Ready for a little mystery among snowflakes, eggnog and Christmas stockings? I was thrilled to get my hands on this one. Believe it or not, I was not a huge Nancy Drew fan as a kid, bur rather a Hardy Boys one. So, I haven't read more than a couple of the books about her mysteries over the years. Still, I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to mix mystery and snow.
A NANCY DREW CHRISTMAS
Nancy Drew Diaries
by Carolyn Keene
Aladdin
Middle Grade Mystery
343 pages
Nancy finds herself a Christmas mystery in this super special eighteenth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries series, a fresh approach to the classic mystery series.
Nancy is spending her winter vacation at the most beautiful ski resort in Montana. Everything looks perfect, from the spectacular mountain views to the cozy rooms inside complete with fireplaces and holiday decorations. Unfortunately, not all is as jolly as it seems.
Things started to go wrong on her very first day; she hit a bad patch of ice on a run down the slopes and broke her leg in a couple of different places. Then a doctor decided she needed a giant cast and lots of bed rest. It’s been a week of unfortunate events for rest the resort too; there was a sabotaged opening dinner, multiple hotel room break-ins, and a dangerous trap was set for the star chef. And if she thought things couldn’t get any worse, a giant storm is heading her way and may just snow everyone in for days. Trapped in a hotel with someone bent on destruction? Cast or no cast, you know this sleuth is on the case.
It’s almost Christmas and both guests and staff are starting to panic. With all the odds stacked against her, can Nancy solve these crimes in time and save the holiday season? Or is this one Yuletide she’ll wish to forget?
MY TIDBITS
Mystery hits holiday cheer in an exciting edition to the series, which is sure to have young fans on the edge of their seats the entire way through.
Nancy Drew is off on a Christmas holiday at a ski resort. While everything is packed with Christmas cheer, her vacation soon takes an unlucky fall. After breaking her leg on ice and being forced to rest, she realizes that accidents and problems are occurring again and again at the resort. Add the tension of a incoming storm and her own impatience, and she's off on another mystery to find out who's trying to destroy the place.
The biggest bonus for me was the short visit of the Hardy Boys (I was always a fan of their books over Nancy's). Not that this had much to do with the story (and was short), but I appreciated it. Next was the mystery. It is well twisted and placed with lots of wonderful clues. Tensions stay high, secrets lurk in the most hidden places, and it's almost impossible to guess who the real villain is until the end. So, that end offers everything it should and is fun to read.
Nancy solves her mystery well, and the added troubles of dealing with her broken leg slipped in a lovely dose of empathy. I've always had trouble connecting to her, and in this one, she had even a pinch more loftiness. But the other characters are lovely and she was as to be expected.
With all of the solidness of this tale, I was a bit disappointed by the added, heavier preaching on the environmental end. A message is fine, but this was more. Also, some scenes dragged a little thanks to longer explanations, which weren't really necessary. But all in all it's a nice read, and one that Nancy Drew fans are definitely going to want to pick up.
1 comment:
I was a fan of Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys as a kid. I hope my library has this one. Happy Holidays, Tonja!
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