Reading: THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK (80TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) - Carolyn Keene

Growing up weaned on Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys set the stage for my falling in love with Agatha Christie at age twelve, as well as my lifelong infatuation with mystery novels. So much so, upon hearing this was the 80th anniversary of Nancy Drew, I wanted to get back to my roots with my favorite gal detective with a re-read of The Secret of the Old Clock for maybe the first time since reading it originally, as a kid, decades ago. What a joy this was, I loved the book - the experience even more - and if nothing else was happily reminded that, while the stories and characters in Carolyn Keene's iconic novels may feel a bit corny and dated by today's standards, all the Nancy updates and remakes that have come since, bearing the original character (and I am talking whether in book, film, or television form) are fairly ka-ka by comparison. In book one of the original, wonderful series, Nancy sets about solving the mystery of what happened to what may well be a missing will, written by the elderly, eccentric Josiah Crowley who promised those he cared for that they'd be taken care of upon his death ... only to have him pass, and have the last family he lived with - the rich, affluent, vain, and very disliked Tophams - produce a will naming them as the only beneficiary. Knowing in her gut that something isn't right. with her father's guidance Nancy starts her own investigation, soon running into a dangerous band of house thieves in her quest to find the hidden document (not to mention the greedy Tophams themselves), at times even putting herself in danger to get to the truth, as Nancy always does. What I wasn't expecting, though - didn't realize until reading this - was the tightness of the prose; not a word is wasted here, in a novel that keeps you reading, the anticipation mounting without a beat as Nancy methodically asks questions and follows the clues, the action moving along swiftly right up until the book's satisfying conclusion; truly, a lot of mystery writers today could well adapt this trait, and tighten up their plots instead of meandering at times on the page. Before starting, I kind of assumed this would be a great, nostalgic trip down memory lane; never did I realize reading this fast-paced, sparely-written mystery would make me a Nancy Drew fan all over again.  4.5/5 stars