Well, I just finished another Nancy Drew mystery and I'm as satisfied with my reading as ever. This was quite a fast-paced tale with intrigue, adventure, history and quite a bit of danger. I don't know how Nancy does it. Reminds me of Veronica Mars and also leads me to believe I could never make it as a detective.
So, it all starts in a vintage clothing store where Nancy buys this beautiful blue satin jacket. She discovers a key sewn into the jacket's pocket which starts a whirlwind of events and clues. Shady characters start popping up like old man Ryder and the seemingly icy Vanessa Chilton a mean headmistress.
The mystery centers around a beautiful estate which I was easily able to picture in my mind due to the intricate descriptive detail and estates I'd seen on TV. I suppose the book could be said to be cliched. It seemed to incorporate all the general mystery symbols--big rich estate, mysterious death, sneaking and hiding, and a thief in black, being kidnapped and abducted, left in a big forest and face off with the police and a bank robbery. But the way it all came together was definitely not cliched.
So, I was trying to figure out what drives criminals to their antagonistic behavior. The answer seems to be money or revenge or sometimes both. In the Bike Tour mystery the culprit was out to take revenge because he'd been fired and also wanted a large sum of money as Rachel's ransom. In this book, the culprit was after a large inheritance which he had been denied. He wanted to turn a large estate into a residential community--not uncommon for gold diggers but instead it was turned into a school--a place of philanthropy.
Secret family connections and long lost heirs and heirlooms also added intrigue and excitement leading to a great ending where the good guy wins! Yay!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Nancy Drew and The Bike Tour Mystery
As I was perusing the Downtown library the other day, I decided to pick up a few Nancy Drew book, a childhood favorite! I thought I may derive some inspiration from them. They have so many fond memories attached to them. Memories of achievement, perserverance and effort...something I find myself lacking lately.
I remember the days when I used to do extensive book report with large glittery poster and illustrations for my Nancy Drew books. I used to spend hours on my school projects putting in so much time and effort that I got a rather unattractive nickname from my friends --"party pooper." The great thing was I totally didn't mind I was so into it, alhamdulillah.
Well it seems my love for Nancy Drew mysteries has still not left me--so many year later!
The Bike Tour Mystery was quite a ride! I loved the descriptions of the Ireland landscape--so briantally and precisely written that I could see it as if it were a movie. I also loved the drama and the character and the intrigue and the police chase at the end. The descriptions were so vivid and the mystery quite enticing. Plus the fact they were on a bike tour and traveled from hotel to hotel and got some great sight-seeing, exercise and mystery out of it was a vicarious thrill for me. I'd love to go on a bike tour, not to mention travel!! Anything active and fun and in nature. Inshallah, one day!
Nancy Drew is so cool. Seriously, I always wanted to be like her but probably didn't and probably still don't have the guts. Come to think of it I've always admired reporter/journalist/detectives girl go-getters. Flashing back to my admiration of the following characters:
Clarissa from Nickelodeon's Clarissa Explains it All
Ren from Disney's Even Stevens
Shelby from Nickelodeon's Shelby Woo
Rory from Gilmore Girls
I even tried it out and wish I'd stuck to it. Actually as a freshmen in high school, I was suppose to be in a classical lit class which was full so they found the closest open English alternative, Journalism...it wasn't by choice, by but circumstance. I actually started enjoying it and wrote a few pieces I was proud of...one about the International Fair and I believe one on Anti-smoking website! But after that one semester I left it for higher level academics...sad but true...I could've continued on that path to become editor and continued in college and eventually become a reporter where I'd probably get to do so much of what I loved: Interviewing people, figuring out people's pyschology's, writing and reading, a little research...but I suppose it wasn't meant to be. Maybe in my dreams...anyway those were my thought as I read this book...I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking quite forward to reading the next one. Go Nancy!
I remember the days when I used to do extensive book report with large glittery poster and illustrations for my Nancy Drew books. I used to spend hours on my school projects putting in so much time and effort that I got a rather unattractive nickname from my friends --"party pooper." The great thing was I totally didn't mind I was so into it, alhamdulillah.
Well it seems my love for Nancy Drew mysteries has still not left me--so many year later!
The Bike Tour Mystery was quite a ride! I loved the descriptions of the Ireland landscape--so briantally and precisely written that I could see it as if it were a movie. I also loved the drama and the character and the intrigue and the police chase at the end. The descriptions were so vivid and the mystery quite enticing. Plus the fact they were on a bike tour and traveled from hotel to hotel and got some great sight-seeing, exercise and mystery out of it was a vicarious thrill for me. I'd love to go on a bike tour, not to mention travel!! Anything active and fun and in nature. Inshallah, one day!
Nancy Drew is so cool. Seriously, I always wanted to be like her but probably didn't and probably still don't have the guts. Come to think of it I've always admired reporter/journalist/detectives girl go-getters. Flashing back to my admiration of the following characters:
Clarissa from Nickelodeon's Clarissa Explains it All
Ren from Disney's Even Stevens
Shelby from Nickelodeon's Shelby Woo
Rory from Gilmore Girls
I even tried it out and wish I'd stuck to it. Actually as a freshmen in high school, I was suppose to be in a classical lit class which was full so they found the closest open English alternative, Journalism...it wasn't by choice, by but circumstance. I actually started enjoying it and wrote a few pieces I was proud of...one about the International Fair and I believe one on Anti-smoking website! But after that one semester I left it for higher level academics...sad but true...I could've continued on that path to become editor and continued in college and eventually become a reporter where I'd probably get to do so much of what I loved: Interviewing people, figuring out people's pyschology's, writing and reading, a little research...but I suppose it wasn't meant to be. Maybe in my dreams...anyway those were my thought as I read this book...I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking quite forward to reading the next one. Go Nancy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)