First off, literally on the first page, we already have a
Ned Nickerson saves the day moment! The girls have come to visit the three boys
during a week of Emerson fun. Now I hardcore love Ned Nickerson, and I mean
that truly, I may have judged every date I've ever had against him and
unsurprisingly my husband is actually pretty close. What was I saying? Oh yeah
Ned already saves the day, which just shows how much he’s going to be in this
one, which makes for a happy Maren.
Ok seriously enough Ned distractions. The titular phantom
“resides” at John Rorick’s (also known as Uncle John) mansion. Nancy, Bess and
George stay with him following a motel mishap and get to stay there for the
week rent free, so long as they help catch the phantom! Woohoo excitement J
Luckily we do not have to wait long for the phantom to make his first strike!
Within the first ten pages Nancy returns to the house to change her party dress
after a waiter named Fred Jenkins spills punch on hers, and discovers that her
pearl necklace has disappeared!! Later that night Nancy does what she always
does and hears a creaking in the dark house and decides to
investigate...ALONE!! Because she legitimately thinks that’s a better idea. I
mean, I understand not bringing Bess since she sometimes can’t stop talking,
but, hey, why not George!? At least she came to her senses and didn’t go
outside when she saw a fleeting light in the woods. Good move, Nance. Later
that morning after breakfast we get introduced to mystery #2! Uncle John’s
ancestor who came to this country in the 1700 had a young French bride. When
they had a daughter, Abigail, the French family sent a chest of gifts. Which
got lost in a steamship (the Lily Belle) accident. In the river like 50ft from
the house. Are we dealing with sunken treasure!? (ummm the answer is always
yes.)
Hmmm I wonder if the two mysteries might SOMEHOW be
connected. Anyway it can’t be all work and no play. The girls go to the Emerson
crew race, because OF COURSE, Ned is on the crew team. Isn’t he just perfect?
Ned and Nancy have a quick impromptu picnic before the race, and who is lurking
about, but Fred Jenkins. Hmmmm 2 instances of seeing this guy in 3 chapters?
Yeah he’s got more involvement! Crew race happens, Emerson wins (DUH) and it’s
all very exciting. Ned and Nancy decide to take a romantic canoe ride....over to
the site of the Lily Belle sinking. Hmmm Nancy I believe you have ulterior
motives here...not just trying to get alone time with Ned! Although gotta love
how he puts on his professors cap and explains the history of the phrase “two
bits.” But wait, what’s this? A motorboat is trying to run them down!! Accident
#1.
What is Nancy’s solution? To go alone into the woods to
search for the motorboat captains accomplice. Always with going alone into the
woods right Nance? Only creepy thing to happen, however is a piece of paper
that floats down on her from above that is blank except for two perfect
thumbprints. UMMM HOW IS THAT NOT CREEPY AND ALSO JUST PLAIN WEIRD? Ok thank
god for Bess who bluntly just declares how creepy that is later on.
Ok time for the Emerson dance. Nancy get’s all pretty, and
her beauty causes Fred Jenkins (him again?) to drop a vase of flowers he’s
carrying. Like he actually tells her she shouldn’t be so beautiful because he
got distracted by it which caused him to drop the vase. While she waits for
Bess and George, Nancy gives the adorable housekeeper, Mrs. Holeman a lesson on
how to look for clues to how an intruder could get into the padlocked library.
However, after 5 minutes Mrs. Holeman declares that since Nancy has found no
hollow spots in the walls then it must be a spook. Like a ghost. Is it ever
actually a ghost though? I’m thinking no. Nancy does go in to the library and
find that some of the hidden money she had discovered the day before has gone
missing. DUDE THIS LIBRARY IS PADLOCKED! HOW IS HE GETTING IN! Ooooooh maybe it
is a ghost. Ok no just kidding it’s never a ghost.
Mrs Holeman has to go out of town suddenly. Uncle John has
already gone away for a few days. You know what that means. Nancy, Bess and
George in a haunted creepy house all alone. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Which
means Nancy and Ned (oooh la la) are going to do a stakeout in the locked
library all night to see if the phantom shows his or herself. Well sadly, the
only shenanigans that occur overnight are actually a prank played by Bess and
George. Also there’s a later moment where George teases Bess about her weight.
Something no Nancy Drew would be complete without. Poor Bess L
And there’s a moment with the Chief of police who decides Nancy isn’t a flighty
bimbo; he actually admits that he thought she had mislaid her pearl necklace
and just got excited over nothing. What a jerk. Also Fred Jenkins is being nosy
again. But that’s no surprise. Ok random interlude stuff over and Bess finds a
clue! Go Bess!
Wow I really need to be less wordy in my reviews. I’m not
even halfway through the book yet. Ok I may need to edit for the rest.
Maybe.
What?--I love Nancy Drew!
Don’t judge me!! You don’t know Maren.
Wow ok panic moment over. Back to the big Emerson pageant. Ned, dressed as an American Indian, swoops up Nancy and "kidnaps" her and take her to “treasure spot.” Burt is dressed as a fully bearded captain and Dave plays what appears to be Noah on his ark and it goes on and on because racism. This ends up
being the spot where the main Pine of Pine Hill is said to be the site of a
buried treasure! Sadly, not the Lilly Belle treasure.
The crew all goes back to Uncle John’s only to discover that
the locked library in the locked house has been torn to shreds!!
Cue Twilight zone music. (now tell me you didn’t just hum that in your head!)
Ok off to the dance (another one!? Geez where do the girls get all their
frocks....pretty sure Target and TJ Maxx didn’t exist yet) And at the dance a
big announcement is made! Ned has been made fraternity president! Seriously is
there anything wrong with him? Long nose hair? An awkward mole? SOMETHING?
The happiness form the night is semi dampened when the girls
return to Uncle John’s to find a threatening note from the phantom. It’s quite
terrifying. Especially since, in the note, the phantom refers to himself in the
third person. Woooooooooooo scary. This prompts Nancy to begin a search of the
house again to find hidden panels. Because in this type of scenario there are
ALWAYS hidden panels. And sure enough she finds one! Unfortunately she tugs on
it too hard and it falls on her hitting her hard, causing her to black out.
Accident #2, Blackout/Head Injury#1.
A day or so later, after she recovers, the three go digging
at an old burial ground which is no longer actually there. Bess screams
and what has she found? A HUMAN SKULL. Gross. Poor Bess...again. They go investigate some caves in the area and
see someone spying on them. When going
to investigate, George and Nancy are standing closeish to the edge when the
ground under them gives away and they slide/roll/fall down the hill! Accident
#3. Bess runs down to check on them and manages to get a glimpse of who she
thinks is the spy.
Hmmm I wonder who it is? Is it Fred Jenkins perhaps? I’m
thinking its Fred Jenkins.
Yup it’s Fred Jenkins. Told you.
Back at the house Nancy asks for some info on Fred from Mrs.
Holman. Hmmm he’s a loner who lives with his dad. Sounds ripe for being a Nancy
Drew culprit to me. Nancy investigates a little more then it’s time for evening
festivities with the boys. The evening is marred a little though when Nancy’s
car is stolen! Seriously so much happens in this one! And it’s stolen from
Uncle John’s house, not like a public lot. Hmmm looks like Fred Jenkins stole
it. Under the pretense of washing it. Fat chance! Hah!
Well it’s a new day and you know what that means? Time to
investigate the library again. After finding some clues involving freshly mown
grass (Hermione would love it) there doesn’t seem to be much else out of place.
EXCEPT THE PRICELESS COIN COLLECTION! Seriously there was a coin in there worth
7500 bucks. And that was in 1965......oh man that’s a pretty penny (heh heh).
But there’s also still the question of how the phantom is getting in and out of
this room.
Nancy and Ned go off on a scuba adventure to try and find
the Lily Belle. Meanwhile, back at the house, Bess, George, Burt and Dave
decide to do a little investigating of their own. They do all they can to find
a way in and out of that library. Which ends with Dave disappearing headfirst
down the chimney. Accident #4.
Nevermind that at the same moment Nancy and Ned are diving
and Nancy gets her oxygen hose tangled and she can’t breathe underwater. (Does
that count as Accident #5? Maybe 4.5 it’s a smaller mishap easily and swiftly
rectified) After their diving adventure gives them no solid clues they drive
home, taking a detour by Fred Jenkins house. Who should they see but Fred’s
father, WHO IS ALSO THE OTHER MAN THEY’VE BEEN SEEING IN THE WOODS?! Ooooh a
father/son duo. I like it. Nancy and Ned totally break the law and investigate
the Jenkins house after the two men have left and find nothing, although Ned
does come up with an amusing rhyme. They do, however, find a key making machine
(seriously who other than criminals has one of THOSE just lying around at home)
which explains how Fred was able to take Nancy’s car!
Going back to the house leads to yet another investigation
of the library. This time it is to discover the last of the hidden money has
been stolen. Nancy is fed up and determined. This time she is finally
successful. In the dining room, with a nail file (she killed Colonel Mustard),
she finds a lever that opens a secret passage! Huzzuh!! George is the first to
investigate and hidden in the passage is the missing coin collection. Score 1
for George!
We are winding down and you know what that means? Time for a
stakeout! The girls hide in the library when a man in stocking feet and gloves
comes in. They watch him steal some costume jewelry and Nancy bursts out to
confront him. He sprays her with something that knocks her out. Oops. Knockout
#2. He does the same to George who has come to Nancy’s aid. Bess who is still
hiding almost panics but comes to her senses and shouts and the guy and before
he has a chance to spray her she throws a heavy book at him!! Woohoo way to go
Bess! Bad guy loses his balance and falls hitting his head. Bad guy taken down
by Bess. Yet another reason to love this particular book so much. But it’s not
over for her. While the three others lay unconscious Bess calls the cops. As
she waits for their arrival Fred comes in the house. OH NO! What does Bess do
best? She flirts with him as a distraction. Dude Bess totally saves the day in
this one I love it J
She even tempts him with cake and everything. Just in time for the cops to show
up and chase him down and arrest him. Suckaaaaaaa!
Turns out Fred and his father WERE looking for clues to the
missing treasure lost on the Lily Belle. (like we didn’t see that one coming)
Fred also admits that he and his father had stolen the coins and the money and Nancy’s
pearl necklace. And golly Pa Jenkins admired Nancy’s grit so much he was going
to tell her where everything was. Wow, what a nice thief!
Now it wouldn’t be a proper Nancy Drew conclusion without
the miraculous discovery of the treasure! Struck by genius Nancy and the gang
go to an old stump near the tribal village site/burial ground and dig up and old tree stump!
Woohoo there’s all the treasure! Trunks filled with gold coins as well as the
missing Rorick chest were indeed buried underneath. Yaaay happy ending!!
Man I forgot how much I love this one....
Soooo many accidents and head injuries....gotta love it! 5/5 mags.
Head Injuries: 2 (20 total)
Accidents: 4.5 (Infinity total)
