I’ve always been intrigued by attics and thrilled at the idea of exploring one filled with long-forgotten treasures. In The Mystery of the Emeralds,
14-year-old detective Trixie Belden doesn’t need to go far to make a
fascinating attic find. After stumbling upon a hidden crawl space,
Trixie finds a Civil War-era canteen, along with a letter in a coat
pocket. The canteen will be an excellent addition to an upcoming charity
sale, but what really captures Trixie’s imagination is the letter,
which mentions a hidden emerald necklace. The problem? The letter was
written in 1861. What’s more, though the letter gives a clue as to where
to start looking, Trixie has no idea where Rosewood Hall is. Is this
mystery worth pursuing, or is it too far beyond her reach? Anyone coming
into this volume as an established reader of the series would be able
to tell you that Trixie is far too persistent to be deterred by a
seemingly cold case.
This is the 14th book in the Trixie Belden
series and the eighth written by Kathryn Kenny, a catch-all pseudonym
for a number of ghost writers who continued penning adventures for
Trixie and her friends after original author Julie Campbell tired of the
characters. Along with Trixie, the intrepid blond tomboy with such a
knack for attracting mysteries and following them to a satisfying
conclusion, the main characters include the rest of the Bob-Whites of
the Glen, a tight-knit club Trixie co-founded. Her co-president is Jim
Frayne, the adopted brother of Trixie’s sweet-natured best friend Honey
Wheeler. Other members include Trixie’s older brothers Mart and Brian
and their neighbors, Di Lynch and Dan Mangan. At home or on one of their
many group vacations, these friends always manage to work together to
crack puzzling cases and have a lot of fun in the process.
The
circumstances that set this mystery into motion are almost too
coincidental. Trixie finds this letter that has been languishing in the
attic for nearly a century, and as soon as her local detective work
leads her to the disheartening discovery that Rosewood Hall is hundreds
of miles away, Di announces that her parents just happen to be leaving
imminently for a destination within easy distance of that stately manor.
Then again, luck often seems to be on Trixie’s side in her
investigations. If it weren’t for her initial skill in focusing on the
right details to lead her in the proper direction, they never would have
realized that the Lynches’ trip could have any connection with this
long-concealed treasure.
Although the first five chapters take
place in the Bob-Whites’ town of Sleepyside, New York, this is primarily
another away-from-home adventure. I confess I’d hoped to see the
Wheelers’ cheerful groom Regan in this installment, since he’s my
favorite side character and we haven’t seen him since the tenth book,
but it was nice to spend a bit of time with the rest of the Belden
family, which includes Trixie’s supportive parents and her rambunctious
little brother Bobby, before heading off for unfamiliar territory. While
the previous installment, The Mystery on Cobbett’s Island
– which this book references several times – allows the Bob-Whites a
true vacation in many respects, Trixie and her friends know from the
get-go that this will be a working trip. They have a very definite goal
in mind and a limited amount of time in which to achieve it.
Hence,
while the six friends – everybody but Dan, who has to bow out because
of work – enjoy the sights and sounds of Washington, D. C. and
Williamsburg, Virginia, this book has a more frenzied tone to it.
Everyone thinks this is their most impossible case yet, and that just
seems to increase Trixie’s determination, especially once she finds a
few leads. The bulk of the investigation occurs at Green Trees, a home
near the dilapidated Rosewood Hall occupied by Mr. Carver, an older
artist restricted to a wheelchair.
While the current owner of
the Rosewood property is surly, Mr. Carver couldn’t be more congenial.
What’s more, he has a family connection to the correspondents, so he
soon is as caught up in the search as the Bob-Whites. His stately
manners and youthful exuberance make him one of my favorite minor
characters yet, and his vivacious friend Miss Bates, who adores flowers
and old houses but is deeply suspicious of most men, provides several
laughs. The Bob-Whites themselves are well-drawn, and it’s especially
nice to see Di playing a fairly major role here. While Trixie is
intensely focused, she doesn’t come across as whiny as she sometimes
does, and she seems more willing than usual to think the best of people
in this outing. It’s also amusing to see her pleased but embarrassed
reactions to several pointed compliments from Jim throughout the
journey.
In addition to the intrigue of the mystery, which
involves careful clue-finding, a spooky graveyard, a secret passage and a
race to find the treasure before someone else who has gotten wind of
it, the book includes historical tidbits of interest to those fascinated
with the Civil War. I was particularly struck by the parts dealing with
the Underground Railroad, and I found the reflective moment the
Bob-Whites share at the Lincoln Memorial quite moving.
While this Trixie adventure is not as relaxing as the one that preceded it, The Mystery of the Emeralds is an engaging adventure from start to finish. Kinda makes me want to go rooting through my attic again…
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