I just don’t understand how some people who are so stupid manage to get so much money. I know a trend in a lot of the Nancy Drew books is to have the detective be way smarter than anyone else – except maybe her father – but when they have apparently successful, wealthy people behaving in a way that defies logic, I am often left stunned.

Nancy Drew is an amateur detective who lives in the fictional town of River Heights with her widower father, Carson, and their housekeeper, Hannah Gruen. She’s eighteen, doesn’t have a job or any income, but has a convertible and a cool boyfriend (or “special friend” as he’s been called in some of the stories) named Ned Nickerson. Ned attends Emerson College. Nancy doesn’t go to college. Nancy has two good girlfriends named Bess and George who also have boyfriends attending Emerson College, although they aren’t heard from in this book.

Nancy is at home one day petting her dog, Togo when a jeweler friend of hers pulls up and asks for Nancy’s help with a mystery. A client of his has had precious jewels stolen from her but refuses to tell the details to anyone. However, since she was warned not to tell any man or woman, Mrs. Putney was convinced by the jeweler that it was okay to talk to a girl detective.

You see, Mrs. Putney was convinced by the ghost of her dead husband to take her jewels and bury them in a clearing in the forest. Surprisingly (not), they were stolen and replaced with look-alikes. Now she wants Nancy’s help to find the missing jewels. Oh, and that ghost? He appears to her at seances. Can you say GULLIBLE?

To top it off, Mrs. Putney is not the only victim of these wily thieves. They have managed to convince a number of others, mostly young girls, to leave most of their salaries in the branches of trees or face “bad luck”. Bess introduces Nancy to the second victim they come across, who just happens to be the daughter of the woman who does laundry for her family.

This mystery takes them all over, from River Heights to New Orleans, and Lake Jasper in the next state. Nancy’s adventures in New Orleans are interesting and have potential, but fall apart in many ways. I understand Nancy has a one-track mind when she’s on a mystery, but it seems every time she and her friends get to go on a nice trip, she is consumed with the mystery and bypasses doing any of the usual tourist things. The same general chain of events takes place when they travel to New Orleans. It is there that the usual coincidences begin piling up; Bess sits next to someone on the plane who might be involved in the scheme; they enter a church that happens to be part of the gang’s plans. That her friends (or her boyfriend) never get fed up and refuse to go with her on one of her investigations is either a testament to their stupidity or dedication – I’m not sure which.

I also wonder where the money comes from. Nancy’s father obviously underwrites everything she does, but nothing is ever mentioned of how Bess and George manage to pay for it all. Written in 1948, I understand that women didn’t really have “careers” to speak of, but this was following the Second World War when women did prove they had the capabilities to hold this country together. You’d think they would have built on that a little bit and at least have them attend college.

Once you get past suspending disbelief, the story isn’t bad. it’s geared toward the 9- to 12-year-old market, and they won’t pick up on many of those things. They just enjoy Nancy’s independence. The mystery flows along pretty well, giving a good degree of suspense and excitement. However, even my 13-year-old thought the people were pretty stupid to fall for the scheme. That said, she did enjoy the book.

The version we read was rewritten from the original. It was tightened up and lost a number of pages which likely gave a bit more character development. In addition, in the original version, much of the mystery actually does take place in and around New Orleans. I think it might have worked better at times and felt a bit less contrived than all of this happening once again around Nancy’s hometown of River Heights.

Other than the victims being totally gullible and unsympathetic (in my opinion) I thought this was a pretty good read. Nancy is at her finest taking on a gang of swindlers. The read is perfect for the age group it’s aimed at with a sort of happily-ever-after ending. It won’t win any awards with adults, but there’s plenty here to keep the younger set turning the pages.

Previous book in the series:

Next book in the series: