Do The Drew

  Hey, all.  I apologize for the long absence.  I had some personal stuff going on over the last few months and hadn't really been in the mood to work on the blog, but I'm okay now. TRIGGER WARNING: ONE INSTANCE OF ANIMAL ABUSE First penned in 1937 by Mildred Wirt Bensen, this is the 14th story in the series.  And yes, I admit, I'm kind of running out things to say about her, so let's just dive in. Characters : Nancy Drew, Bess Marvin, and George Fayne (guest appearance by Carson Drew and cameos by Hannah Gruen and Ned Nickerson). Premise : Nancy attempts to prove that a man intends to swindle a woman while Carson tries to prove that his client's business was stolen.  Nancy, Bes, and George are at the opening of a park and stumble onto a mystery when a stray dog (the first appearance of the terrier Togo) causes havoc by stealing the notes of a woman named Alice Owens and causes some other mischief before they're able to get the papers back to her.  Nancy's ...

  This is another story penned by Mildred Wirt Benson in 1936 and is the 13th caper for Nancy and her friends.  Again, keep in mind that views on different cultures---especially in the thirties---are extremely outdated and don't jive with attitudes today.    Characters : Nancy Drew, George Fayne, and Bess Marvin (with guest appearances by Hanah Gruen, Carson Drew and Ned Nickerson) Premise : Nancy helps a young boy---Coya----get away from his abusive father even as she investigates property being sold. Nancy, Bess, and George visit a traveling circus where Nancy gets involved with things when she notices the elephant trainer Rai whipping his son Coya (what a name, right?), and goes to help Coya, (which, hopefully, I would too, but I don't know because I've never been put in that situation), and she vows to get the boy away from his father, and Coya runs away to the Drew home where gives Nancy an ivory elephant charm he stole from Rai and he vows to earn his keep by k...

Hey all, I'm back with another Nancy Drew story that was penned By Mildred Wirt Benson in 1941, this being The Moss-Covered Mansion---Nancy's 18th adventure---and like The Clue In The Old Album, contains ideas about the Romany culture (which again, is referred to as "Gypsy" in this volume) that are very much outdated.  And I feel like there's not much more I can say about this author, so why don't we dive right into the story?  Characters : Nancy and Carson Drew, Bess Marvin, George Fayne (with a cameo appearance by Hannah Gruen) Premise : Nancy, Bess, and George investigate strange noises coming from an old mansion which is reputed to be cursed while also trying to prove the identity of a long-lost heiress. As beginnings go, this one was pretty exciting. Nancy and George are stranded on the side of the road---they were on the way to the house of a woman named Mrs. Labelle to meet Carson for his birthday---waiting for Bess who has gone to look for help, and s...

  Hi, ya'll!   Waves at readers  As I'm sure you recall, in my welcome post, I mentioned that these stories had extremely outdated views on minorities and other cultures.  The Clue In The Old Album, being the 24th volume, is one such story, being penned by Mildred Wirt Benson in 1947 and as such, has views on a different culture that are very much not in-line with today's views, but I hope that you enjoy the submission regardless. Characters : Nancy and Carson Drew, Bess Marvin, George Fayne (with guest appearances by Ned Nickerson and Hannah Gruen) Premise : Nancy attempts to help a man get away from a conman. Okay, so, Nancy and her father are enjoying a concert when she notices someone taking a patron's purse and gives chase, though she's unable to get the contents back, she retrieves the purse, which is how she meets Mrs. Struthers and her high-strung granddaughter, Rose, who seriously needed a spanking if you ask me, but I'm just the reader.  Mrs. Stru...

Hey all, welcome back to Do the Drew.  For those of you who don't remember what this blog is about---and let's be honest, it's been a while, so it would make sense if some folks did forget---is my blog that's dedicated to the original Nancy Drew series from the thirties and discusses the differences---if any---between the revisions of their later editions.  Message In The Hollow Oak---the 12th volume---is one of many volumes that was penned by Mildred Wirt Benson. Characters : Nancy and Carson Drew, Bess Marvin, George Fayne Premise : Nancy finds herself in over her head when she tries to find a message in an old tree. Nancy's surprised when her submission to a radio contest----coming up with a title for a mystery story---wins and she's deeded some land in Canada. Which, I mean, since when did radio contests include real estate?  If I had known that , I may have tried to enter some contests as a kid. Sorry digressing.  Anyways, this is obviously a big deal and ...

With this, we reach the end of the books ghostwritten by Walter Karig (for those of you who don't remember this ghostwriter, along with The Sign Of The Twisted Candles first written in 1933 and Nancy's 9th mystery, he penned Nancy's Mysterious Letter and The Password To Larkspur Lane.  As stated in the review for those books, I'm not sure why he didn't like Nancy's team ups with Bess and George, so confusion for everyone! Characters : Nancy and Carson Drew, attorney Raymond Hill. Guest spots by Bess Marvin and George Fayne with a cameo by Ned Nickerson. Premise : Nancy investigates an old family feud when a new acquaintance is gifted an inheritance. Due Nancy's car stalling during a storm, Nancy, Bess, and George are forced to stop at a tearoom known as The Sign Of The Twisted Candles, where they learn the owner---Asa Sidney----is celebrating his hundredth birthday and it turns that he is George and Bess' great uncle (this is the book where it's reve...