Nancy Drew #2 The Hidden Staircase

One has to wonder how much editting was done to make this series seem plausible in today's technological world. I looked at the copywrite date 1930, and wondered - did women really have this much freedom then or were they patted on the head and patronized? Did people have phones in their homes? There is never any mention of TV, but the radio plays a part in this book. Would they drive convertibles? Why doesn't Nancy have a real job? So are these books a meshing of several generations?

I think because Nancy doesn't have a cell phone or a computer to help her out, she appears smarter and more resourceful. The books are creepier because you know she's all alone, no cell phone to call for help. And if she did, the mystery wouldn't be as intriguing.

This book finds Nancy helping her friend Helen and her aunt and great-grandmother find a "ghost" who's haunting their family home. Meanwhile Nancy's father has been kidnapped and Nancy must find him.

As with all Nancy Drew stories - these are melodramas. The good guys win and the bad guys are justly punished. The bad guys are caught without anyone getting hurt - no shoot out, no chase and once they realize they've been caught, they 'fess up and go off with a police officer.

One thing that I find comical is the description of the meals - the whole menu is described from the fruit cup appetizer to the entree and dessert. I wonder why so much detail is placed on the food when barely a mention is made of her clothes - a skirt or a white blouse. Nor is there a lot of place description in comparison.

I do like how there is just enough suspense to make me catch my breath, but not enough to scare me so I can't sleep at night.

My quest is to read all 61 Nancy Drew novels in 2011. I started a bit late in the year, but I can read them in a day or two so I shouldn't have any problem unless I run out of money. I am reading them on my Nook.