The Clue of the Broken Locket

The Clue of the Broken Locket by Carolyn Keene, 1965 Grosset & Dunlap

     Nancy, George, and Bess are vacationing at Misty Lake when they meet Cecily Curtis. Mr. Drew has sent the girls to give Cicely the key to her lodgings - the owner refuses to go near the lake because of a ghost ship. Cecily asks for Nancy Drew's help to solve two mysteries: one concerning her fiancee, the other involving a family secret. 

     Cecily's fiancee is Niko Van Dyke a musician who believes his record company is cheating him out of earned royalties. 

     The clue to her family secret is half of a golden locket that Cecily was told leads to a pre-civil war cache of buried treasure. 

     The investigation leads to Pudding Stone Lodge and the Driscoll family who may be involved in Niko's misfortunes. They also discover Cecily's look-alike -- an unknown cousin held in the thrall of the Driscolls.   

     When twin children go missing Nancy, Bess, and George are set on finding the answers to all of their questions. They call in the help of Ned Nickerson, Dave Evans, and Burt Eddleton - the girls' respective boyfriends. 

     Through quick thinking and perseverance, Nancy and her friends solve the mysteries in front of them. Middle grade and young readers will enjoy the mystery, with enough suspense to keep them wondering who is who and what will happen to Nancy on this next adventure? 

The Secret of Shadow Ranch

The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene, 1965 Grosset & Dunlap

     Nancy is called to Shadow Ranch, a horse ranch in Arizona, to help discover the truth of a ghost horse that's been appearing throughout the valley. She follows her friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne to help their cousin Alice discover the mystery of her amnesiac father.
     When the girls arrive they search for the treasure left by an outlaw who was one of the original residents, they help Bess and George's aunt run the dude ranch, and they look into the mysterious horse. Nancy and her friends enjoy the mountainous Arizona wilderness and the western lifestyle away from River Heights.
     Life at Shadow Ranch is not without the danger which seems to follow Nancy, but the four young women manage to survive their journey and even enjoy the mysteries they encounter. Nancy Drew's story is appropriate for readers of all ages.

The Arm of the Starfish

The Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L'Engle, 1965 Farrar, Straus & Giroux

     Young Adam Eddington has been awarded a prestigious internship with Dr. Calvin O'Keefe and his family in Portugal. Dr. O'Keefe and his wife Meg Murry O'Keefe have several children including their eldest twelve-year-old Polyhymnia, or Polly. Before he leaves the United States, Adam is warned against trusting another passenger--Cannon Tallis who is escorting Polly O'Keefe back to her parents--by the beautiful Kali, daughter of a rich American industrialist.
     Adam is taken in by the beautiful face and is on guard against the Cannon's friendly overtures. When the Cannon's plans go awry and Adam escorts Polly from Madrid to Lisbon she disappears from the plane and Kali's father helps Adam rescue her. The more involved Adam becomes the more confused he is and the harder it is to decipher whom he can trust.
    The situation reveals two factions secretly warring over control of the limb regeneration research Dr. O'Keefe is developing. Adam finds a connection to the O'Keefe's and their concern over the "fall of the sparrow" and what happens to those unable to protect themselves. By casting his lot with theirs, Adam faces several ethical dilemmas and ultimately learns the dangers of trusting outward appearances.
     Meg and Calvin O'Keefe feature in L'Engle's Time Quartet with the Murry family. In the first novel featuring their family Adam is merely a visitor, who will continue in the Austin Family series. Adam grows from a naive teen into a world-weary young man over the course of his trials. The novel illustrates how appearances can be deceiving and that though the choice may be difficult there are always people willing to make your difficult choices for you--to their benefit.
     The Arm of the Starfish is a fast-paced novel involving espionage, romance, and betrayal. Readers of all ages will enjoy the novel though it is aimed more at middle and high school readers.