The Invisible Chimes

Judy Bolton Mysteries #3

by Margaret Sutton, Pelagie Doane (Illustrator)

Doctor, I can't remember. I can't recall‚a single‚thing. The strange girl whom Judy calls 'Honey' appears to have no memory of her past. Honey's sweet disposition endears her to both the Bolton and the Dobbs families, but Judy begins to wonder if Honey is hiding something. Honey's behavior is strange, and she is evasive when questioned about her actions. Adding to Judy's suspicion is the fact that Honey was in the company of thieves when she had the accident that caused her memory loss. There is also the matter of the invisible chimes, which ring from an invisible source, and usually when Honey is around. The source of the invisible chimes is soon revealed, and Judy's faith in Honey is greatly shaken. In a bizarre twist, Honey learns a startling secret about her past that will change her life forever.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

Margaret Sutton was born Rachel Irene Beebe in Odin, Pennsylvania in 1903. She was the daughter of Victor Beebe, a well-known historian, and Estella Andrews Beebe. Being a spirited nonconformist, she dropped out of high school, but in 1920, graduated from the Rochester Business Institute. After graduation, she worked for several years as a secretary and in printing. During that time, she met William Sutton at a church dance in New York City. After a courtship exchanging poems and playing chess, they were married in 1924, and she began writing stories for her husband's daughter, Dorothy. Her first Judy Bolton Mystery was published in 1932 under the pen name Margaret Sutton. Ms. Sutton wove many real events and places into the Judy Bolton stories through the 35-year history of the series. She also wrote numerous stories for children and young adults. She was also active in social causes, joining the historic March on Washington in 1964. In 1965, her husband of more than 40 years died. In 1975, after traveling extensively, she married a long-time family friend, Everett Hunting. They moved to Berkeley, California and made their home there until 1993 when they moved back to Pennsylvania. Mr. Hunting died shortly after they moved. In 2001, at the age of 98, Margaret Sutton died in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, not far from her native Potter County.

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun reading. I read many Judy Bolton books while I was in high school, I know I read all that my school library had, but I have no idea if I read all 38 of them. So far I don't remember the stories, it's like I am reading them for the first time. Maybe I am on these first books.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Invisible Chimes was written by Margaret Sutton and published in 1932. It is the third book in the Judy Bolton mystery series. In this one, Judy and her friends go to an antique shop with a tearoom one night. While there it gets robbed and they save a mysterious girl they call Honey. Judy is determined to find the robbers and also discover Honey’s true identity.

I just adore Judy Bolton books! This was another great one. The setting of the antique shop and tearoom was so cool. I want to go there! The mystery in this one connected to the other books. I love that these books add to each other, instead of being able to stand on their own. These books are so cozy, while also having a bit of the real tragedies of life. They just seem a bit deeper than your usual young adult mysteries from this time period. I adore Judy as a character as well because she is so real. She is very good at solving cases, but yet she can jump to conclusions based on her feelings. She’s not perfect, but she’s relatable. I liked the introduction of Honey as a character as well. I loved how her story connected to the previous book. I will say that I saw the plot twist coming for quite awhile, but I didn’t mind. I expect that more with these kind of mysteries.

I can’t recommend Judy Bolton enough for those that like cozy mysteries and golden age mysteries ( especially the ones for younger audiences such as Nancy Drew). I’m loving reading through the series so far. It’s such an enjoyable experience.

[Maggie Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this I was transported back almost 60 years ago to when I read all of the Judy Bolton books. I used to get one for my birthday or Christmas. I immediately remembered all of the characters (which spoiled the mystery since I knew who Honey really was.) This was all about nostalgia for me. The book still seemed better than the Nancy Drew I recently reread, but, even so, these were definitely for the younger set. Books for teens certainly have changed since I was a kid. I'm willing to read more of these since they are a very relaxing read.

[Skjam! · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple mystery story aimed at young teenaged girls, ala Nancy Drew. Judy is a girl with a forceful personality and boundless curiosity, plus she's good at details, all of which serve her well in dealing with the mysteries she runs into. Her primary weakness is that she jumps to conclusions, and will ignore data that contradicts her hypotheses until someone reminds her otherwise.

The mystery itself is pretty straightforward; I guessed all the twists several pages before Judy herself did (and I think most genre savvy readers will as well.)

Two things struck me about this story. First, the group of friends going out to the antique store/cafe where the robbery takes place consists of three high school girls, three college student boys, and a man who's already graduated college and is fully employed. The last is one of the fellows who's interested in Judy in a "more than just friends" way, though Judy herself seems oblivious to this.

The other thing was the strong current of classism; such things as "the better sort of people" comes up several times, including a conclusion that the sweet-tempered Honey could not have come from a lower-class family. It's briefly mentioned that Judy has friends from the low-income end of town, but they make no actual appearance.

If you share this book with a young reader, you may want to talk about the assumption that wealthy people are that way because they're "better" than poor people.

Otherwise, a fun book for its target audience.

For more young adult reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/young-adult/

[Sharon Ouderkirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Invisible Chimes is a Judy Barton mystery, one of the many juvenile series offered by the Stratemeyer syndicate (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins, etc.) I personally think that this series was much better written than the more famous Nancy Drew; Judy is a real person with faults, who fights with her brother, Horace, and jumps to conclusions when she is emotional. The adventures go along in comic book speed, and although the mystery is easily solved (at least in this outing), it's still a pleasure to go along for the ride.
In this adventure, Judy gets involved with thieves who steal from an antique store, and then try to run Judy and her friends over. They are saved by a girl in the car who grabs the wheel and turns it. The girl is thrown from the car and Judy and her doctor father take her home to recuperate. She suffers from amnesia---or does she? The unravelling of the identity of 'Honey' takes up most of the novel, even though most readers would have figured it out right away. A fun trip down memory lane to a more innocent reading experience.

[Maureen]

This was one of the more detective type books. Missing items from the antic store and people who have amnesia. I read all of these as a teen and loved them then and am now rereading them as an adult. Love them now. Out of all the mystery Judy does her magical work and finds the missing items and takes in the lost girl whom they name Honey. She becomes family, but more than that she is family. Another mystery to add to the mystery of the missing store items.

[Wilma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good mystery.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot:
The book starts out with Judy and her friends visiting an antique store/tea room. In the shop Judy sees a vase in the shape of a tree and decides she must have it. She plans on inquiring about the price on the way out but first the groups wants to eat. They go into the attached tearoom and enjoy eating and dancing to the player piano. Before long another boy and girl arrive but only the girl stays. She continues to keep the piano playing constantly and after dancing with her, Horace says the girl seemed scared. Soon her companion reappears and rushes her out.

After not long the group begins to head back to the car but as they re-enter the antique shop they find many of the items have been removed, including Judy's vase. Although Judy suspects a robbery the others believe someone must have come in and made a large purchase. However they soon find that Arthur's car has also disappeared.

They quickly call the police and Judy's father who arrive one after the other. Seeing the tire tracks of Arthur's car lead down a road that has a broken bridge, Judy's group heads down this road in Dr. Bolton's car, while the police go searching down a road that leads out of town.

The road is dark, narrow, and winding but after awhile headlights begin approaching them and they quickly recognize Arthur's car. It is occupied by four men as well as the boy and girl from the tearoom. When the car tries to force it's way past them, Judy and her friends get out of Dr. Bolton's car and form a human chain blocking the road. Unfazed, the driver of the stolen car attempts to run over the youths but the girl occupant turns the wheel sending them down a ledge into a gully where they crash into a tree...

You can read the rest of this review on my blog: vintagegirlsbooks

Review:
- At the beginning of the book it mentions that Peter, Horace, and Donald all attend the same college and that Arthur has already graduated college for architecture. I was surprised by this as I always imagined Arthur to be the youngest of the boys and Peter to be the oldest, with Horace falling in-between the two. I don't know their ages except that they're all over 18. Judy, Lois, and Lorraine are all 15 and if Arthur and Horace were not brothers to two of the girls I would find the age differences uncomfortable for their friend group.

- I always find antique stores in old media fascinating. I've been in my fair share of antique stores and the items usually there did not even exist when this book was written. It makes me wonder what items you saw in these stores back then. I also love how the boys look at the antique weapons while the girls look at the pretty things. Very realistic to my experiences :P

- Margaret Sutton had said that if the series had continued Horace and Honey's marriage to each other would have been in one of the books therefore I consider their marriage canon. With that it mind I found their meeting really cute. While in the tearoom everyone is dancing except Horace who is gazing over at Honey. He asks Judy if she thinks it would be appropriate for him to go ask her to dance. He's clearly interested in her from the first time he sees her and I think that is cute for a married couple.

- The Vincenzo's are one of the many, many, many examples of anti-Italianism that was rampant in the U.S. at the time. Italians, specifically Sicilians, faced a lot of discrimination whether they were immigrants or Italian Americans. They were considered criminals by nature, something shown in this book by the repeated insistence that Honey does not have physical features of a criminal. The last book also focuses on Vine Thompson not being a blood relative of Peters as ignorant people believe criminality was passed through blood. It's unfortunate that many people in modern times are unaware of this bigotry and some even deny it ever happen. But books with stereotypes like these, which are a dime a dozen, are loud proof that it not only existed but was being taught to children.

- When I had originally read this book I was annoyed by Honey's coincidental relation to Peter, especially after Peter's coincidental relation to Vine in the last book. It still annoys me if I think too much about it but now I see it as setting up the foundation for the series. The first three books really lay the groundwork for everything. We meet and have time to get familiar with all the characters, from Judy and her friends to her grandparents and the Dobbs, as well as get familiar with Farringdon and the Bolton house. We also learn how all the characters interact with each other such as the Arthur, Lorraine, Judy love triangle. With these books done it feels like now we actually start the series in the next book.

Overall it was good. It moves well and like I've said before, Sutton books have detailed plots that twist around each other but are still very easy to understand. My only complaint is that the cats could have been in it more.

[Paola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. Judy comes off as childish and b****y in this book. Yes I realize she still in high school but geez, what a brat. I didn't like that she basically dumped her friends, mainly Lois, to solely focus on Honey. She's completely oblivious to Arthur's feelings for her too. I'm not sure I understand why he's even interested in her, she so childish. Hopefully she becomes less annoying as the series continues. The mystery of who Honey really is was super obvious and it took Judy way too long to figure it out. I was really annoyed by her mother, father and Peter too, pretty much excusing Honey and admonishing Judy for being justifiably angry after Honey lied to everyone. How lucky for Honey that she ended up being Peter's sister, the long lost baby Grace. Although I'm sure they all would have lied to protect Honey, regardless of her crimes, because apparently a pretty face means you aren't capable of being a thief. 🙄

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A theft, a mysterious girl with no memory, and a lot of adventure is what's waiting for Judy in this exciting adventure.

Without having read about Judy before I fell into this story without being sure what to expect. What I found was a fiercely likable girl with a good head on her shoulders, and a love for mysteries. At times she seems a little naive, but you have to take under consideration the time period in which these books are written.

I loved getting to know Judy and want very much to find the rest of the books in the series. This is definitely going to become a favorite in my collection!

[Nancy Bandusky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful mystery that a "thinking" reader will probably figure out before Judy if read shortly after The Haunted Attic. In this story, the reader is introduced to a new character that is quite important to the series.

The value of belonging to a "family" is an underlying current along with the concept of nature versus nurture.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed rereading this book, which introduces the character of Honey to the series, it seemed that many of the clues were either coincidences or discovered accidentally. But perhaps I am overthinking it. Young children would probably still like it.

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite book in the seres, I thought the mystery was much easyer to figour out then the others.

[Emma Gallacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first Judy Bolton I read and it engrossed & captivated me so i acquired the whole series!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[Jacinta Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, I'm really just going to give all the Judy Bolton books five stars.... Because I can't help it.

[Ariella O’Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was like Nancy Drew but sooooo much better she actually ages (not common in book detectives) This was such a good read

[Anna O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 introduces us to a new character.

When a girl who Judy names Honey shows up, she seems to have no recollection of her name, where she's from or anything. Honey is sweet and kind, and Judy quickly takes to her and the two remain best friends throughout the series. Judy begins to wonder if this, amnesias of honeys is true or just an act, when Judy questions Honey and her behavior is evasive and strange. When Honey was found by Judy in the beginning of the book, she was found in the company of thieves. And why do wind chimes every time Honeys around? What's the connection? In the end of book 3, we find an unexpected twist about Honeys past, that could change her life forever. But what will it be?

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

So bland and safe that it's hard to keep track of some of the cast.
It has no sense of energy and for a mystery, almost no feeling of suspense.

Judy is credited as a detective, but does very little, except for missing serious red flags and jumping to the wrong conclusions.
The idea that she'd get more crime solving done but she has to do chores was amusing, as is the vague love triangle between Judy and a couple of the boys in the cast.

It just kind of meanders around and then without any threat or much action taken by the heroine, the story comes to an end.

One of the weaker of the Nancy Drew clones.

[Reading with Cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read with an amnesia mystery to be solved. Some of the loose ends of the haunted attic plot (book #2) are settled by the end of this book. Set in 1932, the shenanigans of these high school mean girls show that Regina George and the Plastics have nothing on these depression-era teens. Our plucky, fearless heroine, Judy Bolton--girl detective--is brought to tears!

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judy’s hands trembled and her gray eyes were dark with apprehension as she lifted the loose floorboards and looked.
“Good Heavens!”
The two boards fell back across the open space with a crash as Judy uttered this startled exclamation. She simply sat back on her heels and refused to think until her mind had been prepared for this appalling thing she had discovered.

In the last book, we learned that Peter is the son of Grace Thompson who was rejected by her parents, Peter’s grandparents, The Dobbses, after she ran off with the oldest son of Vine Thompson, a criminal gang leader. When Grace died, after having another baby, who apparently also died, The Dobbses adopted her 3-year-old son, Peter, and raised him.

This book opens with Arthur driving Judy and her friends out to the country to visit an antique store and tea room. After admiring the antiques, they go into the tea room for a snack. Horace asks a pretty girl who is playing the piano to dance. But they soon suspect that her loud piano playing was to distract the owners and guests from the antique store being robbed. The thieves and the piano player make their getaway by stealing Arthur's beloved car. After the police come, Judy and her friends chase them down and end up almost getting run over by the gang when they get out of their car and try to block the road. At the last minute, the young girl turns the wheel from the driver and saves their lives. She is injured and the grateful Boltons take her home to recover where they learn she has amnesia.

The heart of this book is uncovering the mystery of the girl’s background. Judy calls her “Honey” as they don’t know her name and she has honey-colored hair. She is sweet, eager to please, and grateful to the Boltons for taking her in. But is she a thief and part of a criminal family? Or was she kidnapped? Judy uncovers some lies Honey has told but doesn’t want to believe that Honey is anything other than the good and lovely person she appears to be. But whom was Honey meeting in secret in the dead of night and what was in the package that the stranger gave her? And what are those chimes Judy keeps hearing in her home seemingly out of nowhere? To uncover the truth Dr. Bolton invites a psychiatrist friend from New York City to observe Honey. Thus, we meet Pauline Faulkner, his daughter, who becomes a good friend of Judy and plays a part in this and several other of her mysteries down the road. Judy starts keeping a notebook to record clues and observations. She wants to catch the thieves that almost killed her and her friends as well as recover the stolen antiques and discover what the connection is between the gang and Honey. When Mrs. Dobbs, Peter’s grandmother, has a stroke she becomes strangely attached to Honey and starts calling her “Grace,” the name of her dead daughter.

While Honey is caring for Mrs. Dobbs, Judy discovers a musical vase that was stolen from the antique store hidden under the floorboards in Honey's bedroom. That solves the mystery of the chimes but things are looking very dark indeed for the Boltons’ young house guest. Judy feels angry and betrayed. Can Honey really be the sneaky and criminal liar that all the evidence seems to indicate? Judy thinks so and wants her arrested immediately. The cooler heads of her parents and Peter persuade Judy to not judge until they hear Honey’s explanation.

When Judy gets a letter from Pauline who has been doing some detective work for her in New York City, she thinks she has all of the answers and confronts Honey with her disturbing discoveries. But she is not prepared for the story that Honey has to tell. By the end of the book, there are tears aplenty but they are tears of happiness and Honey will start her life anew with a "clean slate."
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good entry in the Judy Bolton series.