Litsy

Nancy Drew 17: Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk | Carolyn Keene

This post contains spoilers

4. Nancy faints in this one (I think in both 1940 and 1976)! We also find George in the infirmary (at least in 1976) and a meteor (also 1976) rocks the ship. I read the 1976, and it just seemed more convoluted than other story lines (but I am still secretly miffed we don't know why Nancy visited the Netherlands).

What did you think of the adventures in this book? Any standouts? #NancyDrewBR

bookandbedandtea The 1976 version has the meteor (🤣), the attempted mugging of the ship's captain, a young boy in desperate need of supervision, the girl's stateroom being searched, and Nancy and Nelda being thrown overboard. It was wildly action packed! 3w

DGRachel I think we all know how I feel about the meteor. 🤣🤣 I did rather enjoy the girls getting locked in the hold. Nancy and Nelda getting thrown overboard was wild. A lot happened and I think maybe too much. 3w

DGRachel Also, I remember thinking “Nancy Drew doesn‘t faint!” Little me was offended. 🤣🤣 3w

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Ruthiella @DGRachel I loved the meteor if only because it still LITERALLY makes me laugh until my eyes water. 😂 It was so bizarre! I feel like, so far this is the title most likely to have been written by an actual 10 year old. 😆 3w

DebinHawaii As crazy as the meteor was in 76 & how convoluted the plot was, I found 40 even more so (which could be because I read it last) but there was no meteor at least. @DGRachel in 1940 Nancy got a serious knock on the head #NNK while locked in a store then while trying to escape after, passed out for several hours until 3AM, before she makes her way back to where she is staying & then pretty much just gets on with her day. The noggin is tough! 😂🤕😂 3w

CogsOfEncouragement This is another one that felt convoluted to me. Bits of peril sprinkled haphazardly through the story like in a couple other mysteries we've already read. When Chapter One had Nancy almost fall in the ocean for no good reason before the ship set sail I was afraid that was going to be the case.

The meteor? What? Just...what?

Being thrown overboard? Swimming in freezing open water, but then not needing much rest? Huh? 3w

dabbe @Ruthiella Maybe it was Bobby. 🤔🤣🤩 3w

dabbe WTH was the meteor even there for? Just to shake things up? And afterwards they pretty much dust themselves off and go about their business.

And, you can't even tell us why they're on this cruise but you devote time to a meteor? 😳 3w

bookandbedandtea @dabbe Right!? A couple lines about what they were doing in Europe (we know they had been in Switzerland where Nancy did some swimsuit shopping but I don't think anything else was mentioned) would have been appreciated! 3w

Bookwormjillk In the 1940 version Nancy got struck by lightning pretty early on too. Or maybe a tree branch hit her when it got struck by lightning? I wasn‘t really sure. 3w

Sace @Ruthiella ME TOO! It‘s probably the number one reason that this was a pick for me. 🤣 3w

Sace Have we all forgotten the dead rat between the trunks (1976)?What was that all about? There‘s was definitely a lot of random “peril”, but it made me laugh. 3w

MariaW I wanted to check the unlikely event of meteor hitting a ship and it actually happened, once in 1648 and another time in 1908. 🙈 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX19080429.2.37 What are the odds? A likely event to happen to Nancy Drew! 🤦‍♀️ (edited) 3w

kwmg40 The meteor was definitely bewildering. What really made me laugh were the cartoonish illustrations of the girls in peril in my 1976 edition. 2w

Librarybelle OMG the dead rat, @Sace ! I think I said “eww” out loud. The meteor is the most bizarre episode I think we saw, though it‘s odd that Nancy is struck by lightning or a tree branch struck by lightning in the 1940 edition, @Bookwormjillk ! @bookandbedandtea @DGRachel @Ruthiella @DebinHawaii @CogsOfEncouragement @dabbe @MariaW @kwmg40 2w

Ruthiella @MariaW Thanks for doing the research. 😃 2w

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DebinHawaii

Nancy Drew 17: Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk (Revised) | Carolyn Keene

pick

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

So I‘m not sure why I felt I needed to read both the 1940 & the 1976 versions for #NancyDrewBR but I did. My library only has the latter version but I found the 1940 versions online, free to download & read it the other night. Although they both feature brass-bound trunks, ocean liners & stolen jewelry, they are pretty different. I liked 1976 slightly better (Nancy George & Bess cruise from Holland to New York & end up⬇️

DieAReader, Librarybelle, Andrew65, TheSpineView

DebinHawaii … caught up in a mystery along with their cabin mate Nelda Detweiler from SouthAfrica. In the 1940 version the 3 are on a ship to Buenos Aries with a cat, no less & a new friend named Nestrelda. I felt like the 1940 version was much more random with too many characters & a very flippant Carson Drew. I didn‘t love either version & only remembered a bit of the 1970s story making me think it wasn‘t a reread favorite of my childhood. Spoiler alert ⬇️ 4w

DebinHawaii … about concussions in both: In the 1976 version, George gets knocked on head pretty hard & ends up in the infirmary. In the 1940 version Nancy gets knocked on the head even harder & passes out “for a long while” & then faints again later on, saying the blow “must have been worse than she thought!”🤕😱 Yikes! So if we go by the 1940 version it makes 7/17 on the Nancy Noggin Knockout counter or #NNK. 🤷🏻‍♀️ ⬇️ (edited) 4w

DebinHawaii … Okay, I oversimplified it all butI look forward to the discussion on 3/15 to see what others thought. Here‘s a link to the 1940 version: https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20210625 (edited) 4w

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Librarybelle That‘s so awesome you read both! Yay!! 4w

DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 4w

DebinHawaii @Librarybelle I wanted to go to South America! 😉 4w

TheSpineView Great job! Kudos for reading both versions 👏 4w

Andrew65 Excellent 🎉🎊🎉 Above and beyond the call of duty to read both versions. 3w

bookandbedandtea I read the 1976 version but still definitely take advantage of your link to read the other one! 3w

52 likes9 comments

DebinHawaii

Nancy Drew 15: The Haunted Bridge | Carolyn Keene

pick

#Read2025 #JumpStart2025 #SeriesLove2025

I finished Book 15 for #NancyDrewBR last night & while this is a milder one in terms of the action, it was not bad. Nancy, her father, Bess & George are at a lodge while Mr. Drew investigates a jewel theft ring with Nancy‘s help—when she isn‘t playing in a semi-pro golf tournament (is there anything Nanners isn‘t a pro at?!?) or investigating a haunted bridge. No head injuries (instead it‘s a hand) & so ⬇️

DieAReader, Lizpixie, Librarybelle, Andrew65, TheSpineView

DebinHawaii … our #NancyNogginKnockout counter (the #NNK )is now 5/15. On the other hand Bess was introduced as blond & pretty without the plump! 🎉 (Although there was a comment that she liked to eat worked in.) ☹️ Also the Bess & George giving Nancy a massage scene was pretty funny. I‘m excited for Book 16 which was a favorite of mine growing up probably because of the slightly creepy cat cover. 😼 (edited) 3mo

Lizpixie Nice job👍 3mo

Sace There was a plump thrown in for one of the characters though…was it one of the golf opponents? 3mo

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kspenmoll Love your review! How about the 3 he-man friends ( with a little jealousy on Ned‘s part) rebuilding a bridge!!!!!! 3mo

Librarybelle Yes, @Sace …I think it related to one of the golf competitors. So glad you liked this one, @DebinHawaii ! 3mo

TheSpineView Well done! 3mo

DebinHawaii @Sace @Librarybelle Good point! I think it was Nancy‘s second opponent described that way but at least not Bess for once! 3mo

DebinHawaii @kspenmoll Yes, Ned & “the boys” have lots of special skills too! 😆 3mo

Sace @DebinHawaii What‘s sad is I didn‘t even notice! She‘s always described that way so I‘m surprised it didn‘t even register! 3mo

DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 3mo

Andrew65 Excellent 📚👏🥳 3mo

73 likes11 comments

Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 14: The Whispering Statue | Carolyn Keene

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1. This month's book has two different versions again:

The original 1937 edition features a whispering statue that resembles Nancy and Nancy's investigation in locating a client's estranged husband.

The 1970 edition also has a whispering statue that looks like Nancy, but Nancy investigates a swindle taking place involving her client and rare books.

Which edition did you read? Overall thoughts on the book? #NancyDrewBR

kwmg40 I finished the 1937 edition, which I liked overall, even though I found the secondary characters rather exaggerated.. There were aspects that made it feel quite dated, especially the part where it cost Nancy $5 to have the bumper on her car repaired. 4mo

CogsOfEncouragement I thought the 1970 edition was a fun ND caper with her friends there to help, including a devoted Ned. A huge falling book NOT hitting her in the head was a nice touch for those of us keeping track of such things. 4mo

BarkingMadRead I have the 1937 version, which was pretty decent overall. 4mo

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Ruthiella I read the 1970 version as evidenced by the use of the word “groovy” twice! 😂 This was quite action packed and as usual, the two mysteries turn out to be related. 4mo

Ruthiella @kwmg40 In the 1970 version, Ned notes that the price tag of $28 for a rare first edition is quite high! I googled it and that would be around $250 in today‘s US dollar value. 4mo

Bookwormjillk @Ruthiella I also read the groovy 1970 edition 4mo

MariaW My ebook was the 1970 version as well. 4mo

DebinHawaii Yep, 1970s for me too. @CogsOfEncouragement I really thought it would be one for the #NNK counter! 😉 4mo

dabbe 1970s version, too, which I enjoyed a lot more than the previous IVORY CHARM book. #oy! 4mo

TheAromaofBooks I read the 1970 edition - it felt like the statue and the books plotlines tied together pretty well!! 4mo

Sace I read the 70s version. I felt like the two mysteries worked better than some of the other books with two mysteries. 4mo

Bren912 I read the 1970‘s version but now want to read about finding the estranged husband! 3mo

10 likes12 comments

DebinHawaii

Nancy Drew 14: The Whispering Statue | Carolyn Keene

pick

#ReadAway2024 #SeriesLove2024

I finished book 14 for NancyDrewBR last week Sunday but didn‘t get a chance to post. In this one, Nancy & her posse of Bess & George are solving 2 mysteries, one where a client of Mr. Drew is concerned she is being swindled on the the books she is selling through a dealer & another mystery of a statue (it whispers & looks like Nancy!) stolen years before from a yacht club. So off to Waterford on the coast they go! ⬇️

DieAReader, Librarybelle, Andrew65, TheSpineView, GHABI4ROSES

DebinHawaii … The most interesting things here are that Nancy goes undercover with a wig & glasses as “Debbie Lynbrook” since even before they get to Waterford they are threatened on the phone & by 2 burly masked men who come to the Drew‘s house. I like that George tosses one in a judo hold. Go George! 💪🏼🎉 There‘s a good amount of action in this one & the usual implausibilities of crime-solving with Nancy/Debbie, but no concussions for Nancy or anyone ⬇️ (edited) 4mo

DebinHawaii … else either. (Bess gets knocked off a sailboat by a boom & into the water but isn‘t knocked out) so our #NancyNogginKnockout counter, the #NNK is at 5/14. Maybe not my favorite overall, but I liked this one better than the last 2. (edited) 4mo

Ruthiella I liked that one of her possible pseudonym‘s was Carrie Fisher! 😂 4mo

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DebinHawaii @Ruthiella Me too! 😂 4mo

TheSpineView Awesome! 4mo

Librarybelle I‘ve not started yet, but this sounds much better than our last one! 4mo

Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏 4mo

DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 4mo

41 likes8 comments

DebinHawaii

Nancy Drew 13: The Mystery of the Ivory Charm | Carolyn Keene

so-so

#ReadAway2024 #SeriesLove2024

Finished earlier in the week for #NancyDrewBR & I will echo what seems to be most of the group & say this was my least favorite so far of the books. Very disjointed plot & downright weird in spots, I don‘t remember reading this one as a child (I think there are some gaps in my Nancy Drew reading). There were no noggin knockouts for Nancy & the #NNK counter but a side character got smacked over the head really hard ⬇️

DieAReader, Librarybelle, Andrew65, TheSpineView, GHABI4ROSES

DebinHawaii … & once they got him awake with “stimulants” & decided he was “OK” they left him in care of a young boy & he went to go sleep it off upstairs. Yikes! 🤕😳 #ConcussionCareNancyDrewStyle (edited) 5mo

Librarybelle Love the hashtag! 5mo

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 5mo

Sace @DebinHawaii 😂 5mo

TheSpineView Awesome! 5mo

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Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 13: The Mystery of the Ivory Charm | Carolyn Keene

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5. Tunnels, elephants and monkeys gone wild...we have a few instances of Nancy in danger. The professor (at least in 1974) gets clobbered over the head. What did you think of the suspenseful situations in this one?

Personally, I thought the whole story was weak. Even as a young reader, I don't think this would be a favorite of mine. #NancyDrewBR

BarkingMadRead He gets clobbered in 1937 as well, I thought that a lot of the events seemed convenient in this one, and the spacey chick really annoyed me. 5mo

Bookwormjillk Yup, took a big hit in 1937 and Coya stopped breathing twice. I agree I don't think I would have liked this as a kid either. 5mo

DGRachel I was disappointed that there was no #NNK in this one. The extent of George‘s injuries in the house was troubling to me, although she recovered quickly (oh to be 18 and fictional…) 5mo

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kwmg40 It surprised me that someone else got knocked on the head in this one! 5mo

MariaW I think there has been more suspense than the things mentioned above. Okay, there was that grave and heavy impact, but they are still there. George gets herself buried under a mirror, Mrs Allison faints, Rishi alsmost strangles himself, Peter Putham‘s dog attacks the girls, he himself gets locked up and Mrs Allison tries to drown herself. For me it doesn‘t have to be bloody all the time. 🩸🩸🩸 (edited) 5mo

DebinHawaii I was worried about them crawling through collapsed tunnels & Carson basically pushing Nancy through the hole to get through. It did seem like prime time for a #NNK And the professors knock out & leaving Rishi with him with him going upstairs to sleep off the head wound that I mentioned in an earlier comment. 🤯😳🤕 5mo

Ruthiella I also noticed that Nancy administered quite a bit of nebulous first aid in this one where a medical professional would have been better called for. 5mo

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Librarybelle

Nancy Drew 12: The Message in the Hollow Oak | Carolyn Keene

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5. Every month, we talk about the dangers and adventures that Nancy and her friends face. The 1972 edition had a goat hit Nancy‘s head (not a danger per se, but an unexpected moment). I shuddered when Nancy fell into the quarry.

Any standout episodes for you in the book? #NancyDrewBR

Sace The car flipping over in the river was a little shocking. 6mo

DGRachel I was disappointed the goat didn‘t actually knock her out. I was all excited to add to the #NNK count. The fall into the quarry was terrifying and I did not expect the car flip, either. 6mo

DGRachel Oh! I nearly forgot about George‘s fall of the boat between the barges. That was just as scary as Nancy falling into the quarry. I hope these kids are up to date on tetanus shots! 6mo

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Ruthiella OMG, I thought of all the things you can contract from pools of water! Polio! Giardiasis! Typhoid fever! 🤢 6mo

Bookwormjillk The train wreck in the 1935 edition was pretty thrilling. There was also a scene when Nancy flirted with a guy to get a key to a shack. I'm not sure 1960's 1970's Nancy would have done that. 6mo

dabbe Nancy being stuck on the elevator flipped me out. 😱 6mo

CogsOfEncouragement Yes, all good points. One other thing I got hung up on in this story was they don't seem all that worried about Bob. They take care of other errands, etc instead of focussing on finding him. Rude! Then when they find him after days of foul treatment, instead of feeding him & cleaning him up & allowing him to rest, he & Burt are in charge of driving the kidnappers to the authorities. @dabbe @Ruthiella @DGRachel @Sace @Bookwormjillk 6mo

DGRachel @dabbe I‘d forgotten about the elevator but to be honest, that part kind of cracked me up with her being shocked at the new fangled self service elevator. Of course it gets stuck between floors. 😂 6mo

DGRachel @CogsOfEncouragement Poor Bob. 😂 6mo

Ruthiella @CogsOfEncouragement Bob was remarkably unscathed by the ordeal! 😂 6mo

Sace @DGRachel oh yeah! That was seriously dangerous! 6mo

Sace @CogsOfEncouragement 🤣 excellent point! 6mo

dabbe @DGRachel That's the part that flipped me out. I kept thinking of the opening scene in the movie SPEED. 😂 6mo

kwmg40 I thought there was much more danger and excitement in the 1935 story, from the train wreck early in the book to Nancy setting off explosives at the end. 6mo

lauraisntwilder These incidents normally seem important to the plot, but a giant log flew through the window while they ate dinner and they just cleaned it up and went on with the weird plot of Art being jealous. What was the point of Nancy getting stuck in the elevator?? I normally enjoy the silliness of these books, but this one didn't work for me. 6mo

mrp27 The car flip flipped me out. What?! You just flip it back over and drive away?! Also George falling in the water was scary. 5mo

MariaW I wondered whether the „new“ elevator being stuck is some sort of hidden criticism regarding new technology. And the moment the entered the quarry suspecting something might be hidden at the bottom of the lake, it was clear that somewhat would somehow have to check it. I just did not expect it to be an accident. I have to say I am becoming somewhat inured to the dangers now because they all end well and/or seem to repeat themselves. 5mo

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DGRachel

Nancy Drew 12: The Message in the Hollow Oak | Carolyn Keene

pick

I‘m giving this one a pick with serious reservations. The mystery itself, finding an unknown object in an unknown oak tree, was fun. The desecration of Native American burial grounds? Not so much. I‘m also pretty anti-angst in most of what I read, so the jealousy subplot was annoying and the damage to old oak trees was heartbreaking to read. I also think we should add at least a 1/2 count to #NNK thanks to the goat. 😂 #nancydrewbr

Librarybelle

Librarybelle I think we should add 1/2 too! 6mo

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