Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Review: Trixie Belden #1: The Secret of the Mansion


 

It's going to be a long boring summer for Trixie.  Her brothers are away at camp as counselors, and she's stuck at home doing chores and babysitting her little brother Bobby.

She doesn't see her school friends in the summer time and it's lonely at Crabapple Farm.  As she's complaining to her mother about these things, she spots a moving van in the driveway of the long empty mansion across the street. 

Off she goes, Bobby in tow, to meet the new owners. There's no shyness in Trixie, just curiosity and an inborn friendliness. 

To her surprise, there's a girl her age moving in. Honey Wheeler seems way too cautious, timid and serious to Trixie.

Before you know it though, Trixie is on one of Honey's family horses, a dream of hers, and they're off exploring.  The neighbor who lives in a rundown mansion next to Honey's place is in the hospital and the house is empty right now, Trixie knows, so over they go to investigate the house.  Not content with peeking in the windows, Trixie wants to go inside "to make sure everything is locked up".

She's not usually a breaking and entering person, but Honey insists she saw a face in the window earlier in the day. This makes it Trixie's "duty" as a good neighbor to make sure the house is secure.

Inside, it's more than run down.  The house is piled in every room with trash and old papers.  The upstairs part of the house has been blocked off by the owner.

Once she's in, Trixie has to look around and tells Honey it's rumored the old man who lives here has a fortune hidden in the house. They should look for it while they're here!

Trixie has no fear.  She heads right for trouble and is fiercely loyal.  She also speaks her mind, saying things she shouldn't before she can stop herself.  

Having Honey as a friend, particularly during this boring summer is a dream. She gets to learn horseback riding, and canoeing.  Her new friend knows nothing of the sort of life Trixie leads, but she quickly joins Trixie in her chores, including working in the garden and doing dishes.

The two are a natural team, finding out the secrets of the tumbledown old house, and helping a new friend escape a terrible life.

I enjoyed it as much as I did when I first read it long ago. When I finished, I reached for the next book,  The Red Trailer Mystery to see what happened next.


2 comments:

  1. I loved this sereis when I was a kid! Jim was my first red headed book boyfriend, but not the last!!

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  2. Isn't Jim a great character? He seems a bit rough at first, but Trixie impresses him quickly and gains his trust, as much as anyone can. I like the concept of a book boyfriend :)

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