A review by manwithanagenda
Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene

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'

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