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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #3
The Bungalow Mystery
While trying to help a friend out of a difficulty, Nancy has a perilous experience in and around a deserted bungalow, from which only her bravery and quick thinking save her.
204 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1930
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,229 books3,646 followersCarolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,212 reviews
May 18, 2022
The book starts off with heart pounding action, as Nancy and her friend Helen are caught out on the lake in a thunderstorm. Will they reach the shore through the blowing winds and treacherous waves? Luckily, a young gal, Laura, hears Nancy's cries for help and rescues the two. After introductions are made, Laura rather cryptically responds that she may need Nancy's help someday soon. What mystery will find Nancy tracking down clues?
Another sound mystery in the series. Love how each chapter ends on a suspenseful note. Predictable but fun.
Another sound mystery in the series. Love how each chapter ends on a suspenseful note. Predictable but fun.
August 10, 2010
I will probably never get over my girl-crush on Nancy Drew, and this book just confirms that fact. Which is not to say that the series is flawless and beyond criticism - kinda the opposite, really. One thing I've learned from re-reading some of these books as an adult is that whenever you start one, you have basically a fifty-fifty chance of ending up with 190 pages of dated, stupid crap. But this time, I was lucky. This book rocked. That being said, it doesn't escape from the flaws that personify the entire series - at least it's good to see that Carolyn Keene had already established these issues early in the series, and dammit if she didn't stick to them.
Several things are to be expected from the Nancy Drew books, and I've taken the time to document them here:
1. We will be reminded, rather insistently, that Nancy is perfect. Over and over. She is skinny and pretty and brilliant and everyone loves her and the sooner we all just accept this the sooner we can get back to the mystery solving stuff.
2. Although Nancy lives in a time where teenage girls had about as many personal freedoms as trained dogs and were treated with a similar level of respect, she herself exists in a sort of bubble that makes her exempt from such social limitations. She has her own car, her own money (but, oddly, no apparent source of income), and doesn't seem to have any demands on her time such as a job or school. This is proved in this book, when Nancy decides on a whim to drive upstate for some investigating, and then when it runs long, checks herself into a hotel for the night. This is awesome, but I question the reality of it.
3. Carolyn Keene loves the words "sleuth" and "girl detective" and will use them as many times as she possibly can.
4. The bad guys are easily recognizable, because they are the only characters in the book who are ever rude to anyone.
These are the series' main flaws. In the good Nancy Drews, such as this one, these flaws can be overlooked as soon as Nancy starts being a badass. And there's a lot of that here. She survives a boat crash in a storm, breaks into not one but three houses, and manages to escape after the bad guys tie her up. She also taught me a valuable life lesson: if the hotel you're having dinner in leaves souvenir matchbooks on the table, take them, because you are guaranteed to need them in the next few hours.
As an added bonus, Nancy's boyfriend Ned Nickerson (affectionately known as "Candy-Ass" in my head) is not present, and in fact may not have been introduced as a character yet. Also conspicuously absent are Nancy's friends, Fat Bess and Butch George, so we don't have to listen to Carolyn Keene delivering backhanded compliments in her narration that would embarrass Regina George.
It isn't a great series, to be sure, and by all logic should not get such high ratings. But the fact remains that Nancy Drew is a literary heroine far ahead of her time, and even with all her books' issues, she's still a much better role model than certain contemporary literary ladies I could name.
Several things are to be expected from the Nancy Drew books, and I've taken the time to document them here:
1. We will be reminded, rather insistently, that Nancy is perfect. Over and over. She is skinny and pretty and brilliant and everyone loves her and the sooner we all just accept this the sooner we can get back to the mystery solving stuff.
2. Although Nancy lives in a time where teenage girls had about as many personal freedoms as trained dogs and were treated with a similar level of respect, she herself exists in a sort of bubble that makes her exempt from such social limitations. She has her own car, her own money (but, oddly, no apparent source of income), and doesn't seem to have any demands on her time such as a job or school. This is proved in this book, when Nancy decides on a whim to drive upstate for some investigating, and then when it runs long, checks herself into a hotel for the night. This is awesome, but I question the reality of it.
3. Carolyn Keene loves the words "sleuth" and "girl detective" and will use them as many times as she possibly can.
4. The bad guys are easily recognizable, because they are the only characters in the book who are ever rude to anyone.
These are the series' main flaws. In the good Nancy Drews, such as this one, these flaws can be overlooked as soon as Nancy starts being a badass. And there's a lot of that here. She survives a boat crash in a storm, breaks into not one but three houses, and manages to escape after the bad guys tie her up. She also taught me a valuable life lesson: if the hotel you're having dinner in leaves souvenir matchbooks on the table, take them, because you are guaranteed to need them in the next few hours.
As an added bonus, Nancy's boyfriend Ned Nickerson (affectionately known as "Candy-Ass" in my head) is not present, and in fact may not have been introduced as a character yet. Also conspicuously absent are Nancy's friends, Fat Bess and Butch George, so we don't have to listen to Carolyn Keene delivering backhanded compliments in her narration that would embarrass Regina George.
It isn't a great series, to be sure, and by all logic should not get such high ratings. But the fact remains that Nancy Drew is a literary heroine far ahead of her time, and even with all her books' issues, she's still a much better role model than certain contemporary literary ladies I could name.
June 8, 2011
This is a comparative review of the 1930s and 1950s editions of this book - if you get a chance to read them side-by-side, I very strongly recommend it.
Of the three books I've read comparatively, this one diverges the furthest. Points of difference include:
- In the 50s edition, the guardian is accompanied by his wife - which makes the whole thing much less sinister. They also don't behave nearly as villainously.
- The 50s version introduces an entire subplot where Nancy is helping with a bank fraud case for her dad that ends up being related. This is really only odd in comparison (and it feels a little too convenient, but there's only so much I'm going to ask for, plotting-wise.)
- Don't forget the Gratuitous Housework Scene, a must in the 50s editions!
- All guns mysteriously disappear in the 50s versions. This appears to be consistent book-to-book.
- Any moral ambiguity in the finale is removed for 50s audiences.
I believe that the original versions remain more interesting than the revised versions, even when they have highly problematic elements (class, race, etc.) But the comparison is definitely best of all.
Of the three books I've read comparatively, this one diverges the furthest. Points of difference include:
- In the 50s edition, the guardian is accompanied by his wife - which makes the whole thing much less sinister. They also don't behave nearly as villainously.
- The 50s version introduces an entire subplot where Nancy is helping with a bank fraud case for her dad that ends up being related. This is really only odd in comparison (and it feels a little too convenient, but there's only so much I'm going to ask for, plotting-wise.)
- Don't forget the Gratuitous Housework Scene, a must in the 50s editions!
- All guns mysteriously disappear in the 50s versions. This appears to be consistent book-to-book.
- Any moral ambiguity in the finale is removed for 50s audiences.
I believe that the original versions remain more interesting than the revised versions, even when they have highly problematic elements (class, race, etc.) But the comparison is definitely best of all.
March 6, 2021
Nancy and her best friend, Helen are on a boating trip but the girls can't catch a break as a thunderstorm hits and they are saved by another girl. But soon Nancy realizes that something is amiss and she is determined to find out what it is and right that wrong.
This is yet another fast paced book in the series. I loved the friendship between Nancy and Helen and also the girl power in this book. A must read for all mystery fans.
4 stars
This is yet another fast paced book in the series. I loved the friendship between Nancy and Helen and also the girl power in this book. A must read for all mystery fans.
4 stars
February 21, 2022
i don't really know what a cozy mystery is but i can't think of many cozier titles than "the bungalow mystery"
part of a series i'm doing in which ihalfheartedly review books i read a long time ago
part of a series i'm doing in which i
April 17, 2021
The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew Mystery # 3
Nancy and her best friend went on a small boat trip when they got caught in a horrible storm. They were both frighten and screaming for help when help finally arrived.
Laura came in just the nick of time and saved them both. While they were waiting the storm out they started talking. Laura turns out to be a brand new orphan that is about to meet her new graudians.
When the storm passed the girls went there separate ways. Nancy and Helen went to the hotel to meet up with an aunt. While at the hotel Nancy meets Laura's new Gaurdian. Once again Nancy thought something was hinky while talking to the woman.
Nancy had to home do to an emergency. While helping her dad out Laura showed up asking for help. She is believing her new graudians are not good people and she needs some serious help.
Raiting: 4 stars 🌟
Nancy Drew Mystery # 3
Nancy and her best friend went on a small boat trip when they got caught in a horrible storm. They were both frighten and screaming for help when help finally arrived.
Laura came in just the nick of time and saved them both. While they were waiting the storm out they started talking. Laura turns out to be a brand new orphan that is about to meet her new graudians.
When the storm passed the girls went there separate ways. Nancy and Helen went to the hotel to meet up with an aunt. While at the hotel Nancy meets Laura's new Gaurdian. Once again Nancy thought something was hinky while talking to the woman.
Nancy had to home do to an emergency. While helping her dad out Laura showed up asking for help. She is believing her new graudians are not good people and she needs some serious help.
Raiting: 4 stars 🌟
August 11, 2019
In this 3rd Nancy Drew Mystery, Nancy and her friend Helen are enjoying a trip out of town, when they have a boating accident during a thunderstorm. They are saved by a girl named Laura. Nancy doesn't realize at the time that meeting Laura will draw her into yet another mystery. This time, Nancy suspects Laura's guardians are stealing the orphan's inheritance. She just has to find proof!
I listened to the audio version of this story. Narrated by Laura Linney, the audio is just over 3 hours long. Linney reads at a nice, even pace and gives a great acting performance. The audio (Penguin Random House Audio Publishing) is enhanced by some background sounds, suspenseful music at the end of chapters, and other sound effects.
I enjoyed this story! I'm having a great time re-visiting this series. It's been so many years since I last read these books, that I don't remember whodunnit! It makes the stories seem fresh and new, despite the fact I read all the books as a child. :) The Bungalow Mystery was originally written in 1930, and revised/updated in 1960. The stories are a bit dated, but not enough to impair my enjoyment. I'm having fun listening to the audio books as I work in my yard and garden. The mystery progresses quickly since the books are short, so I can easily finish one in a day.
The books do follow a formula. Usually, the story opens with Nancy in some sort of danger that connects her to a mystery she needs to investigate. At some point, she will be confronted or threatened by the bad guys...barely escape unscathed....and discover some pivotal clue that helps further her investigation. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger of some sort....pulling the reader to continue on to the next chapter immediately. It's definitely formula....but an enjoyable formula!
This series is totally appropriate for middle grade age kids and up. Nothing graphic or too scary. Nancy is an intelligent and resourceful main character, who occasionally gets help from her lawyer father to solve her cases. The books are short, quick reads so there isn't a lot of character development, but the plots really revolve more around the action and investigation than the characters themselves.
I love to read/listen to children's stories in between more the heavy adult fiction I read. Sometimes a light, simple mystery is a nice palate cleanser after a horror or thriller novel! Plus, I can listen to Nancy Drew books outside in my yard without worrying what the young neighbor children are over-hearing.
Enjoyable and a great dose of nostalgia! I'm enjoying these books just as much at 50 years old as I did at 10! Luckily my local library has these audio books always available with no waiting on their digital site! I can indulge myself with some good ol' Nancy Drew whenever I want! Sweet! On to the next book -- The Mystery at Lilac Inn!
I listened to the audio version of this story. Narrated by Laura Linney, the audio is just over 3 hours long. Linney reads at a nice, even pace and gives a great acting performance. The audio (Penguin Random House Audio Publishing) is enhanced by some background sounds, suspenseful music at the end of chapters, and other sound effects.
I enjoyed this story! I'm having a great time re-visiting this series. It's been so many years since I last read these books, that I don't remember whodunnit! It makes the stories seem fresh and new, despite the fact I read all the books as a child. :) The Bungalow Mystery was originally written in 1930, and revised/updated in 1960. The stories are a bit dated, but not enough to impair my enjoyment. I'm having fun listening to the audio books as I work in my yard and garden. The mystery progresses quickly since the books are short, so I can easily finish one in a day.
The books do follow a formula. Usually, the story opens with Nancy in some sort of danger that connects her to a mystery she needs to investigate. At some point, she will be confronted or threatened by the bad guys...barely escape unscathed....and discover some pivotal clue that helps further her investigation. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger of some sort....pulling the reader to continue on to the next chapter immediately. It's definitely formula....but an enjoyable formula!
This series is totally appropriate for middle grade age kids and up. Nothing graphic or too scary. Nancy is an intelligent and resourceful main character, who occasionally gets help from her lawyer father to solve her cases. The books are short, quick reads so there isn't a lot of character development, but the plots really revolve more around the action and investigation than the characters themselves.
I love to read/listen to children's stories in between more the heavy adult fiction I read. Sometimes a light, simple mystery is a nice palate cleanser after a horror or thriller novel! Plus, I can listen to Nancy Drew books outside in my yard without worrying what the young neighbor children are over-hearing.
Enjoyable and a great dose of nostalgia! I'm enjoying these books just as much at 50 years old as I did at 10! Luckily my local library has these audio books always available with no waiting on their digital site! I can indulge myself with some good ol' Nancy Drew whenever I want! Sweet! On to the next book -- The Mystery at Lilac Inn!
April 1, 2008
It's so hard to rate these books. It's all about context. But which context? I read them as a young reader, age eight or so, in the early 1980s. They were written in the 1930s, rewritten in the 1960s to contemporize them, and in some cases, rewritten again. Oh, and then there were the ones contemporary to my era in the first place, though I don't remember those well. Carolyn Keene was never a real person...if I researched the context of author, how much more would I understand these books?
Part of what I love about these books is really simple childhood nostalgia. And part is the fact that whatever era the story (or version of the story) is from, Nancy was ahead of her time in her independence and curiosity. Even in the 1930s, Ned is never anything but a pleasant distraction or an accomplice to her sleuthing plan. Okay, he's an occasional deus-ex-machina, but only because they have plans that she doesn't show up for and he becomes suspicious--he's never the strong male savior there to protect the weak girl.
The downside of these books is that it's nearly impossible to describe or rate them individually. The upside is that the cultural context and the history of the series over time makes every book slightly more interesting, and the more I learn about the series, the more I appreciate it as a whole.
Part of what I love about these books is really simple childhood nostalgia. And part is the fact that whatever era the story (or version of the story) is from, Nancy was ahead of her time in her independence and curiosity. Even in the 1930s, Ned is never anything but a pleasant distraction or an accomplice to her sleuthing plan. Okay, he's an occasional deus-ex-machina, but only because they have plans that she doesn't show up for and he becomes suspicious--he's never the strong male savior there to protect the weak girl.
The downside of these books is that it's nearly impossible to describe or rate them individually. The upside is that the cultural context and the history of the series over time makes every book slightly more interesting, and the more I learn about the series, the more I appreciate it as a whole.
August 20, 2017
While out of town, Nancy meets Laura, a recent orphan who is about to meet her new guardians. However, when Nancy meets them, she thinks that something is off about these adults. Meanwhile, Mr. Drew asks Nancy to help him figure out how bearer bonds have disappeared from a bank in town. Can Nancy juggle these two cases? Or is there a connection?
I can’t remember if I read this one as a kid or not, but I quickly got caught up in the fun as an adult. There is plenty of action. Some of the twists were a little obvious, but I couldn’t figure out how everything quite fit together until the end. We still haven’t met Nancy’s usual friends, but with the emphasis on plot and action, the characters are thin anyway.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I can’t remember if I read this one as a kid or not, but I quickly got caught up in the fun as an adult. There is plenty of action. Some of the twists were a little obvious, but I couldn’t figure out how everything quite fit together until the end. We still haven’t met Nancy’s usual friends, but with the emphasis on plot and action, the characters are thin anyway.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
April 28, 2018
I am really enjoying my trip down memory lane by revisiting Nancy Drew from the beginning. This is by far the best one. The addition of Laura Linney narrating makes them even better.
Though they are dated, you could imagine Nancy today. She is self-reliant and independent and an excellent role model for young girls. Her dad doesn't even spend the whole time telling her to get a young man and get married. He supports her and admires her "plucky" attitude.
This story involved embezzlement, kidnapping, and a threatened heiress. Great fun as always!!
Though they are dated, you could imagine Nancy today. She is self-reliant and independent and an excellent role model for young girls. Her dad doesn't even spend the whole time telling her to get a young man and get married. He supports her and admires her "plucky" attitude.
This story involved embezzlement, kidnapping, and a threatened heiress. Great fun as always!!
July 20, 2016
Good old-fashioned sleuthing and such nice manners. It's therapeutic to listen to these books. Laura Linney does a fabulous job of bringing them to life.
October 5, 2017
I used to love Nancy Drew books as a kid, but I think I preferred the "newer" stories. This one wasn't quite as interesting or as exciting I hoped it would be. Still, it was fun to read as an adult to my daughter, who enjoyed the climax of the story.
June 26, 2021
As many know, the Carolyn Keene books of the 30s, 40s, up to 1959 were edited to get rid of the racism. While I approve of that, I do not like the other changes. For example, Nancy, I believe had brown hair, and I know she had a roadster, but in the new editions her hair became strawberry blond and her car was a convertible. There were other changes, like the stories were changed some. I used to have all of her books up to when they began making changes. The only racism I saw was that the maid was black and dump, but that was in the Dana Sisters series. I am sure I missed sonmegthing. But due to he other changes, I continued to read the older editions. Now, I can’t see to read, so I use Audible, but you can’t get the older editions in any Kindle form. If I am wrong, please let me know.
So, this book was put out by the Library of Congress for the Blind, and I don’t believe that it is the older edition. I don’t know what to think about it. Mildred Wirt, the write r of many of the Nancy Drew series, had written this book, but it doesn’t sound like her. Yet, I could be wrong. For one, this book was too detailed. I just could not get into it. Not knowing what had been changed didn’t help. I tried to accept it as it was, but, hey there was the convertible and the strawberry blond hair.
It began okay, with Nancy and a friend, Helen, who I had never heard of before, in a motorized boat on a lake when a storm came up. Didn’t they get warnings back then? Their boat hits an object and begins to sink, but in time someone, an orphan girl named Laura, saves them.
From here the story goes downhill for me. Laura has a couple who are going to care for her now that her parents have died. But this couple, we learn is not her true guardians. They want her inheritance. Nancy finds a bungalow, but I never can figure out what this has to do with the book. It was a poor title for this book is what I mean. And, oh, well, I can’t do a good review of this book because I want the old Nancy Drew and Dana Sistersback, minus the racism. At least I had reread most of them a second time.
So, this book was put out by the Library of Congress for the Blind, and I don’t believe that it is the older edition. I don’t know what to think about it. Mildred Wirt, the write r of many of the Nancy Drew series, had written this book, but it doesn’t sound like her. Yet, I could be wrong. For one, this book was too detailed. I just could not get into it. Not knowing what had been changed didn’t help. I tried to accept it as it was, but, hey there was the convertible and the strawberry blond hair.
It began okay, with Nancy and a friend, Helen, who I had never heard of before, in a motorized boat on a lake when a storm came up. Didn’t they get warnings back then? Their boat hits an object and begins to sink, but in time someone, an orphan girl named Laura, saves them.
From here the story goes downhill for me. Laura has a couple who are going to care for her now that her parents have died. But this couple, we learn is not her true guardians. They want her inheritance. Nancy finds a bungalow, but I never can figure out what this has to do with the book. It was a poor title for this book is what I mean. And, oh, well, I can’t do a good review of this book because I want the old Nancy Drew and Dana Sistersback, minus the racism. At least I had reread most of them a second time.
June 25, 2021
While vacationing, Nancy Drew and her best friend Helen, take a motorboat out on a lake when a storm hits. They end up being rescued by Laura Pendleton who heard their cries for help. Laura befriends them, explaining that her mother recently died and she is at the resort awaiting her new guardians. When Nancy meets Laura's guardians, she wonders why a mother would ever want these people to look after her daughter. There is something very suspicious about them. Nancy decides to look into the situation.
I read this book when I was in grade school and I am slowly re-reading the series. The mystery was well plotted. Nancy knows something is not right; but can't put her finger on it. She uses her sleuthing abilities to solve the mystery. My rating: 4 Stars.
I read this book when I was in grade school and I am slowly re-reading the series. The mystery was well plotted. Nancy knows something is not right; but can't put her finger on it. She uses her sleuthing abilities to solve the mystery. My rating: 4 Stars.
February 1, 2023
This story was always one of my favorites, and the reread proved the same result. The stakes were high. The plot was thrilling. The adventure was captivating. I feel like this book is truly where Nancy gets going in her sleuthing career. Reading it again was such a fun time :)
August 5, 2019
#3 of the ND challenge. . . .a near drowning, a careening storm-damaged tree that misses ND's car by inches in a storm, almost hauntings, skulking around bungalows (which are NOT houses), and stolen identities!
On the other hand: a bunch of new friends, Mr. Drew's mystery solved, Hannah's ankle healed, a male red-head nearly romanced but dismissed with a gentle laugh that conveys responsibility AND regret (No sign of the dependable and attrative Ned yet), a new and stunning aquamarine ring (given in sincere thanks) and a pout because all mysteries are solved.
Will she ever have another??? Wait, Wait!!! There's more. . . . . .
On the other hand: a bunch of new friends, Mr. Drew's mystery solved, Hannah's ankle healed, a male red-head nearly romanced but dismissed with a gentle laugh that conveys responsibility AND regret (No sign of the dependable and attrative Ned yet), a new and stunning aquamarine ring (given in sincere thanks) and a pout because all mysteries are solved.
Will she ever have another??? Wait, Wait!!! There's more. . . . . .
October 21, 2017
I highly recommend the 1930 edition. Nancy and young Laura take turns rescuing each other. And then Nancy rescues herself. And, wow, Mr. Carson Drew shows up to rescue everybody! As a prosecution attorney, or whatever he is, he sure knows his way around a car chase.
He advises Laura: "Get in the roadster with Nancy. If it comes to a battle, you girls can drop back and be out of range of the bullets." Sir, yes, sir!
This version also features a cunning and ruthless criminal named "Stumpy." Strikes fear into my heart.
He advises Laura: "Get in the roadster with Nancy. If it comes to a battle, you girls can drop back and be out of range of the bullets." Sir, yes, sir!
This version also features a cunning and ruthless criminal named "Stumpy." Strikes fear into my heart.
June 6, 2019
While on vacation at Twin Lakes Nancy meets and befriends an orphaned named Laura Pendleton. Laura is there to meet her new guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Aborn. The Aborn's seem nice enough but when they begin doing strange things like demanding Laura hand over her inherited jewelry and lock her in her room, Laura decides to run away to River Heights in the hopes that Nancy can help her. Nancy begins to investigate the Aborn's which leads her to a strange bungalow in the woods and a giant mystery.
- While in the cabin in the woods Nancy uses matches she had taken from the hotel dining table. It specifically says she took them during dinner yet after dinner she changed clothes before going to the Aborn's;
Eagerly she reached into the pocket of her dress, recalling that at dinner she had taken a pack of matches from the hotel dining table for her suvinier collection. Good! The pack was still there! Pg.116
Then she changed to walking shoes, sweater, and skirt. Pg.103
Awakening at six o'clock, Nancy put on the simple black cotton dress from her suitcase and pumps. After brushing her hair until it snapped with electricity, she was ready for supper. Pg.103
- Mr. Aborn says he's going to write and sell a story about the mystery. He declares he will donate profits from the story to Nancy's favorite charity, the River Heights Youth Center...how did he know this is Nancy's favorite charity? Although she mentions it in the book she doesn't tell Mr. Aborn that.
- After Jim and Cathy help her move the fallen tree from the road Nancy says "is Mrs. Aborn a blonde-haired woman, rather small and slightly, Cathy?". Why does she direct this question solely to Cathy? Jim knows the Aborn's too.
You can read the rest of this review at VintageGirlsBooks.blogspot.com
May 9, 2021
I am granting this re-read an upgrade from a 3 star to a 4 star because I just loved the entire plot involving my favourite childhood sleuth.
The third mystery in the series, The Red Bungalow Mystery finds Nancy Drew and her friend Helen Corning face almost death when they are sailing during a terrible storm. Just when Nancy fears that she cannot bring her injured friend back to shore, the two are quickly rescued by the young Laura Pendleton. Laura has a tragic story, recently having lost her mother and facing an unknown future with her legal guardians. When Laura confesses to Nancy that something about Jacob and Marian Abhorn isn’t quite right, Nancy decides the matter must be delved into further. If that wasn’t enough mystery for her, Carson Drew has also asked his daughter to help him with an embezzlement case.
This was a fairly exciting novel and I must confess that the ghostwriter definitely started hitting their stride here. Btw, was I the only young reader that did not realize that there was no such person as Carolyn Keene?
For those of you that watched That 70’s show, does anyone else remember the episode where Jackie reads Nancy Drew mysteries to Kelso? There’s an insensitive joke made about one of the characters being fat because they were always eating. However, I hadn’t mentioned this in my first two reviews but I think I will mention that a great deal of emphasis on what Nancy eats and also what she can whip up in the kitchen. I can only surmise that since the series was read by female readers that they were being reminded of ND’S accomplished feminity. Despite the fact, she has a father who has made sure she knows how to change her own tires if she has a flat and consistently encourages her to go out and solve mysteries on her own.
I read the 1960 revised edition of the 1930 original publication, which was written by Mildred Benson and revised by Patricia Doll.
The third mystery in the series, The Red Bungalow Mystery finds Nancy Drew and her friend Helen Corning face almost death when they are sailing during a terrible storm. Just when Nancy fears that she cannot bring her injured friend back to shore, the two are quickly rescued by the young Laura Pendleton. Laura has a tragic story, recently having lost her mother and facing an unknown future with her legal guardians. When Laura confesses to Nancy that something about Jacob and Marian Abhorn isn’t quite right, Nancy decides the matter must be delved into further. If that wasn’t enough mystery for her, Carson Drew has also asked his daughter to help him with an embezzlement case.
This was a fairly exciting novel and I must confess that the ghostwriter definitely started hitting their stride here. Btw, was I the only young reader that did not realize that there was no such person as Carolyn Keene?
For those of you that watched That 70’s show, does anyone else remember the episode where Jackie reads Nancy Drew mysteries to Kelso? There’s an insensitive joke made about one of the characters being fat because they were always eating. However, I hadn’t mentioned this in my first two reviews but I think I will mention that a great deal of emphasis on what Nancy eats and also what she can whip up in the kitchen. I can only surmise that since the series was read by female readers that they were being reminded of ND’S accomplished feminity. Despite the fact, she has a father who has made sure she knows how to change her own tires if she has a flat and consistently encourages her to go out and solve mysteries on her own.
I read the 1960 revised edition of the 1930 original publication, which was written by Mildred Benson and revised by Patricia Doll.
March 1, 2020
Nancy makes a new friend, Laura Pendleton, who rescues her from a wrecked boat in a storm. It turns out that Laura might need her services as a detective. The orphaned girl is wary of her new guardians and wants Nancy to check them out. Nancy is puzzled as to why her mother would entrust Laura to people who only seem interested in her jewellery and money?
Of course, at the same time, Carson Drew is bound to have a case that Nancy's helping him on that's bound to connect with Laura's problems. The reader can easily join the dots.
Not a bad book at all! I rather enjoyed Nancy's foray into danger in this one. Helen Corning appears in this book but is left out for most of the sleuthing bits. Instead, Don Cameron, Nancy's 'boyfriend', helps her out.
Undoubtedly, the book is rather dramatic, even more than usual Nancy Drews, what with Nancy escaping after being tied up because someone showed her how to loosen knots. This becomes a regular feature in later books. At the end, Nancy also risks her life to rescue Laura's inheritance.
All this apart, it's an enjoyable foray into the life of a daredevil young woman.
Of course, at the same time, Carson Drew is bound to have a case that Nancy's helping him on that's bound to connect with Laura's problems. The reader can easily join the dots.
Not a bad book at all! I rather enjoyed Nancy's foray into danger in this one. Helen Corning appears in this book but is left out for most of the sleuthing bits. Instead, Don Cameron, Nancy's 'boyfriend', helps her out.
Undoubtedly, the book is rather dramatic, even more than usual Nancy Drews, what with Nancy escaping after being tied up because someone showed her how to loosen knots. This becomes a regular feature in later books. At the end, Nancy also risks her life to rescue Laura's inheritance.
All this apart, it's an enjoyable foray into the life of a daredevil young woman.
February 23, 2021
I really enjoyed the third installment of the Nancy Drew series! This story began with a dangerous storm that instantly caught my attention and swept me away. Though the mystery was pretty simple to unravel, it was nonetheless still very exciting to follow. I have to say the bad guys hit an all-time low in this story, and there were lots of heart pounding moments!
Once again, our intelligent sleuth uses her strong optimism and instincts to save the day. Lots of new characters were also introduced which was fun. I couldn’t help thinking the entire time how much simpler life would have been had Nancy only had a cellphone! My, do I take mine for granted!
Overall, this was a nice, comforting, and light intermission book that I allowed myself to indulge in. And I shall continue on working my way through this unforgettable series!
Once again, our intelligent sleuth uses her strong optimism and instincts to save the day. Lots of new characters were also introduced which was fun. I couldn’t help thinking the entire time how much simpler life would have been had Nancy only had a cellphone! My, do I take mine for granted!
Overall, this was a nice, comforting, and light intermission book that I allowed myself to indulge in. And I shall continue on working my way through this unforgettable series!
December 14, 2020
Last of my ,loosely, Halloween/fall themed reads. Quick read. Reread endlessly as a child; one that i owned. Cost 75 cents for the hardcover “back then”. Later i remember they got up to $1.50.
March 30, 2011
In my quest to read (re-read) all of the Nancy Drew mysteries this year, I have just completed The Bungalow Mystery. I remember reading this one when I was a kid. Once again, it boggles my mind how dependent I've become on my cell phone. Every time Nancy goes off to investigate or sleuth as she calls it, I keep thinking - use your cell phone. Her car breaks down, today she'd be whipping out the cell phone and calling Triple A or using her GPS. Because Nancy doesn't have these modern day devices, it heightens the suspense. I have to chuckle at the language. I teach college English and Communications and wonder if any of my students have ever used "bade" or sleuth for that matter. Considering these are young adult novels, the language is above what most kids read today.
Once again "Carolyn Keene" uses a lot of description of food, clothes and is light on descriptions of other things. It is apparent that these books were meant to appeal to young ladies who were going to grow up to be housewives and cook beautiful meals for their husbands and they'd do it all in high heels shoes while wearing pearls.
The story is good and keeps me reading. I won't go into detail about the story line; I'll just say that once again Nancy stumbles upon someone needing help and comes to the rescue. This is the second book where Nancy rescues an orphan.
Once again "Carolyn Keene" uses a lot of description of food, clothes and is light on descriptions of other things. It is apparent that these books were meant to appeal to young ladies who were going to grow up to be housewives and cook beautiful meals for their husbands and they'd do it all in high heels shoes while wearing pearls.
The story is good and keeps me reading. I won't go into detail about the story line; I'll just say that once again Nancy stumbles upon someone needing help and comes to the rescue. This is the second book where Nancy rescues an orphan.
June 8, 2021
Helen Corning and her friend Nancy Drew had travelled from River Heights to the Pinecrest Motel, a little vacation property that was tucked away amidst the trees that lined the shore of the picturesque Twin Lakes.
The intent of the one-week excursion was partly to allow Helen and Nancy the time to enjoy a little “R and R,” but this trip wasn’t going to be all about pleasure and diversion. There was an important task to be accomplished while they were here, something that needed to be done before they travelled back to River Heights…
It was, of all things, a wedding dress that needed to be designed.
And no, it was not for Nancy! (A happening such as this, in book three of a fifty-six book series would’ve changed the tone of all the stories that were to follow!)
No, the dress was actually intended for Helen.
Helen, it turned out, was engaged to a man named Jim Archer. At the time of the opening of the story, we learn that Jim is actually in Europe, on business for the oil company that employs him.
Helen’s Aunt June, who was the principal dressmaker, was to have travelled with the girls, but at the last minute was detained. Helen and Nancy then went on without her, planning for her to join them in Twin Lakes a couple days later.
So that left Nancy and Helen, together in this quaint vacation spot, both looking for fun activities, something that wasn’t too difficult to achieve in this holiday paradise.
In the opening pages of the story, we read that Nancy and Helen have chosen to take a powerboat ride on the lake when a storm suddenly appears. Seeing the dark clouds rapidly approaching, the two gun the engine, speeding toward shore as quickly as the little craft will carry them. But long before they reach safety, the clouds burst, and they are in the middle of a rainstorm.
The little red speedboat is tossed to and fro like a bobbing cork. As they try to maneuver, the waves crash against the hull, causing a violent rocking of the boat that sends them both falling onto the deck. Seconds later, they collide with a log that punches a hole in the side of the boat. Now they are taking on water! The next peril then appears, a very large wave, moving directly toward them.
The wave hits with tremendous force, throwing both the girls, like ragdolls, clear of the boat, which itself overturns and sinks into the lake.
Nancy, a powerful swimmer, is first to break the water’s surface, and upon doing so, begins to search for Helen. After a frantic moment, she locates her friend, who is disoriented, but sufficiently lucid to express her concern that her arms are numb, a condition more than likely caused by her crash against the boat railing just before she was thrown to the waves.
It’s in this moment that we see Nancy’s determination and courage shine through. She begins to swim toward shore, towing her weakened friend, while alternatively shouting for help as loudly as she possibly can.
Wave after wave smashed against the stranded swimmers, and just as Nancy’s strength begins to seriously ebb, a young woman appears in a rowboat.
Her name is Laura Pendleton, and she is navigating the rough waters with only one oar as she does her best to help the two girls climb into the boat. Soon, both are safely aboard, and sometime later, they row into a relatively quiet cove.
They climb to shore and know that their next goal should be to find shelter as they are all soaking wet, and the rain is still pelting down hard on them.
There are no buildings, or any persons in sight, but Laura remembers passing a small bungalow when she was walking along the beach earlier. She expresses concern about finding such a small cabin amidst the heavy stands of trees, but then she suddenly remembers something, and says:
“Wait a minute, I’m with the detective, Nancy Drew,” she enthuses, then tells Nancy and Helen that she’d recognized Nancy from a newspaper article that was written about the amazing way she cracked the, Secret of the Old Clock mystery. As they trudge through the woods, Laura then goes on to say that she would like to have Nancy’s help in solving on of her own mysteries.
Nancy was just about to as her what she meant by that, when suddenly the trees part, and the girls find themselves in a clearing where a one-and-a-half-storied, weather beaten bungalow comes into view.
Nancy knocks on the door, but no one answers, she tries the door, but it is locked. The three discuss what they should do next, and soon it is decided that the owner, under the circumstances, would probably be forgiving if they found another way to force themselves in.
Nancy finds an unlocked window, and all three wriggle through. Inside, it is nearly dark, but Nancy finds a light switch, (Luckily, the power is on,) and soon the main floor is bathed in light.
They look about, disappointed to see that the room is bare, except for two canoes and single, wooden bench. Then they spot a narrow flight of stairs that lead to the second floor. Nancy finds another light switch and soon see that the upper floor is illuminated.
They all climb up the stairs, and to their surprise and delight, discover that there are two cots, a pile of blankets, a table and chairs, a refrigerator and a two-burner electric stove.
They are all thirsty and a bit hungry, which leads them to look through the cupboards for something hot to drink. A tin of cocoa is found, and the kettle is put on while the girls remove their wet clothing and wrap themselves in blankets.
As they settle into chairs, sipping their cocoas, Nancy and Helen take the time to properly thank Laura for coming to their rescue earlier. They then ask her if she too is on vacation. Laura then becomes quiet, and the girls then look on in amazement as she begins to cry. Her mother just passed, only one month before, she says as she wipes the tears form her cheeks.
Her father, she goes on to explain, died in a sailing accident six years before. She’s quite on her own, she forlornly tells Nancy and Helen.
Laura is then reflective for a bit, and rather than comforting her right away, Nancy and Helen sense she has more to say. A moment later, Laura says that her father’s boat had capsized in a storm, and that no one was able to come to his rescue. She’s been walking on the shore, she said, when she heard Nancy’s calls for help. She’d remembered her father’s fate in a similar emergency and knew that she had to do whatever she could to help whoever was out there in danger.
Nancy and Helen both felt their hearts go out to this parentless girl. Not only was she brave, but she’d also shown strength of character.
“With whom are you staying now?” Nancy asked.
Laura replied that she was staying at a nearby motel and that later that very evening, she would meet her new guardians, Jacob Aborn and his wife, Marian. They were staying at their summer house on Melrose Lake, she explained, which was about twenty-five miles away from Twin Lakes.
“Do you know the Aborns?’ Helen asked.
Laura said that she’d never met them, but that her parents had spoken of them on occasion. Mr. Aborn, it turned out, was related to Laura’s mother, distantly, but apparently, they knew each other well enough for Mrs. Pendleton to ask them to agree to be Laura’s guardians in the event of her death.
The Aborns had written a letter to Laura, she told the girls, which told of their offer to meet her at their summer house.
Helen then spoke up, “Then everything’s settled, you should be happy.”
Laura turned to her with a sad expression, “I’m afraid that I don’t think I’m wanted,” she said with a low tone of voice, “The letter they wrote was cordial, but kind of cold.”
Nancy, hearing this, put her hand on Laura’s shoulder, she smiled and said, “You’ll be at school, but during vacations you can visit friends…and you have a new friend named Nancy Drew!”
The girl smiled more brightly now, and after the three talked awhile longer, Laura checked her waterproof watch, it was six o’clock and soon she had to leave to meet her guardians.
With that, they rearranged the cabin, and prepared to leave. The storm was finally abating as Nancy wrote a note of thanks for the owners of the bungalow, signing it as, “Three Grateful Girls.”
As they were parting, Laura said, “If my guardians don’t arrive, I’ll call you to arrange a date for tomorrow.”
“Please do!” Nancy and Helen urged, and they all waved goodbye.
Nancy and Helen were soon back at the Pinecrest Motel, and while they are reporting the loss of the speedboat to the manager, Mr. Franklin, a woman suddenly burst through the door,
“Is there anyone here who can change a tire for me? I just had a flat a mile away!”
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Franklin apologized, “I’m busy in the office, and most of the help are off this evening.”
The woman complained bitterly, then Nancy suggests that she telephone a nearby service station.
The woman does not thank her, nor does she even reply, instead, she turns and walks out the door in a huff, slamming it closed behind her.
The manager and the girls are amazed, they’re standing there, looking at the closed door, wondering how someone could be so rude.
The next morning, the girls are in their hotel room when suddenly, they hear a knock at the door. Nancy answers and she is surprised to see Laura Pendleton standing in the hallway.
“Oh, Nancy – Helen!” She cries out, “I just had to come to see you as soon as I could!”
Nancy welcomed her in, and seconds later, Laura slumps down in a chair, sobbing. After a moment, she gathers herself, “I don’t think I’m going to be happy with the Arbors…at least not with Mrs. Abron!”
Troubled, Nancy asks Laura whether the guardian and his wife had arrived the evening before.
“Only Mrs. Aborn,” Laura replied. “She came to my room about an hour after I left you girls. She was wet and in a very nasty mood. Apparently, she had a flat tire on the road and was delayed in getting help form a gasoline station.”
Nancy and Helen exchange glances, the Mrs. Aborn Laura was describing sounded just like the woman they’d encountered in Mr. Franklin’s office.
“What does your guardian’s wife look like, Laura?” Helen asked with interest.
“She’s blonde, small, and thin,” Laura replied, then went on, “I guess she was terribly upset about the trouble she’d had. I understood this and tried to make her comfortable in the room, but…”
Laura went on to explain that Mrs. Aborn, instead of calming down, became even more miserable, blaming Laura for making it necessary for her to Have to drive to Twin Lakes in a bad storm.
Laura then looked down, dejected, adding, “Mrs. Aborn also said that my mom, Mary had spoiled me and that I was going to have to toe the main in her home.”
After hearing the story, Nancy said that Mrs. Aborn’s behaviour was inexcusable, she then asked Laura if she knew Mrs. Aborn knew her later mother.
Laura shook her head, “She couldn’t have, after all, she called my mom, “Mary,” and my mom’s actual name was Marie!”
Laura then said that she wasn’t scheduled to meet her new guardian until later that day, so Helen and Nancy invited her to spend some time with them and another girl, Marty Malone.
Nancy and Helen learned that afternoon, that their newfound friend was an excellent tennis player. They also learned that she’d taken private tennis lessons while she was at a private boarding school. Lastly, Laura had told them, with pride, that her mother, Marie had been a great sportswoman herself.
Later, Nancy and Helen drove Laura to her hotel, (much swankier than the motel she was staying at before,) where she was staying with Mrs. Arbor.
After they parted, Nancy expressed a concern that the Pendleton’s must have been quite wealthy, and that Laura’s inheritance would more thank likely be held in trust until she was twenty-one years old. That was five years away.
Nancy wondered out loud if the Aborns would be wise guardians in the long five years that Laura would be under their care.
And even as she said it, there was doubt in the tone of her voice.
I was only at chapter three by this point, and I found myself wondering the same things that Nancy was. I too was thinking about the strange thing Laura said to Nancy before, about helping her to solve a mystery of her own.
So, I was anticipating an intriguing, fun read ahead, and by the end, I found that my curiosity had been piqued every step of the way. And why wouldn’t it be so? After all, as I read, I found myself stepping into Nancy’s amazing world of pursuits through the forest at dusk, a trap door discovery that unlocks a mystery and a daring nighttime escape to name just a few.
Yet another masterpiece of mystery storytelling!
The intent of the one-week excursion was partly to allow Helen and Nancy the time to enjoy a little “R and R,” but this trip wasn’t going to be all about pleasure and diversion. There was an important task to be accomplished while they were here, something that needed to be done before they travelled back to River Heights…
It was, of all things, a wedding dress that needed to be designed.
And no, it was not for Nancy! (A happening such as this, in book three of a fifty-six book series would’ve changed the tone of all the stories that were to follow!)
No, the dress was actually intended for Helen.
Helen, it turned out, was engaged to a man named Jim Archer. At the time of the opening of the story, we learn that Jim is actually in Europe, on business for the oil company that employs him.
Helen’s Aunt June, who was the principal dressmaker, was to have travelled with the girls, but at the last minute was detained. Helen and Nancy then went on without her, planning for her to join them in Twin Lakes a couple days later.
So that left Nancy and Helen, together in this quaint vacation spot, both looking for fun activities, something that wasn’t too difficult to achieve in this holiday paradise.
In the opening pages of the story, we read that Nancy and Helen have chosen to take a powerboat ride on the lake when a storm suddenly appears. Seeing the dark clouds rapidly approaching, the two gun the engine, speeding toward shore as quickly as the little craft will carry them. But long before they reach safety, the clouds burst, and they are in the middle of a rainstorm.
The little red speedboat is tossed to and fro like a bobbing cork. As they try to maneuver, the waves crash against the hull, causing a violent rocking of the boat that sends them both falling onto the deck. Seconds later, they collide with a log that punches a hole in the side of the boat. Now they are taking on water! The next peril then appears, a very large wave, moving directly toward them.
The wave hits with tremendous force, throwing both the girls, like ragdolls, clear of the boat, which itself overturns and sinks into the lake.
Nancy, a powerful swimmer, is first to break the water’s surface, and upon doing so, begins to search for Helen. After a frantic moment, she locates her friend, who is disoriented, but sufficiently lucid to express her concern that her arms are numb, a condition more than likely caused by her crash against the boat railing just before she was thrown to the waves.
It’s in this moment that we see Nancy’s determination and courage shine through. She begins to swim toward shore, towing her weakened friend, while alternatively shouting for help as loudly as she possibly can.
Wave after wave smashed against the stranded swimmers, and just as Nancy’s strength begins to seriously ebb, a young woman appears in a rowboat.
Her name is Laura Pendleton, and she is navigating the rough waters with only one oar as she does her best to help the two girls climb into the boat. Soon, both are safely aboard, and sometime later, they row into a relatively quiet cove.
They climb to shore and know that their next goal should be to find shelter as they are all soaking wet, and the rain is still pelting down hard on them.
There are no buildings, or any persons in sight, but Laura remembers passing a small bungalow when she was walking along the beach earlier. She expresses concern about finding such a small cabin amidst the heavy stands of trees, but then she suddenly remembers something, and says:
“Wait a minute, I’m with the detective, Nancy Drew,” she enthuses, then tells Nancy and Helen that she’d recognized Nancy from a newspaper article that was written about the amazing way she cracked the, Secret of the Old Clock mystery. As they trudge through the woods, Laura then goes on to say that she would like to have Nancy’s help in solving on of her own mysteries.
Nancy was just about to as her what she meant by that, when suddenly the trees part, and the girls find themselves in a clearing where a one-and-a-half-storied, weather beaten bungalow comes into view.
Nancy knocks on the door, but no one answers, she tries the door, but it is locked. The three discuss what they should do next, and soon it is decided that the owner, under the circumstances, would probably be forgiving if they found another way to force themselves in.
Nancy finds an unlocked window, and all three wriggle through. Inside, it is nearly dark, but Nancy finds a light switch, (Luckily, the power is on,) and soon the main floor is bathed in light.
They look about, disappointed to see that the room is bare, except for two canoes and single, wooden bench. Then they spot a narrow flight of stairs that lead to the second floor. Nancy finds another light switch and soon see that the upper floor is illuminated.
They all climb up the stairs, and to their surprise and delight, discover that there are two cots, a pile of blankets, a table and chairs, a refrigerator and a two-burner electric stove.
They are all thirsty and a bit hungry, which leads them to look through the cupboards for something hot to drink. A tin of cocoa is found, and the kettle is put on while the girls remove their wet clothing and wrap themselves in blankets.
As they settle into chairs, sipping their cocoas, Nancy and Helen take the time to properly thank Laura for coming to their rescue earlier. They then ask her if she too is on vacation. Laura then becomes quiet, and the girls then look on in amazement as she begins to cry. Her mother just passed, only one month before, she says as she wipes the tears form her cheeks.
Her father, she goes on to explain, died in a sailing accident six years before. She’s quite on her own, she forlornly tells Nancy and Helen.
Laura is then reflective for a bit, and rather than comforting her right away, Nancy and Helen sense she has more to say. A moment later, Laura says that her father’s boat had capsized in a storm, and that no one was able to come to his rescue. She’s been walking on the shore, she said, when she heard Nancy’s calls for help. She’d remembered her father’s fate in a similar emergency and knew that she had to do whatever she could to help whoever was out there in danger.
Nancy and Helen both felt their hearts go out to this parentless girl. Not only was she brave, but she’d also shown strength of character.
“With whom are you staying now?” Nancy asked.
Laura replied that she was staying at a nearby motel and that later that very evening, she would meet her new guardians, Jacob Aborn and his wife, Marian. They were staying at their summer house on Melrose Lake, she explained, which was about twenty-five miles away from Twin Lakes.
“Do you know the Aborns?’ Helen asked.
Laura said that she’d never met them, but that her parents had spoken of them on occasion. Mr. Aborn, it turned out, was related to Laura’s mother, distantly, but apparently, they knew each other well enough for Mrs. Pendleton to ask them to agree to be Laura’s guardians in the event of her death.
The Aborns had written a letter to Laura, she told the girls, which told of their offer to meet her at their summer house.
Helen then spoke up, “Then everything’s settled, you should be happy.”
Laura turned to her with a sad expression, “I’m afraid that I don’t think I’m wanted,” she said with a low tone of voice, “The letter they wrote was cordial, but kind of cold.”
Nancy, hearing this, put her hand on Laura’s shoulder, she smiled and said, “You’ll be at school, but during vacations you can visit friends…and you have a new friend named Nancy Drew!”
The girl smiled more brightly now, and after the three talked awhile longer, Laura checked her waterproof watch, it was six o’clock and soon she had to leave to meet her guardians.
With that, they rearranged the cabin, and prepared to leave. The storm was finally abating as Nancy wrote a note of thanks for the owners of the bungalow, signing it as, “Three Grateful Girls.”
As they were parting, Laura said, “If my guardians don’t arrive, I’ll call you to arrange a date for tomorrow.”
“Please do!” Nancy and Helen urged, and they all waved goodbye.
Nancy and Helen were soon back at the Pinecrest Motel, and while they are reporting the loss of the speedboat to the manager, Mr. Franklin, a woman suddenly burst through the door,
“Is there anyone here who can change a tire for me? I just had a flat a mile away!”
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Franklin apologized, “I’m busy in the office, and most of the help are off this evening.”
The woman complained bitterly, then Nancy suggests that she telephone a nearby service station.
The woman does not thank her, nor does she even reply, instead, she turns and walks out the door in a huff, slamming it closed behind her.
The manager and the girls are amazed, they’re standing there, looking at the closed door, wondering how someone could be so rude.
The next morning, the girls are in their hotel room when suddenly, they hear a knock at the door. Nancy answers and she is surprised to see Laura Pendleton standing in the hallway.
“Oh, Nancy – Helen!” She cries out, “I just had to come to see you as soon as I could!”
Nancy welcomed her in, and seconds later, Laura slumps down in a chair, sobbing. After a moment, she gathers herself, “I don’t think I’m going to be happy with the Arbors…at least not with Mrs. Abron!”
Troubled, Nancy asks Laura whether the guardian and his wife had arrived the evening before.
“Only Mrs. Aborn,” Laura replied. “She came to my room about an hour after I left you girls. She was wet and in a very nasty mood. Apparently, she had a flat tire on the road and was delayed in getting help form a gasoline station.”
Nancy and Helen exchange glances, the Mrs. Aborn Laura was describing sounded just like the woman they’d encountered in Mr. Franklin’s office.
“What does your guardian’s wife look like, Laura?” Helen asked with interest.
“She’s blonde, small, and thin,” Laura replied, then went on, “I guess she was terribly upset about the trouble she’d had. I understood this and tried to make her comfortable in the room, but…”
Laura went on to explain that Mrs. Aborn, instead of calming down, became even more miserable, blaming Laura for making it necessary for her to Have to drive to Twin Lakes in a bad storm.
Laura then looked down, dejected, adding, “Mrs. Aborn also said that my mom, Mary had spoiled me and that I was going to have to toe the main in her home.”
After hearing the story, Nancy said that Mrs. Aborn’s behaviour was inexcusable, she then asked Laura if she knew Mrs. Aborn knew her later mother.
Laura shook her head, “She couldn’t have, after all, she called my mom, “Mary,” and my mom’s actual name was Marie!”
Laura then said that she wasn’t scheduled to meet her new guardian until later that day, so Helen and Nancy invited her to spend some time with them and another girl, Marty Malone.
Nancy and Helen learned that afternoon, that their newfound friend was an excellent tennis player. They also learned that she’d taken private tennis lessons while she was at a private boarding school. Lastly, Laura had told them, with pride, that her mother, Marie had been a great sportswoman herself.
Later, Nancy and Helen drove Laura to her hotel, (much swankier than the motel she was staying at before,) where she was staying with Mrs. Arbor.
After they parted, Nancy expressed a concern that the Pendleton’s must have been quite wealthy, and that Laura’s inheritance would more thank likely be held in trust until she was twenty-one years old. That was five years away.
Nancy wondered out loud if the Aborns would be wise guardians in the long five years that Laura would be under their care.
And even as she said it, there was doubt in the tone of her voice.
I was only at chapter three by this point, and I found myself wondering the same things that Nancy was. I too was thinking about the strange thing Laura said to Nancy before, about helping her to solve a mystery of her own.
So, I was anticipating an intriguing, fun read ahead, and by the end, I found that my curiosity had been piqued every step of the way. And why wouldn’t it be so? After all, as I read, I found myself stepping into Nancy’s amazing world of pursuits through the forest at dusk, a trap door discovery that unlocks a mystery and a daring nighttime escape to name just a few.
Yet another masterpiece of mystery storytelling!
January 10, 2023
4.5 stars,
I'm trying to reread through all of the Nancy Drew books, plus any that I might have missed along the way. I really enjoyed this one.
I'm trying to reread through all of the Nancy Drew books, plus any that I might have missed along the way. I really enjoyed this one.
May 28, 2020
That inimitable girl sleuth, Nancy Drew, returns in this third mysterious adventure, confronting all kinds of life-threatening situations with aplomb. The story opens as Nancy and her chum, Helen Corning, out for a expedition on Moon Lake, find themselves swimming for their lives when their boat goes down in a storm. Really, it's Nancy doing the swimming, valiantly towing the hapless Helen. When a girl their own age rows out to rescue them, at the risk of her own life, they make a new friend, learning that Laura Pendleton had only recently been orphaned, and left in the guardianship of an as-yet-unknown childhood friend of her mother's. When this guardian turns out to be a cruel tyrant, Laura runs away, seeking refuge with Nancy. Determined to help in any way she can, the girl sleuth loses no time in investigating, discovering that Jacob Aborn is not who he seems. Tracking him to a deserted bungalow, Nancy embarks on a nighttime adventure that involves many dangers, but which eventually restores her new friend's fortune, and ...
As with its two predecessors, The Secret of the Old Clock and The Hidden Staircase , I read the original 1930 version of The Bungalow Mystery, reprinted in this facsimile edition by Applewood Books. I read the revised 1950s versions as a girl - the yellow-spined hardcovers so many readers of today remember - and never cared for them, only discovering the charm of the series when I started reading the originals. These longer versions are better written than their more contemporary counterparts, I feel, and are more descriptive, with plenty of period vocabulary and charm. They are also often far more racist - one of the reasons for the revision of the 1950s was to excise anything considered racially insensitive - although in this particular title there isn't anything of that nature. There is plenty of classism however, as Nancy is able to discern the villain's true nature by his "mistreatment" of his ward, which conduct includes such atrocities as expecting Laura to clean the house. The horror of it! Leaving that aside, this was just a fun little romp, complete with plenty of unlikely escapes for our heroine, and a happy ending in which all is restored to its proper order. Nancy is quite daring here! I understand from some comparative reviews that I have read online that her behavior has been toned down in the 1950s edition, making me quite happy to have read the original. It is a particularly nice feature of these Applewood Books editions that each one features an introduction by a contemporary woman mystery author, describing how reading Nancy Drew as a girl inspired her. Here that author is P.M. Carlson, author of the Maggie Ryan mystery series. Recommended to middle-grade mystery readers, and anyone who enjoys vintage girls' fare.
As with its two predecessors, The Secret of the Old Clock and The Hidden Staircase , I read the original 1930 version of The Bungalow Mystery, reprinted in this facsimile edition by Applewood Books. I read the revised 1950s versions as a girl - the yellow-spined hardcovers so many readers of today remember - and never cared for them, only discovering the charm of the series when I started reading the originals. These longer versions are better written than their more contemporary counterparts, I feel, and are more descriptive, with plenty of period vocabulary and charm. They are also often far more racist - one of the reasons for the revision of the 1950s was to excise anything considered racially insensitive - although in this particular title there isn't anything of that nature. There is plenty of classism however, as Nancy is able to discern the villain's true nature by his "mistreatment" of his ward, which conduct includes such atrocities as expecting Laura to clean the house. The horror of it! Leaving that aside, this was just a fun little romp, complete with plenty of unlikely escapes for our heroine, and a happy ending in which all is restored to its proper order. Nancy is quite daring here! I understand from some comparative reviews that I have read online that her behavior has been toned down in the 1950s edition, making me quite happy to have read the original. It is a particularly nice feature of these Applewood Books editions that each one features an introduction by a contemporary woman mystery author, describing how reading Nancy Drew as a girl inspired her. Here that author is P.M. Carlson, author of the Maggie Ryan mystery series. Recommended to middle-grade mystery readers, and anyone who enjoys vintage girls' fare.
July 29, 2022
These damn Nancy Drew books!
They’re just so convoluted. There are so many pointless red herrings. There’s such contrived excitement and false escalations. It’s maddening. In one of these books a car smashes into a jewelry store, was there a point to it? There wasn’t.
It’s so hokey. Everybody is mindlessly cheerful and supportive all the damn time. I would call the characters cardboard cutouts, but carboard cutouts are more interesting than these characters. I would have LOVED a night of staring at cardboard cutouts compared to reading THIS STUFF. (I was reading Raymond Carver during this, and I’d go from this book where’s everyone is nauseatingly nice to each other, to his book where everybody is so mean. I’d hold up both books and yell, “I hate both of these things.”)
And they eat ALL THE TIME. That’s what culture is in Nancy Drew World. Like every two pages they have to go to a diner. They don’t need water, or to use the bathroom, or sleep, but they have to go out and eat all the time. You’re a good little conformist if you patronize restaurants.
There’s also this shade of darkness to these books. Like in this (spoilers be damned!) a man is bound and held prisoner under a house. Kidnapping is a frequent theme. If Nancy Drew wasn’t such precocious gumshoe, she would go insane from all the trauma she’s exposed to.
I thought maybe I could feel out the historical artifact of these works, they would show me something from a past time and what I walked out of the theater with was the sort of mindless happiness that characterizes 60’s culture. Nobody struggles, nobody has doubts or fears, nobody is sad, nobody feels anxious, they’re all just playing ping pong and racing boats.
If you’re wondering why I’m reading these books it’s because I’m thinking of doing an adaptation for the stage. I’m going to get my revenge on Nancy damn Drew!
They’re just so convoluted. There are so many pointless red herrings. There’s such contrived excitement and false escalations. It’s maddening. In one of these books a car smashes into a jewelry store, was there a point to it? There wasn’t.
It’s so hokey. Everybody is mindlessly cheerful and supportive all the damn time. I would call the characters cardboard cutouts, but carboard cutouts are more interesting than these characters. I would have LOVED a night of staring at cardboard cutouts compared to reading THIS STUFF. (I was reading Raymond Carver during this, and I’d go from this book where’s everyone is nauseatingly nice to each other, to his book where everybody is so mean. I’d hold up both books and yell, “I hate both of these things.”)
And they eat ALL THE TIME. That’s what culture is in Nancy Drew World. Like every two pages they have to go to a diner. They don’t need water, or to use the bathroom, or sleep, but they have to go out and eat all the time. You’re a good little conformist if you patronize restaurants.
There’s also this shade of darkness to these books. Like in this (spoilers be damned!) a man is bound and held prisoner under a house. Kidnapping is a frequent theme. If Nancy Drew wasn’t such precocious gumshoe, she would go insane from all the trauma she’s exposed to.
I thought maybe I could feel out the historical artifact of these works, they would show me something from a past time and what I walked out of the theater with was the sort of mindless happiness that characterizes 60’s culture. Nobody struggles, nobody has doubts or fears, nobody is sad, nobody feels anxious, they’re all just playing ping pong and racing boats.
If you’re wondering why I’m reading these books it’s because I’m thinking of doing an adaptation for the stage. I’m going to get my revenge on Nancy damn Drew!
May 22, 2018
I have mixed thoughts on this one. It was more predictable every step of the way, yet also a bit more intense. From the storm and near drowning at the start to the kidnapping, knockouts and other violent acts. Nancy gets in a bit over her head in this mystery! I liked the edgier approach! And the dog walking bit was amusing! I still get confused when the housekeeper goes by first name one moment and last name the next. It had me picturing two different people at times.
March 13, 2013
A great Nancy Drew mystery! I devoured it in one evening. The plot twists had perfect timing. I love that Nancy solves her own mysteries while assisting her father with his predicaments. An enjoyable read!
February 15, 2018
Why have I waited so long to read Nancy Drew? I love mysteries, vintage books and classics! This story was so fun, quick and easy to read but the writer has an interesting way of adding in simple details that I liked. I will continue reading these mysteries!
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