It takes a definite talent to be able to write a good mystery. Plotting
has never been my strong suit as a writer, so I certainly appreciate the
challenges that must come with weaving a compelling mystery. It seems
that the ghostwriter responsible for The Marshland Mystery, the
tenth book in the Trixie Belden series and the fourth to be written
under the blanket pseudonym Kathryn Kenny, found the task a little too
much to handle. While she demonstrates a solid grip on the characters
and places them in a pretty engaging story, the word “mystery” really
doesn’t belong in the title.
Basically, the book contains two
plot elements that could, by some stretch, constitute a mystery, but
only by the loosest of definitions. For a while, I thought that the
book’s overarching mystery would be the disappearance of Gaye, a sullen
violin prodigy who comes to stay with the Wheelers for a short time.
This child, who gets off on the wrong foot with Trixie and comes across
as disagreeable for much of the book, is not much older than Trixie’s
six-year-old brother Bobby, so when she goes missing, it’s great cause
for worry. The search for her encompasses several chapters. Nonetheless,
she resurfaces halfway through the book, and there isn’t anything all
that peculiar about the circumstances of her reappearance. The other
mystery is whether there’s anything to the rumors about a treasure
hidden on or near the grounds of the home occupied by Rachel Martin, an
elderly spinster whose family used to be very wealthy. Hints of this are
sprinkled throughout the book, but I guessed the ultimate answer well
in advance of its revelation, and there’s only minimal mystery involved
there as well.
That’s not really such a bad thing. This isn’t
the first time that a Trixie Belden book has seemed more like general
fiction than a mystery, and if it gives readers a chance to hobnob with
the Bob-Whites – the club that includes Trixie, her brothers Mart and
Brian, her best friend Honey Wheeler and her adopted brother Jim, and
neighbors Di and Dan – then the genre seems less important than
characterization. Still, this is a mystery series, and the title of this
book reinforces that, so the categorization is a bit misleading.
Despite
the general lack of a mystery, however, I still enjoyed the book quite a
bit. It introduces several lively characters. Little Gaye comes across
as a spoiled brat, but she becomes more sympathetic as Trixie and her
friends realize the kind of pressure she faces as a world-famous
violinist, particularly from her stern aunt. Miss Rachel is a feisty
woman who, after initial suspicions, quickly becomes a friend to the
Bob-Whites. She reminded me a fair bit of Mrs. Vanderpoel, the widow in
the seventh book, especially toward the end when Trixie suggests they
organize a sale of her furniture to help her raise money to rent a house
in town. The other major new character is Paul Trent, a nosy news
reporter whose pesky personality and habit of twisting the facts in his
stories made me think of Rita Skeeter, the journalist who causes so many
problems for Harry and his friends in the Harry Potter series.
Dan,
the most recent addition to the Bob-Whites, is virtually absent in this
book, as is the Wheelers’ household manager Miss Trask, and Di isn’t
very involved either, nor is the Wheelers’ cheerful groom Regan. But
those who are in the thick of things have some nice moments. I
especially like all the banter among the Belden siblings here. The
familial affection is easily apparent, and I got a lot of laughs out of
their interaction. Mart’s grandiose speech actually had me running to
the dictionary a couple of times in this volume, and I got a chuckle out
of the fierce crush Bobby suddenly develops on Gaye.
Meanwhile,
it was nice to see so much of Brian, since as the oldest Bob-White, he
often is too busy working or studying to spend a lot of time with Trixie
and the rest. Of the five original Bob-Whites, Brian seems the most
underused, which is a shame since he is probably the most consistently
considerate of the Bob-White boys, and when he gets to sparring with
Mart, he can be just as witty as his jokey younger brother. Here, not
only is he a willing chauffeur, we get a good sense of his skill as an
artist, and slight hints of an attraction between him and Honey emerge.
While they haven’t had an opportunity to spend much time in each other’s
exclusive company, these two seem as compatible in their own way as Jim
and Trixie, so it’s nice to see that friendship flourish.
On the whole, then, while The Marshland Mystery
is a bit of a misnomer and the book certainly isn’t a standout for that
reason, because of all the great character moments, I still found it an
easy story to sink into.
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