My brother Nathan, who turns 23 today, graduated from college in May
with a Fine Arts degree. Ever since kindergarten, Nathan’s school days
were filled with as much artwork as possible, from the doodles that
covered his worksheets to the cardboard stand-ups he created in middle
school and the complex ceramics projects he undertook in high school.
All along the way, he was fortunate to encounter teachers passionate
about the arts and determined to give their students as many
opportunities for growth as possible. Naturally, Nathan is very
frustrated by the tendency of schools to cut art department support when
funds are dwindling, so I thought of him as I read Kathryn Kenny’s The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road, the twentieth book in the Trixie Belden teen detective series.
I knew a bit about this book going in because Nick Roberts, one of the chief characters, resurfaces in the 35th book, The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire.
One of the other major characters is Ben Riker, who appeared in two
previous volumes. In the fifth book, Trixie made an exaggerated show of
pretending to have a crush on him, while in this book, she makes no
secret of the fact that she can’t stand him. He has gone from being a
fun-loving prankster of the Fred Weasley variety to reminding me more of
a thuggish Dudley Dursley or disdainful Draco Malfoy. Boarding school
has not done his personality any favors, and now that he is attending
public school in Sleepyside, the Bob-Whites – the semi-secret club of
which neighbors Trixie and Jim Frayne are co-presidents – have to put up
with him.
Jim’s adoptive sister Honey Wheeler is Ben’s cousin,
which puts the mild-mannered teen in a tough spot because she wants to
support him and help him feel welcome while he is a guest in her home,
but she is as appalled by his rudeness as her friends are. The most
striking thing about this book for me is the fact that Trixie and Honey
have a fight that leads to a brief estrangement. It only lasts a couple
of chapters, but it seems to drag on much longer because it is so
painful to see these incredibly supportive friends so distanced from
each other. It caught me by surprise, but it still feels realistic, with
each girl lashing out in frustration stemming from outside pressures. I
know what it’s like to fear the loss of a friendship because of a
communication breakdown and to be afraid that any attempt at apology
will only make things worse, so I really felt for the friends here,
especially Trixie, since she is the primary one at fault.
While
Ben is important to the plot, Nick, a surly artist from a poor family
who fears he will not be able to attend college, fuels the story to a
greater degree, as he is the one who inspires Trixie to suggest that the
Bob-Whites organize a bike-a-thon to raise funds for the school’s art
department. With enough money for decent supplies, Nick and other
students like him should be able to produce works of art of high enough
quality to allow them to put together portfolios to accompany their
college applications. The other Bob-Whites – Trixie’s brothers Mart and
Brian and their neighbors Dan Mangan and Di Lynch – warm to the idea
quickly, but when mysterious threats surface, they begin to wonder who
could be behind them and whether it is safe to proceed with their event.
This book casts both Ben and Nick in a suspicious light while
leaving room for other possible culprits as well. Trixie’s curiosity and
determination land her in a dangerous situation before the mystery is
solved, but in the midst of the peril, there is the satisfaction of the
Bob-Whites working together for a worthy cause and making plans to share
the bounty of their hospitable friends with the rest of the town. Good
food is usually a part of these books, but it seems especially abundant
here, with several picnics and sit-down dinners, all culminating in a
grand repast at the bike-a-thon courtesy of Mr. Maypenny, the kindly but
reclusive old man who tends the Wheeler grounds. A great school-related
read that makes you appreciate the value of a well-stocked art room and
passionate students, Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road gets an A from me.
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