Nancy's Mysterious Letter is full of near misses and minor accidents:
THRILL as Nancy ALMOST gets punched!
CHILL as Nancy ALMOST falls down the stairs!
SWELL with PRIDE as Nancy tells a Postal Inspector WHERE TO GET OFF. (And to contact her lawyer!)
WEEP when she RIPS her DRESS!
GASP as a boy on a sled hits her and BRUISES her LEG!
GNAW your fingernails when she is LOCKED IN! TO A DARK! GYMNASIUM!
FLINCH when Nancy ALMOST gets hit by a rock!
SHRIEK in TERROR when she and Ned are ALMOST run over! (This time, by a car!)
BREATHE a sigh of relief when Nancy escapes DEATH by STAGE CURTAIN!
AND SOB when Nancy is CHLOROFORMED in the bathroom -- sorry, powder room -- of the River Heights airport*!
Okay, I admit it. This volume isn't particularly action-packed.
Nancy never learns -- her do-gooder ways always cause trouble! She invites the poor old mail carrier in for a nice cup of cocoa, and when he leaves, he discovers that his mailbags have been robbed! Not only is Nancy's Mysterious Letter From England missing, but so is a cash-filled letter addressed to her father!
It doesn't take long for Nancy to deduce that the thief is none other than Edgar Nixon, the mailman's brother! She is aided by some friendly busybodies and by young, tricycle-riding Tommy Johnson, who does more in this book towards solving the mystery than Chief McGinnis EVER has.
Nancy's intuition:
When Nancy finally sees a picture of her suspect:
As Ira had said, Edgar was handsome, but his eyes were cold as steel and she instantly felt that he was not a person to be trusted.
Yes, very impressive. If you ignore the fact that she's already aware that the man stole the mail. AND that he's a litterbug. AND that he's been harassing his poor old mailman brother.
The Car Chase Scene: How many rickety wooden bridges are there in the River Heights area, anyway? This is the third time (at least) Nancy has been foiled by one.
Nancy's methods: Continue to be fascinating. She has a photograph of the guy and his license plate number, but ultimately, she identifies him by his tacky-ass cuff links.
Nancy's knowledge base: She is very familiar with nautical terms and excellent at interpreting Shakespeare. She also has excellent parallel parking skills.
The Land of Coincidence Unchained: Not a whole lot of detecting is necessary when it comes to tracking down The Other Nancy Drew** -- it turns out that she just happens to be directing a play at Ned's college. And Nancy, Bess and George just happen to be there that same weekend! Hurrah!
Later, when it seems that The Other Nancy Drew has disappeared, our Nancy just happens to run into a girl who was once nannied by TOND. Hurrah!
A collision with a boy on a sled just happens to allow Nancy to read the suspect's mail without opening it -- so she's able to catch him for mail fraud without breaking any laws! Hurrah!
Detective Tips:
Always keep rewards on hand for young tipsters:
Nancy went to get two small jars of hard candy. She called them her emergency treats for just such occasions.
Dave Evans was blond, green-eyed, and of rangy build. He gazed at Bess fondly. "You look stunning in that new suit," he remarked. "I like that fur collar. What is it--squirrel?"
George spoke up. "Yep. She shot it on the way up here."
FOOTBALL. I do not read Nancy Drew Mystery Stories to get play-by-play descriptions of college football games. That is all.
*Yes, OF COURSE they have an airport. Duh.
**You know, the girl for whom the Mysterious Letter From England was actually meant.
This was my very favorite Nancy Drew when I was growing up - maybe because it was the first one I read? Anyway, I thought Nancy was brilliant in uncovering her name-a-like. (Maybe because I was 8?) For weeks after I read it I kept hoping I would get a letter from my name-a-like, but I never did. (However the miracle of google tells me that there is someone with my name teaching primary school in New Hampshire! How come, growing up, I never got a mysterious letter for her???)
Posted by: | 08 March 2007 at 09:37 AM
I never understood why the mailman didn't take the bag inside with him. i mean. why leave it outside. thta doesn't seem safe. of course, I was young when I read it, so maybe I didn't pay attention to his reasoning. Or maybe I just skipped pages on accident. But i don't think so.
Posted by: Catherine | 08 March 2007 at 10:38 AM
Thank goodness - another Nancy Drew review. It has been way too long between them! Great review as always.
Who wrote this one: Walter Karig wrote the manuscript based upon an outline by Edna Squier. Harriet S. Adams edited. This is the first one that Karig wrote. He also wrote #9 and #10. So a guy wrote it... maybe that's why it has so much football!
Original publication: 1932.
Posted by: Tom | 08 March 2007 at 12:12 PM
I love the squirrel bit. It is beautiful.
Posted by: Charlotte | 08 March 2007 at 01:17 PM
Have you seen the Nancy Drew address book? It uses lots of those cute old cover pictures.
Posted by: Emmaco | 08 March 2007 at 10:35 PM
Love this review!
I'm inspired to start Trixie Belden reviews someday soon.
Posted by: Nancy | 10 March 2007 at 08:01 PM
When you are required to report an accident to the DMV
Posted by: | 17 April 2009 at 11:02 AM
I’ ve forgotten how many time’ s myself and numerous others have shown that abstinence- only sex education is a complete waste of time and money. Since president Reagan introduced it and with the support of“ God told me to” G. W. Bush, the amount of funding for abstinence only education has risen to 175 Million per year (but still the rates of teen pregnancies and STDs has increased, such that the US has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancies in the developed world) and has totalled over 1. 5 Billion!!
Posted by: | 19 April 2009 at 09:05 AM
Drive between 11 pm and 5 am for the first twelve months
Posted by: | 20 April 2009 at 11:03 AM
nowshera.
Posted by: | 02 May 2009 at 06:12 PM
love this book it is awesome i would give ita 5 star !!! lol
Posted by: Caroline | 10 March 2010 at 07:19 PM
me again it is my bother's birthday awesome we had a racecar cake tasted great and tacos for dinner i ate 3 everybody else ate 1 i ain't fat but i loove my food like sam does hers on icarly omg i looove that show and escpecially full house on abc family. well gettin ready 4 school gotta go byy!!!!
Posted by: Caroline | 10 March 2010 at 07:22 PM