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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #34
Alice et les plumes de paon
Nancy Drew visits her cousin in Virginia hoping to locate a missing stained-glass window.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1956
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2897 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,018 books3,873 followersCarolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
October 6, 2023
This was a somewhat entertaining read. Nancy sets out to find an antique stained glass window. She and her chums end up spending a few nights with an old lady in her mansion. They begin searching the house for The stained glass window. End up falling through a trap door into the basement where they find that a path is leading them to the slave quarters. I should say, what used to be the slave quarters. They do find the kitchen where the slaves worked. And they do find their way out of this area and end up solving the mystery.
February 19, 2019
I would like to know which ghost writer composed this particular mystery. AND I would like to know what recreational substance they were enjoying while writing.
I needed to keep returning to this book, to page through it, to remind myself if THAT many instances of ballyhoo and highjinx REALLY occurred here, or if I was actually thinking of a different book. Nope, it's all here! Mail scams, an unconscious postman, flying peacock feathers, an actual peacock strutting around and fleeing a crime scene, bronzed bird feet (supposedly an obvious copy of a peacock's, as if peacock feet are shaped differently than all other bird feet) . . .
The list goes on. Two car crashes, a purchase of new car, Southern hospitality*, a creepy attic, secret passage ways and a "ghost" . . . A class on stained glass making, tree climbing to escape an attacking dog, falling into an underground river and swimming to safety while wearing pajamas.
It still continues! A luncheon party, a little flirtation with a young man who is NOT Ned Nickerson, followed by a date with, yes, Ned Nickerson. A mother and daughter who have bought aforementioned "haunted" manor house, needing to comfort the mother who often goes into hysterics and faints, needing to support the daughter who is trying to say NO to a creep who keeps asking for a date. A mysterious neighbor who lives in a manor house surrounded by huge walls: If he is not hatching some evil plan, the community would like him to open his gates and host a frikkin Garden party, come on, man, don't be a loser.
*The "Southern hospitality" that is lavished about in this novel, supposedly placed somewhere in Virginia, is fake and sugar-coated. When Nancy and George navigate those underground tunnels, they happily mention things like, "Oh, the slaves used these to carry food between the kitchen and the manor house. This is not a good place to drop a giant turkey, lololol." The tone sweeps along like slaves were happy servants, glad to help their masters, yes ma'am and yes sir, what a beautiful day, we're so glad you take good care of us. But actually these days everyone needs to realize that slaves can be defined as "prisoners with jobs," and such a practice had no business happening so recently in history. It's horrid.
Nonetheless, there are No boring moments in this Nancy book. Aside from that one rankling blitheness about an ugly history, the plot is madcap and unlike any other I've read so far.
I needed to keep returning to this book, to page through it, to remind myself if THAT many instances of ballyhoo and highjinx REALLY occurred here, or if I was actually thinking of a different book. Nope, it's all here! Mail scams, an unconscious postman, flying peacock feathers, an actual peacock strutting around and fleeing a crime scene, bronzed bird feet (supposedly an obvious copy of a peacock's, as if peacock feet are shaped differently than all other bird feet) . . .
The list goes on. Two car crashes, a purchase of new car, Southern hospitality*, a creepy attic, secret passage ways and a "ghost" . . . A class on stained glass making, tree climbing to escape an attacking dog, falling into an underground river and swimming to safety while wearing pajamas.
It still continues! A luncheon party, a little flirtation with a young man who is NOT Ned Nickerson, followed by a date with, yes, Ned Nickerson. A mother and daughter who have bought aforementioned "haunted" manor house, needing to comfort the mother who often goes into hysterics and faints, needing to support the daughter who is trying to say NO to a creep who keeps asking for a date. A mysterious neighbor who lives in a manor house surrounded by huge walls: If he is not hatching some evil plan, the community would like him to open his gates and host a frikkin Garden party, come on, man, don't be a loser.
*The "Southern hospitality" that is lavished about in this novel, supposedly placed somewhere in Virginia, is fake and sugar-coated. When Nancy and George navigate those underground tunnels, they happily mention things like, "Oh, the slaves used these to carry food between the kitchen and the manor house. This is not a good place to drop a giant turkey, lololol." The tone sweeps along like slaves were happy servants, glad to help their masters, yes ma'am and yes sir, what a beautiful day, we're so glad you take good care of us. But actually these days everyone needs to realize that slaves can be defined as "prisoners with jobs," and such a practice had no business happening so recently in history. It's horrid.
Nonetheless, there are No boring moments in this Nancy book. Aside from that one rankling blitheness about an ugly history, the plot is madcap and unlike any other I've read so far.
February 18, 2024
Another fun one.
September 10, 2024
Say what you will about the Nancy Drew books. There are many faults and in some respects, the books have not stood the test of time very well (erasure of races other than whites, upper class girls zooming around in complete safety, intimate connections with the police, etc.) BUT the Stratemeyer Syndicate thought up the most exotic and interesting ideas to write stories about!
In The Hidden Window Mystery, Nancy reads about a reward for finding a stained glass window and decides to pursue it. At the same time, a new neighbour starts creating trouble for her and is in general a nuisance to everyone. Carson Drew packs off his daughter to an (obviously rich) cousin's home in Virginia to follow a trail. There, Nancy enjoys garden parties, takes stained glass painting lessons, and hunts a ghost in addition to investigating the antique window.
I enjoyed this book but I will never cease to be amazed at how bad some white people are about understanding different cultures and yet are comfortable writing about it. An Indian gentleman living in the rich neighbourhood, you say? Wow, how nice and progressive! And then you read his name is Mr Honsho ... 😵💫 Wonder what part of India he would be from? Maybe there is a Japan inside India somewhere ... who knows?
It was fun learning about how stained glass windows were made in medieval times and how the process has changed. Lots of good stuff in the book.
In The Hidden Window Mystery, Nancy reads about a reward for finding a stained glass window and decides to pursue it. At the same time, a new neighbour starts creating trouble for her and is in general a nuisance to everyone. Carson Drew packs off his daughter to an (obviously rich) cousin's home in Virginia to follow a trail. There, Nancy enjoys garden parties, takes stained glass painting lessons, and hunts a ghost in addition to investigating the antique window.
I enjoyed this book but I will never cease to be amazed at how bad some white people are about understanding different cultures and yet are comfortable writing about it. An Indian gentleman living in the rich neighbourhood, you say? Wow, how nice and progressive! And then you read his name is Mr Honsho ... 😵💫 Wonder what part of India he would be from? Maybe there is a Japan inside India somewhere ... who knows?
It was fun learning about how stained glass windows were made in medieval times and how the process has changed. Lots of good stuff in the book.
June 17, 2019
Not the biggest fan of this one yet it was pretty good. 😄
September 14, 2014
Secret passageways and a hidden tunnel! And not available for kindle!
Someone breaks into a house where the girls are staying and steals their lingerie. No joke.
Nancy destroys yet another boat.
Racism! I think this rewrite probably turned the house help from black to unambiguously raced, but they talk like mammies. Also, apparently peacocks are evil and bring bad luck.
Nancy loses consciousness when hit by a rock thrown by an unknown assailant. George cuts her hand on glass and falls into water.
Someone breaks into a house where the girls are staying and steals their lingerie. No joke.
Nancy destroys yet another boat.
Racism! I think this rewrite probably turned the house help from black to unambiguously raced, but they talk like mammies. Also, apparently peacocks are evil and bring bad luck.
Nancy loses consciousness when hit by a rock thrown by an unknown assailant. George cuts her hand on glass and falls into water.
January 14, 2022
AUTHOR Keene, Carolyn
TITLE The Hidden Window Mystery
DATE READ 01/13/22
RATING 4.5/B+
FIRST SENTENCE “Good-by, Hannah!” said Nancy Drew. She hugged the motherly, middle-aged housekeeper, then put a hand on the front-door knob.
GENRE/PUB DATE/FORMAT/LENGTH YA Mystery/1956/hardback/179 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE # 34
CHALLENGE Good Reads 2021 6/127
GROUP READ ND group
TIME/PLACE 1950’s/Charlottesville, VA
CHARACTERS Nancy Drew and her friends Bess and George
COMMENTS I still enjoy reading Nancy Drew and felt this was one of the better ones. The addition of stained glass and peacocks along with historic old homes w/ secrets added to my enjoyment. A few notes to myself: Nancy has a little terrier dog, Togo – don’t remember this. George used this slang word “Hypers” … assuming it is like Jeepers? Never heard of it before nor did it come up in google for 40’s/50’s slang. There was mention of it is illegal to send cash via the US mail – this is not accurate. You can send cash to someone as long as it is for legal purposes.
TITLE The Hidden Window Mystery
DATE READ 01/13/22
RATING 4.5/B+
FIRST SENTENCE “Good-by, Hannah!” said Nancy Drew. She hugged the motherly, middle-aged housekeeper, then put a hand on the front-door knob.
GENRE/PUB DATE/FORMAT/LENGTH YA Mystery/1956/hardback/179 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE # 34
CHALLENGE Good Reads 2021 6/127
GROUP READ ND group
TIME/PLACE 1950’s/Charlottesville, VA
CHARACTERS Nancy Drew and her friends Bess and George
COMMENTS I still enjoy reading Nancy Drew and felt this was one of the better ones. The addition of stained glass and peacocks along with historic old homes w/ secrets added to my enjoyment. A few notes to myself: Nancy has a little terrier dog, Togo – don’t remember this. George used this slang word “Hypers” … assuming it is like Jeepers? Never heard of it before nor did it come up in google for 40’s/50’s slang. There was mention of it is illegal to send cash via the US mail – this is not accurate. You can send cash to someone as long as it is for legal purposes.
November 18, 2024
Oh, boy, this one was a bit of a mess. There's a lot going on here: a missing stained glass window, an insufferable neighbor, a knocked-out postman, peacocks, and more. As this is the original version of the book, I'm not sure how much of the story was changed upon rerelease, but this original version doesn't hold up well at all imo. There's much romanticizing of slavery and exclamations of "how quaint" slave quarters were, plus mention of an "old Mammy" that helps Nancy with her mystery. We also have a character named Mr. Honsho, who is supposedly from India. You can't make this stuff up. The mystery itself was interesting enough, I suppose, but reading this in 2024 did it no favors, and it definitely fell a bit flat.
July 7, 2024
Well, the revised 34 have come to an end! From here on out I don’t have to worry about the library sending me a wrong copy 😅
This would have been a five star mystery if not for the outdated view of southern history espoused very frequently throughout the story 😬.
I loved the peacocks, the characters who actually all connected with one another, and the stained glass facts 🦚. Also the one woman stealing Nancy, Bess, and George’s underwear killed me ☠️.
Excellent mystery with some unfortunate historical lenses 🙃
This would have been a five star mystery if not for the outdated view of southern history espoused very frequently throughout the story 😬.
I loved the peacocks, the characters who actually all connected with one another, and the stained glass facts 🦚. Also the one woman stealing Nancy, Bess, and George’s underwear killed me ☠️.
Excellent mystery with some unfortunate historical lenses 🙃
December 7, 2020
Nancy's #34 has a little bit of everything - thievery - picking on the poor postman; the history of the state of Virginia and a few notable citizens; Peacocks - bad luck or no? ; stain glass art work; and because there is some room in the plot, let's throw in the Civil War!
This was a good one - a few non-PC moments that reminded me of my race - but don't fear. All is settled, square and fair, at the tale's end.
On to #35!
This was a good one - a few non-PC moments that reminded me of my race - but don't fear. All is settled, square and fair, at the tale's end.
On to #35!
January 4, 2022
Jeg elsker mysterier, men samtidig var dette litt for lett. Det vart tydelig hvem som var skurken, men også en bok som drar deg med inn i en annen verden.
October 24, 2025
Original text rating: 3.5 stars
There are very few notable changes between the two versions, but somehow the OT is far more satisfying. The revision kept all the same events, but lost much of the intrigue. On the downside, the OT has several cringey moments around its Black characters, which are toned down or cut out entirely in the revision. The household staff are no longer racially-coded, and "Mammy Johnson" is changed to "Mrs. Johnson". Some classist overtones are also cut, as the OT snootily describes Mrs. Dondo as a "very ordinary person", which is changed to "very unpopular person" in the RT. One little detail I liked in the OT was the information that Nancy's grandmother was a "Mrs. Austin", meaning that Nancy's late mother was an Austin too. Probably canonically flimsy information, but I always like seeing little snippets that add to a character's background in this series.
Revised text rating: 2.5 stars
Initial RT review: I was mostly just bored by this mystery. There are some weird happenings, but no interesting character moments or real suspense. I was more interested by the explanations of stained glass art than by the story itself.
There are very few notable changes between the two versions, but somehow the OT is far more satisfying. The revision kept all the same events, but lost much of the intrigue. On the downside, the OT has several cringey moments around its Black characters, which are toned down or cut out entirely in the revision. The household staff are no longer racially-coded, and "Mammy Johnson" is changed to "Mrs. Johnson". Some classist overtones are also cut, as the OT snootily describes Mrs. Dondo as a "very ordinary person", which is changed to "very unpopular person" in the RT. One little detail I liked in the OT was the information that Nancy's grandmother was a "Mrs. Austin", meaning that Nancy's late mother was an Austin too. Probably canonically flimsy information, but I always like seeing little snippets that add to a character's background in this series.
Revised text rating: 2.5 stars
Initial RT review: I was mostly just bored by this mystery. There are some weird happenings, but no interesting character moments or real suspense. I was more interested by the explanations of stained glass art than by the story itself.
September 25, 2011
Yet another great mystery story to this add to this great book series.
November 27, 2025
I usually avoid taking cheap shots, but boy! Never have I read a short book with so many plot twists without any of them being the slightest bit believable. I thought my head would drop off from shaking it and my eyes are still rolling in my head. I admit that I read the "revised" version of the book, which is 30 or so pages shorter than the original and that the series was in its death throes already. Also, there was a real dearth of YA novels in the 60s and 70s. But please, pass this one by and find a better series to read or to feed to your children.
Read
December 12, 2025Apparently there were a total of 3 mysteries for Nancy to solve in this adventure. Except I just felt like Nancy, George and Bess were bumbling along and all the clues were happenstance. Sure sometimes that’s how the books go, but there is usually one new thing that happens. Everything felt incredibly recycled from previous books.
You know the book is banal when I, as a Ned hater, was hoping for more Ned content to actually provide DRAMA. He was duller than a no. 2 pencil.
You know the book is banal when I, as a Ned hater, was hoping for more Ned content to actually provide DRAMA. He was duller than a no. 2 pencil.
March 2, 2019
The whole time I was reading this, I kept hearing the chase music from the original series of Scooby Doo, Where Are You? in my head. From George exclaiming "Hypers!" (Yoicks!) every five minutes to the girls sliding down a hidden chute in the middle of the night (probably going "Whoooops!" like the gang from the Mystery Machine), this instalment felt much more 1966 than 1956. Particularly when one of the adults has hysterics from a car accident, and the doctor injects a sedative saying she'll "sleep for an hour and wake up much steadier." Where can I get me some of that? At another point the "escape scene" for Nancy and co. owes more to Westerns of the period.
Nancy and her pals head south in this story, and the ghostwriter propagates the old legend of Jefferson's bed that could be "raised up to the ceiling" to get it out of the way during the day. This tale was made up by someone in the 19th century and doubted even then, as it appears in only one very doubtful source. Wonder why the writer put it in? Ned and his pals, football players all, turn up from college for one short evening. Not once are they referred to as "college students"--but of course you know Nancy would be dating the captain of the football team! Curiously enough, she is 18 and "has already attended art school"--when did she find time for that between the prom and all the sleuthing and travelling around she's done so far in her short life?
Of course we have the delightful (!) ND meme of the police bringing her to the suspects and allowing her to question them at length--and of course the baddies answer right up and tell all!
Three stars because it made me laugh so hard--in all the wrong places.
Nancy and her pals head south in this story, and the ghostwriter propagates the old legend of Jefferson's bed that could be "raised up to the ceiling" to get it out of the way during the day. This tale was made up by someone in the 19th century and doubted even then, as it appears in only one very doubtful source. Wonder why the writer put it in? Ned and his pals, football players all, turn up from college for one short evening. Not once are they referred to as "college students"--but of course you know Nancy would be dating the captain of the football team! Curiously enough, she is 18 and "has already attended art school"--when did she find time for that between the prom and all the sleuthing and travelling around she's done so far in her short life?
Of course we have the delightful (!) ND meme of the police bringing her to the suspects and allowing her to question them at length--and of course the baddies answer right up and tell all!
Three stars because it made me laugh so hard--in all the wrong places.
June 24, 2018
Another delightful trip down memory lane!
And as a side note - Ned's status is downgraded here. While he is usually referred to as Nancy's "special friend" and MAYBE as her boyfriend once or twice, here we are told "they had been friends for years." Just friends.
Poor Ned.
And as a side note - Ned's status is downgraded here. While he is usually referred to as Nancy's "special friend" and MAYBE as her boyfriend once or twice, here we are told "they had been friends for years." Just friends.
Poor Ned.
November 6, 2018
I believe I read an original version with 214 pages, but it didn't appear in the choices I had to pick from. That being said, it was another Nancy Drew book. Full of mystery and suspense, sort of.
December 29, 2024
a fun and twisty mystery but one star off bc this one had some racism that literally made me say “yikes” out loud. (seriously did not need to have Bess dreamily reminiscing on the history of slave quarters so many times!)
my edition has the original text so perhaps/hopefully this has been changed in the revised 70s edition. jury’s out!
my edition has the original text so perhaps/hopefully this has been changed in the revised 70s edition. jury’s out!
December 2, 2025
Started off really good, but I started losing interest in the plot somewhere in the middle of the book. Still, I enjoyed spending time with my childhood favorite sleuth.
October 5, 2019
I know I read this when I was younger, but when I realized that it was sent in the city I now live in, I had to read it again.
A typical Nancy Drew mystery that is short and simple to read. Kept me entertained and reminded me of how much I loved these books as a young girl.
A typical Nancy Drew mystery that is short and simple to read. Kept me entertained and reminded me of how much I loved these books as a young girl.
March 5, 2022
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In my quest to read all my Nancy Drew books, I’ve been concentrating on the Original Text (OT) because I grew up with the Revised Text (RT) books. Volume #34, The Hidden Window Mystery, is the last volume to have OT and RT. After this, there is only one version of each story. The OT of The Hidden Window Mystery was published in 1956.
This is another travelogue Nancy Drew Mystery, where she travels to another locale to solve the mystery. But it starts in River Heights, where the mailman lets her know about a mystery he read about in a magazine. That leads her to Charlottesville, Virginia with Bess and George in tow to solve the mystery of a missing stained glass window that was believed to have made it’s way to American from England in the mid-1850’s. And of course, Nancy stumbles onto more mysteries, which are all tied together in the end.
I do have to give some concessions to the time in which this book was written, 1956, and the portrayals of blacks. Not only is every one the girls meet a servant, they speak in “Mammy and Pappy” talk. One of the women they meet is actually called Mammy. And the reaction Bess has when she sees old rundown slave quarters is that she thinks it’s “romantic” and later on, she uses the term “quaint” to describe something else regarding slavery. So I found this book as cringeworthy as some of the volumes written in the 1930’s, which also had a lot of stereotypes about blacks.
Somehow Ned, Burt and Dave manage to find time to drive down from Emerson to visit Nancy and the ladies for one day and then return. Which is amazing because Nancy, Bess, and George had to fly to Virginia. Nancy and the ladies find time in their sleuthing schedule to visit Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe’s homes, where some information about their homes is given (although one piece of information about Monticello has been debunked since the writing of this book.)
In terms of peril, Nancy is hit in the back of her head, there are two car crashes (and a purchase of another vehicle in less than an hour!), Nancy and George fall through a trap door and slide down to the basement like in a Scooby Doo episode. George falls into a floor-level well, and Nancy is treed by a guard dog. George also cuts her hand on some stained glass. While staying at a “haunted” manor, someone breaks in, wrecks the place, and the only thing taken is the girls’ lingerie. Seriously.
Despite the above-mentioned issues, this is an enjoyable mystery but not out-of-this-world. And the series of coincidences that Nancy and the gang encounter make this a typical Nancy Drew Mystery. The fact that Nancy is searching for a centuries-old stained glass window with a peacock on it, and encounters peacocks while in Virginia is not only coincidental, it’s mandatory in a Nancy Drew book.
In my quest to read all my Nancy Drew books, I’ve been concentrating on the Original Text (OT) because I grew up with the Revised Text (RT) books. Volume #34, The Hidden Window Mystery, is the last volume to have OT and RT. After this, there is only one version of each story. The OT of The Hidden Window Mystery was published in 1956.
This is another travelogue Nancy Drew Mystery, where she travels to another locale to solve the mystery. But it starts in River Heights, where the mailman lets her know about a mystery he read about in a magazine. That leads her to Charlottesville, Virginia with Bess and George in tow to solve the mystery of a missing stained glass window that was believed to have made it’s way to American from England in the mid-1850’s. And of course, Nancy stumbles onto more mysteries, which are all tied together in the end.
I do have to give some concessions to the time in which this book was written, 1956, and the portrayals of blacks. Not only is every one the girls meet a servant, they speak in “Mammy and Pappy” talk. One of the women they meet is actually called Mammy. And the reaction Bess has when she sees old rundown slave quarters is that she thinks it’s “romantic” and later on, she uses the term “quaint” to describe something else regarding slavery. So I found this book as cringeworthy as some of the volumes written in the 1930’s, which also had a lot of stereotypes about blacks.
Somehow Ned, Burt and Dave manage to find time to drive down from Emerson to visit Nancy and the ladies for one day and then return. Which is amazing because Nancy, Bess, and George had to fly to Virginia. Nancy and the ladies find time in their sleuthing schedule to visit Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe’s homes, where some information about their homes is given (although one piece of information about Monticello has been debunked since the writing of this book.)
In terms of peril, Nancy is hit in the back of her head, there are two car crashes (and a purchase of another vehicle in less than an hour!), Nancy and George fall through a trap door and slide down to the basement like in a Scooby Doo episode. George falls into a floor-level well, and Nancy is treed by a guard dog. George also cuts her hand on some stained glass. While staying at a “haunted” manor, someone breaks in, wrecks the place, and the only thing taken is the girls’ lingerie. Seriously.
Despite the above-mentioned issues, this is an enjoyable mystery but not out-of-this-world. And the series of coincidences that Nancy and the gang encounter make this a typical Nancy Drew Mystery. The fact that Nancy is searching for a centuries-old stained glass window with a peacock on it, and encounters peacocks while in Virginia is not only coincidental, it’s mandatory in a Nancy Drew book.
February 21, 2009
I read a bunch of these as a girl, along with a few Hardy Boys, and even a few.. was it 'Bobbsey twins'? Not sure if I read this one or not, but came across it as a grown up.
Thought I'd explore how well they stood the test of time with my daughter - not well. In our case.
But perhaps some others do still find them fun.
For that instance, thought I'd mention a few things.
This one takes place in a mansion in Charleston, SC; which has a number of interesting features. One set of features has to do with its history as a plantation house during the slave days. There is a long tunnel that goes below the house: "When the girls reached the pool into which George had fallen, she laughed. "Probably this was where the slaves paused to fill pitchers on their way to serve meals."
Finally, at the end of the tunnel, there is a bolted door; and beyond that - the slave quarters.
None of which is of note to the characters in the book, which was bizarre to me as a grown-up. Maybe it's a Southern thing.
The other thing is that this mystery centers on peacock feathers. They keep popping up in the story, which has to do also with parts of the house that were decorated by peacock feather designs originally. Turns out, one of the characters in the book is from India, and he had been hiding the peacocks because he thought Americans were superstitious about them, believing them to bring bad luck. Earlier on in the book is mentions that the feathers in their fantails, especially, are said to bring bad luck. That notion is scoffed at (they use words like 'scoff' in these books). Actually in the text, "Nancy remarked that in India peacocks are held to be sacred.
'That's right," Mr. Ritter agreed. "And so are the cow and the monkey.' "
" 'This bird is sacred to us Indians,' Mr. Honsho said, gazing affectionately at the beautiful feathered creature."
Anyway, the mystery had to do with an antique stained-glass window (which showed a Knight riding off to battle, holding the family shield which has a peacock emblazoned on it), which had been covered up with brick in order to preserve it during the Civil War.
Alls well that ends well:
"'Well, Nancy,' she said, 'besides solving this whole mystery and exonerating innocent people, you've even proved that peacocks are above suspicion!'"
So, those are some elements involved in this one instance..
Thought I'd explore how well they stood the test of time with my daughter - not well. In our case.
But perhaps some others do still find them fun.
For that instance, thought I'd mention a few things.
This one takes place in a mansion in Charleston, SC; which has a number of interesting features. One set of features has to do with its history as a plantation house during the slave days. There is a long tunnel that goes below the house: "When the girls reached the pool into which George had fallen, she laughed. "Probably this was where the slaves paused to fill pitchers on their way to serve meals."
Finally, at the end of the tunnel, there is a bolted door; and beyond that - the slave quarters.
None of which is of note to the characters in the book, which was bizarre to me as a grown-up. Maybe it's a Southern thing.
The other thing is that this mystery centers on peacock feathers. They keep popping up in the story, which has to do also with parts of the house that were decorated by peacock feather designs originally. Turns out, one of the characters in the book is from India, and he had been hiding the peacocks because he thought Americans were superstitious about them, believing them to bring bad luck. Earlier on in the book is mentions that the feathers in their fantails, especially, are said to bring bad luck. That notion is scoffed at (they use words like 'scoff' in these books). Actually in the text, "Nancy remarked that in India peacocks are held to be sacred.
'That's right," Mr. Ritter agreed. "And so are the cow and the monkey.' "
" 'This bird is sacred to us Indians,' Mr. Honsho said, gazing affectionately at the beautiful feathered creature."
Anyway, the mystery had to do with an antique stained-glass window (which showed a Knight riding off to battle, holding the family shield which has a peacock emblazoned on it), which had been covered up with brick in order to preserve it during the Civil War.
Alls well that ends well:
"'Well, Nancy,' she said, 'besides solving this whole mystery and exonerating innocent people, you've even proved that peacocks are above suspicion!'"
So, those are some elements involved in this one instance..
March 18, 2022
So I decided to revisit one or two of these because I had a suspicion that they might not be PC now.
I specifically tried to pick one that wasn't set in a foreign country and, boy! I picked a good one.
I don't know that I would call this a mystery so much as an adventure. I think the differences in parenting trends(between the 50s and now) are interesting.
It definitely isn't great literature and I didn't appreciate being coached on how to feel(via Bess). At least, that's how I read it. But when I was a kid I didn't see them that way.
As far as PC goes, there is some racism, though not labeled as such, that is proven to be unfounded at the end. I appreciated that. I did find it curious that Nancy's cousin has a maid-of-all-work who is never described as being black but... she is given a name, we're told she's "plump" and that her mother worked for Nancy's cousin's mother and, if you do the math and take into account that this is supposed to be 1950s Virginia then, well... To be sure, she's not a villain but I feel like it's still messy. She's not a fully rounded character either but, then, neither is Nancy.
I guess it's just something to be aware of if you're handing these off to your kids.
I specifically tried to pick one that wasn't set in a foreign country and, boy! I picked a good one.
I don't know that I would call this a mystery so much as an adventure. I think the differences in parenting trends(between the 50s and now) are interesting.
It definitely isn't great literature and I didn't appreciate being coached on how to feel(via Bess). At least, that's how I read it. But when I was a kid I didn't see them that way.
As far as PC goes, there is some racism, though not labeled as such, that is proven to be unfounded at the end. I appreciated that. I did find it curious that Nancy's cousin has a maid-of-all-work who is never described as being black but... she is given a name, we're told she's "plump" and that her mother worked for Nancy's cousin's mother and, if you do the math and take into account that this is supposed to be 1950s Virginia then, well... To be sure, she's not a villain but I feel like it's still messy. She's not a fully rounded character either but, then, neither is Nancy.
I guess it's just something to be aware of if you're handing these off to your kids.
August 18, 2023
Feeling nostalgic, I picked up the 1956 version at a garage sale. Granted I was an avid Nancy Drew fan as a pre-tween in the 1970s so I may have read slightly updated versions but it was a real eye opener. Culturally, it is weird to think how I read this stuff as a kid without blinking an eye: the deference all the women have to any male figure, all the maids being Black, talking like Mammy from "Gone with The Wind" and identified as Black by outdated terms, plantation living and the work of slaves romanticized, women frequently described as hysterical and in need for medical intervention for their emotions. YIKES. The writing is very stiff but I feel that was the more formal style of the time. I wouldn't recommend these for a young person now but still have great memories of reading these mysteries on our porch in the summer during thunderstorms.
June 22, 2018
**I read the original, 25 chapter version**
this was my second time reading this book. i recall finding it a bit boring the first. upon rereading it i found it a bit annoying for the normal Nancy Drew reasons but mainly immense amounts of coincidences, theres more in this than in most books.
I do have to say it was a little funny when the process of making stained glass windows was explained as it's something I have experience with. Although it was accurate it was amusing how the description was drawn out to try to make it seem more complicated that it really is.
this was my second time reading this book. i recall finding it a bit boring the first. upon rereading it i found it a bit annoying for the normal Nancy Drew reasons but mainly immense amounts of coincidences, theres more in this than in most books.
I do have to say it was a little funny when the process of making stained glass windows was explained as it's something I have experience with. Although it was accurate it was amusing how the description was drawn out to try to make it seem more complicated that it really is.
September 8, 2016
After reading "The Hidden Window Mystery" by Carolyn Keene, I am completely speechless. This book is beyond amazing. This book has me reading non-stop, one page after another. The best features of this book are the way the author completely develops them. Nancy, the detective, and a friend, George are always wanting to see what happens next in solving the hidden window mystery. Where Bess is more of a cautious person. You would have never thought one specific event happened because of the beginning. You are always eager to see what happens next, which I why I recommend this to mystery lovers!
December 24, 2025
4 stars. Welp... I've been procrastinating this review for several hours because I really don't remember much about it and have no clue what to say in a review. Let's see... Sheila & Annette were interesting additions. So was Luke. And I really liked the Indian gentleman and that storyline. The mystery was interesting too, although I wonder why did the glass-maker suddenly turned mean for no reason? I liked the change of scene, and Susan & Cliff. Overall, it was a fun mystery and I enjoyed it... I just have a very poor memory ;P
November 7, 2023
My first Nancy Drew!
February 14, 2025
Book: The Hidden Window Mystery
Author: Carolyn Keene
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars
I have decided to pick up a couple more titles from the Nancy Drew books and see if they still hold up. This one was pretty good, but like the other ones that I have recently reread, there are some things that have not aged the best.
Nancy is drawn to a magazine article about a valuable medieval stained-glass window that has gone missing, with a large reward offered for its discovery. She, along with Bess and George, travels to Charlottesville, Virginia, to investigate. Their search leads them to Ivy Hall, a crumbling southern mansion rented by a superstitious actress. As they uncover the estate’s secrets, they encounter a menacing ghost and eerie sounds coming from a nearby walled property. Are these strange occurrences linked to the missing window?
Carolyn Keene’s The Hidden Window Mystery follows the familiar structure of a Nancy Drew adventure—Nancy receives a new case, gathers her friends Bess and George, and embarks on a thrilling investigation. This time, the mystery takes them beyond River Heights to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they become entangled in a hunt for a missing medieval stained-glass window. The change in setting adds an atmospheric layer to the story, as the girls explore Ivy Hall, a decaying southern mansion, and a neighboring estate hidden behind a high brick wall.
One of the book’s strengths is how it weaves together multiple mysteries. Nancy isn’t just searching for the stained-glass window—she’s also investigating eerie sounds from a nearby estate and a supposed ghost haunting Ivy Hall. As usual, seemingly unrelated events gradually connect, and Nancy’s sharp mind pieces everything together. The novel effectively blends adventure, suspense, and detective work, keeping the reader engaged as each thread of the mystery unfolds.
However, like many older Nancy Drew books, The Hidden Window Mystery contains moments of racial insensitivity. The depiction of certain characters reflects outdated stereotypes, and there are moments where the book’s handling of the Southern setting leans into uncomfortable territory. While these elements don’t dominate the story, they are noticeable and serve as a reminder of the time period in which the book was written. Readers approaching the novel today may find these aspects jarring, even as they enjoy the engaging mystery at its core.
Overall, The Hidden Window Mystery delivers the classic intrigue expected from a Nancy Drew book while offering a layered mystery that extends beyond a single case. Though the book’s handling of race is problematic, its tightly woven plot and eerie atmosphere make it a compelling read for those who enjoy Nancy’s adventures.
Author: Carolyn Keene
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars
I have decided to pick up a couple more titles from the Nancy Drew books and see if they still hold up. This one was pretty good, but like the other ones that I have recently reread, there are some things that have not aged the best.
Nancy is drawn to a magazine article about a valuable medieval stained-glass window that has gone missing, with a large reward offered for its discovery. She, along with Bess and George, travels to Charlottesville, Virginia, to investigate. Their search leads them to Ivy Hall, a crumbling southern mansion rented by a superstitious actress. As they uncover the estate’s secrets, they encounter a menacing ghost and eerie sounds coming from a nearby walled property. Are these strange occurrences linked to the missing window?
Carolyn Keene’s The Hidden Window Mystery follows the familiar structure of a Nancy Drew adventure—Nancy receives a new case, gathers her friends Bess and George, and embarks on a thrilling investigation. This time, the mystery takes them beyond River Heights to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they become entangled in a hunt for a missing medieval stained-glass window. The change in setting adds an atmospheric layer to the story, as the girls explore Ivy Hall, a decaying southern mansion, and a neighboring estate hidden behind a high brick wall.
One of the book’s strengths is how it weaves together multiple mysteries. Nancy isn’t just searching for the stained-glass window—she’s also investigating eerie sounds from a nearby estate and a supposed ghost haunting Ivy Hall. As usual, seemingly unrelated events gradually connect, and Nancy’s sharp mind pieces everything together. The novel effectively blends adventure, suspense, and detective work, keeping the reader engaged as each thread of the mystery unfolds.
However, like many older Nancy Drew books, The Hidden Window Mystery contains moments of racial insensitivity. The depiction of certain characters reflects outdated stereotypes, and there are moments where the book’s handling of the Southern setting leans into uncomfortable territory. While these elements don’t dominate the story, they are noticeable and serve as a reminder of the time period in which the book was written. Readers approaching the novel today may find these aspects jarring, even as they enjoy the engaging mystery at its core.
Overall, The Hidden Window Mystery delivers the classic intrigue expected from a Nancy Drew book while offering a layered mystery that extends beyond a single case. Though the book’s handling of race is problematic, its tightly woven plot and eerie atmosphere make it a compelling read for those who enjoy Nancy’s adventures.
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