Scan barcode
callisto20's review
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
5.0
For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com.
This week we’re up to #15, The Haunted Bridge, both the Original Text (OT) and the Revised Text (RT). The books are the same story, the RT is just a condensed version of the OT with minor changes made.
From the publisher: “Mr. Drew is on the trail of an international ring of jewel thieves and asks Nancy to assist him. The trail leads to a summer resort area (Desert Mountain Inn). Before Nancy has a chance to start work on her father’s case, a golf caddy tells her a frightening tale. In the dense woods nearby is an old wooden footbridge guarded by a ghost! Intrigued by the caddy’s story, Nancy decides to investigate.
Several riddles confront the young detective as she attempts to solve the mystery of the haunted bridge and track down a woman suspected of being a key member of a gang of jewel thieves.
How Nancy finds the answers to the two mysteries and at the same time, despite her injured hand, wins a trophy in a golf tournament will thrill all Nancy Drew fans.”
First off, I don’t find golf thrilling. In fact, I find it very boring, and had to deal with a golf pro of an ex-brother-in-law for 25 years, so a book centered on golf should be a big turn-off, but it wasn’t. If anything, I found the OT and the RT to be probably one of the best volumes I’ve read out of the first fifteen.
In the OT of The Haunted Bridge, Nancy wins the tournament with a score of 89. Either Mildred Wirt Benson didn’t know golf, or golf changed a lot over the 35 years between the OT and RT because to qualify for the tournament, Nancy scores a 75. In fact, she wins the tournament in the RT with a 69. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say she won, because 1) she’s Nancy Drew, of course she’s going to win and 2) it’s in the ding dong description of the book on the first page!
The Haunted Bridge “mystery” is solved by page 43 in the OT and page 33 in the RT, which makes you wonder why the volume was named as such. A better title would be The Mystery of the Missing Jewels or something along those lines since it has to do with a gang of international jewel thieves.
I was very happy, for once in the books, that Bess was not called plump, although another female golfer is described this way. I always appreciated the fact that the artists doing the illustrations never drew Bess as overweight (until the early volumes of the paperback series, and not really overweight, but stocky), and I never saw her that way.
And what’s up with one reviewer claiming George is a lesbian because Burt is described as George’s “friend” and Dave is described as Bess’s “date”? Later in the book Burt is described as a “date” as well. I’m sick and tired of every tomboy in literature is automatically assumed to be gay. Can’t heterosexual girls like playing sports and wear their hair short like George? I certainly did growing up; I looked up to George as a role model because when I was growing up, everyone had long blonde hair, or long brown hair, and was of average height. I was tall, thin and had a pixie cut, so there was always a soft spot for someone like George in the books I read. And even if she is a lesbian, so what?
The mystery was kind of convoluted, and of course, Nancy’s mystery and her dad’s mystery are connected. One thing that bothered me was the way they handled the investigation of Miss Judson. They just randomly go to inns surrounding the area, scope out the lobby and bathroom for a woman using a jeweled vanity case (or compact in the RT) for 1/2 an hour, and declare defeat before moving on to the next hotel. Hardly a thorough investigation or stakeout.
In the OT, Ned gets very jealous of Nancy with another man, even after it’s revealed who he is and the man is related to the injured man Ned is taking care of. “Even the information that the man was Mr. Haley’s nephew did not satisfy him entirely. He felt that she displayed a decided eagerness to have the professor escort her back to the hotel in his stead.” And to be fair, Nancy does kind of blow him off, as usual. When he gets dressed up and asks her how she likes his new suit, “‘You look handsome in it,’ Nancy praised, without noting in detail what he wore.”
The whole Mortimer/Martin Bartescue subplot was an interesting McGuffin, because all the while you’re reading the book, Nancy and the gang, and the reader, just assume he’s one of the bad guys. But boy, was he annoying! Come to think of it, he reminds me of my golf pro ex-brother-in-law I mentioned earlier.
This week we’re up to #15, The Haunted Bridge, both the Original Text (OT) and the Revised Text (RT). The books are the same story, the RT is just a condensed version of the OT with minor changes made.
From the publisher: “Mr. Drew is on the trail of an international ring of jewel thieves and asks Nancy to assist him. The trail leads to a summer resort area (Desert Mountain Inn). Before Nancy has a chance to start work on her father’s case, a golf caddy tells her a frightening tale. In the dense woods nearby is an old wooden footbridge guarded by a ghost! Intrigued by the caddy’s story, Nancy decides to investigate.
Several riddles confront the young detective as she attempts to solve the mystery of the haunted bridge and track down a woman suspected of being a key member of a gang of jewel thieves.
How Nancy finds the answers to the two mysteries and at the same time, despite her injured hand, wins a trophy in a golf tournament will thrill all Nancy Drew fans.”
First off, I don’t find golf thrilling. In fact, I find it very boring, and had to deal with a golf pro of an ex-brother-in-law for 25 years, so a book centered on golf should be a big turn-off, but it wasn’t. If anything, I found the OT and the RT to be probably one of the best volumes I’ve read out of the first fifteen.
In the OT of The Haunted Bridge, Nancy wins the tournament with a score of 89. Either Mildred Wirt Benson didn’t know golf, or golf changed a lot over the 35 years between the OT and RT because to qualify for the tournament, Nancy scores a 75. In fact, she wins the tournament in the RT with a 69. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say she won, because 1) she’s Nancy Drew, of course she’s going to win and 2) it’s in the ding dong description of the book on the first page!
The Haunted Bridge “mystery” is solved by page 43 in the OT and page 33 in the RT, which makes you wonder why the volume was named as such. A better title would be The Mystery of the Missing Jewels or something along those lines since it has to do with a gang of international jewel thieves.
I was very happy, for once in the books, that Bess was not called plump, although another female golfer is described this way. I always appreciated the fact that the artists doing the illustrations never drew Bess as overweight (until the early volumes of the paperback series, and not really overweight, but stocky), and I never saw her that way.
And what’s up with one reviewer claiming George is a lesbian because Burt is described as George’s “friend” and Dave is described as Bess’s “date”? Later in the book Burt is described as a “date” as well. I’m sick and tired of every tomboy in literature is automatically assumed to be gay. Can’t heterosexual girls like playing sports and wear their hair short like George? I certainly did growing up; I looked up to George as a role model because when I was growing up, everyone had long blonde hair, or long brown hair, and was of average height. I was tall, thin and had a pixie cut, so there was always a soft spot for someone like George in the books I read. And even if she is a lesbian, so what?
The mystery was kind of convoluted, and of course, Nancy’s mystery and her dad’s mystery are connected. One thing that bothered me was the way they handled the investigation of Miss Judson. They just randomly go to inns surrounding the area, scope out the lobby and bathroom for a woman using a jeweled vanity case (or compact in the RT) for 1/2 an hour, and declare defeat before moving on to the next hotel. Hardly a thorough investigation or stakeout.
In the OT, Ned gets very jealous of Nancy with another man, even after it’s revealed who he is and the man is related to the injured man Ned is taking care of. “Even the information that the man was Mr. Haley’s nephew did not satisfy him entirely. He felt that she displayed a decided eagerness to have the professor escort her back to the hotel in his stead.” And to be fair, Nancy does kind of blow him off, as usual. When he gets dressed up and asks her how she likes his new suit, “‘You look handsome in it,’ Nancy praised, without noting in detail what he wore.”
The whole Mortimer/Martin Bartescue subplot was an interesting McGuffin, because all the while you’re reading the book, Nancy and the gang, and the reader, just assume he’s one of the bad guys. But boy, was he annoying! Come to think of it, he reminds me of my golf pro ex-brother-in-law I mentioned earlier.
blondierocket's review
This latest Nancy Drew was quite fun to read and try to figure out for myself. Nancy’s father is searching for some known jewel thieves and in the process enlists Nancy’s help at a local resort. This may be the first time Nancy is solving three mysteries in one book.
While look for evidence of missing jewelry, Nancy joins a golf tournament and attracts the attention of an admirer who is very strange, possibly posing as someone they are not. When one of her special and lucky golf balls is lost, Nancy learns about the haunted bridge and is determined to find out the truth behind it.
Without realizing it, Nancy begins solving all the mysteries at once, slowly piecing together the information with the help of her friends.
While look for evidence of missing jewelry, Nancy joins a golf tournament and attracts the attention of an admirer who is very strange, possibly posing as someone they are not. When one of her special and lucky golf balls is lost, Nancy learns about the haunted bridge and is determined to find out the truth behind it.
Without realizing it, Nancy begins solving all the mysteries at once, slowly piecing together the information with the help of her friends.
j_hornick's review
adventurous
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
3.0
laura_cs's review
2.0
Meh.
The book was mostly about Nancy playing golf, the haunted bridge wasn't actually that haunted/spooky, and ended up being very light on the jewel smuggler aspect of the book. Oh, and there was a really obnoxious guy throughout the book who I know Nancy wanted to slap on several occasions.
The book was mostly about Nancy playing golf, the haunted bridge wasn't actually that haunted/spooky, and ended up being very light on the jewel smuggler aspect of the book. Oh, and there was a really obnoxious guy throughout the book who I know Nancy wanted to slap on several occasions.
thepastelnerd's review
adventurous
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
4.0
Reading journal entry #7! This is The Haunted Bridge, a Nancy Drew Mystery!
I haven't individually reviewed most of the Nancy Drew books I've read so far, but I'm committed to this year's reading journal, so here goes! This book, like most Nancy Drew Mysteries, was a fun read! It got me excited to read more after taking a break from the series for a couple months. I wouldn't say it's one of the best, though. I felt the plot was a bit simple and more predictable than some of the others. Bras and George weren't the greatest in this one either. But I did like the huge red herring. On to the next one!
#nancydrew #nancydrewmysteries #carolynkeene #thehauntedbridge #readinglist2024 #readingjournal #bookjournal #readinglist #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bulletjournal #bulletjournaling #nancydrewbooks #mysterybooks #bookreviews #booksofinstagram #bookreview
I haven't individually reviewed most of the Nancy Drew books I've read so far, but I'm committed to this year's reading journal, so here goes! This book, like most Nancy Drew Mysteries, was a fun read! It got me excited to read more after taking a break from the series for a couple months. I wouldn't say it's one of the best, though. I felt the plot was a bit simple and more predictable than some of the others. Bras and George weren't the greatest in this one either. But I did like the huge red herring. On to the next one!
#nancydrew #nancydrewmysteries #carolynkeene #thehauntedbridge #readinglist2024 #readingjournal #bookjournal #readinglist #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bulletjournal #bulletjournaling #nancydrewbooks #mysterybooks #bookreviews #booksofinstagram #bookreview
wickedplutoswickedreading's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
meganreads5's review
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
4.0
anieeereads's review
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0