Reviews

Mystery in Arizona by Mary Stevens, Michael Koelsch, Julie Campbell

opalthegembookreviews's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

5.0

littletaiko's review against another edition

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3.0

Needed a break from some of the other books I was reading and decided a trip back to my youth was in order. Love spending time with Trixie and the other Bob-Whites. This one was a little different since they were all on vacation in Arizona, but it was still fun.

miaev's review against another edition

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5.0

Re-reading old favorites. Was given a few copies of Trixie books form a friend. Mine disappeared during a move.

enelya's review against another edition

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3.0

3 estrelas - grande clássico da pré-adolescência!

amyreadsbooks16's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

halfcentreader's review against another edition

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4.0

Less mystery more mini geography lesson. I think this one of the better of the first 10. Waiting to see better character development, but I remember 12 year old me filling in the blanks and wishing I belonged to a club like the Bob Whites.

imzadirose's review against another edition

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2.0

One of my least favorite of the whole series. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was written by one of the other authors, instead of a Julie Campbell original. I felt half the book was a very very very boring history report. It was way too much and the story too dull.

bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition

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3.0

Trixie and the Bob Whites have just put the finishing touches on their clubhouse when a nasty fall storm hits Sleepyside. It brings strong winds and cold air and downs trees on the Belden and Wheeler properties (as well as the neighboring area). This includes a big spruce that knocks out the rear wall of the clubhouse and makes a hole in the roof. The Bob Whites had spent the last of their club savings on the previous work done to make the old gatehouse into a clubhouse. How will they be able to make the repairs before the predicted next storm?

Brian, Trixie's eldest brother, had been saving up for a car and decides to donate that money to the cause. His friends hate to see him give up the dream of a car, so they ask to work as temporary gamekeeper for the Wheeler's huge estate until Honey and Jim's dad can get a full-time man on the job. While doing their rounds, Honey and Trixie stumble upon evidence of a poacher and the Bob Whites have another little mystery to solve.

I have to emphasize the word "little" from that last sentence. While this is a very pleasant read and it was nice to visit with my childhood friends again, I realize now (as an adult) that this one just doesn't have much of a mystery to it. Trixie makes a mystery out of the possible poacher, but it is more her lack of information and a tendency to make assumptions from what little she does know than the fact that there is a mystery to solve. Some of the stories do have real mysteries and sometimes they have downright villainous characters, but this one...not as much.

But that's okay--it's still a nice adventure and we get a good family and friendship story. It's nice to see the lengths that Trixie will go to in order to make sure her big brother is able to have the used car of his dreams.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

markmeavery's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

nday's review against another edition

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2.0

The sixth book in the Trixie Belden series. I actually remembered this book quite vividly from what must have been my last reread of the series. I remember it because I was pretty unimpressed with the screeds of “facts” in large blocks that the author had inserted into the book, rather than adding it as atmosphere.

Most of the plane ride read like the authors “facts I learned about Arizona before writing this book.” It was pretty dull reading for the most part, adding little to the plot and really was a big chunk of slowing the pace of the book.

As for the actual story, I quite enjoyed the actual mystery, but there was a whole lot of awful behaviour from the BWG’s and the ranch guests. I didn’t much enjoy some of the personalities and behaviour in this book, and that definitely bought things down a bit for me.