Nancy Drew #11: The Clue of The Broken Locket

Here is my review for Nancy Drew mystery #11, The Clue of The Broken Locket.

  The book starts out like this: Nancy comes down to the breakfast table and sees a key next to her plate. She asks Carson Drew, Her Criminal Lawyer father, tells her it is the key to a cottage which she is to open up for a girl named Cecily Curtis, in place of a Mr. Winch because he was scared of something. Nancy is accompanied by Bess Marvin and George Fayne. It is a two day trip,in which they run into a strange, red haired girl at a resturant who is having trouble with her apparent fiancé, over a iron bird and a lawsuit. When they finish their food, Bess says she lost her earring and knows exactly where it is. Before their food came, they took a walk through the forrest where they overheard the young couple, they had walked over a rickety old bridge where Bess tripped. The go there and Nancy sees it at the bottom of the bank. Because te bridge doesn't look sturdy enough, Bess stays on ground. George holds Nancy's feet while Nancy hangs over the edge. Just as she grabs the earring, the red haired girl dashes across and the bridge collapses. They rescue her and themselves and continue on. When they get there, all the townsfolk insist on the being careful, or better yet, not going because it's no place for 3 teenage girls to go with all the scary stuff going on. Nancy promises they will be careful, and they head down to the cottage to wait for the renter.  When the Cecily finally gets there, it's the red headed girl from earlier that day!

Sorry that was so long. Anyway, I would give this book a 8/10 because it just isn't one of Nancy's better mysteries. There are too many coincidences, A police chief embarrasses Nancy and just really doesn't listen to what she says because she is a girl, and at the time the book was written, boys were superior to girls. The rest was good though. Ned, Burt and Dave show up, and a singer they get to know well, and quite a mystery! I would probably not suggest this to you off the top of my head, but if you like mysteries by the lake, like The Secret of mirror Bay, then you will like this one.

- Samantha Quick

Nancy Drew #10: Password To Larkspur Lane

Here is my review for Nancy Drew mystery #10, Password To Larkspur Lane.

 The book starts off like this: Nancy and Hannah Gruen, the Drew's housekeeper, are in the garden looking at flowers for Nancy to submit to the flower show when a plane flies over head and stalls, and a pigeon drops from it! Just as the plane looks like it's about to crash, it noses upwards and leaves. Nancy examines the bird that landed into the flower bush and takes it inside to care for it. while doing so, she notices it is a carrier pigeon and reads the message, hoping to find a clue to the owner. It has a strange message: "Trouble here. After five o'clock blue bells will be singing horses. Come tonight." Nancy and Hannah pick some lovely Larkspurs and as Nancy arranges them in an old English vase, and then drives it to the flower show, she ponders over it.

   I would give this book a 8/10. It has a good mystery,  but it was kind of hard to follow and it was jam packed full of action. I liked it, but it was a little too action packed. I would recommend it, and I realized it is one of the only mysteries Nancy solves where the title doesn't start with " The Mystery" or "The". This and Nancy's Mysterious Letter. Well, time to go read #11, The Clue of The Broken Locket!

-Samantha Quick