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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #42
The Phantom of Pine Hill
When Nancy Drew and her two close friends arrive for the Emerson University June Week celebration and learn there has been a mix-up in their motel reservations, the confusion leads to a baffling mystery.Uncle John Rorick, a descendant of the early settlers of the town of Emerson, invites the three girls to be his guests at his historic mansion on Pine Hill. Shortly after their arrival, he tells them about the phantom who haunts the mansion’s library. Uncle John also relates the weird family saga of a lost French wedding gown and valuable gifts which went to the bottom of a nearby cove in the sinking of the Lucy Belle a hundred years before. Could there possibly be some connection between the phantom and the old ship disaster? Nancy wonders.In between enjoying the university’s June Week boat races, river pageant, and fraternity dances, Nancy and her friends work diligently to solve the mystery of Pine Hill and to find the long-lost wedding treasures.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1965
79 people are currently reading
2242 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,093 books3,899 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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 152 reviews
October 23, 2024
Nancy and her friends are staying With A couple in a house near Ned's college. But someone is stealing money Out of the library. No 1 knows how they're getting inside the library. Nancy and her friends are asked to solve this mystery, and of course they do.
May 4, 2021
Nancy Drew's 42nd (who counting?) sleuthing exercise comes close to the grounds of Ned Nickerson's alma mater, Emerson. In fact, in this adventure he gets promoted to head of his fraternity - a big deal, evidently. Meanwhile, Nancy and her buddies are helping solve a mystery having to do with pirated booty which has been missing for over a century. While they get to visit with the Emerson college boys, a couple of mysteries get solved.
Nancy impresses the police team involved, the citizens of the community, and even the thieves express their admiration for our plucky Nancy. Wrapped up with a bow within the mandated number of pages, and we are off to #43, 99 steps to somewhere. . . .
Hanging in on my grand adventure to read all the original NDs.
Nancy impresses the police team involved, the citizens of the community, and even the thieves express their admiration for our plucky Nancy. Wrapped up with a bow within the mandated number of pages, and we are off to #43, 99 steps to somewhere. . . .
Hanging in on my grand adventure to read all the original NDs.
October 27, 2019
"When Nancy Drew and her two close friends arrive for the Emerson University June Week celebration and learn there has been a mix-up in their motel reservations, the confusion leads to a baffling mystery.
Uncle John Rorick, a descendant of the early settlers of the town of Emerson, invites the three girls to be his guests at his historic mansion on Pine Hill. Shortly after their arrival, he tells them about the phantom who haunts the mansion’s library. Uncle John also relates the weird family saga of a lost French wedding gown and valuable gifts which went to the bottom of a nearby cove in the sinking of the Lucy Belle a hundred years before. Could there possibly be some connection between the phantom and the old ship disaster? Nancy wonders.
In between enjoying the university’s June Week boat races, river pageant, and fraternity dances, Nancy and her friends work diligently to solve the mystery of Pine Hill and to find the long-lost wedding treasures.
The exciting climax will be as much of a thrill for the reader as it was for the teen-age detective herself."
As I've said before, my opinions on many Nancy Drew books have changed for the worse. Since I had given this book a 5 star GoodReads review upon my first reading I was very interested to see if my opinion changed.
- I feel like Ned is overly rude to Fred. It seems that Fred is more clumsy than careless and Ned's belittling seems quite unnecessary.
- Bess and Georges prank on Ned was kinda cute but also a little strange. Nancy was attempting to catch the Phantom aka intruder, what if the intruder has showed up? The girls' prank would have made quite a mess of the situation.
- I don't understand the giant thumbprints. What is the point of this? Are thumbprints suppose to be scary?
- The president of Ned's fraternity is named Chuck Wilson. The name Chuck Wilson was also used in Mystery at the Ski Jump, it was the name of Carson's client. I thought it was interesting the name was reused.
- Nancy decides to search the house for hideaways and secret passages. Since the only room entered has been the library on the ground floor Nancy obviously decides to start searching in...the attic?!
This isn't the only book that's done this and it always drives me crazy. Why would Nancy waste so much time searching the attic and second floor first when that's no where near where the mysterious phantom has been.
- Another concussion for Nancy's poor, abused brain. I wish when I started re-reading this series that I had kept track of in how many books Nancy gets knocked unconscious. I hope someone has made a list because I'm curious to know.
- When the girls discover a human skeleton while digging for treasure, Nancy and George are totally chill about it. That seemed really strange to me.
You can read the rest of this review at VintageGirlsBooks.blogspot.com
You can see all the illustrations from this book at www.pinterest.com/Nancydrewart
September 4, 2025
This review will probably be an unpopular opinion...
✏️ Review ✏️
Under normal circumstances, I would never care to read Nancy Drew mysteries. But having found myself in an interesting situation with a stack of Nancy Drew books being the only appealing books at my disposal to read, I reluctantly joined Nancy Drew on one of her many mystery escapades.... And, ugh! I was not impressed at all.
The characters are flat as a squashed can, the writing style is clunky and disjointed, the plot is shallow and predictable, and the pacing is quite unrealistic. Not to mention the fact that Nancy or her friends are going out on dates with guys they just met in almost every other chapter (boooooriiing!!! 😴). And, honestly, how can every girl be "attractive" and every guy be "handsome," "athletic," or "rangy"!? 🤦🏼 Aren't there any other adjectives out there? 🧐 Yep, Nancy Drew mysteries are definitely not for me (and I suppose since I'm a guy I would rather read The Hardy Boys instead of Nancy Drew anyway).
Ok, there's my very unpopular opinion. I knew going into this book that it was something I probably wouldn't enjoy, but I kinda didn't have a choice with the very unusual bookish circumstances I found myself in. Anyways,... well, enough said.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• (Can't think of anything really.)
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The characters — they're flat and static.
• The writing style — it's clunky and disjointed.
• The plot — it's predictable and kinda shallow.
• The unrealistic pacing.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Personally, no. I wouldn't recommend this book. But my sister says she really enjoyed reading Nancy Drew when she was young, so...
— To whom? ... If you like mysteries that are really fast paced, then go ahead and give this book a try.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 1/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 1.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 1/5
— 👥 Characters: 1/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
✏️ Review ✏️
Under normal circumstances, I would never care to read Nancy Drew mysteries. But having found myself in an interesting situation with a stack of Nancy Drew books being the only appealing books at my disposal to read, I reluctantly joined Nancy Drew on one of her many mystery escapades.... And, ugh! I was not impressed at all.
The characters are flat as a squashed can, the writing style is clunky and disjointed, the plot is shallow and predictable, and the pacing is quite unrealistic. Not to mention the fact that Nancy or her friends are going out on dates with guys they just met in almost every other chapter (boooooriiing!!! 😴). And, honestly, how can every girl be "attractive" and every guy be "handsome," "athletic," or "rangy"!? 🤦🏼 Aren't there any other adjectives out there? 🧐 Yep, Nancy Drew mysteries are definitely not for me (and I suppose since I'm a guy I would rather read The Hardy Boys instead of Nancy Drew anyway).
Ok, there's my very unpopular opinion. I knew going into this book that it was something I probably wouldn't enjoy, but I kinda didn't have a choice with the very unusual bookish circumstances I found myself in. Anyways,... well, enough said.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• (Can't think of anything really.)
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The characters — they're flat and static.
• The writing style — it's clunky and disjointed.
• The plot — it's predictable and kinda shallow.
• The unrealistic pacing.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Personally, no. I wouldn't recommend this book. But my sister says she really enjoyed reading Nancy Drew when she was young, so...
— To whom? ... If you like mysteries that are really fast paced, then go ahead and give this book a try.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 1/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 1.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 1/5
— 👥 Characters: 1/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
July 10, 2013
Nancy kissed Ned! Ok, it wasn't a great kiss, but she kissed him. Ok, in my quest to re-read my childhood heroine books, I've strayed from the mysteries to watch the characters in these books. For the young adult books that they are, I'm afraid today's pre-teen girls may find the character development lacking. There is little to no interaction between the lesser characters except for descriptions of what they look like or what they are wearing, but the author does describe the food in greater detail.
Poor Burt and Dave, while they are usually there, they don't do much - except this time Dave falls in the chimney.
Bess finally overcomes her timidity and whacks a bad guy and then gets shaky. It's the most action I've seen out of her except for crying, being scared and complaining she's hungry. Outside of that, I'm not sure what she does.
George while she has a slightly bigger role, very little is known about her either.
Apparently all of the characters are conveniently only children because there is never a mention of any siblings tagging along or causing trouble.
And what are the boys studying in college? We know they all play football and Ned (of course) is the quarterback. Why he isn't dating the head cheerleader is beyond me. Ned is also on the rowing team and in this book becomes president of his fraternity. The boys do have finals in this book, but take time out to go places with the girls. My question is - there was a big party "June Week" just before finals. What college is still in session having exams in June? And seriously a big party just before? Not gonna happen.
All through these books I've been trying to figure out where River Heights is located. I assumed that it was near New York City because Nancy's aunt lives there and she visits often. But Emerson College where the boys attend and which is within driving distance of River Heights is in the Ohio Valley, which is the southern part of Ohio, touching PA, WV, IN and IL. No where near NY state. There is an Emerson College in Boston MA. But this book makes direct reference to the Ohio River and its tributaries.
I did some digging and originally River Heights was in Iowa, then moved east probably to the Chicago area, then futher east to somewhere on the coast - NJ is a guess, but in the later books like this one (#41) it's back in the midwest - Ohio/IN/IL. Which would make sense because Mildred Benson was living and working in Toledo Ohio.
Did I like this book? It was ok. Nancy stumbles on a mystery; she's girl wonder so she solves it in less than 125 pages without any serious mishaps, although she takes quite a beating in this one. She's knocked out by a panel falling on her and she is knocked out of a boat, her scuba gear gets tangled cutting off her air and she falls down an embankment, but she comes out of all of that unscathed - remarkable. At the end, instead of falling into Ned's arms, she's wondering when she's going to find her next mystery.
Poor Burt and Dave, while they are usually there, they don't do much - except this time Dave falls in the chimney.
Bess finally overcomes her timidity and whacks a bad guy and then gets shaky. It's the most action I've seen out of her except for crying, being scared and complaining she's hungry. Outside of that, I'm not sure what she does.
George while she has a slightly bigger role, very little is known about her either.
Apparently all of the characters are conveniently only children because there is never a mention of any siblings tagging along or causing trouble.
And what are the boys studying in college? We know they all play football and Ned (of course) is the quarterback. Why he isn't dating the head cheerleader is beyond me. Ned is also on the rowing team and in this book becomes president of his fraternity. The boys do have finals in this book, but take time out to go places with the girls. My question is - there was a big party "June Week" just before finals. What college is still in session having exams in June? And seriously a big party just before? Not gonna happen.
All through these books I've been trying to figure out where River Heights is located. I assumed that it was near New York City because Nancy's aunt lives there and she visits often. But Emerson College where the boys attend and which is within driving distance of River Heights is in the Ohio Valley, which is the southern part of Ohio, touching PA, WV, IN and IL. No where near NY state. There is an Emerson College in Boston MA. But this book makes direct reference to the Ohio River and its tributaries.
I did some digging and originally River Heights was in Iowa, then moved east probably to the Chicago area, then futher east to somewhere on the coast - NJ is a guess, but in the later books like this one (#41) it's back in the midwest - Ohio/IN/IL. Which would make sense because Mildred Benson was living and working in Toledo Ohio.
Did I like this book? It was ok. Nancy stumbles on a mystery; she's girl wonder so she solves it in less than 125 pages without any serious mishaps, although she takes quite a beating in this one. She's knocked out by a panel falling on her and she is knocked out of a boat, her scuba gear gets tangled cutting off her air and she falls down an embankment, but she comes out of all of that unscathed - remarkable. At the end, instead of falling into Ned's arms, she's wondering when she's going to find her next mystery.
September 17, 2013
Sometimes you just have a day where the only thing that will get rid of your bad mood is a hot bath, a scented candle and a Nancy Drew novel.
I must have got this book off BookMooch a couple of years ago as I've had it listed on here since 2011, but I hadn't got around to reading it until now. In fact, I'd forgotten I had it until I reorganised my bookshelves this weekend and didn't recognise the synopsis. The title was familiar, but I have a feeling that's because it's one of the books Claudia Kishi references in the Baby-Sitters Club series.
Sadly, it didn't quite live up to Claudia's recommendation, or my childhood memories of Nancy Drew. Maybe this just isn't one of the better mysteries. The villains' motivations were never really clarified and I figured out who one of the villains was incredibly early in the book--so early that I was sure he must have been a red herring, and was confused when I realised this suspicious character was genuinely the villain.
I did enjoy the wholesome, innocent nostalgia of these books. The girls dress up and attend fraternity dinners, dances and boating races with their gentlemanly beaus. They still have plenty of independence, and even Bess gets the chance to prove that she can defend herself. That said, the girls are pretty caricatured--Nancy is the quick-thinking detective, George is the strong tomboy, and Bess is the worrisome girly girl who is always ruining her diet. But I suppose there was always a girl for the reader to relate to.
A fun, quick, nostalgic read for tonight's bath, but not the best-written mystery I've come across in this series. 3*
I must have got this book off BookMooch a couple of years ago as I've had it listed on here since 2011, but I hadn't got around to reading it until now. In fact, I'd forgotten I had it until I reorganised my bookshelves this weekend and didn't recognise the synopsis. The title was familiar, but I have a feeling that's because it's one of the books Claudia Kishi references in the Baby-Sitters Club series.
Sadly, it didn't quite live up to Claudia's recommendation, or my childhood memories of Nancy Drew. Maybe this just isn't one of the better mysteries. The villains' motivations were never really clarified and I figured out who one of the villains was incredibly early in the book--so early that I was sure he must have been a red herring, and was confused when I realised this suspicious character was genuinely the villain.
I did enjoy the wholesome, innocent nostalgia of these books. The girls dress up and attend fraternity dinners, dances and boating races with their gentlemanly beaus. They still have plenty of independence, and even Bess gets the chance to prove that she can defend herself. That said, the girls are pretty caricatured--Nancy is the quick-thinking detective, George is the strong tomboy, and Bess is the worrisome girly girl who is always ruining her diet. But I suppose there was always a girl for the reader to relate to.
A fun, quick, nostalgic read for tonight's bath, but not the best-written mystery I've come across in this series. 3*
October 19, 2014
Some old guy suffers repeated burglaries from his house, blamed on a supernatural phantom. This is another book where obvious bad guy is obvious from the beginning. BESS of all people saves the day by distracting the bad guy long enough for the cops to show up.
Nancy gets knocked out by yanking a secret panel out of a wall onto herself. Nancy and George are both knocked out when the bad guy uses a "knockout spray gun" on them when they catch him in the act. No idea what the knockout spray is supposed to be.
Nancy gets knocked out by yanking a secret panel out of a wall onto herself. Nancy and George are both knocked out when the bad guy uses a "knockout spray gun" on them when they catch him in the act. No idea what the knockout spray is supposed to be.
August 31, 2019
While there was barely any mystery, I will always love these books because I enjoy reading about life in the '50s and '60s--with their summer dresses, luncheons, convertibles, and old telephones. The stereotypes also never end, but I feel like that's part of that era.
Filed under a new shelf that I really should've thought of a long time ago: comfort-reads.
Filed under a new shelf that I really should've thought of a long time ago: comfort-reads.
September 25, 2011
Another great mystery in this series of books starring Nancy Drew.
February 12, 2021
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. Well, this was a fun mystery. (I feel like 95% of my Nancy reviews start that way, but oh well.) Uncle John's mystery was quite baffling, and I liked how the Lucy Belle played in. It was also really nice to see more of the boys' college. Also it was interesting having a police chief who wasn't like River Heights' or New York's. ;)
April 25, 2016
I absolutely loved this book. I read this book in a cottage by the lake. It was perfect for Spring.
March 6, 2014
Sometimes you just gotta read a little Nancy Drew for fun. I loved these books when I was younger, and I still love them now.
September 16, 2018
Can't say I'm connecting with Nancy Drew stories like I did when I was
in elementary school.
in elementary school.
August 27, 2024
This one was an unexpected treat. The suspense was kept up really well throughout the whole story, better than most of the other burglar-centric mysteries Nancy’s been involved in! Fred was a fantastic antagonist, and we were actually kept in the dark about his true intentions most of the way through. Also rare!
Really need to research frat bros from the 1960s, because they are described quite wholesomely 🧐.
I cracked up at Burt/Dave (can’t remember which and honestly they’re interchangeable) going into the chimney.
AND BESS HAD HER MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT!!! GO BESS!!!
4 stars because the sunken ship treasure was solved too easily, and also couldn’t get past much of the 1960s attitude towards Native Americans 🙃.
Really need to research frat bros from the 1960s, because they are described quite wholesomely 🧐.
I cracked up at Burt/Dave (can’t remember which and honestly they’re interchangeable) going into the chimney.
AND BESS HAD HER MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT!!! GO BESS!!!
4 stars because the sunken ship treasure was solved too easily, and also couldn’t get past much of the 1960s attitude towards Native Americans 🙃.
June 19, 2025
This one includes talk of Indigenous people, but I was kind of surprised at how it was handled, considering some of the overtly racist things apparent in these books. The worst part was Ned dressing up as a warrior and a bunch of other white guys doing "war cries". The mystery itself was a bit obvious regarding who was responsible - the author might as well have put a sign on the perpetrator with how obvious it was. Still, this was a decent time, and Bess even got to have a hand in actually apprehending the thief - now if George could just stop giving Bess such a hard time about her appetite and weight. A girl can dream, right?
June 29, 2023
Keeping up with my mission to read my moms old books - this was ok. The book is full of action and oddly there are no breaks in the paragraphs when the character go off to do something. The “bad guy” was fairly obvious throughout the book so i was hoping for a different outcome that was less obvious. Quick read. Ps. What the heck is “knock out spray” ?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2024
It's Nancy Drew. It's exactly the junk food you expect it to be. Soulless nutrition free cardboard but sometimes I am in that mood and enjoy it for what it is. Nancy Drew books have got an undeserved reputation for being sort of proto feminist. They're really, really not but don't judge this is my junkfood.
Read
September 9, 2021somewhat less racist than I expected based on the cover! I mean still pretty racist, Ned spends about 20 pages dressed up as a Native American for no reason, but the mystery was unrelated and actually very solid
September 27, 2024
Decent mystery and my daughter continues to love the series. However, as you might expect from the cover, in this book we contend with the racism of the era, with a pantomime of a Native American war party, a white man pretending to be an Indian chief “stealing” a white lady, and unlawful digging on Indian burial grounds. Not great!! Did allow for some discussion of what is appropriate and respectful.
March 1, 2021
This one was fine, but felt more like a series of lucky guesses rather than actual sleuthing. There was too little of the story to uncover through actual fact-finding, and as a result of lot of the plot moved on Nancy getting incredibly lucky.
The "villains" barely even registered-there wasn't much substance.
I recommend to fans of the Nancy Drew series, but there are certainly better mysteries in the series.
The "villains" barely even registered-there wasn't much substance.
I recommend to fans of the Nancy Drew series, but there are certainly better mysteries in the series.
June 12, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
November 19, 2024
Phantom of Pine Hill
This is one of my favorite reads. There is something going on each chapter. It does get a bit slow and then BAM! Everything is tied up neatly in the last chapter. I must have read this book a dozen times when I was a kid. Still love it all this time later.
This is one of my favorite reads. There is something going on each chapter. It does get a bit slow and then BAM! Everything is tied up neatly in the last chapter. I must have read this book a dozen times when I was a kid. Still love it all this time later.
January 3, 2026
One of the best Nancy Drew mysteries! Had action in every chapter and felt like the story was progressing the whole time. Feels like it’s connected to the previous book in the sense of time period. One of the first books to not have Mr. Drew really at all. But I love how much Ned, Burt, and Dave were in it! Really recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2018
Nancy, Bess and George are planning to spend a week in Emerson with the boys. But their motel reservations fall through and the girls are left stranded. Ned, finds lodging for them at John Rorick’s mansion and informs Nancy about a phantom haunting the home.
So… *giggles nervously* the mystery is good. Not only does Nancy have to figure out who the phantom is but she has to find a missing centuries old treasure. The problem with the story is… everything else.
Rorick is a descendant of the early settlers in Emerson. But apparently the Native American tribe massacred most of the early settlers. Nobody is sure why. Well, until Nancy figures it out. Anyway, Emerson College is having a week of celebrations, and in one event, a river pageant, they present the history of the area. This is where things get problematic. Ned and some other students, dress up as Native Americans and “kidnap” Nancy. (That’s my boy Ned on the cover btw. Welp). They then proceed to “speak” like Native Americans (i.e. They sound like The Chief in Peter Pan). Which is of course, so damn disrespectful. I read through those parts quickly, but the cringe-factor was real.
Later on, when the mystery is winding down, Nancy decides it’s a good idea to dig in an old Native American campground. Sigh. My Anthro heart could not take this. The girls are picking up arrowheads, and ugh just messing up the area! Only when they dig up a skeleton do they think “hey, we should call the proper authorities“. When one of the local Emerson professors shows up, he tells them, “oh, I was going to conduct a dig here“. Well, you’re out of luck dude, because Nancy and friends have screwed the whole thing up. Ahhh!!
Okay. Okay. The mystery? Interesting. For a second there even Nancy believes the culprit may be a real ghost. It all actually comes together quite well and no one is kidnapped by bad guys. So, yay! But, like I said everything else is a big pile of yikes. By today’s standards, this book is a culturally insensitive trainwreck.
February 23, 2021
I am conflicted about this particular Nancy story. I like how the plot takes place in Emerson, so Nancy has no excuse not to let Ned sidekick around with her and drag her away from mortal peril when necessary. Although why he needs to do it in an “Indian” costume, with headdress and broken English, is unclear. Oh that’s right, he was in the middle of a parade when the time came for clue hunting. No doubt it was just an everyday typical college parade, by nature it required students to embrace colonialism and cultural appropriation. No one had any second thoughts about this false pageantry when the book was written.
Meanwhile, Ned has a professor who lives in a big house that has a locked library, but someone keeps sneaking in at night and pilfering cash that is hidden in the library. Valuable coins as well! Nancy and her pals attempt numerous times to firstly, purchase locks for the library door, and next, they try to find if the room has a secret entry. Results of this: Ned’s friend Burt/Dave gets stuck in a chimney and Nancy as usual gets knocked unconscious because a wall collapses on her.
The second element in this book that shows a particular insensitivity focuses on a character Fred who is employed to clean and do other small jobs in the professor’s house. The term that everyone casually calls him is “stupid,” and I’m just not sure that kind of term would appear in children’s books these days. Nancy and her friends are charmed by Fred’s easygoing attitude, but they can’t imagine that he’s capable of deception or theft. It’s an interesting change from the Nancy stories that immediately point out the bad guys as unkempt and grouchy, but still, unless Fred says it’s ok to call him stupid, it isn’t nice to call him stupid, Nancy! Have some class.
Meanwhile, Ned has a professor who lives in a big house that has a locked library, but someone keeps sneaking in at night and pilfering cash that is hidden in the library. Valuable coins as well! Nancy and her pals attempt numerous times to firstly, purchase locks for the library door, and next, they try to find if the room has a secret entry. Results of this: Ned’s friend Burt/Dave gets stuck in a chimney and Nancy as usual gets knocked unconscious because a wall collapses on her.
The second element in this book that shows a particular insensitivity focuses on a character Fred who is employed to clean and do other small jobs in the professor’s house. The term that everyone casually calls him is “stupid,” and I’m just not sure that kind of term would appear in children’s books these days. Nancy and her friends are charmed by Fred’s easygoing attitude, but they can’t imagine that he’s capable of deception or theft. It’s an interesting change from the Nancy stories that immediately point out the bad guys as unkempt and grouchy, but still, unless Fred says it’s ok to call him stupid, it isn’t nice to call him stupid, Nancy! Have some class.
November 17, 2018
Everyone once in a while I like to read books I read in elementary or middle school. I have read all 56 Nancy Drew books as well as some of the newer ones that came afterward. I didn't care for the newer books so I quit trying to read them.
I didn't remember the story of The Phantom of Pine Hill, so it was like reading the book for the first time. I forgot Bess and George had sweethearts as well, and this is one of the books all six characters play a central role in. The premise is Nancy, Bess, and George visit Emerson college for a week of fraternity festivities. Their hotel reservation didn't go through so the girls end up staying with a long-time resident in his mansion on a hill. It turns out his house is being robbed by a phantom, and Nancy and friends volunteer to solve the case.
The Phantom of Pine Hill was a good choice to dive back into the Nancy Drew world. All the characters are present, it has multiple subplots happening, and you find buried treasure. What's not to like?!
I think my one criticism with any Nancy Drew book is how quickly the story progresses. If some of them could be developed into full length novels I think it would be really fantastic. Plus, it would give adults a chance to enjoy Nancy on their level. As is, I love the books regardless and will always have a soft spot for Nancy Drew (I even play the computer games) but I would be interested in reading them all in novel form should they ever become available.
The Phantom of Pine Hill is definitely one of the stronger books in the Nancy Drew line-up, and one that anyone can pick up and enjoy at any time.
I didn't remember the story of The Phantom of Pine Hill, so it was like reading the book for the first time. I forgot Bess and George had sweethearts as well, and this is one of the books all six characters play a central role in. The premise is Nancy, Bess, and George visit Emerson college for a week of fraternity festivities. Their hotel reservation didn't go through so the girls end up staying with a long-time resident in his mansion on a hill. It turns out his house is being robbed by a phantom, and Nancy and friends volunteer to solve the case.
The Phantom of Pine Hill was a good choice to dive back into the Nancy Drew world. All the characters are present, it has multiple subplots happening, and you find buried treasure. What's not to like?!
I think my one criticism with any Nancy Drew book is how quickly the story progresses. If some of them could be developed into full length novels I think it would be really fantastic. Plus, it would give adults a chance to enjoy Nancy on their level. As is, I love the books regardless and will always have a soft spot for Nancy Drew (I even play the computer games) but I would be interested in reading them all in novel form should they ever become available.
The Phantom of Pine Hill is definitely one of the stronger books in the Nancy Drew line-up, and one that anyone can pick up and enjoy at any time.
February 26, 2018
This Nancy drew story gave me that relief and ecstasy which the first monsoon rain gives after the scortching summer.
This is the thing which I had been missing in the nancy drew mysteries which I had read lately.All I asked for was "A simple refreshing mystery" and I recieved it here. According to me this is the whole idea about a cozy mystery . If the story consists of lots of adventure ,gangsters and goons it becomes more of a thriller rather than a mystery.
A cozy mystery should have one crime (or two related crimes) followed by a clue here and there ,some logical reasoning and then the Result!!
The phantom of pine hill starts with the mysterious appearances of a phantom 👻 in a victorian villa which is followed by a series of thefts.
Nancy drew and friends not only solves the mystery of the spook but also unearthes a lost treasure (some part of it is always unbelievable,but I like it nevertheless)
I really enjoyed it ,as a matter of fact devoured it .
This book is definitely going to be one of my Nancy drew's favourites .
This is the thing which I had been missing in the nancy drew mysteries which I had read lately.All I asked for was "A simple refreshing mystery" and I recieved it here. According to me this is the whole idea about a cozy mystery . If the story consists of lots of adventure ,gangsters and goons it becomes more of a thriller rather than a mystery.
A cozy mystery should have one crime (or two related crimes) followed by a clue here and there ,some logical reasoning and then the Result!!
The phantom of pine hill starts with the mysterious appearances of a phantom 👻 in a victorian villa which is followed by a series of thefts.
Nancy drew and friends not only solves the mystery of the spook but also unearthes a lost treasure (some part of it is always unbelievable,but I like it nevertheless)
I really enjoyed it ,as a matter of fact devoured it .
This book is definitely going to be one of my Nancy drew's favourites .
September 25, 2020
The forty-second addition to the series often feels derivative from its actual plot as it spends more time in the fun sequences than getting to the depth of the mystery.The Phantom of Pine Hill underuses it’s plot.As for the plot - it seems interesting from the perspective of the premise - never feels gripping and gets to be underused since the focus drifts unsettlingly between the mystery and that of the fun scenes.As for our phantom,he could have received more attention.The book still was a fun read.The book’s descriptions are wonderful.The inclusion of Lucy Belle was the best part of this book. Treasure hunts are always good and the search for the drowned wedding goods was enjoyable.Some plot points like the thumbprints were fine but could have received just a very little more attention.Bess Marvin really shines in this book more so than in the others as she is the one catches the phantom.And a notable point,Ned was rude to Fred Jenkins,who happens to be a waiter.It’s the second ND I h’ve read.Though it wasn’t great,it isn’t bad either.
September 24, 2020
The 42nd entry into the titular series of the Nancy Drew isn't quite an engaging read since the build-up of the mystery is very fragile. Starting with a rather unusual and insipid turn of events, the later part of the story progresses quite in the same manner as the start. This book gets to be saved to some extent only due to the inclusion of the case of the drowned wedding gifts which are missing. But still, the overall plot is highly clumsy and there are some unnecessary elements like the thumbprints.
And (a noteworthy point) Ned Nickerson, the boyfriend of our heroine,was rather harsh to Fred, a waiter. These type of elements are apparently gratuitous. And of course, the bad guy is literally the most disappointing thing about this book.He started out nice but ended up being pretty weak. Though this book wins when it comes to the descriptions of so-and-so, nothing other does really stand out except for Bess's role in the climax. This book is deserving of 3 stars, if not 2.5....
And (a noteworthy point) Ned Nickerson, the boyfriend of our heroine,was rather harsh to Fred, a waiter. These type of elements are apparently gratuitous. And of course, the bad guy is literally the most disappointing thing about this book.He started out nice but ended up being pretty weak. Though this book wins when it comes to the descriptions of so-and-so, nothing other does really stand out except for Bess's role in the climax. This book is deserving of 3 stars, if not 2.5....
January 13, 2016
3.5 stars
For the most part, this is a fairly typical Nancy Drew mystery, with some good cliffhangers, mysterious happenings, and of course the beloved trio of girl detectives. Sometimes things can seem a bit repetitious and the narration can feel dry, but it does have a good mystery plot and the main suspect has more development than the series' suspects often do. It also has some good twists and turns, though some are a bit predictable. But what really pushed this book towards four-star territory for me was the way Bess came through and saved the day towards the end. I think that as an actively participating character, Bess is often skimmed over, so I'm very glad that she played a more important role in this book. I'm proud of you, Bess!
For the most part, this is a fairly typical Nancy Drew mystery, with some good cliffhangers, mysterious happenings, and of course the beloved trio of girl detectives. Sometimes things can seem a bit repetitious and the narration can feel dry, but it does have a good mystery plot and the main suspect has more development than the series' suspects often do. It also has some good twists and turns, though some are a bit predictable. But what really pushed this book towards four-star territory for me was the way Bess came through and saved the day towards the end. I think that as an actively participating character, Bess is often skimmed over, so I'm very glad that she played a more important role in this book. I'm proud of you, Bess!
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