Title: The Hidden Staircase (Nancy Drew #2)
Author: Carolyn Keene
Published:1959 by Grosset and Dunlap
Genre: Young adult mystery
How I got the book: It was being donated and I took it
Summary:
Nancy resolves to help Helen Corning’s relatives solve the mystery of the ghost haunting their old mansion. A mysterious man appears at the Drew home to warn Nancy that her father, Carson Drew is in danger. This warning prompts a search for the missing Willie Wharton, a land owner, who can prove he signed away his land to the railroad and save the railroad from a lawsuit. Meanwhile, the disappearance of Mr. Drew, thefts and mysterious goings on at Twin Elms, and the discovery of a hidden staircase lead Nancy to solve these baffling mysteries.
My Review:
This second mystery was back-to-back the first one. I enjoyed the first one, so I figured I’d read this second one right away.
Nancy’s father, a lawyer, is kidnapped due to real estate issues about the railroad. Meanwhile, there’s a ghost inside a mansion that Nancy has to get rid of.
I found this plot to be a lot more in depth and suspenseful than the first book and I enjoyed it more. Nancy stays at the haunted mansion to figure out the “ghost” in the house all the while trying to find her father and solve that mystery.
Between the two mysteries, the plot moved along nicely and kept my attention.
With the help of Helen, Nancy explores the haunted mansion which is inhabited by Miss Flora and Aunt Rosemary. The four of them wander the house and investigate any happenings. They were all a great help to Nancy and I enjoyed following the four of them on the investigation together.
There weren’t too many other characters involved up until the very end as Nancy got closer to the truth, but I enjoyed the four main girls.
As a children’s story, the writing is pretty simple. The POV breaks a couple of times and there’s a lot of inner monologue from Nancy in which she states the obvious a lot.
Still, it’s easy to read and it’s relaxing in a way because even though you’re trying to help solve the case, you don’t have to think too much.
This was a fun read. It’s a nice, simple mystery with a few twists here and there.
The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene gets…
4 out of 5 stars
Favorite Quote:
“It sounded as if Helen had picked the squeakiest spot on each step!” –Carolyn Keene, The Hidden Staircase
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