam Tin Nancy remarks that there's nothing to suggest Chi Che is being held prisoner there.     what did Nancy expect? A giant sign saying "Chi Che Soong is definitely not being held prisoner inside this building, nuhuh, no way, never even heard of her so don't investigate in here, ok?".

- I like that Ned has learned Cantonese and translates for Nancy. It's like Mr. Drew says at the beginning of the book, Ned's knowledge of Cantonese will help him career-wise (I don't know why I care, it's not like Ned's a real person who needs a career lol).

- I enjoyed Ned being around without Burt and Dave. I don't mind all three boys being there if the mystery is close to Emerson such as in The Phantom of Pine Hill but I can't stand when all three boys travel to/with the girls. I also liked that Ned had made Chinese friends whom go on dates with Bess and George.

    Overall I really enjoyed this book. My opinion of it has completely changed since my first reading. 

Nancy Drew: The Clue in the Old Stagecoach

    "Nancy searches for an antique stagecoach that, according to legend, contains something of great value to the people of Francisville." [x]

    This book holds memories for me because it was one of the Nancy Drew books in my elementary school library. I never read it then but I looked at the covers of all the books a lot so this one has been ingrained into my mind.

    I didn't read this one until I was an adult and owned a copy, I recall loving it the first time. However not so much the second time...in fact I'm not even sure I finished it the second time. My GoodReads rating was 4 stars so lets see if that holds true.

- I've always enjoyed the bet Nancy and Bess make against George. If George loses she has to knit the girls each a sweater.

    Ok wow, so I ended up taking no notes. There just wasn't much in this book to comment on. It was a good story, I thought the locations were very cozy from the camp to Ms. Snook's home to the Zucker farm and even Art Warner's office.

    The location of the old stagecoach is quite unique I think, although something about it reminds me of the ending to Clue in the Diary.

    I was a bit surprised by who the culprit was even though it was obvious but the character just seemed like more of an annoying nuisance wrapped up in some other underhanded scheme.

    Overall it was good. I'll leave my 4 star rating in tact however I don't think if want to re-read it for a long time.