The Mystery of the Crimson Ghost

by Phyllis A. Whitney

While spending the summer in the country, a young girl falls in love with the neighbor's horse, but her attempts to befriend the mare are thwarted by mysterious events involving a crimson ghost-dog and the horse's "crazy" owner.
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(from the back cover of the Scholastic edition ~ 1970)
Suddenly Janey awakes! The horrible noise fills the night..screaming, wailing! It's the fiery ghost that haunts the estate where old Mrs. Burley and her beautiful mare, Star, live.

Janey knows that if she ever wants to ride Star, she must solve this chilling mystery!

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Gothic, Horses, Animals

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Phyllis 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.

Reviews

[Gary Sites · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page:

“My name is Janey Oakes, and I might as well tell you straight off that I have a very serious and painful disease. I call it ‘horse fever’. It can attack when you’re young, and I understand that it can last until you’re grown-up and so busy with other things that you feel only twinges now and then. It is incurable but not fatal. The painful part grows out of not owning a horse when that is what you want more than anything else in the world.”

Even though I’m many, many years removed from being a teenager, much less a teenage girl, that first paragraph hooked me. I can almost imagine what it must have been like for a young female to get ahold of this book when it came out, especially if she had “horse fever”. I’ve suffered from that ailment periodically myself, so I can understand a little of where young Janey is coming from, and could easily relate to her story.

This is a wonderful book that involves a nice little mystery and some life lessons for young (and not so young) readers. I found it to be a really fun story, and wish I had discovered it when I was a youngster.

I just love the observant and thoughtful Janey.

“Dad says my theme song is ‘I’m not down yet!’ I suppose it’s true. There is always some way to pull up and out of almost anything, it seems to me.”

“The most important thing for anyone is to have something to fight for. Something we care about and want. I don’t mean fight for with our fists, but something to try for, struggle for. Something we can do that uses whatever we are to win the fight.”

And, there’s the love of horses:

“When I’m on a horse, everything else falls away and stops bothering me. I mean everything that worries me, all the things I can’t solve, even the thought of things I don’t want to do--everything fades into the background. I’m free-- and that is a wonderful feeling. Besides, I have with me something that is alive and that responds to me--a horse I have an affection for and who likes me.”

Well said, Janey Oakes!

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it a long time ago but I remember it as a fun book.

[Debi Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, for lots of reasons, is very memorable for me. I read it as a teen. Mostly because I was horse crazy and could not have one... so this book resonated with me. I also remember listening to Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" while reading it! Funny the things we remember!

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

12-year old Janey has horse fever, and she has it bad. When her parents take her to summer in her aunt's rural property, next to a ruined inn, she discovers one of her neighbors is the horse of her dreams. Janey immediately and irrevocably falls in love with Star. It's an unfortunate situation, since Star's owner Mrs. Burley despises her aunt and the other residents of their lakeside community. But Janey is sure that she can win both Star and Mrs. Burley over. The catch is that the Burley property appears to be haunted, and the neighbors have it out for that family to boot. Janey has a mound of problems to overcome if she's ever to hope for a long-term relationship with the horse she already considers her own, and that includes solving the mystery of the haunted inn.

Whitney tells a story that so many young girls can relate to; I can remember being 12 and absolutely besotted by my horse (and all horses, to be honest). My love of horses perseveres, perhaps in part because my mom, like Janey's, was sympathetic to my condition and went out of her way to find ways to make dreams come true. Of course Dads, like mine and Janey's, are always practical, but they can be swayed if the stars align... and that's another relatable situation Janey's story presents to the children (and some adults) who read it. This is a lovely story that has held up over the years. The mystery is revealed in the end, and there's no pat answer to that one - it's as messy as real life, and that rings true.

[Carol Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A step back to my favorite book while in middle school. Just mysterious and spooky enough to spark my young, vivid imagination plus a protagonist with horse fever. No wonder I loved it so much!
It was fun to revisit this story.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A favorite from my childhood when I had “horse fever” also.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one didn't quite hold up to my fond memories when I read it to my own kids, but when I was a horse-crazy child, this one totally hit the spot.

[Lindsay Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember only that this book haunted my dreams for YEARS after reading it as a child, so it must have been scary.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars -- Though this book was published in 1969, I did not find the events to be overly dated. Honestly, the biggest way I noticed that it was not published in present day was through the actions of the story's younger characters. They were more overtly respectful to adults than many of the younger characters in today's publications, and they obviously had no electronic devices to bury themselves in. This mystery involves Lake Kimi (which means 'secret' in Lenni-Lenape) in New Jersey and its surrounding residents, especially the Burley family of Thelma and her grandsons, Roger & Denis. The three of them live in what remains of a hotel that burned down 30 years ago. Everyone survived the fire that night except for Thelma's husband, Harris, and their faithful hound, Brutus. Recently, an event has been happening that is literally a haunting reminder of that fire. Every full moon, a dog howls and a red light glows in the ruined part of the hotel structure. The neighbors of the lake are angry that their sleep is being disturbed & that the fledgling growth of the area might stop if this becomes known, and they are even more angry because they think that Mrs. Thelma Burley is doing these 'hauntings' on purpose. Into this atmosphere, drives the Oakes family: Janey and her Mom & Dad. They have come to visit Aunt Viv (Dad's sister) who lost her husband, Marty, two years ago and wants to move to a nearby town. Janey is excited because if they move here, she might be able to ride, or even own, a horse. The very first night they arrive, they become lost and must ask directions from the Burleys. While there, Janey hears a horse among the ruins. The next day she meets the beautiful chestnut thoroughbred, Star of Sussex, and falls in love with the valuable mare. It is also the beginning of Janey investigating for herself the strange occurrences of the howling dog and the red glowing light -- The Mystery of the Crimson Ghost.

"'I know how much it hurts to lose Star when you've only just found her. There's nothing I can say or do to help you get through it. The only comforting thing I can promise is that this hurt won't last forever. Not in the same intense degree. No matter how you feel now, the time will come when this won't matter as much as it does now. But I know that the future won't make you feel better now. It never helps anyone until it comes.'"

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book when i was a kid! i was not into horses at all but i really liked the "ghost dog" & the mystery behind it. i still have my copy!

[Sam Risdon · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Ayelet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book in the hopes that it might be the one I vaguely remember reading 30+ years ago. The story itself didn't ring any bells but it was still interesting.

[Kelv · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple story, with a simple plot that was well written, with well developed characters, good flow and climax with a believable ending. Black beauty crossed with The Hound of the Baskervilles.

[Rhoda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit simpler plot than Nancy Drew, but still enjoyable.

[Meredith Michaels · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent mystery from one of the best..l wish Phyllis Whitney was still alive!

[Macjest · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been years since I read this book. Pretty much anything by Phyllis A Whitney is guaranteed to be good. She was a reliable children's book author. This book was written to appeal to all childhood horse lovers. It was written from the perspective of a 12 year old girl who has "horse fever". She has an incredible collection of horse figurines, but one is particularly close to her heart. She and her family go for the summer to visit with her Aunt Viv out in the country. If her father is able to find a job, they will move there permanently. As soon as they arrive Janey discovers both a horse and a mystery. I enjoyed this immensely as a teen and it's still pretty good now.

[Nancy]

Love this book. I live in the area that this book is set in.