Trixie Belden Series 7 - 9

7) The Mysterious Code

Oh oh, the future of the Bob White appears to be in jeopardy. There has been a spate of minor vandalism and burglaries, and the school board wants to stamp out clubs for fear of gang like behaviour. Principal Stratton says they'll really have to prove their worth if they're allowed to continue out in the open. Trixie has the grand idea of setting up an antique show to raise money for UNICEF, but it soon becomes clear that serious crooks are after their exhibits. And some of the valuables are only on loan from generous townsfolk. Can the Bob Whites protect the precious loot, save their own reputations and put on a breathtaking show?   

* This is the first of the many 'Kathryn Kenny' titles written by ghost authors, so I was alert for changeover glitches. The start feels a bit awkward. This author opts to 'show' story background through conversation rather than 'tell' it in information dumps. That sounds great in theory, but doesn't work brilliantly when we have the teenagers referring among themselves to, 'your chauffeur Tom' or 'our gamekeeper Mr Maypenny.' They all know very well who everyone is by now! Once those hurdles are clear, we're off.  

* I got tired of Trixie consistently calling Bobby, 'Lamb.' She never has before, and I hope she stops in future books. 

* The previous book ends at Christmas time, and this one takes us in to the new year, culminating around mid-February, as Di Lynch decides to throw a casual Valentine's Day party at her house, probably to atone for that dismal, formal Halloween gig the October before with her fake Uncle Monty.

* We find out about the challenging family dynamics of Spider Webster, the young Sleepyside cop. His parents are both dead and he's the sole guardian of his 14-year-old brother Tad, who tends to be a bit of a handful. 

* We also meet a couple of charming elderly Dutch neighbours; Mrs Vanderpoel and her whiskered friend Brom. Recurring character alert.

* The author clearly had great fun describing the wonderful antiques, some dating back to the Civil War era and some exported from overseas. It was enough to make me wish I could step into the pages and visit their antique fair myself. 

* There is some slight inconsistency with the recovery of an old music box that previously belonged to the Frayne family. Apparently Jim's bad stepfather, Jonesy, was falsely accused of stealing it. Yet the scenario is set up in such a manner that the box disappeared several years before Jonesy ever entered the scene. This incident doesn't matter really, since it's not integral to the plot. I guess the author just wanted to highlight Jim's generosity in wishing he could tell Jonesy that he's off the hook.  

* I really applaud Mr and Mrs Belden for being such fun, hands-on parents. Chapter 15, in which they both take part in the fun and games night with all the kids, is excellent. In fact, I should call them Peter and Helen from now on, since they are such well-rounded characters, and not the bland, faceless suits and house dresses often found in juvenile literature from this era. They are a wholesome family too, as Peter gets all the kids and their guests to bow their heads for grace. 

* Helen Belden is a fantastic example of a happy, fulfilled stay-at-home mum. Bobby and the male Lynch twins are unanimous in agreeing that her homemade hamburgers are superior to those at Wimpy's. She even describes her methods for any eager beavers willing to put them to the test. And she adds marshmallows to her Waldorf salad with the apples and celery. I've never heard that idea before, but I like it. There really should be a series cookbook.

* Great news for romance fans, this first Kathryn Kenny author seems super keen to promote the Jim/Trixie attraction angle. She's practically shoving the baton into the hands of writers to come, but from my memory, I don't think they all run with quite the same speed. Perhaps she was warned to slow down and remember this is first and foremost a mystery-adventure series for young teens. 

* There are a few lovely little nuggets for Mart/Diana shippers to jump on too, such as that cute, nervous public kiss. However any Honey/Brian threads are virtually non-existent thus far.

* At one stage, Helen Belden gets exasperated and snaps at Bobby to give her a break. I'd come across one reviewer who remarked that the little imp doesn't get so much as a scolding throughout the entire series. Well, that's not quite true. He might be a trifle spoiled but she is only human herself.

* Trixie's bossiness is as plain as ever, but she gets called up on it from surprise sources a few times. As long as the authors are all aware that she tends to be dominating at times, it's all good. What's more, all the Bob Whites get a wake-up call for being a bit inclusive and giving Tad Webster the cold shoulder treatment. That's interesting, since I was going along with their point of view from the start, and considering him a pain in the neck. But there are always two sides. The fairness factor is what makes these books a great read. I notice they haven't invited Tad to join the Bob Whites though. Perhaps he still thinks they're a bit corny.

* It's lucky that Jim aims to open a school for boys rather than working with Trixie and Honey's detective agency. When it comes to picking up on a desperate clue, he's absolutely terrible! It would take a brick to drop on his head.

* I'll award the quote of the book to Mrs Belden. 'I don't want you to grow up too soon but I would like to be able to tell the difference between you and your brothers without straining my sight.'  

8) The Black Jacket Mystery

The Bob Whites are organising an ice carnival to help raise funds for a Mexican village struck by an earthquake. Meanwhile, Regan is concealing a ponderous secret that appears to make him very anxious and grumpy. And a sulky boy named Dan Mangan who has had brushes with the law is now living with Mr Maypenny. Is Dan Mr Maypenny's grandson? And is he behind some thefts and break-ins that have been happening? 

* Trixie and Honey have acquired Mexican penpals, Dolores and Lupe, whose school library was decimated by an earthquake. Donations of new books is what the Bob Whites' ice carnival is all in aid of. No sooner have they finished the antique fair from the last book when they're pumped again, working on a new project. These guys don't let grass grow under their feet, but to squeeze all the coming adventures within one year, the stories will need to be back to back like this. 

* Mart is apparently a very speedy skater. I wonder if he surpasses Brian and Jim, but get the feeling he never manages to trump the Mr Perfect duo as often as he'd like to.

* I don't remember if the Beldens' elusive Aunt Alicia ever makes an actual appearance, but her gifts to her nephews and niece tend to bite the dust. In this book, a spotted china cat is smashed and a chunky woolly sweater is unravelled. 

* It seems the Beldens are a family of faith after all, for it appears Mart has recently outgrown his Sunday suit and needs a new one. Perhaps Trixie goes to pick up the newspapers from Lytell's General Store (See Book 1) after they get home from church. 

* I wonder if Bobby ends up getting the kitten that many people promise him. I don't remember, but I feel sorry for it if he does, having to live with both Bobby and Reddy.

* Regan somehow manages to come up with a decrepit old horse named Spartan from the Wheelers' stable for the use of Dan Mangan. How come we've never heard of Spartan before? He's a handy plot device horse if ever there was one.

* (Sigh) it had to happen some time, I guess. The awesome Regan goes down a notch or two in my estimation. His attitude toward Dan stinks. Basically, Regan places job security way above his family duties. He's so scared that acknowledging his delinquent nephew will tick off his rich employers that he prefers to keep it hushed up. He'll hide Dan with Mr Maypenny rather than admit that he even has a nephew. What sort of message is that supposed to give poor Dan?  

* The whole secret experiment thread is abysmally handled by the adults. For a start, it encourages others to imagine things are worse than they actually are. Trixie wonders if Regan himself has committed a crime, such as a hit-and-run. Little does she know he's just too churlish to own his own flesh and blood. 

* Trixie's antagonistic reaction to Dan from the moment she sets eyes on him is nothing to be proud of. She sums him up as a troublemaker the second he steps on the bus, and treats him accordingly. Snap judgement might be natural, but that doesn't make it right. Then when Mart points out that Trixie has had it in for Dan since Day One, she flounces off in a huff, although every word is true. 

* This is probably the point where readers with opinions about Trixie's romantic life may begin to diverge. Until now, Jim has monopolised the floor, but from here on he may have competition, if not in Trixie's eyes, in the readers' at least. The canon undoubtedly points toward Jim, but there is something sort of cool in Trixie's progression from haughtily putting Dan in his place to humbly requesting, 'Please don't go, I'm scared.' So is it Team Jim or Team Dan, girls?

* Haha, now for the inconsistencies! Sorry to be a spoilsport but being pedantic can be fun. Firstly, let's talk about Tom and Celia wanting to buy the Robin; the red trailer formerly from the Lynches which they're living in on the Wheelers' property. The implication is that Tom dreams of paying Mr Lynch the $5000 for it. But hey, hang on, doesn't that trailer now belong to Trixie and Mart?! Mr Lynch gifted it to the young brother/sister duo for their valiant success at stopping the fake Uncle Monty in his tracks. This new anonymous author needs to go back and read The Mysterious Visitor. Trixie and Mart should be the ones rolling in dough, with $2500 apiece if the sale ever comes off! 

* Secondly, how did the Bob White clubhouse even get broken into at this stage? In the previous book, The Mysterious Code, a burglar alarm was connected to the clubhouse which Regan would instantly hear from the stables and his apartment up at the Manor House. Surely this wouldn't be inactivated so soon. It's only a matter of a few weeks since they needed it for the antique show. 

* Finally, this author contradicts herself within this one book. At one point we're told that Regan has been sending money to his only sister, (Dan's mother) to help her make ends meet. Then a little later the story changes. Mr Maypenny informs Trixie that Regan totally lost track of his sister until he recently heard that she was dead. Come on author, get your facts straight. Proofreader, you should have been onto that one too. 

* If I'm to award a quote of the book, it'll have to go to Dan. 'But you know all the answers, don't you, Freckles.' 

* Hooray, now our seven Bob Whites are complete, so bring on more.   

9) The Happy Valley Mystery  

The Bob Whites are off to spend a week at a sheep farm in Iowa owned by the Beldens' Uncle Andrew. While he's away in Scotland, he asks his managers, Hank and Mary Gorman, to give the teenagers some hands-on experience and a good time. Yet there is some funny business going on in the background. Andrew Belden's sheep are steadily disappearing without a trace. It's surely the work of some elusive sheep thieves, and the cops and sheriff have no leads. Trixie makes up her mind that before they depart she will solve the mystery for Uncle Andrew as her way of thanking him for having them there.   

* This book doesn't divulge whether the bachelor uncle Andrew Belden is older or younger than his brother Peter, but my guess is older. Those two have sure diverged in different directions. Being a sheep farmer is a far cry from working in a bank. 

* On the flight across, Honey remarks that she's not even sure she'd know a sheep if she saw one. Then a bit later, Di asks whether huge jackrabbits are just grown-up cottontails. Yikes, as the Bob Whites themselves might say! We seem to be living in the time period when dumb speeches were consistently put in the mouths of girls. At least some should be given to the boys if we need any at all. But our Bob White boys are consistently portrayed as quite brainy.

* Poor Dan misses out on the trip, which we soon see becomes a recurring pattern. In this case, he wants to study hard to stay in Jim and Brian's class. This suggests that he's closer to their age than Mart's, but I have a feeling this fluctuates. The Black Jacket Mystery seems to suggest somewhere in between, but since Jim has skipped a year, Dan would have to be extra-academic, which we know he's not. Hmmm. 

* The Trixie Belden series is quite educational as well as fun. We learn a lot about sheep farming, meet several different breeds, discover why shearers have soft hands, and see that well known proverbs about dumb sheep were thought of for a very good reason. There are some lovely descriptive passages and a good sense of place. 

* Trixie gets a bit nettled and snaps at Diana, 'I like Jim of course! Just the way you like Mart and Honey likes Brian.' Whoa okay, I thought these were subtleties for readers to pick up over time, but this author has chosen to lay all the cards right out on the table already. 

* The three Sleepyside boys blitz the basketball court! You show 'em, boys! I wish there was a way to spell a wolf whistle! 

* Di reveals that her parents knew they were going to marry each other since they were ten years old. Trixie often gets impatient with Diana and calls her a baby to her face, but has to admit that Di has a social poise and grace around boys that she lacks. 

* But Trixie learns some feminine wiles from observing Diana and Honey in action. The other two make no attempt to buzz off the swarming guys who are trying to help them tie their skates. The helpless act is part of their arsenal. Thanks heavens times have changed. 

* Trixie gets jealous when Jim's attention is monopolised by a gorgeous blond girl, Dot Murray, and she's not above flirting with Ned Schulz to get back at him. It sort of backfires since Ned is a straightforward sort of guy who likes girls to be natural and unadorned. Yay, at least someone has some sense. I doubt Jim would expect such behavior from Trixie anyhow. 

* Trixie's aptitude for her ambition shines through in this book. She truly has the grit to be a detective. She's a very driven person, considering time wasted unless she's on the case. She's forced to put up with lots of flak and teasing from adults, and loss of face after false leads. But nothing deters her for long. Perhaps my favourite quote of the book comes from Ned. 'Trixie, you knock me dead. You make up your mind to something and nothing can change it. Right?' 

* No, I think my ultimate favourite is this exchange between the almost-twins. Trixie: 'I just can't remember what our lives were like without Jim.' Mart: 'Your life especially.' 

Please catch my last thoughts on Books 4 - 6

And stay in touch for next up will be Books 10 - 12.