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Trixie Belden #34
Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Missing Millionaire
The wallet Trixie Belden and her friend Honey Wheeler find involves the Bob Whites in another mystery.
210 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
Kathryn Kenny
52 books101 followersThe Kathryn Kenny pseudonym was created by Western Publishing House in 1961, three years after Julie Campbell wrote her last book (#6) of the Trixie Belden series. There were several ghost writers who wrote Trixie Belden stories under this pseudonym. Some have been identified and later credited but some are still unknown.
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http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/Ka...
The Kathryn Kenny pseudonym was born in 1961, three years after Campbell wrote her last book of the Trixie Belden series. Did it take Western Publishing several years to find a suitable author? The answer is unknown and the identity of the authors of the 33 Kathryn Kenny books are not known for sure but there is some information about the ghost writers.
Nicolete Meredith Stack
Nicolete Meredith StackStack is thought to be the first author to tackle the Trixie Belden series, although there is much debate about which books were actually written by her. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1896 but lived in Webster Groves in St. Louis, Missouri for most of her adult life. Stack wrote other children's books under her own name and various pen names, including the Robin Kane series by Eileen Hill for Whitman between 1966 and 1971.
Stack is said to have written five books in the Trixie Belden series between 1961 and 1971, but Who's Who in the Midwest claims that she wrote eight titles between 1961 and 1966. There were eight Trixie Belden titles published between 1961 and 1966, but it is doubtful that she wrote them all.
James Keeline in his article, Trixie Belden "Schoolgirl Shamus", believes that books 7, 9 and 16 can be attributed to Stack but there are others that may have been written by her.
Virginia McDonnell
Virginia Bleecher McDonnell was born in 1917 and was a registered nurse who trained at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. McDonnell wrote the Nurses Three series from 1963 to 1965 using the pen name Jean Kirby, and the Kim Aldrich series as Jinny McDonnell, both for Whitman. She is also wrote volume six of The Waltons.
McDonnell and her husband were avid skiiers and many of her books featured details of nursing or skiing. It seems likely that she wrote three Trixie Belden books, The Mystery of Cobbett's Island (1964), The Mystery of the Emeralds (1965) and The Mystery of Mead's Mountain (1978). Skiing is mentioned early in The Mystery of Cobbett's Island, although this is not the theme of the book.
McDonnell also wrote another book called Country Agent that has a number of similarities with The Mystery at Happy Valley, although her book was published in 1968. Read a review of this book, and see what you think.
There is little biographical information available on McDonnell, but the three books attributed to her are three of the most widely loved books in the Trixie Belden series.
Gladys Baker Bond
Gladys Baker BondGladys Baker Bond was born in Berryville, Arkansas on the 7th of May, 1912. On September 2, 1934, she married Floyd James Bond and had one son, Nicholas Peter. Bond's childhood years were spent in the Ozarks of Arkansas. She lived in Idaho and Washington all her adult life and was an officer of the Idaho Writers League between 1952-54.
Bond's books for children cover a wide range of subjects and are often autobiographical. Mrs. Bond wrote under the pseudonymns, Jo Mendel (The Tucker series) and Holly Beth Walker (the Meg series), as well as her own name. She also wrote volume five of The Waltons.
She is credited with writing The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest (1977), The Mystery of the Castaway Children (1978), and The Sasquatch Mystery (1979). However, with her childhood spent in the Ozarks, she could be the author of The Mystery at Bob-White Cave (1963).
Carl Henry Rathjen
Carl Henry RathjenRathjen was born on the 28th of August 1909 in Jersey City, New Jersey and died in 1984. His ambition was to become a mechanical engineer, but when things didn't go
***
http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/Ka...
The Kathryn Kenny pseudonym was born in 1961, three years after Campbell wrote her last book of the Trixie Belden series. Did it take Western Publishing several years to find a suitable author? The answer is unknown and the identity of the authors of the 33 Kathryn Kenny books are not known for sure but there is some information about the ghost writers.
Nicolete Meredith Stack
Nicolete Meredith StackStack is thought to be the first author to tackle the Trixie Belden series, although there is much debate about which books were actually written by her. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1896 but lived in Webster Groves in St. Louis, Missouri for most of her adult life. Stack wrote other children's books under her own name and various pen names, including the Robin Kane series by Eileen Hill for Whitman between 1966 and 1971.
Stack is said to have written five books in the Trixie Belden series between 1961 and 1971, but Who's Who in the Midwest claims that she wrote eight titles between 1961 and 1966. There were eight Trixie Belden titles published between 1961 and 1966, but it is doubtful that she wrote them all.
James Keeline in his article, Trixie Belden "Schoolgirl Shamus", believes that books 7, 9 and 16 can be attributed to Stack but there are others that may have been written by her.
Virginia McDonnell
Virginia Bleecher McDonnell was born in 1917 and was a registered nurse who trained at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. McDonnell wrote the Nurses Three series from 1963 to 1965 using the pen name Jean Kirby, and the Kim Aldrich series as Jinny McDonnell, both for Whitman. She is also wrote volume six of The Waltons.
McDonnell and her husband were avid skiiers and many of her books featured details of nursing or skiing. It seems likely that she wrote three Trixie Belden books, The Mystery of Cobbett's Island (1964), The Mystery of the Emeralds (1965) and The Mystery of Mead's Mountain (1978). Skiing is mentioned early in The Mystery of Cobbett's Island, although this is not the theme of the book.
McDonnell also wrote another book called Country Agent that has a number of similarities with The Mystery at Happy Valley, although her book was published in 1968. Read a review of this book, and see what you think.
There is little biographical information available on McDonnell, but the three books attributed to her are three of the most widely loved books in the Trixie Belden series.
Gladys Baker Bond
Gladys Baker BondGladys Baker Bond was born in Berryville, Arkansas on the 7th of May, 1912. On September 2, 1934, she married Floyd James Bond and had one son, Nicholas Peter. Bond's childhood years were spent in the Ozarks of Arkansas. She lived in Idaho and Washington all her adult life and was an officer of the Idaho Writers League between 1952-54.
Bond's books for children cover a wide range of subjects and are often autobiographical. Mrs. Bond wrote under the pseudonymns, Jo Mendel (The Tucker series) and Holly Beth Walker (the Meg series), as well as her own name. She also wrote volume five of The Waltons.
She is credited with writing The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest (1977), The Mystery of the Castaway Children (1978), and The Sasquatch Mystery (1979). However, with her childhood spent in the Ozarks, she could be the author of The Mystery at Bob-White Cave (1963).
Carl Henry Rathjen
Carl Henry RathjenRathjen was born on the 28th of August 1909 in Jersey City, New Jersey and died in 1984. His ambition was to become a mechanical engineer, but when things didn't go
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 3, 2015
a HUGE and most dedicated fan of Trixie and her crew. This is odd, of course, because they were MEANT for teen and pre-teen girls, but I was a young boy that read everything he could get his hands on and when I first stumbled on my first TRIXIE BELDON book I was instantly hooked!
I immediately sat about reading them all, as quickly as I could get my greedy little paws on them. Trixie is the star, or "lead" character, followed by Jim and Honey (who quickly became the love of my young life, I had a total crush on a fictional character that only existed in ink) and this brave trio was constantly getting into trouble, solving mysteries and murders; that sort of thing.
It falls along the line of the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and other similar series, but the Trixie series carries more of the teenage angst and a subtle love triangle of conflicted who likes whom mystery that battles back and forth throughout the series. All of the while though, the same cheerful, effervescent and energetic positive attitude and domineering never quit/never let them see you down philosophy is the major subtext all through the books.
It is simply impossible to read these and NOT feel good about yourself and about LIFE, to have a sense of "all is well" in the world and a cheerful demeanor just naturally permeate your soul. I know, it SOUNDS crazy, but it is true.
I lost all of my Trixie books years ago, lending them to friends and that sort of thing. Since then, I have been on a quest to rebuild my collection of hardbacks. I find most of them at "Friends of the Library Sales" and things like that, but I am ever watchful at garage sales and places, for I do not have even a third of them built back
I immediately sat about reading them all, as quickly as I could get my greedy little paws on them. Trixie is the star, or "lead" character, followed by Jim and Honey (who quickly became the love of my young life, I had a total crush on a fictional character that only existed in ink) and this brave trio was constantly getting into trouble, solving mysteries and murders; that sort of thing.
It falls along the line of the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and other similar series, but the Trixie series carries more of the teenage angst and a subtle love triangle of conflicted who likes whom mystery that battles back and forth throughout the series. All of the while though, the same cheerful, effervescent and energetic positive attitude and domineering never quit/never let them see you down philosophy is the major subtext all through the books.
It is simply impossible to read these and NOT feel good about yourself and about LIFE, to have a sense of "all is well" in the world and a cheerful demeanor just naturally permeate your soul. I know, it SOUNDS crazy, but it is true.
I lost all of my Trixie books years ago, lending them to friends and that sort of thing. Since then, I have been on a quest to rebuild my collection of hardbacks. I find most of them at "Friends of the Library Sales" and things like that, but I am ever watchful at garage sales and places, for I do not have even a third of them built back
September 25, 2022
Trixie and Honey discover a lost wallet near Mr Lytell's store, which turns out to belong to Anthony Ramsey, a wealthy man who owns a chain of grocery stores. He has disappeared and his daughter, Laura, is worried sick about him. She borrows money from Mr Lytell to hire a private detective, leaving her flashy car as collateral. But will the Bob Whites trump the professional, Mark McGraw, when it comes to getting to the bottom of Anthony's disappearance?
* Mr Lytell is at his cantankerous worst in this book. His caustic nature is given free reign. Trixie is terrified to even enter his shop for fear of a harsh rebuke, and sure enough, that's just what she gets. He's the sort of adult who assumes he can treat kids and teens like dirt, just because they're young. Would his snappy behaviour extend to adults? Would he bark at Peter or Helen Belden for stirring his irritation? I doubt it. A man of character would make up his mind to treat everyone who crosses his path with courtesy and composure.
* Having said that, I wouldn't say that he has no cause for being grumpy at all. Trixie finds orange, grape and cola soft drinks in his display fridge, and asks, 'Do you have any strawberry, Mr Lytell?' Perhaps she should use a bit of the deduction she prides herself on. If he did, wouldn't she expect to see a few cans out there for sale? In his place, I might fight the impulse to roll my eyes and reply, 'Does it look like it?' But I wouldn't pay her out in such a nasty manner.
* Mr Lytell does his business on an old typewriter with a slip of carbon paper between the two documents he wants copies of.
* Brian expresses his belief that Mart usually can't wait to spill all his secrets to him, but this time he's keeping quiet about whatever is exciting him. Hmm, does Brian really think that extends to everything? I suspect there's a bit of older brother naivety occurring here.
* Bobby likens Snow White's Seven Dwarfs to the Bob Whites. As well as having the same number in their group, they share a similar agenda. The Bob Whites aim to help people, just as the dwarfs helped Snow White. I like the analogy. I guess Trixie and Honey could be re-named Nosy and Tactful. And how about Muscly, Doc, Smarty, Busy and Pretty for Jim, Brian, Mart, Dan and Di respectively.
* When Laura Ramsey describes how much she loves to read, Di remarks, 'I wish I did.' And she goes on to say that she'd sooner sit in a shady spot without a book than with one. If all this is true, is she really the girl for Mart then? I get the feeling Di is misrepresented in this passage. Although she struggles with her grades in school, I never before had the impression that she hates reading in general. How about the occasional romance novel or Lucy Radcliffe book?
* Having studied an English major myself, I think Trixie's reasons for suspecting Laura's credibility are unreasonably stringent. She finds it strange that Laura, an English major at Columbia University, doesn't recognise a line from Shakespeare when she hears it. Well, I didn't recognise it either! It's far more remarkable that Mart, a fifteen-old-year High School boy, can quote from Shakespeare's Henry V off the cuff to suit the occasion, than it is that Laura Ramsey, an English major, doesn't recognise it.
* The name of Uncle Mart, who had to go into hospital for tests at the end of The Mystery at Bob White Cave pops up again. It seems he always gives his namesake Mart a subscription for a boys' magazine which he's long since outgrown. I get the impression of a clueless but well-meaning elderly relative who just goes on his merry way, and nobody wants to offend. Ah well, the magazines might suit Bobby down the track.
* We are back to Mart having a room of his own and not sharing with Brian. He retreats to do his secret business there, which would surely be impossible to hide if it was common ground for the pair of them.
* Trixie is very formal with the census taker who comes knocking. She reports that Peter is 39, Helen is 37, Brian is 17, Martin is 15, she, Beatrix is 14 and Robert is 6. She doesn't add that they've somehow plunged into a time warp, since they've all been stuck at these same ages for two or three years worth of events, haha.
* Trixie and Honey are excited about having the chance to work with a real private detective, Mark McGraw. Sadly, he's brusque and businesslike and criticises their novice methods of handling the wallet they picked up. This does nothing for Trixie's self-confidence.
* Trixie's insecurities are stirred up again. She's jealous of Laura Ramsey partly because Jim seems to be attracted to her. That lonely, vulnerable voice she sometimes grapples with demands, 'What about me?' Whenever she's in this sort of mood, proving her own importance through mystery solving seems to gain huge significance. She claims her dislike of Laura runs deeper than possessiveness over Jim, but I'm not convinced that's true.
* Mart's insecurities are stirred in this story too. Since his plight turns out to be a smaller echo of the main mystery, I'll just brush over the details, except that he's taken advantage by unscrupulous people who play on his enthusiasm and vulnerability. And his dad says that since those crooks might be more cluey than Mart when it comes to deception, he has nothing to be ashamed of.
* Trixie actually gives Mart an apology. 'I'm sorry for bursting in like that. I really am.' (Yet as she obviously isn't sorry at all, I'm not sure we can take that one.)
* All the crooks who appear in this story are class acts. Their devious activity is sneaky all round.
* A suitable quote of the book was hard to choose. The boys keep saying noble things. For example, Mart tells Trixie, 'I don't want to just go to school and study agriculture on Dad's money and then become a teacher using Jim's. I want to contribute something too.' And later Jim declares, 'I'm not going to let what someone else is change what I am. I hope I'm nice to everybody.' These are both worthy contenders.
* But the quote of the book is this exchange between Trixie and Burt, the census man, because it made me laugh. Trixie: My mother's name is Helen. She's thirty-seven. Burt: Does she work outside the home? Trixie (uncertainly): Well, she has a big garden.
* Mr Lytell is at his cantankerous worst in this book. His caustic nature is given free reign. Trixie is terrified to even enter his shop for fear of a harsh rebuke, and sure enough, that's just what she gets. He's the sort of adult who assumes he can treat kids and teens like dirt, just because they're young. Would his snappy behaviour extend to adults? Would he bark at Peter or Helen Belden for stirring his irritation? I doubt it. A man of character would make up his mind to treat everyone who crosses his path with courtesy and composure.
* Having said that, I wouldn't say that he has no cause for being grumpy at all. Trixie finds orange, grape and cola soft drinks in his display fridge, and asks, 'Do you have any strawberry, Mr Lytell?' Perhaps she should use a bit of the deduction she prides herself on. If he did, wouldn't she expect to see a few cans out there for sale? In his place, I might fight the impulse to roll my eyes and reply, 'Does it look like it?' But I wouldn't pay her out in such a nasty manner.
* Mr Lytell does his business on an old typewriter with a slip of carbon paper between the two documents he wants copies of.
* Brian expresses his belief that Mart usually can't wait to spill all his secrets to him, but this time he's keeping quiet about whatever is exciting him. Hmm, does Brian really think that extends to everything? I suspect there's a bit of older brother naivety occurring here.
* Bobby likens Snow White's Seven Dwarfs to the Bob Whites. As well as having the same number in their group, they share a similar agenda. The Bob Whites aim to help people, just as the dwarfs helped Snow White. I like the analogy. I guess Trixie and Honey could be re-named Nosy and Tactful. And how about Muscly, Doc, Smarty, Busy and Pretty for Jim, Brian, Mart, Dan and Di respectively.
* When Laura Ramsey describes how much she loves to read, Di remarks, 'I wish I did.' And she goes on to say that she'd sooner sit in a shady spot without a book than with one. If all this is true, is she really the girl for Mart then? I get the feeling Di is misrepresented in this passage. Although she struggles with her grades in school, I never before had the impression that she hates reading in general. How about the occasional romance novel or Lucy Radcliffe book?
* Having studied an English major myself, I think Trixie's reasons for suspecting Laura's credibility are unreasonably stringent. She finds it strange that Laura, an English major at Columbia University, doesn't recognise a line from Shakespeare when she hears it. Well, I didn't recognise it either! It's far more remarkable that Mart, a fifteen-old-year High School boy, can quote from Shakespeare's Henry V off the cuff to suit the occasion, than it is that Laura Ramsey, an English major, doesn't recognise it.
* The name of Uncle Mart, who had to go into hospital for tests at the end of The Mystery at Bob White Cave pops up again. It seems he always gives his namesake Mart a subscription for a boys' magazine which he's long since outgrown. I get the impression of a clueless but well-meaning elderly relative who just goes on his merry way, and nobody wants to offend. Ah well, the magazines might suit Bobby down the track.
* We are back to Mart having a room of his own and not sharing with Brian. He retreats to do his secret business there, which would surely be impossible to hide if it was common ground for the pair of them.
* Trixie is very formal with the census taker who comes knocking. She reports that Peter is 39, Helen is 37, Brian is 17, Martin is 15, she, Beatrix is 14 and Robert is 6. She doesn't add that they've somehow plunged into a time warp, since they've all been stuck at these same ages for two or three years worth of events, haha.
* Trixie and Honey are excited about having the chance to work with a real private detective, Mark McGraw. Sadly, he's brusque and businesslike and criticises their novice methods of handling the wallet they picked up. This does nothing for Trixie's self-confidence.
* Trixie's insecurities are stirred up again. She's jealous of Laura Ramsey partly because Jim seems to be attracted to her. That lonely, vulnerable voice she sometimes grapples with demands, 'What about me?' Whenever she's in this sort of mood, proving her own importance through mystery solving seems to gain huge significance. She claims her dislike of Laura runs deeper than possessiveness over Jim, but I'm not convinced that's true.
* Mart's insecurities are stirred in this story too. Since his plight turns out to be a smaller echo of the main mystery, I'll just brush over the details, except that he's taken advantage by unscrupulous people who play on his enthusiasm and vulnerability. And his dad says that since those crooks might be more cluey than Mart when it comes to deception, he has nothing to be ashamed of.
* Trixie actually gives Mart an apology. 'I'm sorry for bursting in like that. I really am.' (Yet as she obviously isn't sorry at all, I'm not sure we can take that one.)
* All the crooks who appear in this story are class acts. Their devious activity is sneaky all round.
* A suitable quote of the book was hard to choose. The boys keep saying noble things. For example, Mart tells Trixie, 'I don't want to just go to school and study agriculture on Dad's money and then become a teacher using Jim's. I want to contribute something too.' And later Jim declares, 'I'm not going to let what someone else is change what I am. I hope I'm nice to everybody.' These are both worthy contenders.
* But the quote of the book is this exchange between Trixie and Burt, the census man, because it made me laugh. Trixie: My mother's name is Helen. She's thirty-seven. Burt: Does she work outside the home? Trixie (uncertainly): Well, she has a big garden.
May 5, 2018
The Mystery of the Missing Millionaire by Kathryn Kenny is the thirty-fourth book in the Trixie Belden series.
I didn't like how little of Diana, Dan, and Brian there was in this book. Trixie getting jealous about Jim was cute, though. The mystery boring and cliche. Con-artists get old. I was happy to see Mr. Lytell getting his own plotline!
Not an amazing book in the series, but I didn't hate it. I can't believe this is the last Goldencraft book!!
3 stars out of 5.
I didn't like how little of Diana, Dan, and Brian there was in this book. Trixie getting jealous about Jim was cute, though. The mystery boring and cliche. Con-artists get old. I was happy to see Mr. Lytell getting his own plotline!
Not an amazing book in the series, but I didn't hate it. I can't believe this is the last Goldencraft book!!
3 stars out of 5.
September 4, 2022
Vejam a minha opinião em vídeo, AQUI.
March 31, 2020
Here is another VERY well constructed mystery! I have to eat my words again-I had NO idea whom the villians were!
But first things first: the store owner Mr Lytell used to be a nosy gossip, but in this book, he is a VERY unlikeable, ornery character! Arrggghh!
Out riding one day, Trixie and Honey find a wallet with a hundred dollar bill in it, and a few credit cards, but no photo ID. They turn it over to Mr Lytell who is very rude to the pair.
Soon after, the daughter of the person who lost the wallet shows up and is quite upset and says that her father, a millionare who owns several grocery stores, has gone missing! The chief suspect is a crooked business partner. She needs to hire a private detective to find him (it was here that I thought Trix and Honey would offer their services, but I guess they aren't that presumptious). Mr Lytell loans the young lady named Laura Ramsey $2k, and holds her brand new sports car as collateral You can tell the car is a stunner because it costs a whole $12k brand new! Haha! (Just for a point of reference, this was written in 1980. I don't know how much new cars are now, but in 1997 I bought my only new car-it costs $17k CAD (So let's say $13.5k USD) and it was a Honda Civic-not a sleek sports model!
Anyway, a big-shot detective visits and seems to snub Trixie and Honey (Gasp! He must be a fake-he doesn't take two teenage girls seriously! The horror! Hehe!). He does warn them of a possible detective that may have been hired by the disreputable business partner however. That reminds me, Trixie has noticed a green car watching them several times (which of course everyone scoffs at! Now, I was kidding about the detective taking her seriously, but come on, the rest of the Bob-Whites REALLY should know better by now!) Between her being teased, and Jim giving his attention to this bright, young, 20-year old college coed who sits at their pond sunbathing a putting on suntan oil, (and, no-I'm not joking), Trix is a bit jealous and miffed. So much so that she decides to not take the case at all. Besides which, she wants to investigate Mart's odd behaviour (which involves him falling for a get-rich scheme and losing $10, but that's kind of peripheral to the main story)
Ok, so what's the denouement? This is what really surprised me (even though I know I read this before, it was back in 2006, and I barely remember it)-you see, Trix disliked Laura Ramsey (the rich daughter), but I thought it was just because she was a pretty college coed and Jim seemed to be smitten (which I can understand-Trix is 14, Jim is 17 and this girl is 20. When I was 17, I liked a girl who went to my congregation and my school. But there was also a 14 year old girl in my congregation, and a 20 year old who went to a nearby congregation. I can tell you that if it wasn't for the 17 year old that I liked, I would have had my head turned a lot quicker by the 20 year old than the 14 year old! But on the other side of the coin, it is pretty much established at this point that Jim is smitten with Trixie and vice versa. Trixie should have just asked Jim about his interest in the girl instead of sulking and fretting, but I know that when I was that age, I would have behaved like Trix did instead of sensibly confronting Jim and asking where she stood) Ok, I digress-the denouement is that the girl WAS a crook and so was the so-called PI! They were in it together to con Mr Lytell out of money!
Another thing-I thought that Jim would have said later that he too suspected her and that was why he was around her so much, but no! He said, he was just trying to be nice. Uhh....yeah. (I guess he was, but that DOES seem kind of lame)
So overall, this was a VERY nice story that I really got into. I don't know what is wrong with my brain-I didn't recall who was the crook at all! In fact, the only thing I remember was that the last time I read the book was in 2006. I know this because I just saw "She's the Man" in the movies, and the actress Laura Ramsey was in it. I thought she was pretty and I liked the coincidence of the girl in the book being called Laura Ramsey! (And she was also supposed to be a hot girl) It's been sad that I recall THAT and not the storyline itself!
But first things first: the store owner Mr Lytell used to be a nosy gossip, but in this book, he is a VERY unlikeable, ornery character! Arrggghh!
Out riding one day, Trixie and Honey find a wallet with a hundred dollar bill in it, and a few credit cards, but no photo ID. They turn it over to Mr Lytell who is very rude to the pair.
Soon after, the daughter of the person who lost the wallet shows up and is quite upset and says that her father, a millionare who owns several grocery stores, has gone missing! The chief suspect is a crooked business partner. She needs to hire a private detective to find him (it was here that I thought Trix and Honey would offer their services, but I guess they aren't that presumptious). Mr Lytell loans the young lady named Laura Ramsey $2k, and holds her brand new sports car as collateral You can tell the car is a stunner because it costs a whole $12k brand new! Haha! (Just for a point of reference, this was written in 1980. I don't know how much new cars are now, but in 1997 I bought my only new car-it costs $17k CAD (So let's say $13.5k USD) and it was a Honda Civic-not a sleek sports model!
Anyway, a big-shot detective visits and seems to snub Trixie and Honey (Gasp! He must be a fake-he doesn't take two teenage girls seriously! The horror! Hehe!). He does warn them of a possible detective that may have been hired by the disreputable business partner however. That reminds me, Trixie has noticed a green car watching them several times (which of course everyone scoffs at! Now, I was kidding about the detective taking her seriously, but come on, the rest of the Bob-Whites REALLY should know better by now!) Between her being teased, and Jim giving his attention to this bright, young, 20-year old college coed who sits at their pond sunbathing a putting on suntan oil, (and, no-I'm not joking), Trix is a bit jealous and miffed. So much so that she decides to not take the case at all. Besides which, she wants to investigate Mart's odd behaviour (which involves him falling for a get-rich scheme and losing $10, but that's kind of peripheral to the main story)
Ok, so what's the denouement? This is what really surprised me (even though I know I read this before, it was back in 2006, and I barely remember it)-you see, Trix disliked Laura Ramsey (the rich daughter), but I thought it was just because she was a pretty college coed and Jim seemed to be smitten (which I can understand-Trix is 14, Jim is 17 and this girl is 20. When I was 17, I liked a girl who went to my congregation and my school. But there was also a 14 year old girl in my congregation, and a 20 year old who went to a nearby congregation. I can tell you that if it wasn't for the 17 year old that I liked, I would have had my head turned a lot quicker by the 20 year old than the 14 year old! But on the other side of the coin, it is pretty much established at this point that Jim is smitten with Trixie and vice versa. Trixie should have just asked Jim about his interest in the girl instead of sulking and fretting, but I know that when I was that age, I would have behaved like Trix did instead of sensibly confronting Jim and asking where she stood) Ok, I digress-the denouement is that the girl WAS a crook and so was the so-called PI! They were in it together to con Mr Lytell out of money!
Another thing-I thought that Jim would have said later that he too suspected her and that was why he was around her so much, but no! He said, he was just trying to be nice. Uhh....yeah. (I guess he was, but that DOES seem kind of lame)
So overall, this was a VERY nice story that I really got into. I don't know what is wrong with my brain-I didn't recall who was the crook at all! In fact, the only thing I remember was that the last time I read the book was in 2006. I know this because I just saw "She's the Man" in the movies, and the actress Laura Ramsey was in it. I thought she was pretty and I liked the coincidence of the girl in the book being called Laura Ramsey! (And she was also supposed to be a hot girl) It's been sad that I recall THAT and not the storyline itself!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2018
I loved the Trixie Belden books as a kid (nice to see they got republished). I'm still unsure how they ended up in my corner of the world. I slowly amassed the whole series as first editions (it seemed so glamourous as a kid owning precious books that were older than me!) by saving all my pocket money to buy them from the local secondhand store. I can only guess that some adult (probably having moved to our sleepy town from overseas) had sold them off in bulk. They sat in a back corner of the store, thankfully ignored by everyone else, as I slowly acquired them through pocket money and then in a mass swoop for Christmas. It helped that back then secondhand books sold for anywhere from 10 cents to 50 cents rather than $7-10 as they do these days!
They were wonderful mystery books for children of a similar ilk to Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Three Investigators etc.; set in a time long before cellphones when sleuthing into mysterious mansions, smugglers, and strange sounds in the night wouldn't cause any real harm to befall our child investigators.
They were wonderful mystery books for children of a similar ilk to Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Three Investigators etc.; set in a time long before cellphones when sleuthing into mysterious mansions, smugglers, and strange sounds in the night wouldn't cause any real harm to befall our child investigators.
March 13, 2016
When Trixie and Honey find a wallet on the side of Glen Road, they don’t expect to find a mystery with it. However, when a young woman shows up to claim it, she tells a story about her missing father. Will Trixie be able to help find him?
Many fans of the series complain about the characters in this book, but that doesn’t bother me. Trixie seems a bit off and easily hurt, which is where I think the comments from fans come from, but I recognize that tendency to take things personally that aren’t meant that way in myself, so I actually sympathize with what she works through here. And I love the plot. It surprised me as a kid; as an adult, I admire how it is put together. Plus there are some lines and scenes that still make me laugh.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Many fans of the series complain about the characters in this book, but that doesn’t bother me. Trixie seems a bit off and easily hurt, which is where I think the comments from fans come from, but I recognize that tendency to take things personally that aren’t meant that way in myself, so I actually sympathize with what she works through here. And I love the plot. It surprised me as a kid; as an adult, I admire how it is put together. Plus there are some lines and scenes that still make me laugh.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
July 26, 2017
This could have been a 5-Star book for me; however, the secondary plot involving Mart's efforts to earn some money for college was more interesting to me than the main mystery. Still a good mystery.
August 27, 2017
Ok at this point all the BWotG just need to stop doubting Trixie. And poor Mart.
Recommended 10+ for scary situations and mild teen romance
Recommended 10+ for scary situations and mild teen romance
December 16, 2023
I didn’t read this one as a kid but it might be my favorite in the series. I’ve recently started thrifting Trixie books and the 1980s ones are my favorite. It’s interesting how they try to preserve the innocence of the 1960s but at the same time aren’t quite able to capture it so they read more nostalgic.
I don’t mind that tho. The characters seem more realistic in the more recent books, and the mysteries are more advanced with less emphasis on gender roles for Honey and Trixie.
I don’t mind that tho. The characters seem more realistic in the more recent books, and the mysteries are more advanced with less emphasis on gender roles for Honey and Trixie.
August 24, 2020
It's a solid offering, but wow am I getting sick of the first chapter recap!
February 23, 2022
DONE!!! I wanted to finish before we moved and I did!! Feels kind of odd for the end of a series but oh well! And this is not the best of the bunch but Trixie Belden is always a good time.
Read
July 10, 2023Looking for new Trixie Belden books at the local Bi-Way is a core childhood memory for me. I never did read them all.
February 13, 2013
A childhood favorite re-visited.
Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes
What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.
Length? – Most of a day’s read.
Characters? – Memorable, several characters.
Setting? – Real world, pre - computer, pre - air conditioning, pre - cell phone.
Written approximately? – 1980.
Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.
Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers and cell phones.
Short storyline: Trixie Belden, Honey, and Jim work on a case involving a missing person. Meanwhile, mart is hoodwinked by a mailorder home business opportunity. When Trixie figures out the swindle that she, honey, and Mr. Lytel fell for, she only has a a little time to save Mr. Lytel and his money.
Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence and no murder.
Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes
What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.
Length? – Most of a day’s read.
Characters? – Memorable, several characters.
Setting? – Real world, pre - computer, pre - air conditioning, pre - cell phone.
Written approximately? – 1980.
Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.
Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers and cell phones.
Short storyline: Trixie Belden, Honey, and Jim work on a case involving a missing person. Meanwhile, mart is hoodwinked by a mailorder home business opportunity. When Trixie figures out the swindle that she, honey, and Mr. Lytel fell for, she only has a a little time to save Mr. Lytel and his money.
Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence and no murder.
August 6, 2016
For Christmas one year, my parents grabbed me the entire Trixie Belden set and I couldn't put them down. After I finished with them, they continued to purchase them as quickly as I could read them. Even with a learning disability, I devoured the books. I look back now and I find that Trixie Belden was much more age related to young girls, particularly to me, reading the books than Nancy Drew. There was something in these books that I found to be a greater escape than I did ND, too. I found that they weren't so "over the top" or dated. I will be doing the same thing with my granddaughters, if and when I have them, even if I have to stalk every used bookstore to get them
July 27, 2011
Pod Jim? Or (finally) a normal, teenage, hormonal boy? Pod Trixie? Or Trixie in her teenage hormones realizing she really does like-like Jim? I didn't care for Trixie's jealousy in this one, not only Jim but her best friend hanging out with the "villain", though seeing the Bob-Whites as actually having some difficulties and spats (like normal teenagers) was nice. Just not one of my favorites in the series.
July 23, 2016
Re-read May 2011.
Re-read December 2013.
Re-read December 2013.
Read
March 9, 200834
Read
August 11, 2010I have this book at home and i love it! definetly worth reading
January 7, 2014
A lost wallet, a beautiful sad daughter and a puzzling mystery.
May 14, 2011
I read these books as a kid and loved them. I'm not sure what I would think about them now, but they were a fun read when I was about 10.
May 25, 2014
Not too much of a mystery in this one ... but it's nice to see Trixie finally growing up a bit, learning some of the lessons. A light and easy read.
December 26, 2012
book 34
January 7, 2015
I always forget the plot for this one, but it's actually one of the more sophisticated ones.
February 6, 2013
I enjoyed this one- it was back to the Trixie Belden I like, instead of just tolerating.
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