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notkyrieirving's review against another edition
4.0
As with all of the books in this series (as far as I remember as I am slowly re-reading them as I can find them at my local library), these are a nice, quick mystery read that are also a nice look into the idealized life of a go-getter 18-year-old in the 1950s. These books definitely have a formula-style which was really easy to see after reading this book back-to-back with the first, but this isn't necessarily a drawback to the series and individual stories if you know what you are signing up for.
ris_stitches's review against another edition
4.0
I read this as a child and my husband got it on audible to listen to on our travels with his daughter. She loved it and I liked it more presently than I recall liking it the first time around. Though we all had the mystery mostly figured out early on, it was still a good story!
srivalli's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
Published in 1930, the book is the second in the super-long series featuring a teen sleuth, Nancy Drew. It was a no-brainer to pick this book for the ghostwriter reading challenge prompt. Can’t get easier, right?
I read a few books in the series 12-13 years ago. These are light reads where Nancy manages to solve the cases with her sleuthing and tenacity. Not necessarily realistic, but we can see how the books inspired a whole range of cozy mysteries with female sleuths (after Agatha Christie, of course).
The book has two cases, which may or may not be related. Nancy fails many times but doesn’t give up until she succeeds. I rather like this trait. She and her dad are quite perfect, which is okay. I read these books for fun.
Grab The Hidden Staircase for a quick mystery if you are bored and have an hour to spare. It shouldn’t take longer than that.
zabamaryam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
It took me back to my pre teens and early book readings. I loved this book it was not tense or anything and was made for the kids so my inner child felt so good idk it was like a therapy.
jbarr5's review against another edition
5.0
The Hidden Staircase Nancy Drew Book by Carolyn Keene
Starts out with Nancy helping her dad Carson with railroad business. He has to find a man that signed off on the original railroad property. He has to leave town to do that as he can't locate the man locally.
She gets a visit from the owners of the mansion and it's twin house asking her to help them solve the mystery of the ghost in their house. Strange things have been happening and they want to know what to do about them. This book takes many turns, a kidnapping and secret passage ways among the two houses.
Loved the exploring and how she accumulated the clues to actually solve both mysteries.
Starts out with Nancy helping her dad Carson with railroad business. He has to find a man that signed off on the original railroad property. He has to leave town to do that as he can't locate the man locally.
She gets a visit from the owners of the mansion and it's twin house asking her to help them solve the mystery of the ghost in their house. Strange things have been happening and they want to know what to do about them. This book takes many turns, a kidnapping and secret passage ways among the two houses.
Loved the exploring and how she accumulated the clues to actually solve both mysteries.
elarsonwhittaker's review against another edition
3.0
so fun! it is kind of dated but the mystery itself is so entertaining
dizzybell06's review against another edition
3.0
Another quick and easy to read Drew book - I can see why these were popular among young readers. Thankfully this book did not over use the phrase "young sleuth," although the author does tend to use a lot of the same phrasings within her books.
postitsandpens's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this one more than the first, as the writing seemed a bit better. I also liked that this story had two mysteries to solve, and appreciated how things came together in the end, even if I did have a pretty good idea of what was going on. Nonetheless, this was a fun way to spend a couple hours, and a nice trip back to my childhood. The nostalgia is strong!
situationnormal's review against another edition
4.0
Much more fun than the first book--felt like higher stakes, and the mystery was more solvable for the reader (which always makes it more fun). The new characters were likable, and the villain was fairly creepy and off-putting, which is always a plus. Nancy didn't seem to be quite the golden child she was in the previous book (although she, like Mary Poppins, remains practically perfect in every way).
I was going to give Nancy three books to impress me, so assuming the next one isn't abysmal I guess this is a thing I'm doing now.
I was going to give Nancy three books to impress me, so assuming the next one isn't abysmal I guess this is a thing I'm doing now.