Blue Treasure: The Mystery of Tamarind Court

by Helen Girvan

An artistic girl, a resourceful boy, a strange will, a long-lost painting, a charming, seemingly peaceful house in Bermuda, two snoopy strangers, an underwater cave and a tropical hurricane. . .

Neither threats nor Bermuda hurricanes stop the tantalizing search for the "Lost Vermeer".

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1937

Reviews

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bermuda and a Vermeer--interesting combination and a great look at Bermuda in the 30s when the railroad was running and horse driven carriages and a bicycle and ferry were the alternative forms of transportation. The mystery itself is ok. A good read on a cruise to Bermuda and fun to read with a Bermuda map. We even biked the rail trail and saw a few of the old stations and tunnels.

[Laura Bang · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light YA mystery story in which Anne inherits a house on Bermuda with the stipulation that she must sleep in the house every night for a year and a day. Naturally, there are some suspicious men who try to thwart her and who may or may not be looking for some kind of treasure.... It's pretty easy to guess what's going to happen, but still fun. I had previously read and enjoyed the sequel to this, The Seventh Step (not knowing it was a sequel, but it's not a direct sequel so it was fine), and finally got around to reading this earlier volume. I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Bermuda in both of these books.

It was published in 1937, so you can expect the period attitudes to anyone who is not white and American (or British), but it's not as bad as other books from the time (and thankfully no one's speech is rendered in dialect)!

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Anne McClure inherits a house in Bermuda she is thrilled — but what about her studies at art school, where she has just won a prize? The inheritance is contingent on her living in the house, and being there overnight, every night, for an entire year. But her grandmother is excited by the idea, as are her younger sister and brother, so the family moves to Tamarind Court. There are also rumors of a hidden treasure: can they discover it before someone else does? And why do the Codde brothers so desperately want the property themselves? Sweet, enjoyable mystery, with just a touch of romance.

[Casey L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little romp from the 1960’s about an artistic young woman and the inheritance she’s receives, of course it comes with a certain clause.
The author has a unique writing style that takes some time to adjust to, and there are some outdated terms throughout the story, but otherwise a “Nancy Drew-ish” type of young adult novel.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a favorite when I was a child. It’s dated now, but fun to re-read one of the significant books that led me down a path of loving mysteries and adventure novels.

[Ann aka Iftcan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in a thrift store and, being in desperate need of a book (hey, I was traveling and had been seperated from my stash) I bought it for the princely sum of, I believe a quarter.

It is somewhat dated in its outlook on life, but, on the other hand--it IS a very old book, having been written in 1937. It has "realistic" (for that time) people doing what they would have done, and NOT "modern" people reacting in an historical setting. Things that happened in the past can NOT be "modernized" just to suit our (present) sense of what is "right and just." I'm sure at the time she wrote it, Ms. Girvan believed that she was "modern, right and just."

It is a cute mystery with very little mystery (figured out the "whodunit" by about the second chapter--well, actually by just reading the back of the book.) But still, I enjoyed it greatly. AND it kept me from driving my parents crazy, which in turn meant that they didn't kill me OR my siblings, so it turned out to be a good trip, even if I HAD left my "bag-o-books" at home by mistake.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this old book and thought it would be a good, quick read for vacation. Nice story about an art student who finds herself in a unique situation and makes the most of it! Most of the story is set on the island, so it's very relaxing and vacation-like. Mystery. Suspense.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as a little girl and still remember it. Vermeer is one of my all time favorite painters so the plot intrigued me. Loved the descriptions of Bermuda and the hurricane. A great, if old, young adult read.

[Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned a new word "moue" meaning a grimace or a pout.