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Mystery of the Haunted Pool
A string of carved wooden beads... A ship captain's log... A strange face that appears-then disappears at the bottom of a pool. What is the secret of the old sea captain's mansion? Susan Price and her brother, Adam, unravel the clues to a century-old mystery.. and discover a fortune.
220 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1960
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About the author
Phyllis A. Whitney
191 books568 followersPhyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 – 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 28, 2016
Like many of the reviewers I first read Ms. Whitney as a young adult and was happy to find this copy and pick it up for some leisurely summer reading. I do take a bit of umbrage at the reviewers who try to paint this book with the social brush of today. Any work is a product of its times and should be judged in that context.
To that end this book, which won an Edgar Award for juvenile mystery, is smooth, pleasant read. Ms. Whitney develops her characters well and paints an enchanting setting. It does deal with gender roles, disability, financial hard times, and aging, all from the lens of a young girl.
Although there are clear gender roles (the women do all the food preparation, for example), that was the norm in 1960 to set it otherwise would have made it difficult to relate to the intended audience. However, there is nothing the protagonist, Susan, does not do or is prohibited from because she is a girl. Also Gene's disability is treated, again inside the context of the time, with compassion and empathy and some amount of empowerment.
I am still looking for a copy of the first Whitney mystery I read, Mystery on the Isle of Skye. Whitney writes well and this mild read was a welcome change from the much more "in your face" work of more contemporary writers. Recommended if you want a quiet nostalgic well-written read.
To that end this book, which won an Edgar Award for juvenile mystery, is smooth, pleasant read. Ms. Whitney develops her characters well and paints an enchanting setting. It does deal with gender roles, disability, financial hard times, and aging, all from the lens of a young girl.
Although there are clear gender roles (the women do all the food preparation, for example), that was the norm in 1960 to set it otherwise would have made it difficult to relate to the intended audience. However, there is nothing the protagonist, Susan, does not do or is prohibited from because she is a girl. Also Gene's disability is treated, again inside the context of the time, with compassion and empathy and some amount of empowerment.
I am still looking for a copy of the first Whitney mystery I read, Mystery on the Isle of Skye. Whitney writes well and this mild read was a welcome change from the much more "in your face" work of more contemporary writers. Recommended if you want a quiet nostalgic well-written read.
March 22, 2019
A pleasant enough mystery from 1960. Susan (who is about 12, not the teenager depicted on the cover) arrives at a small town on the Hudson river, to stay with an aunt, and over the course of the summer, puzzles out a local seafaring family's secret. The story I found unremarkable, although I probably would have enjoyed it had I come across it as a child. What I did like was the local color of the Hudson Highlands setting. The author explains in an afterword that she based her fictional town on Fort Montgomery, which is near Bear Mountain. After reading the book I went on a virtual tour of "Highland Crossing" (thank you google earth), and saw that the "Old Oak," which in the story is an antique store run Susan's aunt, still stands, but now looks like it's a restaurant of the same name. Even better, the literal old oak tree is still there as well. However, the white towered firehouse in a converted school building seems to have bitten the dust. It would be nice to know if the Teague mansion was also based on a real house, but I didn't spot any likely candidates.
October 4, 2014
Recently I'd been wracking my brains to remember some of the mysteries I had enjoyed as a kid. When I spied this in the Crown Books bargain bin, I immediately recognized it as one of them and bought it.
I had forgotten the solution to the mystery, so it was fun to reread, and I appreciated the author's craft much more so than I did then. The strength of the book is that the mystery was built into experiences that ordinary kids could have in a summer spent in a quaint historic village. No magic is needed, so superhuman feats of strength, no blood, gore or sensational gimmicks, yet you want to know what is going on.
1960 is a lifetime away from now, so in some ways this book is a time capsule about a less complicated time when children ran free-range through summer and when communities were smaller and more unique. Though even when I read it, the lifestyle it showed was quite exotic and beyond my experience: Upstate New York, aunts with antique shops, sea captains. I think girls with multiple siblings will likely enjoy the main character because so often the heroines of books are orphans, first borns, princesses, exceptional in some way--her relationships with boys seem like they came from the author's personal knowledge or careful observation. There's a matter-of-factness about all the characters that rings true.
January 4, 2020
Susan Price leaves New York City at the beginning of summer vacation and journeys up the Hudson River to the little town of Highland Crossing owns an antique shop. Susan's father is ill and need of a country home to recuperate and her Aunt Edith has been trying to convince Captain Dan Teague to let her and the Price family move into his big house. Captain Dan is in need of money, but he and his grandson are reluctant to lose the family home. It's hoped that Captain Dan will take a liking to Susan and be persuaded to rent his house.
In addition to being interested in all the odd antiques in her aunt's shop, Susan becomes interested in some of the unusual people in the village, including a middle-aged spinster who wears the most unusual clothes and Captain Dan's grandson Gene who must wear a brace on his leg and has a huge chip on his shoulder. Miss Altoona, the oddly clothed spinster, is most insistent that she must buy a barrel of books Aunt Edith has been given by Captain Dan to sell and then later Susan finds Miss Altoon hiding in the underbrush keeping watch on the Teague house.
When Captain Dan finally agrees to let his house to the Prices, the mystery really heats up. On the first night that she and her aunt sleep in the house Susan hears strange noises, The two investigate and find an open window....and ominous signs on the living room floor. The most frightening thing for Susan is the face she sees in a pool on the grounds. A face that stares up at her through the water and then disappears.
Susan's brother joins her in Highland Crossing. Together, the two of them win Gene's trust and then the three of them learn that there are clues to a Teague family secret hidden one of Gene's ancestor's captain's log...and a secret room--but not before a fire in Miss Altoona's house ironically sets everything right.
I read Phyllis A. Whitney when I was on my romance/romantic suspense kick back in my teen years. I discovered her brooding, handsome heroes and damsels in distress at the same time I was reading Victoria Holt and others in the gothic line. I never knew that she wrote straight juvenile mysteries--which is a shame because I would have enjoyed them when I was young.
This is a fine example of the mysteries of the time--simple, straight-forward stories in a nice small-town setting. Whitney's descriptions of people and settings are always excellent, whether in her adult suspense or in this mystery aimed at the younger crowd. she gives a real sense of the small town of Highland Crossing and sets the stage for low-key suspense. I enjoyed the characters of Susan and her aunt--and Susan's interactions with Gene as she tries to break through his defensive shell. The mystery wasn't difficult, but one doesn't really expect intricate puzzles in juvenile mysteries.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
In addition to being interested in all the odd antiques in her aunt's shop, Susan becomes interested in some of the unusual people in the village, including a middle-aged spinster who wears the most unusual clothes and Captain Dan's grandson Gene who must wear a brace on his leg and has a huge chip on his shoulder. Miss Altoona, the oddly clothed spinster, is most insistent that she must buy a barrel of books Aunt Edith has been given by Captain Dan to sell and then later Susan finds Miss Altoon hiding in the underbrush keeping watch on the Teague house.
When Captain Dan finally agrees to let his house to the Prices, the mystery really heats up. On the first night that she and her aunt sleep in the house Susan hears strange noises, The two investigate and find an open window....and ominous signs on the living room floor. The most frightening thing for Susan is the face she sees in a pool on the grounds. A face that stares up at her through the water and then disappears.
Susan's brother joins her in Highland Crossing. Together, the two of them win Gene's trust and then the three of them learn that there are clues to a Teague family secret hidden one of Gene's ancestor's captain's log...and a secret room--but not before a fire in Miss Altoona's house ironically sets everything right.
I read Phyllis A. Whitney when I was on my romance/romantic suspense kick back in my teen years. I discovered her brooding, handsome heroes and damsels in distress at the same time I was reading Victoria Holt and others in the gothic line. I never knew that she wrote straight juvenile mysteries--which is a shame because I would have enjoyed them when I was young.
This is a fine example of the mysteries of the time--simple, straight-forward stories in a nice small-town setting. Whitney's descriptions of people and settings are always excellent, whether in her adult suspense or in this mystery aimed at the younger crowd. she gives a real sense of the small town of Highland Crossing and sets the stage for low-key suspense. I enjoyed the characters of Susan and her aunt--and Susan's interactions with Gene as she tries to break through his defensive shell. The mystery wasn't difficult, but one doesn't really expect intricate puzzles in juvenile mysteries.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
May 17, 2024
This wonderful and fun mystery won the Edgar Award for best juvenile mystery in 1961. I can see why. Whitney had a unique gift in writing for young people.
Enter the world of Susan Price, a sprightly twelve-year-old with a heart as vast as the Hudson River that winds through the sleepy town she now calls home. Sent to sojourn with her aunt amidst the creaking timbers of a weathered house, Susan becomes entangled in a web of secrets, woven into the very fabric of her newfound abode. With her keen eye for human connections, she bridges the chasm between hearts, navigating the labyrinthine trails of friendship.
The tapestry of Whitney's narrative is not merely woven with the threads of suspense and intrigue. It is adorned with pearls of wisdom, strung delicately amidst the prose like treasures hidden in plain sight.
“One of the toughest things for most any human being to learn is how to live inside his own skin and like it. Some of the time we all want to be what we aren’t. I guess part of growing up is finding out who we are and then going all out to do the best we can with what we have.”
“It’s a weak, useless thing to cry over spilt milk. When a thing’s done, a man goes on from there and does what he has to do. He doesn’t keep blaming himself for what’s past, when blame won’t help. It’s only what he does today and in the future that matters.”
And oh, the atmosphere! Thick as the fog that blankets the river at dawn, it envelops the reader like a lover's embrace, drawing them ever deeper into the heart of the mystery.
“The hour of midnight came and the cuckoo clock called the hour in the silent house. Outside, a few clouds rode the sky, driven like sheep before the wind. At a moment when the moon’s face was covered by white fleece, the branches of the weeping birch tree stirred and parted. A shadowy figure emerged from hiding and moved toward the house.”
Then there’s wonderful passages like this:
“Every old house is haunted. And ought to be. Haunted by memories of the people who lived and died there, and the things that happened within its walls. An old house has to know death as well as life, Susan. The sad thing would be an old house that wasn’t haunted because there was no one left to remember those who had gone before, or to tell stories about them.”
But Whitney is not content to merely entertain; she educates, enlightens, and empowers her young readers with timeless lessons. Through Susan's journey, we learn not only the importance of fire safety but also the value of resilience, compassion, and self-discovery.
With its superb writing, colorful characters, vivid atmosphere, and mystery, this is a gem for readers young and old.
Enter the world of Susan Price, a sprightly twelve-year-old with a heart as vast as the Hudson River that winds through the sleepy town she now calls home. Sent to sojourn with her aunt amidst the creaking timbers of a weathered house, Susan becomes entangled in a web of secrets, woven into the very fabric of her newfound abode. With her keen eye for human connections, she bridges the chasm between hearts, navigating the labyrinthine trails of friendship.
The tapestry of Whitney's narrative is not merely woven with the threads of suspense and intrigue. It is adorned with pearls of wisdom, strung delicately amidst the prose like treasures hidden in plain sight.
“One of the toughest things for most any human being to learn is how to live inside his own skin and like it. Some of the time we all want to be what we aren’t. I guess part of growing up is finding out who we are and then going all out to do the best we can with what we have.”
“It’s a weak, useless thing to cry over spilt milk. When a thing’s done, a man goes on from there and does what he has to do. He doesn’t keep blaming himself for what’s past, when blame won’t help. It’s only what he does today and in the future that matters.”
And oh, the atmosphere! Thick as the fog that blankets the river at dawn, it envelops the reader like a lover's embrace, drawing them ever deeper into the heart of the mystery.
“The hour of midnight came and the cuckoo clock called the hour in the silent house. Outside, a few clouds rode the sky, driven like sheep before the wind. At a moment when the moon’s face was covered by white fleece, the branches of the weeping birch tree stirred and parted. A shadowy figure emerged from hiding and moved toward the house.”
Then there’s wonderful passages like this:
“Every old house is haunted. And ought to be. Haunted by memories of the people who lived and died there, and the things that happened within its walls. An old house has to know death as well as life, Susan. The sad thing would be an old house that wasn’t haunted because there was no one left to remember those who had gone before, or to tell stories about them.”
But Whitney is not content to merely entertain; she educates, enlightens, and empowers her young readers with timeless lessons. Through Susan's journey, we learn not only the importance of fire safety but also the value of resilience, compassion, and self-discovery.
With its superb writing, colorful characters, vivid atmosphere, and mystery, this is a gem for readers young and old.
May 10, 2010
I LOVE this book! Although it has been a while since I last read the story (in the sixties), I can find myself NOT forgeting the storyline even till this day.
I loved how the main character, Susan, held up in the story. The storyline is so solid, I never lost interest in the story. From page 1 till the last, I really enjoyed how reading it, never getting enough!
The ending is so cool..... won't tell you how it ended, but I can tell you, you'll love it!
Anyway, if you want to talk about the book, email me, okay?
Allen
P.S. Hmmmm..... I may read the story again!
I loved how the main character, Susan, held up in the story. The storyline is so solid, I never lost interest in the story. From page 1 till the last, I really enjoyed how reading it, never getting enough!
The ending is so cool..... won't tell you how it ended, but I can tell you, you'll love it!
Anyway, if you want to talk about the book, email me, okay?
Allen
P.S. Hmmmm..... I may read the story again!
October 17, 2023
I LOVED this little mystery and will be thinking about the characters for a long time! What a masterful suspense writer Phyllis Whitney was, to make such an impression in 2023 to an adult with her YA mystery published in 1960!
August 18, 2011
This is a pretty tame children's mystery on the surface. There are a lot of really quaint little lessons aimed at younger kids: what to do about fires, how to use a library, and the like. Not so quaint is the constant insistance that women and girls should leave the "action" to the men.
Susan, the main character, never does anything herself. She gets very confused and lets her imagination run wild, but when it comes to actually solving any mysteries, her brother Adam swoops in near the end and does all the work. She behaves the way the 60's told her to, and makes sure the readers--all girls, of course--know what their places are.
The story was well-written, but hard to enjoy. If the gender roles had been in the background as a side-effect of the time period I might have been able to get over it, but this book comes off as a manual for obedient girls.
Susan, the main character, never does anything herself. She gets very confused and lets her imagination run wild, but when it comes to actually solving any mysteries, her brother Adam swoops in near the end and does all the work. She behaves the way the 60's told her to, and makes sure the readers--all girls, of course--know what their places are.
The story was well-written, but hard to enjoy. If the gender roles had been in the background as a side-effect of the time period I might have been able to get over it, but this book comes off as a manual for obedient girls.
October 16, 2013
It is often fun to return to books enjoyed as a young reader, though the novels do not necessarily stand up to modern-day scrutiny. I found re-reading this Phyllis Whitney a pleasure. Though parts of the tale were a bit quaint for modern readers, Whitney's description, character development, nods to other authors and general cultural information hold up very well. Despite being labeled a "junior" novel, we had a lively discussion in our mystery group. Young adult literature continues to evolve and some credit should be given to Phyllis Whitney and her peers as pioneers of their day.
June 20, 2018
I read this as a young girl and absolutely adored it. It's a fun mystery featuring a creepy house, a clipper ship and a sea captain. Rereading it for fun, I didn't find it as interesting as I did as a young girl. However, this is still a good book. It's a quick read. What I love about Phyllis Whitney is that she transports you to different places. In this case, you're transported to a sea captain's house.
December 13, 2010
I read this because the author passed away a few months ago, and this book had won the Edgar Allan Poe award - in 1961! It is the sort of book where girls where white gloves, straw hats, and petticoats, men fight fires while women go to the firehouse to prepare coffee and sandwiches, and people have a "casserole concoction" for dinner. A much simpler time!
January 28, 2014
This was adorable. Obviously a kid's book, but my mom grew up across the street from the Old Oak in Fort Montgomery (the inspiration for Highland Crossing), so it was a lot of fun to read and be able to perfectly imagine the setting. Super cute little story.
July 17, 2014
Found this at the local TRANSFER STATION. I picked it up because it looked old - 1960 in fact. As a kid I used to buy a lot of books(boy stuff) from Scholastic Book Services. I tried to get access to their early catalogs(no luck) from the years I was ordering so I could have a trip down memory lane - Casey Jr. High School in Boulder - 1958-60 - seventh and eight grade English classes: Mrs. Robinson and Miss Inman.
I can't resist reading this quickie YA book from 50 years ago. It seems so "innocent". Pretty engaging so far. Small problem! The girl on the cover has blue eyes while the girl in the book has brown eyes... OOPS!
Now finished with a rather brief mystery. The whole wrap-up was a bit simplistic and hokey but typical for the genre and the "time". Hard to believe that the maguffin at the end was entrusted to whatever rope/string was holding it around the neck of Sarah while she plunged into the waves! I kind of figured out that part in advance, by the way as the jacket blurbs give too much away. 2.75* rounds up to 3*
I forgot to mention that the author is very good at providing pungent physical descriptions of the summer setting of the story: nature, weather, human culture/infrastructure etc.
I can't resist reading this quickie YA book from 50 years ago. It seems so "innocent". Pretty engaging so far. Small problem! The girl on the cover has blue eyes while the girl in the book has brown eyes... OOPS!
Now finished with a rather brief mystery. The whole wrap-up was a bit simplistic and hokey but typical for the genre and the "time". Hard to believe that the maguffin at the end was entrusted to whatever rope/string was holding it around the neck of Sarah while she plunged into the waves! I kind of figured out that part in advance, by the way as the jacket blurbs give too much away. 2.75* rounds up to 3*
I forgot to mention that the author is very good at providing pungent physical descriptions of the summer setting of the story: nature, weather, human culture/infrastructure etc.
Read
June 10, 2009Omygosh! I remember reading this! I did not know it was a Phyllis Whitney. She has been one of my favorite authors since I was in high school. I read this probably around the sixth grade. Bought it through the scholastic books book club and lost it when we moved. I've looked for it to read again but never knew who the author was. Now that I know, I'm going to have to read it again!
December 28, 2017
Cute quick tween read. The mystery is entertaining without being a murder mystery
Auryns review:
my favorite part was when the wooden person was reuturned to the rightful owner. My least favorite part was when the house that the wooden person was in burned a bit.
Auryns review:
my favorite part was when the wooden person was reuturned to the rightful owner. My least favorite part was when the house that the wooden person was in burned a bit.
September 13, 2010
See Quicksilver Pool.
March 11, 2012
Good ol' 1960's children's mystery. Tame and quaint by today's standards.
May 22, 2022
An excellent look into the past through a lighthearted mystery. Published in 1960, a lot of entrenched ideas of women’s roles made it a bit frustrating to read at times - but the overall imagery and the main character, 12-year-old Susan, was a delight.
Full review:
This was sadly a book that took you out of it with its jarring reminders of the difficulty of living as a woman in the 1950s.
Published in 1960, Mystery of the Haunted Pool follows 12-year-old Susan, sent ahead of her family on a bus to a tiny town on the Hudson River, to stay with an aunt and convince an old riverboat captain to sell his family home. Susan’s father is ill, and the country air will do him good, but the family needs a home big enough for six children at a good price to move to the countryside out of NYC. So it’s up to Susan to convince Captain Teague, and his surly grandson, Gene.
Gene had been hit by a car, and walks with a brace - and sadly, in the 1960s, this equates to his being isolated and feeling emasculated, acting out and being overly inhospitable. There are depths to this story that don’t get explored, and the patriarchal undertones of Susan’s constant peacemaking, even as the way younger party in the issues with Gene and later her brother Adam, is exhausting. Paired with the rapid escalation of the mystery and distracting points of town exploration, this book was really lacking, sadly.
I got it from a library sale many years ago and finally got to reading it. I really enjoyed it, for its atmospheric imagery and nature, and Susan was a great character despite being underdeveloped at moments. It’s a fun, short read, and an excellent look into the trials of the past.
Full review:
This was sadly a book that took you out of it with its jarring reminders of the difficulty of living as a woman in the 1950s.
Published in 1960, Mystery of the Haunted Pool follows 12-year-old Susan, sent ahead of her family on a bus to a tiny town on the Hudson River, to stay with an aunt and convince an old riverboat captain to sell his family home. Susan’s father is ill, and the country air will do him good, but the family needs a home big enough for six children at a good price to move to the countryside out of NYC. So it’s up to Susan to convince Captain Teague, and his surly grandson, Gene.
Gene had been hit by a car, and walks with a brace - and sadly, in the 1960s, this equates to his being isolated and feeling emasculated, acting out and being overly inhospitable. There are depths to this story that don’t get explored, and the patriarchal undertones of Susan’s constant peacemaking, even as the way younger party in the issues with Gene and later her brother Adam, is exhausting. Paired with the rapid escalation of the mystery and distracting points of town exploration, this book was really lacking, sadly.
I got it from a library sale many years ago and finally got to reading it. I really enjoyed it, for its atmospheric imagery and nature, and Susan was a great character despite being underdeveloped at moments. It’s a fun, short read, and an excellent look into the trials of the past.
February 7, 2022
A Childhood Favorite Worth Rereading
I’m grateful that I quickly tracked this down via a simple word search. Times sure have changed - they’d already changed a great deal when I was a teen who enjoyed this book. But changing times don’t detract from the mystery, the characters or the action. Such a fun story
I’m grateful that I quickly tracked this down via a simple word search. Times sure have changed - they’d already changed a great deal when I was a teen who enjoyed this book. But changing times don’t detract from the mystery, the characters or the action. Such a fun story
August 13, 2025
This was a pleasant little mystery. I think it would be great for young readers, especially those who reside in the Hudson River Valley since that is where the story takes place. The specific area is actually a location I've been meaning to visit. Still, I was hoping for more of a ghostly tale, which this is not. I enjoyed following the characters nonetheless.
April 8, 2020
I enjoyed this Phyllis Whitney book. I'm pretty sure I have read this before but I quite enjoyed it. I started buying these books in February and March to read during the shutdown. Now over three weeks in U have read several. Her books have a wonderful sense of place and the kids are fun.
December 19, 2017
This is a book I bought back when it first came out in 1960 & have gone back & read several times through the years....
January 5, 2018
I've read Phyllis books before, but found this scholastic book, written for young adults, at a used book store. Good story.
May 23, 2019
OK. No great shakes. Got better than the middle part towards the end. Fun, but 3-star at best.
July 17, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. I read it when I was about 10. My family had gone skiing and I stayed home and I can remember reading the book in one sitting.
March 10, 2023
Nice, easy read. I read it before bed every night and it helped calm my thoughts and was also an interesting read.
April 12, 2023
Fun teen book. Have always liked Phyllis Whitney. Read a lot of her adult books when I was a teen and young adult.
June 22, 2023
3.5. Fun little mystery for an older child or preteen.
November 3, 2023
Pretty typical 1960s fare, nothing remarkable.
July 20, 2024
What a fun story. Well-written, interesting, with sympathetic characters. Then again, I love Phyllis A. Whitney. I wish I'd known this existed when I was 12.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews