Cozy Mysteries discussion

This thread is for discussing the Trixie Belden mysteries and for those of us that want to, do a buddy read on The Secret of the Mansion and The Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell. These are the first two in the series.

Guess I'll be digging into the storage box! :)

I loved these books when I was a child. I guess I'll have to dig some up and join the discussion thread!

Welcome ladies. I'm looking forward to this. I hope that they are as good as I remember or this will die a quick death.

Well, I pulled out my first two books and...I am a bit sad and angry. It looks like a couple of my books got wet at some time, and these two seem to have suffered terribly. The covers and a couple pages touching them look to have some mold damage. I'm probably going to have to replace them, which is especially sad as they are both inscribed to me. I have no idea how they were damaged as I had them in a plastic storage bin, but then - they are a couple decades old, and had been much loved before being stored away. I still plan to read them, I'll just have to be extra careful. *pouts*

If you do replace them Heather, can you take out just the page or cut off the inside cover the part that was inscribed to you and add it to your new book? Or just keep that page in a plastic bag?

I will probably put both in Ziplock bags. I also took pictures of both books tonight, inside and out, so at the very least I will have the inscriptions that way.

Heather L wrote: "Well, I pulled out my first two books and...I am a bit sad and angry. It looks like a couple of my books got wet at some time, and these two seem to have suffered terribly. The covers and a couple ..."

I am so sorry about your books. Try putting them in the freezer. It might help the mold issue.

I will let everyone know when I get my two books from the library so maybe we can kind of start together.

Count me in and let me know when you want to start!

I loved the Trixie Beldon books. Never got into Nancy Drew.

I'm thinking we'll start July to August - back to school. :) Everyone is sort of gathering up or finding their books now.

Glad I held on to my copies. I knew there was a reason. This will be fun.

I regularly check the used book stores just in case one of the books I am missing happens to come in. Which they never do. They always have tons of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, but never Trixie Belden. Except yesterday.

I wandered over the children's section, expecting to be disappointed as usual...and they had not one, but two Trixie Belden books: one of the recently reprinted editions of book number two, and number fourteen in my yellow-cover series. I already have the latter, but considering the recent mold issue and the fact it was only $3...I had to scoop up the second one. And, of course, I forgot to check B&N for book one when I was there later. Doh!

In case anyone is needing it for their collection, I have on PBS in Hardcover.

Trixie Belden was one of my first series reads as a young teen. I loved them and borrowed all mine from my best friend.

I adored Trixie Belden growing up and read the books as fast as I could coerce one of my parents or sisters to buy them for me at my local K-Mart! It was my first experience with a mystery series and a romance, as I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next between Trixie and Jim.

I know I have the first book somewhere at my mom's house but she can't find it. I ordered both on ebay yesterday and should get them in time to join in.

I still remember being scared reading one of the Trixie Belden mysteries. I stayed up late reading with a flashlight. When I tried to go to sleep I kept hearing creepy sounds and couldn't get calm. I had to go find my mom and admit what I had done and that I was scared and couldn't sleep.

I always wished I had a boyfriend like Jim. LOL

Okay, confession time. I have never read Trixie Belden before. I can't believe I missed these. But ordered them from PBS so I can read them. And join in the talks about them.

Welcome to Trixie's clubhouse Susan! :)

Yay, another recruit for the Bob-Whites! *grin*

Heather L wrote: "Yay, another recruit for the Bob-Whites! *grin*"

Okay, I can't resist. I am going to pull out my copies and join in the discussion. The Bob-Whites reference was too much to resist. I need to revisit Crabapple Farm and the Bob-Whites of the Glen gang along with the rest of you this summer!

Caroline wrote: "I always wished I had a boyfriend like Jim. LOL"

OMG I don't remember the boyfriend. I wish the 1st book would come in so we can get started.

I loved Trixie when I was a kid, but don't have any of the books anymore or I'd join you to see if they'd still hold my interest or not.

Melodie wrote: "I loved Trixie when I was a kid, but don't have any of the books anymore or I'd join you to see if they'd still hold my interest or not."

Melodie: Come on, check your library, and join the fun. That way if you don't like them anymore you won't have spent anything on them.

Copyright was in 1948. I really like the way the author described the clothes, food and household. Back to the good old days. Very refreshing. Reading is supposed to be a mini-vacation, and I think that's what this series did for me when I was a kid. I had the mumps in the 6th grade, and I read all the Trixie books in two weeks. Mumps never was so fun. Loved it.

I used up my last library request for this book. They only have two copies in the whole system, but both are available. Will probably take a week to get them, though. Looking forward to seeing what I missed as a child and hopefully will be able to share this with my daughter in a few years. Looks like a nice, wholesome read. So sick of sassy, wise beyond their years children's book characters.

Shay wrote: "So sick of sassy, wise beyond their years children's book characters...."

Shay: Like Flavia deLuce in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. What an obnoxious child.

I loved Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys, but never read the Trixie Belden series. I've ordered the first one from our library. I think our librarian thinks I'm a little crazy. My granddaughter is only 3 so she knows it's not for her! HA I'm looking forward to a "good read"!

BTW I was born in 1948 & love anything from the 30s & 40s.

Martha wrote: "I loved Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys, but never read the Trixie Belden series. I've ordered the first one from our library. I think our librarian thinks I'm a little crazy. My granddaughter is only 3 so..."

Martha: Several years back my daughter and I were into the Lurlene McDaniel's One Last Wish series. I would go into the library's children's section, sit on the floor and pull out all the One Last Wish books. I'm sure people looked at me like I was weird. Didn't care, loved those books. Now I need to go see what she has written since I was reading them.

@Denise, I guess the difference is that Flavia was meant for adults to read. When a character like hers is presented, in an adult novel, you usually get the sense that they are tragic figures. (She lost her mom, her dad is absent mentally, etc.) I dislike a character like Flavia in children's books or TV show because they usually present it as an opportunity for the kid to get in all kinds of trouble and then fix it on their own. You know, the parent as idiot or no parent scenario. I was a teacher for many years and I know that in real life this leads a child to drugs, alcohol, or pregnancy.

I just pulled out my copy of and am going to read it tonight. I forgot that it was illustrated. How fun!

I finally got my copy of The Secret of the Mansion from the library. It's not that old, but in horrible shape. Good sign, means it's been checked out a lot. I've read the first 40 or so pages. It may be a little old fashioned for some, but in the best way!

I got my books in the mail today. Started reading the Secret of the Mansion during my lunch break at work.

My librarian called today & my book is in so I'll be stopping by on my way home. I'll order the 2nd one as I don't think this will take that long to read. I can't believe all the authors & books I'm learning about through all of your posts!! I need to get a BIG notebook just for jotting them all down. I'm so glad I joined ... am enjoying reading your posts so much!! Wish I could respond to all!! I REALLY need to retire!

Again, very excited to see interest in the Trixie Belden mysteries. I loved these as a child, and in my thirties, decided to look them on the internet.

Found a website or two dedicated not only to Trixie, but to fan fiction on my beloved Bob-Whites. I even have written some myself.

I'm not sure of Goodreads stand on fan fiction, so if anyone is interested in learning about the sites, please PM me. :)

I grew up on Nancy Drew - never heard of Trixie Belden - just borrowed the first book - let's see what all the hubbub is about!

Is it too late to get in on this? When the post first went up I was too occupied to respond, but going through old emails I found it. My parents gave me the first two TB books as a present (the Whitman hardbacks) when I was 8 years old! I still have the books! In the last few years I accumulated most of the Whitman editions for the series. Let me know when the group has started reading and I'll dig out the books.

I still have my collection from when I was a girl. I have a good majority of them, but my local library at the time had what I didn't. Went back a few years ago to visit that library, and they got rid of the entire collection sadly. Only the first ones are easy to find. The farther you get into the series, the harder they are to come by now.

I've been slowly going through this series with my daughter at bedtime.

I read all of them as a girl too, and loved them, when I moved, I left them at home, and then when my parents moved, they threw them all out with out asking me soooo mad

I loved Trixie Beldon and an older one too, Donna Parker books

Doris wrote: "I loved Trixie Beldon and an older one too, Donna Parker books"

I too loved Donna Park and Cherry Ames is also really great!

You can add me to the Trixie Belden fan(atics). I'm on a couple of message boards for the series, have gotten together with Trixie fans at various places around the country, and still have all the books, some in multiple editions.

One of my favourites as a young girl in the 70s 😎

I have a few of them somewhere as I loved Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew. Not crazy about the newer Nancy Drew mysteries. I don’t like how they made her so “modern.” I like her back in the 50s lol. I still have a few of the hardcover Nancy Drew books in the closet.

I agree, Gianna. The old ones were the best. Things were so much simpler in the 50s, and the mysteries were just that, mysteries, with a thought provoking plot. Not being muddled by social events.

Wish I had kept my old Trixie books. They were wonderful.