The Circle of Footprints

Dana Girls Mystery #6

by Carolyn Keene, Mildred Benson (Ghostwriter)

The Dana girls are plunged into another mystery when they befriend the Doke family shortly after Mason Doke unfortunately crashes into their uncle's ship with his airplane. The Danas interrupt a burglary at the Doke home and discover that the would-be thief was attempting to steal a box full of money.

Mrs. Doke fears greatly that the money was stolen by her husband, and the Danas assume responsibility for the money until Mrs. Doke can decide what to do with the money. The thief learns from Lettie Briggs that the girls live at the Starhurst school, and the girls are forced to move the money several times in order to prevent a theft.

Mr. Doke dies of his injuries, and Mrs. Doke requests that the girls help her discover the rightful owners of the money so that she can right the wrongs of her husband. The Danas face many harrowing adventures as they search for the owners and narrowly escape being poisoned by an insane woman.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Young Adult

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Carolyn 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.

Reviews

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute mystery. I liked all the tiny little mystery behind finding people. =) Some things felt a little to convenient, but I kind of expected that in a kids mystery book.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had so many coincidences that would only be possible if there were about a 100 people in the world. Well, my exaggeration is comparable to the coincidences. I mean, a low flying plane is signalling a passenger on Uncle Ned's ship when he crashes onto the ship. The passenger he was signaling is Lettie Briggs' father. The boy who brings the Dana Girls the telegram about the accident is the son of the pilot. And of course, the pilot is a major piece in the mystery the Danas are trying to solve.

And what about the intriguing circle of footprints? I'm afraid that I really didn't understand the explanation for that.

This is not the best Dana Girls story.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this series of books that I read back in junior high. They are from the same syndicate that wrote the Nancy Drew books and the Hardy Boys, but I much preferred the Dana Girls.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The girls receive news that an airplane crashed into their Uncle's ship while it was at sea. Lettie's father was hurt in the crash.

They then meet a young boy named Joe Doke who was a delivery boy but who loses his job. Then the main theme hits when a thief takes a box that had money in it. Joe's mother thinks the money had been stolen. The girls get the box back and want it put into the bank, but the mother says no.

Then a buried chest is also found at the home. There's also a guy that is leaving strange footprints at the site. Meanwhile Lettie causes a lot of trouble in this story, moreso than she usually does.

Later the girls get a list of people that the woman's husband had cheated money out of, and they plan to pay him back from the money in the tin box they found. Much of the story revolves around their search for these people, and nasty people who pretend to be someone they aren't just so they can get some of the money for themselves.

As always, things turn out well in the end. It's another good story in this old series.

[Mary M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably could have given this 4 stars but I'm in a critical mood this evening ;). Dana Girls are always enjoyable and this one moved quickly, the girls were noble as ever, etc. but I didn't really care for the way Mason Doke was portrayed - I guess because he was always off-screen, so to speak, so never could defend himself. Doke's relationship to the Crandall should have been fleshed out a bit more, etc.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy reading old childhood books from time to time. The original ones are the most fun. I love the print type used and the language. This book's copyright says 1937 and not in the best condition.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Checking out other Stratemeyer syndicate books.

[Trent Clegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid entry in the series, though some details were wrapped up too quickly at the end, and the explanation for the title's footprint circle was rather incredible. Mandy, the school's black maid, and her suitor are both typical stereotypes of the time.

[Masha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like no other Dana Girls I've ever read. Wow! Practically a thriller.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

In The Circle of Footprints, Louise and Jean's concern for a struggling family gets them involved in a frustrating tangle, concerning money of disputed ownership and a ruthless thief. The mystery is slow to develop, but I found it very intriguing. I liked that Aunt Harriet has a substantial role in this story, and there's a nice amount of twists. There is good suspense and action, along with a tense climax, but one thing really aggravated me:

The sisters meet a wheelchair-bound man who fires his butler after learning that he is dishonest. The butler gets revenge by pushing his ex-employer down a staircase. Louise, Jean, and the servants are so frantic to help the victim that they forget about the butler, who flees. The Dana sisters later encounter the scoundrel at another residence and warn his new employers, who decide to fire him. But nobody ever thinks of calling the police! Seriously, he is never apprehended in the entire book! What a glaring oversight.

As a matter of fact, I have read several Dana Girls or Nancy Drew books written in the 1930's where a villain escaped, and/or the accusers decided not to call the police. Was that a trendy thing for 30's fiction? I can't stand an ending like that!

Overall, though, I would recommend this to a mystery reader.