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hinoki's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't really like this. I felt like it had a lot of filler and many of the characters present didn't have anything to do. The clues were found/ figured out too fast. This wasn't really a "who done it", because the shady characters were introduced as shady characters, but more of a "what did they do".
nokibay's review against another edition
4.0
Nancy Drew vs. Elder Abuse in which...
she drinks a lot of milk, shout out to the dairy industry!
is somehow an Olympic level diver
actually DOES something instead of just being led places by obvious breadcrumbs and inept baddies
she drinks a lot of milk, shout out to the dairy industry!
is somehow an Olympic level diver
actually DOES something instead of just being led places by obvious breadcrumbs and inept baddies
jmcneill's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mainebookworm22's review against another edition
3.0
I read the 1933 version of this story and there were numerous inconsistencies with the 1960's editions. Nancy is joined on this adventure by a single? Helen Corning. Last time I saw her she was engaged to be married. In this story, Nancy had 2 different roadsters. Wby did she need a new one? Numbers 8,9,and 10 were not written by Mildred Wirt Benson and it showed. Larkspurs, pigeons, and elder abuse all played a big part in this story. Once again, Nancy always knows what to do and she saves the day with a little help from Ned and Helen. A fun nostalgic read.
elektra_lucia's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.75
My very first Nancy Drew read, and I loved it! This was such a nice, cozy mystery, though there were some things that were too predictable, but that is probably because it is intended for a younger audience than me (I’m 19).
rosenectur's review against another edition
3.0
**Spoilers** This is one of the Nancy Drew titles I remember well from my childhood. Nancy Drew sets out to rescue an old lady who has been falsely imprisoned in a fake nursing home. The “doctor” cons wealthy old ladies into committing themselves to his home and then forces them to sign over their estates to his cohorts. Nancy tracks them down and puts a stop to their operations.
firstimpressionsreviews's review against another edition
4.0
A carrier pigeon lands in the Drew's yard with a hurt wing and an undelivered letter contain an odd set of directions. After visiting her family doctor for her housekeeper's sprained ankle he confides that he had been taken recently, blind-folded to tend an elderly woman. This sparks Nancy's interest and sets about deciphering the bird's message which she believes to be an important clue.
Why must the newer yellow hardcovers be politically incorrect? It is screamingly obvious that Carolyn Keene had no qualms about racial stero-types, dubbing pick-pocketers and the like, as "ethnic and dark skinned". Reading these descriptions in 2010 is such an eye-opener, when you think about now stepping on eggshells so as not to offend anyone and in the 30s they thought nothing of it.
A section of the book was in the setting of an asylum, where Nancy enters to save a missing woman and goes espionage on the reader. (I could faintly hear the "Mission Impossible" theme song in the background.) The head nurse in the institution had a Nurse Ratched quality to her, bullying the patients in a condescending tone, and controlling their every action as she sees fit. Even though this was not intended as Nurse Ratched did not come to being until the 60s, it was still a very entertaining character with unique traits.
Maybe it's because I read the original 1930s publication, but I found this most enjoyable, probably because it had been unedited for the masses of another generation. The Password To Larkspur Lane was a very different look at Nancy and what was acceptable of that time.
View all my reviews on my blog She is too fond of books
Why must the newer yellow hardcovers be politically incorrect? It is screamingly obvious that Carolyn Keene had no qualms about racial stero-types, dubbing pick-pocketers and the like, as "ethnic and dark skinned". Reading these descriptions in 2010 is such an eye-opener, when you think about now stepping on eggshells so as not to offend anyone and in the 30s they thought nothing of it.
A section of the book was in the setting of an asylum, where Nancy enters to save a missing woman and goes espionage on the reader. (I could faintly hear the "Mission Impossible" theme song in the background.) The head nurse in the institution had a Nurse Ratched quality to her, bullying the patients in a condescending tone, and controlling their every action as she sees fit. Even though this was not intended as Nurse Ratched did not come to being until the 60s, it was still a very entertaining character with unique traits.
Maybe it's because I read the original 1930s publication, but I found this most enjoyable, probably because it had been unedited for the masses of another generation. The Password To Larkspur Lane was a very different look at Nancy and what was acceptable of that time.
View all my reviews on my blog She is too fond of books
katherineep's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Nancy Drew as a kid and read all that I could get my hands on. This was one I remember and one my daughter enjoyed too. Rereading it was fun - the whole thing is a ridiculous bunch of coincidences and improbabilities but it was a fun read that completely reminded me why I loved Nancy Drew. The endless supply of convertibles, the fact that Nancy can do everything, the perfectly behaved friends and "special friends" and the overly evil villains all make for a quick paced completely unrealistic mystery.
manwithanagenda's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was truly about to break down and order a copy from eBay when I came across a later printing, but still original text, edition of 'Password to Larkspur Lane'. I can't believe it has been almost a year since I read 'The Sign of the Twisted Candle'.
Nancy is preparing her entry into an annual flower show - for charity, you understand - when the paths of a pigeon and an airplane converge. The wounded bird falls into Nancy's backyard and she prepares to nurse it back to health. Curiously, it is a homing pigeon with a note attached to it's leg. The message is cryptic and intriques Nancy enough that she calls in the bird's serial number to the national organization devoted to the raising of homing pigeons.
At about the same time, Nancy is tootling about in her blue roadster and sees their family doctor being ushered into the backseat of a vehicle on the side of the road. Just because she can, Nancy memorizes the license plate.
Nancy has barely begun to investigate these odd clues when things takes a menacing turn. Threats are delivered to her home, startling her housekeeper's niece and causing her father to really contemplate thinking about putting his foot down about this mystery business. Hannah Gruen's niece, one Effie Schneider, is new recurring character and a flibbertigibbet. There's also an obnoxious neighbor boy who I hope doesn't recur, and a fortuitous getaway to a lakeside community that offers up additional clues for Nancy.
This was a rock-solid vintage Nancy Drew book. This was the third and final Walter Karig ghost-written book for the series, but he seems to have finally gotten the hang of it. In here coincidences multiply, but our heroine is in real danger, faces it coolly, and shows off her prowess at high diving and mummery. This book was also the basis for the first Nancy Drew film: 'Nancy Drew, Detective' in 1939. The whole film series is on youtube and though it takes a lot of liberties with Nancy's character and the plotlines, they are delightful.
Nancy Drew
Next: 'The Clue of the Broken Locket'
Previous: 'The Sign of the Twisted Candles'
Nancy is preparing her entry into an annual flower show - for charity, you understand - when the paths of a pigeon and an airplane converge. The wounded bird falls into Nancy's backyard and she prepares to nurse it back to health. Curiously, it is a homing pigeon with a note attached to it's leg. The message is cryptic and intriques Nancy enough that she calls in the bird's serial number to the national organization devoted to the raising of homing pigeons.
At about the same time, Nancy is tootling about in her blue roadster and sees their family doctor being ushered into the backseat of a vehicle on the side of the road. Just because she can, Nancy memorizes the license plate.
Nancy has barely begun to investigate these odd clues when things takes a menacing turn. Threats are delivered to her home, startling her housekeeper's niece and causing her father to really contemplate thinking about putting his foot down about this mystery business. Hannah Gruen's niece, one Effie Schneider, is new recurring character and a flibbertigibbet. There's also an obnoxious neighbor boy who I hope doesn't recur, and a fortuitous getaway to a lakeside community that offers up additional clues for Nancy.
This was a rock-solid vintage Nancy Drew book. This was the third and final Walter Karig ghost-written book for the series, but he seems to have finally gotten the hang of it. In here coincidences multiply, but our heroine is in real danger, faces it coolly, and shows off her prowess at high diving and mummery. This book was also the basis for the first Nancy Drew film: 'Nancy Drew, Detective' in 1939. The whole film series is on youtube and though it takes a lot of liberties with Nancy's character and the plotlines, they are delightful.
Nancy Drew
Next: 'The Clue of the Broken Locket'
Previous: 'The Sign of the Twisted Candles'