#117 : The Mystery on the Menu

You know those books where you could swear the author was just kidding the whole time? Well, here we go- it's another of those books. Although I must say, I can't blame the author for just having a bit of a laugh. These are Nancy Drew books, after all, and a young girl isn't necessarily going to know the difference- I certainly wouldn't have. I think every now and then, the next installment shouldn't be taken so seriously. And heck, this time around the joke was clear before I even opened the book. In other words, check out the sub-text on the cover:
On Valentine's Day in a culinary paradise, Nancy uncovers the perfect recipe for disaster!

These books are never without their witty remarks. And that's just the beginning- I made a point of counting all of the bad pun/play-on-words statements in the description on the back cover. Final count: 12. In a single paragraph. Allow me to lead you through it if you don't believe me...

When crime takes the cake [That's 1!], it's time for Nancy to eat, drink, and be wary! [2]
George's prize-winning Raspberry Chiffon Cake has earned her, Bess, and Nancy a week at the Wolfe Culinary Institute in upstate New York. But soon after their arrival, Nancy discovers that ambition, jealousy, and greed are also on the menu [3]. Attempted murder provides plenty of food for thought [4], but that's a mere appetizer to the dangers to come [5].
In her search for the chef with a taste for terror [6], Nancy knows she'll have to watch her diet and watch her back [7]. The kitchen is crammed with suspects [8], and tensions are fast coming to a boil [9]. The knives are all sharp [10], the ingredients are all poison [11], and the final course- most likely fatal- has yet to be served! [12]

I find it funny how through that entire description, the only thing anyone can gather about the story is that- once again- our girl detective has gone on vacay with her besties. Oh, and there's a mystery... or else someone just thought it would be funny to write 'jealousy' on the menu. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound very tasty.
Just to clear things up, there are strange incidents going on at the institute that seem to be targeted mainly at two professional chefs each teaching classes for the program (one of the two is to be chosen as a permanent teacher at the institute, which incriminates both of them). And then the culprit turns his/her attention to Nancy, just because she's there (she really can't help the investigating- she does that part in her sleep). So that's the story.

Now let's open the book- no wait! What's this?!



Gosh, even the cover artist is enjoying himself! I know everything I need to know about this book before I've even started reading it.
And now, a ton of passages that I have very much been relishing the thought of ridiculing (hahaha... 'relish', get it? I know- I'm just as bad as these wisecrack ghostwriters).
First up, the girls arrive at the culinary school and are shown to their dorm room:

The girls fell in love with their room immediately. It was airy and artfully decorated, with dark mahogany paneling, purple velvet curtains, and an ornate Oriental rug. Still-life paintings of food adorned the walls. (5)

Okay, it's time for me to go all pessimistic-college-student on this description. While Nancy gets a large, pretty dorm room with mahogany and velvet, most college students get something else. Visually speaking:

What Nancy sees when she walks through the door...


Versus what the average college freshman sees when they walk in...


Nancy is high society wherever she goes. I bet you'd walk into the room next door to hers and find that it looks more like the one in the latter photo. Just because whoever gets that room is not Nancy Drew.

Now, allow me a moment to address the old issue of the origins of George's name (not in terms of etymology, but rather why George has a boy's name):

The woman flipped back a strand of long, curly auburn hair and rolled her eyes. "[Teddy is] short for Theodosia..." She studied George. "What about you? What does 'George' stand for?"
"Georgia," George replied, smiling with understanding. (7)

This adds to the old debate of George's name- while some books state that her name is short for 'Georgia', others claim that her parents wanted a boy child and, when she was born and they discovered otherwise, they named her George anyhow. I personally am a fan of the latter hypothesis. While it might not be as probable, I'd like to think that George has always been just George.
I realise that was a bit random- but if ever I write a Nancy Drew encyclopedia (and believe me when I say that's highly possible) clearing that up would be nice.

And speaking of random:
"Alicia's story sounds convincing, doesn't it?" Nancy said. "I can see Regis Brady resenting Alicia and trying to bully her into leaving the institute." She bit into a cranberry muffin. "Yum." (38).

This ghostwriter must really love food. They masterly intertwine Nancy's thoughts on the case with her contemplation of every bite of food she puts in her mouth. "Yum"... what stunning detail.

One of the best things about this book is the character of Regis Brady. Regis is one of the two professional chefs teaching in the program, and he is completely full of himself and overly pompous. My favourite 'Regis Moment' is when the chef (with his two dogs yipping around at his heels) gets a knife thrown at him.

As the knife clattered against the wall right behind his head, Regis dove under the table.
"We're under attack!" he cried out. "Peaches, Truffles, seek cover!" (44)

So I know someone just tried to kill him and all, but the language makes his reaction a little excessive. Talk about paranoia- I really think this guy is schizophrenic. Next, I bet he'll start hearing voices. Which actually fits in rather nicely with my next point:

Nancy pushed her way to the front of the crowd to see what was the matter. On the far wall, facing them, big red letters oozed and dripped like blood. The ominous message read: Who Will Be Next? (87)

Ya know, this sounds vaguely familiar...



OMG
no way.
I think Nancy needs to warn everyone to look around corners with mirrors and- should they be attacked- avoid looking into the creature's eyes, because the institute has a basilisk slithering around. They might want to check out the pipes and sewage system, since that's probably how it's been getting around. Oh, and keep a look out for Voldemort- he might be lurking in somebody's diary. But for now, it is likely the school will be closed. /Professor McGonagall

Except that, as it turns out, the culprit isn't Voldemort after all. It was just another of the students in the program- how not extraordinary. The only satisfaction I get out of this insipid ending is the fact that they lock up the culprit- quite literally, in his bathroom.
Nancy really knows how to please.

Which is why another installment is on the way... as always, stay tuned!

#142: The Case of Capital Intrigue

You can tell a lot about a ghostwriter by the Nancy Drew book they write. And I'm not wasting any time in expressing that message here, because it's written in every word of this book.
Let me start off with what I expected from this installment: Nancy goes to Washington D.C. to visit George, who (despite having no experience at... anything) has landed a photography internship at the White House. Nancy and George cruise around, talking animatedly about the history behind every single monument they pass. Someone steals a rare artifact given to the United States President from the leader of a made-up country named San Valente, and Nancy helps the FBI find both the artifact and the kidnapped ambassador. The president shakes her hand, and then she goes back to River Heights to continue her insipid life of accidentally stumbling into the mysteries that criminals just lay at her feet.

Yet that isn't quite what I got, and it's not a bad thing. In all the Nancy Drew books I've read, it is remarkably rare to come across one that so clearly aspires to be something more. I don't mean to degrade Nancy Drew books, but they generally come in the same basic formula: Nancy goes on vacation with Bess and George, someone sabotages the resort they're staying at, and it's up to our girl sleuth and her friends to figure out which of five characters sees some bit of gain in doing nasty things to nice people. Every mystery varies, but the point is they're not incredibly creative when it comes to plot.

But in this book, I saw a glimpse of the person writing. This can be either a plus or a minus. Good fiction will always be barren of authorial evidence- that is, if the author is placing some symbol or turning point in the story, it shouldn't be immediately obvious to the reader what the writer is trying to do (this can be a tough point of criticism for those- such as myself- who write stories heavy with epiphany). In other words, you don't want to see evidence of the author peeking through. But on the other hand, I would have to argue that reading something which gives us an insight into the author's own thoughts is extremely valuable.

I'm saying this because this particular book reads very much like a mystery-adventure-thriller (think Deception Point by Dan Brown). By this I mean that Nancy is investigating an inside job from the start, since the perpetrator appears to be someone working in the White House. I could have expected that of course, but the attention to detail is astounding, and the story goes on and on along the lines of what should be a full-length novel. Nancy befriends one of the interns, Eduardo, whose father happens to be the ambassador of San Valente. The two grow close, though Nancy's trust in Eduardo is thrown into question when she discovers that he was once involved with a gang in his home country. And then, as the two are out for a midnight walk at the Lincoln Memorial, a masked gunman attempts to hunt them down. They duck behind the mammoth statue of Lincoln while bullets mar the white marble, and then they make a miraculous escape. The next day, the adventure continues as the twosome race to the Watergate Complex to rescue Eduardo's kidnapped father, and then evade the police and rush back to the White House, enlisting the help of a couple of very trusting Secret Service agents to crack down on the perpetrator before time runs out.

Now if this doesn't sound even vaguely like a Dan Brown thriller (minus all of the history and crazy conspiracy theories), you should just slap yourself. The ghostwriter took a few steps here that were especially daring. I'll be honest, I for one am just a little perturbed by the notion of a gunman shooting at the Lincoln Memorial and defacing what is arguably the most magnificent statue in D.C. This may also have something to do with the fact that I regard Abraham Lincoln very highly for his dedication to preserving the Union (and the fact that I am a history nerd to begin with). But that's the daring move: taking something familiar, something of value, and creating a dangerous scenario around it. And this ghostwriter did it in a Nancy Drew book, not even hesitating to supply two of the 'good guys' with pistols as they creep through a hallway of the Watergate Hotel on a mission to save the ambassador. The characters aren't messing around here- it's gritty and it's not nice. But that's what makes this book stand out.

Furthermore, as with all thrillers, the protagonist has to have a love interest- and in case you were wondering, it's not Ned. I know I get on Nancy's case a lot for sporadically prancing around with other guys, but take a look...


Given the artist's rendition of Eduardo, I can't really blame Nancy.
And anyhow, this is just another risk the writer took (successfully, I might add). As you've seen, I am consistently ragging on Nancy whenever some guy appears in the middle of a case- but not now. The author does an incredible job of making their friendship sweet and subtle (until a slightly sappy ending, but let's not get too down about that). It isn't overdone, and most importantly Nancy remains true to herself throughout. She isn't hanging on Eduardo the entire time, forgetting about the case, or landing herself in any trouble that only a man could save her from. She's the Nancy we know and love, but she's showing us that doesn't have to change just because there's a new guy around. It's a breath of fresh air.

Any reader could easily qualify this book as just another Nancy Drew book, in which she goes on a trip, finds herself knee-deep in yet another mystery, and is consistently targeted by criminals who want this snoopy girl detective out of the way. But I'm pointing out the differences between this and other installments because, as I've said, it wants to be so much more. Given a few hundred pages, this episode in the life of Ms. Drew could make up a full-length novel.

And that's where I come back to my main point here: in this story, I see a writer who maybe doesn't want to write Nancy Drew books for a lifetime, someone who wants to be recognized for writing good, enjoyable fiction, though they know they're just blessed to have a job. So they channel their creativity, their penchant for adventurous mystery-thrillers, into the only secure medium they have if they're going to make ends meet as a writer.

It's a tough world out there for people who just want to write- you can crank out the novels and short stories, but the chances of getting published are slim to none. If ever someone gives it a go and sticks at it despite the constant letdowns from publishers, it's not because they think they'll get published someday. It's because they love to write.

Seeing the author through their words isn't always a bad thing- and when there's only so much you can expect from a Nancy Drew book, catching onto these things and thinking about them means quite a lot. Because behind every one of these cheesy books with varying degrees of impracticality, there is someone whose dreams haven't quite been fulfilled. And the most striking part is that they understand this, they accept it, and they keep writing.

Homecoming Surprise

I've been home for a whole week, and it is heaven.
Imagine late afternoons, lying in the grass, with a book in hand and some tea and biscuits on a tray. Imagine staying up late to watch re-runs of Felicity and The X-Files. Imagine waking up at 4am to catch live World Cup games. (Before yesterday, I was fully confident that Spain had this entire tournament in the bag- and now they have to win the next two games just to go on to the next round. Words cannot express how pissed I am about that.) And lastly, imagine a surprise package in the mailbox.
When I saw it was addressed to me, I assumed it was one of the used book companies on Amazon that I had ordered textbooks from months ago, and they had finally decided to ship me the books I didn't even need anymore. For whatever reason, my sister kept hovering behind me as I made feeble attempts to tear the package open with my nails. And when I at last slit into the plastic and peeled some of it away, I was shocked to see that oh-so-familiar font on a white paperback spine...


My sister had actually gone online and ordered five paperback books as a homecoming present for me. I am still thoroughly excited that I now have five books that are fairly difficult to come across. One drawback, however...

The pre-teen girl who last owned this book just looooooovvvved hearts. So much so that she had to draw them all over one of her Nancy Drew books.
I suppose I'll just have to deal with it- point is, I have five new books to add to my list, as well as a bundle of the old hardcover books that my sister also bought for me while I was away. I am now the proud owner of:

#12 - The Message in the Hollow Oak
#14 - The Whispering Statue
#15 - The Haunted Bridge
#17 - Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk
#19 - Quest of the Missing Map
#20 - The Clue in the Jewel Box
#72 - The Haunted Carousel
#117 - Mystery on the Menu
#130 - Sign of the Falcon
#138 - Legend of the Lost Gold
#142 - The Case of Capital Intrigue

That puts my total owned at 107! Hooray for progress!

SUMMER LOVE!

I'm feeling like a bit of a hippie at the moment. And I'm pretty sure it's because the sun is consistently shining its burning rays at last, and the Spring season is no longer perforated with those random days where the sky sits back and thinks, 'Hmmph. I like being gray and pouring rain on people. I am a grumpy expanse of air and I fully intend to ruin May and June for people because I'm just so darn grumpy. Hmmph.'
Gosh darn you, gray sky!

But the point is that I am finally able to walk barefoot through the park (except in the morning when there's dew everywhere... ewww) and I can lie in the grass and sing to the birds, who fly away embittered.
In two days, I will be done with finals and- provided I don't procrastinate- my room will be all packed up, ready for me to return home for a blissful three months. And with summer comes... oh my gosh, I've been waiting for this for weeks:
FREEDOM!
That is, freedom to sleep in without missing detailed lectures or a useful chunk of study time. And of course, the freedom to read whatever the hell I want, whenever I want. You know what's coming, and I hate Predictability (it is the arch-nemesis I find myself battling most often on my frequent late-night crime-fighting sprees). So instead of talking about some random girl sleuth- who by the way has absolutely nothing to do with this blog- here's my [projected] list of summer reading:


1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

• I think re-reading this book will become a summer ritual of mine. I could go on and on about the symbolism in it, especially in the final chapters (during which I always cry- and believe me when I say it takes a lot for a book to make me cry. Movies, of course, are another matter). Thankfully, I've already gotten through about half of it over the course of this past quarter (when all the studying gets you down, nothing will heal your pain like Harry Potter will). Problem is, I'm worried I might finish it and then desperately want to read all the other books again. I'm already craving the audacity of students creating Dumbledore's Army under the snobby nose of one Dolores Umbridge. But anyhow...

2. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

• For someone who loves fashion as much as I do, I am just as shocked as everyone else by the fact that I've never read this book. And really, I can't wait to read it just because I know I'll understand even the most obscure references. Hooray me! Hopefully, I'll also find it engaging and well-written, more so than Fashion Babylon (by Imogen Edwards-Jones), which does an excellent job explaining the inner workings of the fashion industry... but my goodness, she could at least learn to write some plausible dialogue and more developed characters. And I could at least keep myself from going off on tangents whilst writing this blog.

3. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

• This is one of the many books that I started reading last summer and never finished, even though I was thoroughly enjoying it. I imagine the problem was that at the time, I was still tired out from an exhausting school year and wasn't in much of a mood for the constant switches in narrative. This time around, I'll still be tired after yet another year of studies, but I also have an insatiable thirst for good literature. Bring it on.

4. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

• Perhaps it sounds a bit morbid that I have a thing for war novels and plays (Slaughterhouse-Five, The Handmaid's Tale, Mother Courage and her Children, etc.). I can only hope that my fascination with literature critical of war will offer me insight in whatever I end up doing in life- preferably, some sort of writing, teaching, or peace work.

5. 1984 by George Orwell

• According to my high school Economics/Civil War teacher, there is one book that every young student must read at some point: 1984. Having read the first couple chapters, I already understand why. But as with The Blind Assassin, I just didn't have the drive to read such a dense book when I had just gotten out of school. Here's to giving it another try!

6. If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

• One of my many inspiring English teachers from high school- who taught an entire class on Calvino's work and contributed to the soft spot I have for this author- told me that I would have to try reading this book at least 6 or 7 times before I was able to finish it. That's why this book isn't on my list as something I wish to finish reading this summer- but I want to get through the first try. And anyhow, I'm really missing that Calvino-esque 'meta' style in his works. Perhaps I'll end up reading some of his short story collections as well.

7. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

• If there is one writer who can craft an impeccable murder mystery, it's Agatha Christie (that sort of almost rhymed, but didn't really). I first read The Clocks in 7th grade and loved it- which is remarkable considering it's one of her lesser-known works. And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and The Mirror Crack'd are some of my favourites from her- and who could deny any love for Miss Jane Marple after this profound, simple statement: 'Murder is stupid.' None could. And so I'm setting off to read what is perhaps her most classic piece.

8. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

• The story of how I came across this book is a good illustration of the nerd in me. It goes like this: I took a trip to my university's bookstore to get a book I needed for class. It doesn't take that long to walk in, find the book, buy it, and get out- but just long enough that I miss my bus and have another half an hour to wait (and walking through the monsoon-caliber weather is not a highly desirable option). On this particular occasion, I figured it couldn't hurt to peek around the bookshelves to see what people were reading for other classes. Note: people generally don't care what other classes are reading. They get their books and get out. But being the nerd that I am, I wandered dreamily along the aisles of books, inspecting any works whose spines stood out to me. And one of them was Reading Lolita in Tehran. I think the combination of 'Tehran' and 'Lolita' is what was so striking, and after reading all about it on Amazon and skimming the first chapter, I'm rather excited for this new read. As with Catch-22 and 1984, I can only hope it will lend me a significant deal of perspective as I make my way in the world.

9. Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene (as many as I can get my hands on)

• And at last, the time comes for the inevitable mention. I have a few lined up already: The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes (which I started a while back and had to put on hold, in favor of a book on Progressivism in the 1912 U.S. Presidential election); The Clue on the Silver Screen; The Bungalow Mystery; The Mystery of the Tolling Bell. Just to name a few.
  

I'm hoping that I'll be able to find many of the out-of-print paperback books on Amazon for $1 or less, although I know one was asking $15 (plus shipping cost) for a used copy. If anyone knows of an alternative to Amazon, please let me know! Borders, Barnes & Noble, Half-Price Books, and every thrift store I go to will offer me a large collection of the original hardcover books (many of which I still need) but the paperback books are hardest to find. Give me a heads' up if you have any ideas!
And as always, stay tuned :)

A Nancy Drew... Notebook?!

Every year my town holds a 'Whole Earth Festival'. It's kind of like an art festival, as a ton of people come with their merchandise (hand-made pottery and jewelry, organic clothing, ginger lemonade- which by the way isn't as good as it sounds, but at least I tried it). There are usually several spots with a stage and music of some kind, and hippies dancing all over the place. Our quiet college town turns into a sea of dreadlocks and human rights activists; perhaps these three days every year is the closest we'll ever get to looking at all like Berkeley, CA. I guess it's the thought that counts.

Anyhow, my point in writing this post is this:

Is that... it couldn't be. A Nancy Drew notebook?!
My sister pulled me over to this one booth because she thought the pottery looked cool. I had sort of had it with looking at pottery, seeing as we have more than enough at home and could only afford so many 'whole earth'-oriented things anyhow. But I spied a display of book-cover notebooks hanging in the back- Babar books, Dr. Seuss books- and had to take a look. And I pretty much flipped out when I realised there was a Nancy Drew one. Who knew!
The woman at the booth was very nice and revealed to me not just one Nancy Drew notebook, but- a gift from the gods!- an entire box of them.
I ended up buying the one I saw first (see above photo). Looking through it now, it's even cooler than I originally thought...


It's essentially a sketchbook or a journal- but with some pages from the book cut out and put in periodically.
What I think is really cool, however, is the fact that all of the books were headed to a landfill and were salvaged to make these journals. It's really sad to think someone would want to just throw out a book like that (I am a book-lover- even if you don't like it, you can easily give it to someone who would love to read it). But turning that into a creative project is just flipping awesome.
And they have a website:


I love this notebook so much that I'm advertising for you guys. (Not to mention that I bought this journal when I already have enough to last me two lifetimes.)
I recommend checking it out!

Updated List

Just a few small updates to my list. For my birthday, I received three new books (The Bungalow Mystery, The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, and The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes). I also counted a few more that have surfaced since I began this endeavor. I own nearly 100 now!

1. The Secret in the Old Clock *#
2. The Hidden Staircase *#
3. The Bungalow Mystery #
4. The Mystery at Lilac Inn *#
5. The Secret at Shadow Ranch *#
6. The Secret of Red Gate Farm #
7. The Clue in the Diary #
8. Nancy's Mysterious Letter #
9. The Sign of the Twisted Candles #
10. The Password to Larkspur Lane
11. The Clue of the Broken Locket *#
12. The Message in the Hollow Oak *
13. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm *
14. The Whispering Statue
15. The Haunted Bridge
16. The Clue of the Tapping Heels #
17. The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk *
18. The Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion
19. The Quest 0f the Missing Map *
20. The Clue in the Jewel Box *
21. The Secret in the Old Attic *#
22. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall
23. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell #
24. The Clue in the Old Album *
25. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall *
26. The Clue of the Leaning Chimney #
27. The Secret of the Wooden Lady
28. The Clue of the Black Keys
29. The Mystery at the Ski Jump
30. The Clue of the Velvet Mask
31. The Ringmaster's Secret
32. The Scarlet Slipper Mystery #
33. The Witch Tree Symbol
34. The Hidden Window Mystery *
35. The Haunted Showboat
36. The Secret of the Golden Pavilion
37. The Clue in the Old Stagecoach
38. The Mystery of the Fire Dragon
39. The Clue of the Dancing Puppet *#
40. The Moonstone Castle Mystery *
41. The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes #
42. The Phantom of Pine Hill *#
43. The Mystery of the 99 Steps *#
44. The Clue in the Crossword Cipher
45. The Spider Sapphire Mystery
46. The Invisible Intruder
47. The Mysterious Mannequin
48. The Crooked Banister
49. The Secret of Mirror Bay *#
50. The Double Jinx Mystery #
51. Mystery of the Glowing Eye *
52. The Secret of the Forgotten City
53. The Sky Phantom #
54. The Strange Message in the Parchment *#
55. Mystery of Crocodile Island
56. The Thirteenth Pearl #
57. The Triple Hoax #
58. The Flying Saucer Mystery
59. The Secret in the Old Lace
60. The Greek Symbol Mystery
61. The Swami's Ring #
62. The Kachina Doll Mystery
63. The Twin Dilemma *#
64. Captive Witness
65. Mystery of the Winged Lion
66. Race Against Time
67. The Sinister Omen
68. The Elusive Heiress *
69. Clue in the Ancient Disguise
70. The Broken Anchor *
71. The Silver Cobweb
72. The Haunted Carousel
73. Enemy Match
74. The Mysteious Image
75. The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery #
76. The Eskimo's Secret #
77. The Bluebeard Room *#
78. The Phantom of Venice *#
79. The Double Horror of Fenley Place *#
80. The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds
81. The Mardi Gras Mystery *#
82. The Clue in the Camera
83. The Case of the Vanishing Veil *#
84. The Joker's Revenge
85. The Secret of Shady Glen *#
86. The Mystery of Misty Canyon
87. The Case of the Rising Stars
88. The Search for Cindy Austin *#
89. The Case of the Disappearing Deejay
90. The Puzzle at Pineview School
91. The Girl Who Couldn't Remember *
92. The Ghost of Craven Cove *#
93. The Case of the Safecracker's Secret
94. The Picture-Perfect Mystery *
95. The Silent Suspect
96. The Case of the Photo Finish
97. The Mystery of Magnolia Mansion *#
98. The Haunting of Horse Island
99. The Secret at Seven Rocks #
100. A Secret in Time *
101. The Mystery of the Missing Millionairess *#
102. The Secret in the Dark
103. The Stranger in the Shadows *#
104. The Mystery of the Jade Tiger *#
105. The Clue in the Antique Trunk *
106. The Case of the Artful Crime #
107. The Secret of Miner's Creek
108. The Secret of the Tibetan Treasure
109. The Mystery of the Masked Rider *
110. The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery *#
111. The Secret at Solaire
112. Crime in the Queen's Court *#
113. The Secret Lost at Sea *#
114. The Search For the Silver Persian
115. The Suspect in the Smoke *#
116. The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears *#
117. Mystery on the Menu
118. Trouble at Lake Tahoe *#
119. Mystery of the Missing Mascot
120. The Case of the Floating Crime *#
121. The Fortune Teller's Secret *#
122. The Message in the Haunted Mansion *#
123. The Clue on the Silver Screen #
124. The Secret of the Scarlet Hand *
125. The Teen Model Mystery *#
126. The Riddle in the Rare Book *#
127. The Case of the Dangerous Solution *#
128. The Treasure in the Royal Tower *#
129. The Baby-Sitter Burglaries *#
130. The Sign of the Falcon
131. The Hidden Inheritance
132. The Fox Hunt Mystery *#
133. The Mystery at the Crystal Palace *#
134. The Secret of the Forgotten Cave
135. The Riddle of the Ruby Gazelle *#
136. The Wedding Day Mystery *#
137. In Search of the Black Rose *#
138. The Legend of the Lost Gold
139. The Secret of Candlelight Inn *#
140. The Door-to-Door Deception
141. The Wild Cat Crime *
142. The Case of the Capital Intrigue
143. Mystery on Maui *
144. The E-Mail Mystery *#
145. The Missing Horse Mystery *#
146. The Ghost of the Lantern Lady *#
147. The Case of the Captured Queen *#
148. On the Trail of Trouble
149. The Clue of the Gold Doubloons #
150. Mystery at Moorsea Manor *#
151. The Chocolate-Covered Contest *#
152. The Key in the Satin Pocket *#
153. Whispers in the Fog *#
154. The Legend of the Emerald Lady *#
155. The Mystery in Tornado Alley *#
156. The Secret in the Stars *#
157. The Music Festival Mystery #
158. The Curse of the Black Cat *#
159. The Secret of the Fiery Chamber *#
160. The Clue on the Crystal Dove *#
161. Lost in the Everglades *#
162. The Case of the Lost Song *#
163. The Clues Challenge *#
164. The Mystery of the Mother Wolf *#
165. The Crime Lab Case *#
166. The Case of the Creative Crime *#
167. Mystery by Moonlight *#
168. The Bike Tour Mystery *#
169. The Mistletoe Mystery *#
170. No Strings Attached *#
171. Intrigue at the Grand Opera *#
172. The Riding Club Crime *#
173. Danger on the Great Lakes *#
174. A Taste of Danger *#
175. Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland *#

* = Read (93)
# = Owned (96)

#43 - The Mystery of the 99 Steps

This is the first of the original 56 books that I'm covering. I know it sounds pathetic that it's taken me so long to read it, when it's only 30 pages longer than the paperback books. Well, I'll admit this isn't one of the most interesting ones that I've read, in terms of plot. But regarding those many 'Nancy Drew moments'- varying from the obscure motivations for pursuing a mystery to the random cliffhangers at the end of each chapter- I had quite a time reading this book.
The plot itself is a little questionable. In short, the mystery begins when a neighbor of Bess and/or George, Josette Blair, confesses to Nancy that she has been having a strange recurring dream. In said dream, she is a small child in France again, and she is blindfolded, about to fall down a flight of stairs made up of 99 steps. She also receives a message from one 'Monsieur Neuf'' (Mr. Nine in French) warning her not to speak of the 99 steps. So, in Nancy's words, the case can be summed up like this:

'It's our job to find Monsieur Neuf and where the 99 steps are, and- well, solve the mystery so poor Mrs. Blair can sleep again' (4).

Oh, Nancy. You can make a mystery out of anything if it gives you an excuse to go to France on vacay with your two besties. Certainly you'd turn down the case if it meant you were stuck in River Heights... again.
Quick notice by the way: this entire post will pretty much be a medley of quotations from the book that made me laugh. And believe me, there are a lot.
To begin with, as Nancy is telling Bess and George all about their plans and the mystery, they hear a helicopter flying dangerously low above the house....

An instant later a strong downdraft of air burst from the chimney. It sent sparks, soot, and ashes over Nancy and into the room' (5).

Dear Criminal Guy Who's Trying to Throw Nancy Off the Case:
How on Earth did you think this plan would pan out? I have to wonder, first of all, how you knew that Nancy would be in her sitting room and (more specifically) that she would be standing right beside the fireplace with a fire going. And second, if your intention was simply to spread soot and ashes all over the Drew's living room by flying low over their house in a helicopter, how was that supposed to serve as a warning to stay off the case?
For the time being, you're pretty much a failure of a criminal.

So Nancy goes to France, ignoring threats on her life, and meets with danger on her very first day while climbing a flight of stairs in the cathedral of Notre Dame:

Coming down toward her was an enormously fat woman, who blocked the entire width of the staircase. Without regard for those below her, she descended swiftly and thoughtlessly, not moving sideways to give Nancy any room.... 'S'il vous plait-' Nancy began. The fat woman paid no attention. She pushed against Nancy so hard that the girl lost her balance! She fell against Bess, who in turn dropped backward onto George. Unable to keep her balance, George desperately clawed the air! Would they all go tumbling to the bottom? (43)

Gosh, Nancy! Everyone has it out for you! Even obese strangers that have absolutely nothing to do with the case! (I'm not kidding- this woman does not appear again in the book, nor is she even mentioned once after Carson Drew catches George and saves them from falling down the stairs.) Might I also note that this is a rather crude assessment of a person's manners based on their physical appearance. Random and just plain weird.

Later, while buying some souvenirs, Nancy said, 'Look! A musical coffeepot! I'll buy it for Hannah Gruen!' (77)

Because nothing will remind her of France like a musical coffeepot will.
As the case moves on, Nancy and her friends get a nice tour of France and, miraculously, the culprit chooses Versailles as the perfect spot for one of those shady briefcase-exchange tricks with one of Carson Drew's clients, a man he has tricked into a fraud scheme. In other words, Nancy doesn't even have to veer off of her busy sightseeing schedule in order to work on the case! Seems like her suspects really know what matters most to her.
While at Versailles, George decides to take action when they've discovered that Monsieur Neuf is around, and runs to investigate a side door of the palace that was suddenly opened and then shut (I'm still not certain why that was so remarkably suspicious). But it looks like it was the culprit after all...

Just as she reached the door a man's arm shot out. In his hand was a cane with a large curved handle. Suddenly the crook of the cane reached around George's neck and she was yanked inside the building! (96)

So I know George has just been kidnapped and all, but I can't help but think- what a cartoonish way to be kidnapped! I half-expected this guy to jump out and start dancing:


And to be honest, for a Nancy Drew book that wouldn't be so unbelievable.
They do eventually find George in the palace, with the help of some police officers. And of all places, where do they find her but in King Louis' bed? Now isn't that suspicious...

'This is so ridiculous! I can't believe it actually happened!' Between gales of mirth, [George] said, 'Imagine me sleeping in King Louis XIV's bed!' (100)

And that sounded creepier than you know, George.
But speaking of Versailles and King Louis XIV, parts of this book are something of a French history lesson... albeit through awkward, robotic conversations between Nancy, Bess, and George. I have to question if these are real teenaged girls when they sit around chattering excitedly about the entire historical account of Charles VII and Joan of Arc. Most girls their age would be talking about boys- and on that subject, there's some random guy named Henri that keeps randomly popping up to help Nancy with the mystery. Oh man, Ned didn't even get the smallest mention in this book... I think I should start counting the number of times Nancy forgets about him in favor of some random foreign guy.
For much of their stay in France, Nancy and her friends stay with Josette Blair's brother and sister-in-law, the Bardots. After being away for more than a day to go sleuthing/sightseeing, the three girls return to the house to some unsettling news:

[Madame Bardot]'s voice quivered. 'My darling poodle Fifi has disappeared!.... Fifi was locked in our house and could not possibly have left it of her own accord. But somehow she has vanished!' (125)

Take note, criminals everywhere: if you want to warn Nancy Drew off the case, you'd better kidnap her best friend's neighbor's sister-in-law's pet poodle. That's sure to do the trick.

In the end, Nancy figures it all out through a heck of a lot of eavesdropping and hiding behind barrels while dangerous men make creepy remarks about their plans to take over the world. On that note (the final one I will make here) I feel that this book indicates quite a lot about the nature of orientalism in the United States. If that's not a term with which you're familiar, orientalism refers to stereotypes about people from other parts of the world, specifically the false perceptions of Eastern cultures from a Western standpoint. I'm saying this because the culprit in this book, Louis Aubert, oftentimes disguises himself as an Arab man. And the ghostwriter makes no effort to veil his 'evil nature':

Monsieur LeBlanc stepped forward and grabbed the Arab's arm... 'The gold standard of the world will tumble!'
'What does that matter?' the Arab's eyes glittered. 'Gold! Gold! All is to be gold!' he cried out, rubbing his hands gleefully (156).

In this representation, the culprit is portrayed as greedy and sinister... and just to press the point, he's dressed in Arab garb.
I realize that this book was written in 1966, yet somehow, nearly 45 years later, it serves as some indication of how skewed Western views often are in regards to Middle Eastern people. Look at what's going on now: much that region of the world is in political turmoil- but is it fair to associate 'Arab' or 'Muslim' or 'Middle Eastern' with evil plots that will throw the rest of the world into financial ruin? The worst part is that (as I've noted) this was first published over forty years ago, re-published in 1994, and yet it still applies to a force of close-mindedness and stereotypes that much of the Western world doesn't even know it's living under.
I'm getting very political here and I might be pissing people off, so I'll end this post here. But do let me make one distinction: if you thought I was the Nancy Drew everyone knows from after the 1959 revisions (when the original books were edited to turn Nancy into a polite debutante), you weren't quite right. I don't mean to turn people off from reading this blog due to a possibly offensive liberal mindset, but I fully intend to stay true to the gutsy, opinionated girl detective of the original books. If that bothers you, I'm sorry. But unlike Nancy Drew, I'm not going to tone it down when I see such blaring indications of what needs to be changed in our society.