First thing's first, I kind of abhor these new editions. Don't get me wrong, they have great cover art in fabulous colours (something very lacking in the short and ugly editions where Trixie's face is somewhere between puce and khaki), although the people are between realistic and cartoonish, leaning towards the realistic side. I can't describe it, but they're not quite real and it gets on my nerves. Sort of like Chicken Run, where they had the characters (okay, they were chickens, but whatever!) made out of playdough. Sort of...rounded? No, it's actually the little cameo of Trixie up the top I can't stand, like she's some dumb blonde, more feminine than short and spunky. And the whole =O expression? Where would the Bob-Whites be if she had just stood around looking like that during the climax of the books? That is so not her!
Inside, the art is better. They have a double page of Trixie's supposed scrapbook, which is cute. They're not quite as I imagined, but I think it fits the country, wholesome-lifestyle kids they are, although I can't quite tell the difference between Honey and Diana T_T Honey and Trixie look very childish, too childish, but on the other hand, the artist got Bobby down pat. He's absolutely adorable, with the snub nose and perpetually smiling mouth.
This book was by a Kathryn Kenny who knew what they were doing. It's got the same Julie-Campbell feel about it. Adventurous, wholesome (I keep using that word, but I swear it fits the series to a T, it could've been invented for the series!), and a mystery that is in keeping with their lives. Not overly dramatic, and doesn't require you to stretch your gullibility. Which is why, at the moment, I am thoroughly sick of the Judy Bolton series. The further you go along...!
Anyways, there's a strange boy in town in this one. This was my proper intorduction to Dan Mangan, who I kind of resented all those years ago for intruding in the Bob-Whites, but who I have completely forgiven now. It starts when Trixie overhears Regan talking to her mum at Crabapple Farm, about "something I'm hoping to keep from any of the youngsters". She tries not to hear, but her curiousity is sparked! Meanwhile, Honey and Trixie's penpals in Mexico have their village destroyed in an earthquake. They are particularly upset about the loss of their school library (not entirely practical, but I guess I'd feel the same if my modest little library at home was destroyed). The Bob-Whites decide to have an Ice Carnival in Sleepyside. Entrance fee: books! Another project, yay!
Honey comes to stay over at Trixie's because her parents are away and for once, Tom and Regan are away also at the same time. Curiouser and curiouser, Miss Trask never allows that to happen. She and Honey are determined to respect Regan's privacy, but as usual, things start to happen when they're in the vicinity. She hears Regan talking to someone in the stables, but he won't admit it. When she's trying to find Bobby's skate in the tack room, she upsets a box of Regan's documents and catches the words "Judge Armen is willing to let you try". She's really sorry for snooping, even accidently, but comes to the conclusion that Regan is in trouble with the law! Later, Bobby tells her Regan is trying a "speriman". Translated, "experiment". And she hears a car driving into the back of the Wheeler property, and later finds it is Regan and Tom! A lot of little, seemingly inconsequential details like that add up and really get to Trixie.
Next morning, there's a new boy on the school bus who gets on with Mr. Maypenny. No one takes well to him because he's got a black leather jacket and a black peaked hat and black cowboy boots, which translates to gangster or hooligan in Sleepyside. Sigh. I wish people were as conservative these days, rather than black leather jacket =gangster = cool. Well, the boy is named Dan (which I was expecting, so I was totally unperturbed) and he's a bit of a rebel. Mart is showing him around at lunch time (orders from Maypenny) and Dan completely snubs the BWGs and goes to sit at another table, where he regales them with tough-guy stories of his own bravado. They are naively impressed but Trix isn't.
Later, Trix and Honey meet Dan working for Mr. Maypenny. Honey is nice and willing to give Dan a chance, but he and Trix really do not mesh. He flares up at her disdain (I think they're both quick-tempered) and it's the same for their other encounters throughout the book. Honey is always on teh verge of breaking through his shell when Trix just rubs him the wrong way. It's a very human thing though, and doesn't annoy me. Anyways, he's goaded into riding Susie, who prompting bucks him off into the snow. He's not really hurt, although he seems to black out for a few moments, but he rips his leather jacket sleeve. When Honey offers to repair it, he's about to say yes, but again, a look from Trix puts an end to it all.
The girls continue on to see Mr. Maypenny, and also suggest to Regan that Dan learn to ride Spartan, another Wheeler horse, to help patrol. The girls are sure Dan looks either like Regan or Mr. Maypenny (since one of the similarities is completely coincidental, I really doubt it). They make their way to the clubhouse where they've been preparing posters and everything for the Ice Carnival, which is going full speed ahead. Inside, they find a bear! They're freaked out, but it's only a bear on wheels that the boys borrowed for the Carnival. A funny moment.
A further complication - there's a catamount loose in the Wheeler reserve! It probably came from the mountains close by. There are no catamounts in the city so I had to google them, but they do look really freaky, they are literally "big mountain lions" as Honey says. Trix and Honey are in the preserve when they hear it howling and Susie just bolts. It's only when her reins catch on the tree branch that Trix can catch her. Or else...!
To complicate matters, they keep seeing a black jacketed and black hatted fellow in the woods, and hear about him all sorts of other places. Dan denies it is him and the girsl want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but when Honey loses her valuable gold watch in the snow and it turns up pawned at Mr. Lytell's store, it's all very fishy. [By the way, Mr. Lytell is very nice here. He gives the boy who pawned it $10 even though he thought the watch was worthless, because the boy - Dan? - feeds him a sob story. When he finds out it's Honey's, he gives it straight back and it's kind of hinted here that he's interested in Miss Trask.]
So the girls tell Mr. Maypenny their suspicions, and he passes them onto Regan, who sets his mouth and looks grim. He goes to the judge to tell him the "sperimen" was unsuccessful. But meanwhile, the clubhouse is broken into and they find evidence that it couldn't have been Dan who caused all the trouble because there are some footprints the wrong size and other conclusive evidence.
And then they find Mr. Maypenny unconscious in the preserve. They help him back to his house where Dan meets them and is very rude and brusque. Just before Trixie leaves, she knocks over the chair with his black leather jacket...only it isn't his, it has "THE COWHANDS" stencilled on the back in white! Is there another person in the area with a black leather jacket? it seems likely!
When the girls go back to the clearing where they found Mr. Maypenny, they find a clubbed branch on the ground with blood and bits of Mr. Maypenny's hair! it seems the old man was attacked. Actually, he was suspicious all along. And now Dan's run away... Mr. Maypenny confesses Dan is Regan's nephew, the son of his dead sister who he lost contact with.
Now Honey goes home, but Trix decides to stay and practice some more tricks for the ice carnival. She has a great time until Susie bolts again, and she's left completely alone this time in a great wilderness in the preserve. She stumbles around, trying not to panic, and somehow hears Bobby's voice. When she finds him, he's in a hole in a cave, held in place by rock. He's been chasing a great big kitty as he calls it. Actually, it's the catamount and it may come back anytime. I don't know how likely this is in real life - i would've been petrified as a kid. Trix stumbles around to find help, after pacifying Bobby. She sees a campfire in a clearing, and who is there but Dan Mangan with a taller boy who's mocking him because Dan refuses to help him break into the Wheeler house. it's Dan's past come to catch up to him again. When Trixie bursts in, she quickly persuades him to help with Bobby (because of course, Dan's heart is in the right place). Bobby is saved and they are found, and to top it all off, the ice carnival is a great success! The Wheelers even fly over Trix and Honey's penpals as a surprise! And Dan is officially accepted in Sleepyside, also as a member of the Bob-Whites!
Okay, I've realised I am not the best at giving summaries. I don't know which parts to leave out, it all seems relevant and not superfluous to me. I guess practice makes perfect?
So I'd have to say my ultimate favourite is #7, because it's a fantastic mystery with great adventure and a very homey and friendly atmosphere. The Bob-White interaction is great, which is half the reason I read these books. Growing up as a city girl, I never had my best friends as neighbours, and most of the time they weren't even within walking distance. Except I'd meet up with my absolute best friend at the library and we'd just read together.
ANWYAYS, I digress again. When I got older, I started collecting them, but only from local bookstores and such. I managed to get my collection of 16, which is great, but less than half the series! When I got EVEN older, I started doing some online research and found they were popular, and there was a ton of information on them, including the ghost writers, which I found really intruiging. I'd always thought Kathryn Kenny was one person and thought she sounded a bit odd from one book to the next. Some lacked continuity. I'd have to say, knowing everything I know now, that my favourite ghost author is probably Stack. Because she authored #7 which is unbeatable in my eyes. I read that one a gazillion times. Which makes me really interested in her other series, Robin Kane, which is supposed to be a 'West Coast Trixie Belden'. Except, living in an obscure area, I can't get any =_=.
But speaking of favourites, #12 has to be another one of my favorites, not sure where it stands on the list. Really have to read my Trixies all in one sitting to find out and I really don't have the time. And I swear, even though a researcher assigned #12 to an anonymous author 'D' who could and could not be Stack, I'm sure it is her because she mentions the EXACT same tip for cooking hamburger patties (ie. soak in milk and breadcrumbs to keep the juice in) as in #7 and yes, I did read it that well. Anyways, #12 has an awesome, coherent mystery (which is why I believe also that #11 could not have been by Stack or else she must have been bipolar or something because that author really did not have a clue), great in-character characters and the whole thing was a lot of fun! It also has in depth knowledge of New York, which makes you feel like a real NY tourist into the bargain, except without the danger of getting pockets picked and such.
So the Bob-Whites are in New York, meeting Bob and Barbara and Ned, their friends from Iowa (#9 The Happy Valley Mystery) and are setting out to see the sights. Trixie helps a frightened Mexican woman find her plane. She claims that she's a real fortune teller and gives her a purse as a gift. Trixie ponders about it for a long time, but unlike #11, she's not bratty and doesn't bully others into getting into a mystery, which means she is IN-CHARACTER!
She and Honey go walking whilst everyone's unpacking and go to an antique store. She picks up this ugly little wooden carving, "so ugly it's darling" and buys it. Really not the thing normal people would do, and Honey tells her so. The owner is out and his friend is looking after the shop (which is significant later on).
After a day of sightseeing, Trix and Honey discover a slip of paper covered in Spanish verse (that rhymes in english!) in the purse the Mexican woman gave Trix. Miss Trask translates it into:
Great-headed man, with blinking eye,
A shaded road, a horses cry,
Foreign words for all to hear,
First clue is so very near.
Watch out for thieves; they're everywhere,
At home, on island, in dead beasts' lair.
Where shines a beacon cross the sky,
Beware, great danger lurks close by.
Be not misled by evening's fun
A villain's work is never done.
While guitars play thieves linger round
But not til later are they found.
Twin rails of steel, a trembling square,
Watch close, you'll see the guilty pair.
A lonesome journey, gleaming gun,
Foolish girl what have you done?
Great-headed man does prostrate lie,
A great big stone in his blinking eye,
All is not lost though, little friend;
Rejoice for peril, danger end
Near silver wings, past river's bend.
Fortune is yours, fit for a king,
And the hearts of little children sing.
From then on, they keep being shadowed by 2 men, one that is short and ugly and has a scar running down his face and one that's just plain tall and ugly. They go for a hansom cab ride through Central Park and the men try to grab Trix's purse. She cuts her leg and Jim, Brian, Trixie and Honey return to their apartment (it belongs to the Wheelers, like every single prop in the whole series =P) where she lets them in on the poem prophecy. In an incredibly short amount of time, coincidently just after they've finished talking, the Iowans and Mart come back from Central zoo and they're let in on the secret. They figure out the prophecy is coming true, because the first 4 lines all happen in the Park.
Then they go to the UN, where they meet a Sleepysider who's now a UN guide called Betty. It seems a little farfetched that she would recognise them, but why quibble? While everyone goes for a tour, Trixie and Honey go to the gift store and have the idol priced. There's a Peruvian expert randomly there and he tells them it's worthless and tries to take it off Trixie, very suspiciously, but she causes a scene and he fails. The real Honey is back in this book, because she tells Trixie he's dodgy and to keep a firm hold on it. When everyone gets back to the apartment, they find it ransacked, but nothing taken! The police are brought in, and the Bob Whites make dinner. Never knew Trixie was a good cook, but she is. Mart does some 'magic' tricks, and the best part is he explains how he did everything. And Bob and Barbara, the Twins from here on, sing and play guitars. A TV man hears them and asks them to perform the next night!
The next day, it's the Statue of Liberty. They climb near the top and they have another run in with the scar-faced man, but it's another failed attempt to grab her purse. At a museum, Honey and Trixie get separated and stay behind accidently after closing time, and one of the men catches them, and it's quite a frightening scene because there's no one else there. They finally get rescued by Brian and Jim who have alerted the museum man (sorry, can't remember the name at the moment) that the girls are still inside. So another close shave.
Then it's time for the twin's performance, which is fun. They sing and song and the show is taped and shown again. They're "showstoppers" according to the title. The next day, it's the Empire State building, and Trixie and Di are separated because she's too afraid to go up high. And one of the men start chasing them, and it's awfully scary, but they duck into a room with two women, who take care of them. They even report it to the police, but they can't do anything until they know what the people look like.
In a museum full of trains, their next destination, they meet Doctor Joe, who is a famous surgeon and an avid train collector. They go over to his house, where his wife and many kids invite them to stay for lunch. There, they watch the video broadcast of the twins and see the thieves lingering in the background! See if you can figure out where in the prophecy it is, it's a little obscure.
At home, Trixie gets a call that the others don't know about. It's from one of the men, saying they're following her because they want the little wooden carving she's got, and how it belongs to some peruvian rich man who's willing to give her $1000 for it back and to meet them at such and such a place in broad daylight. Well it turns out to be in aseedy part of a seedy town and when Trix walks in, not letting anyone else know about it, there's only 3 men there. The 2 that have been shadowing her, and the 'carving expert' at the UN. And they hold a gun to her and tell her to give them the carving. She's really frightened, and it is really terrifying, until the police just come in with guns and the boys of the Bob-Whites. Stack explains their presence pretty well, how they figure out where she is by her scribbling the address on the inside of the public phone book, so it's all believeable. It turns out the 3 who have been following Trixie are hard, international thieves! Back at the apartment, Mr. Wheeler is there and everyone's relieved but it's really emotionally tense.
What I love about this part is that Trixie actually realises the enormity of what she did and how much danger she was in. Unlike her near-death experience in #11 in the sink-hole, that she just completely blows off and gets away with, pretty much, she's actually visibly shaken, as is everyone else. Mr. Wheeler decidfes to accompany them everywhere and Trixie turns over the wooden carving to him.
When they next go out for a big dinner, they're all talking about it and Mr. Wheeler takes it out of his pocket to show it's safe (which is a silly thing to do in my opnion) and it's promptly knocked out of his hand by Blinky, the short, scarred man. They realise it's lost forever.
Untiil...a phone call late at night from Blinky reveals there was a diamond inside the carving, but it's not there anymore! So they notify the police and are ready to look through the sweepings and rubbish from the restaurant the next morning. But it's not there, and all is lost again.
Until...haha Trixie turns up with the diamond clutched in her hand! Itwas lodged in a crevice in the floor of the restaurant all the time! It was the centre stone in a valuable necklace stolen by the 3 men, and the jewels were separated and embedded into wooden statues that went to the antique shop Trixie went to. But the friend looking after the shop sold it to her, and that's how everything started. Trixie is donating the reward to the station waggon for crippled children, the thing she was as tenacious-as-a-bulldog about in #11.
Awesome story eh? See if you can match up the things in the prophecy with the story!
I started reading my Trixie Beldens again, right from where I left off at #10 (which despite some people not liking, I quite liked. A lot more than this one). And I must say this one is quite a disappointment. I did some research and this book is supposed to be written by Nicolete Meredith Stack, one of the ghostwriters of Trixie Belden, or an unknown author who also wrote the next book in the series "The Mystery of the Blinking Eye". And I completely disagree because I've started the Blinking Eye and even in chapter 2 it's shaping up to be a great mystery with spot-on characters, whilst this one was a bit hopeless.
So the Bob-Whites are at another property of Uncle Andrew (they went to his sheep farm in Iowa in #9) in the Missouris (I think...I never pay much attention to locales which is bad of me >_<) It's raining and Trixie is complaining in a way that is completely new for her. I mean sure, impatience is her middle name, but Trixie has never been bratty before. She flips through a magazine and finds an article about ghost fish, which some scientists are willing to offer $500 for 3 specimens of, all in different stages of change. I would like to point out here that I don't believe in evolution. I know that God created the world, and what people commonly refer to as evidence for evolution is the change in animals behaviour and characteristics, like the ghost fish that spend years underground and their eyes disappear. The Bible never shows that animals do change according to environment - after Noah's ark, God empowered animals to eat meat, whereas before they were all herbivores, which is why Noah was able to bring them on the ark without getting devoured. Anyways, I digress.
Trixie has a completely one-track mind about the fish. She keeps harping at everyone to go explore the caves as soon as possible, because she wants the $500 for a vehicle for disabled children. Even while they go fishing and catch a whole lot of fish, she doesn't forget. At one point, she almost gets attacked by a wildcat but an unknown shot kills it. It's the beginning of the mystery. What I hate about this book is how Trixie is like a caricature, the author totally gets her wrong and magnifies her bad points until she becomes some sort of brat that you want to slap. She reduces Honey to her pre-#1 personality where she was afraid of literally everything. Honey has grown so much through the series, it's like the author didn't even read the ones before hand. Her most useful contribution was making curtains in the entire book! The whole out-of-characterisation thing almost killed the book for me.
Anyways, eventually Trixie gets her way and they set out to explore a cave on Uncle Andrew's property after he buys a whole lot of expensive equipment and hires a guide for them. Slim is a first-class retard and the Bob-Whites don't get along with him. In the first day, they get one ghostfish, but they still need two more.
There's a lot of talk about ghosts in the book, because the people living in the area genuinely believe in them. So when the Bob-Whites rescue a drowning man (before they find the fish) and they discover he's living in the "haunted" cabin, there's a big scare. Uncle Andrew's housekeeper Mrs. Moore's husband died years ago so she na dher daughter have been through some hard times that perhaps compounds their belief.
Eventually, the Bob-Whites get rid of Slim because he's really mean. He throws a rock at the bats in the cave and they all fly out and get attacked by eagles, so the Bob-Whites are through with him. So when someone steals the ghost-fish they left in a bucket in the cave, they think it's Slim. Also, after a party Mrs. Moore has for the Bob-Whites, complete with great food and dancing, a deliberate fire is set that almost burns down the property and the surrounding properties. And Trixie thinks it's Slim.
But they see a crazy looking stranger around with long white whiskers, and he could be a suspect too. And the man they rescued from drowning (theres gratitude for you) because he has kerosene soaked rags in the cabin. It's a mystery, although it never feels like a mystery, just a few patchy who-dunnits, which is where the failure of the book comes in.
Anyways, Trixie has a few near-escapes from death and danger during ghost-fish-hunting so Uncle Andrew makes a hired man, Bill Hawkins, go with them. Except while he's outside keeping the dangerous Slim away (only he doesn't seem dangerous, just a jerk - again, another bad characterisation), Trixie goes down a well-hole in the cave where there's plenty of fish. She hauls some up, but then there's a sudden downpour of rain outside which fills the well-hole and she's in danger of drowning. Saved at the last moment by Jim and his "strong arms", which almost made me retch. I don't like the Trixie-Jim innuendo. She's only 14. It's natural to admire him because he's responsible and a great person, and Brian and Mart are her brothers and Dan is practically non-existent, but no puppy-love please! Bill Hawkins is shocked that Trixie almost drowned under his care, and Uncle Andrew is really upset, but Trixie just blows it all off in a hey-don't-worry-I'm-safe way that is characteristic of her enough, but somehow doesn't quite work here. It turns out they've got another ghost fish they need, but there's still one more.
Uncle Andrew accompanies them for the last time. Their visit is being cut short because their mum needs them back home as she's going away to visit a sick relative. This time, they get the fish they need, and they also catch Slim, trying to hurt the crazy guy with the white whiskers. They capture Slim, in this unbelievable scene where Jim is practically boxing him (that doesn't quite work either...as if the rest of them would stand around watching the show =_=) and rescue the man who's been dealt a blow on the head. They take him home to Mrs. Moore to rest him, and it turns out he's her husband, back from the dead. No, kidding, he never died, someone tried to attack him and they both fell down the cliff and the man died. Matthew (the husband) got amnesia (where would we be if amnesia had never been invented?) and the blow on the head has done miracles for his memory. Everyone's reuinited and happily ever after.
Except the Bob-Whites, because the fish they've got aren't the real thing. But...wait for it, they've got something even more rare that promises more money. So everyone really is happily ever after.
Now, I could never despise or even not enjoy Trixie Beldens, because she's awesome and has a lot of childhood significance for me, but this is probably my least favourite.
