Product Description

For cliffhanging suspense and thrilling action read THE NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES-the worlds most popular mystery series for young readers! Millions of fans have matched wits with Nancy Drew, helping her solve more than fifty baffling cases.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76121 in Books
• Published on: 1958-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780448095356
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

You Especially Have to Read this One at Mardi Gras Time!!
What a chilling way to look at Mardi Gras in the Deep South! Nancy and her pals, Bess and George, are off on another adventure - this time to the river and bayou country near the Big Easy! Nancy and her friends solve an old family mystery while trying to end a lovers quarrel while trying to find a fortune in buried treasure. Having grown-up near New Orleans as a child, and visiting there for over 35 years, I can say that the majority of this book is true to life. It gives the reader a charming glimpse into the excitement of Mardi Gras and the relaxed ease of the river plantation life where unfortunately many things are "gone with the wind". Le Bon Temps Rolle (That's New Orleans talk for "Let the Good Times Roll!"

Nancy and friends are more physically active and willing to "get dirty" while solving the mystery
The first Nancy Drew book that I read, and that only recently, was "The Clue In the Diary", which was written in 1932. This book, written in 1957, provides an interesting contrast in the styles. Nancy and her friends Bess and George act much less frail, wear clothing more suited for their activities and are much more physically involved.
In this story, Nancy and her friends are to travel to New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season and explore a mystery surrounding an old river showboat. The boat, "River Princess" was beached during a storm and has simply set and rotted since that time. The goal is to move and restore it before Mardi Gras so that a Southern belle can host her engagement party. Strange things have been happening on the boat, leading many to believe that it is haunted. Of course Nancy and her friends delve right into the thick of things, despite the apparent dangers. Their car is stolen and someone is following them trying to scare them off the case.
The story involves old black people who are servants and practice voodoo in the swampland around New Orleans. While they do speak in "black-speak", they are intelligent, proud, capable people and there is no racial stereotyping. One plot element that is an improvement over the 1932 story was when Nancy jumped out of the boat into the Mississippi River to swim for help. Later, she must take a great deal of time to clean the mud off. This is not consistent with the behavior of the Nancy Drew of the 1932 story, where she always seemed to need the intervention of her father. That improves the story dramatically, if Nancy is going to chase criminals, then she must be willing to "get dirty" in the process. Of course, the mystery is solved and the criminals apprehended.

The Series Goes Downhill
Nancy, Bess and George go to New Orleans at Mardi Gras time to solve a mystery concerning a haunted showboat and the strange occurances onboard the ship. The mystery must be solved by Mardi Gras time so that Bess and George's aunt and uncle can use the showboat for a ball they are planning to have. Personally, I didn't find this book to be very good; although, it is not really bad. There isn't much action in the book and the mystery isn't overly exciting. In fact, by the time you get through the silly shenanigans concerning the girls being chased on their way to New Orleans by a man who stole Nancy's old car and the obligatory tour guide through New Orleans and actually get into the mystery, the book is already 1/3 over. Some fans may like this book, but I didn't really care much for it and it's not one that I'd highly recommend.