Mystery of the Auction Trunk

by Elizabeth Hoffman Honness

Nancy, Barby and Doug Holland looked forward to summer in New Hampsire without realizing what exciting secrets came with their new home. The summer would hold more than swimming and horseback riding, blueberry pancakes and picnics at the lake, but they didn't begin to guess how much more until Nancy bid for an old trunk at a country auction.

The Hollands were vacationing in an old house which had once belonged to a New Hampshire primitive artist whose paintings had lately become fashionable and valuable. A menacing art dealer, Mr. Cummings, was on the trail of yet undiscovered paintings and would stop at nothing to get hold of them. The children were afraid he might even get their marvelous house away from them.

Genres: Mystery

Textbook Binding

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Elizabeth Hoffman Honness was born on June 29, 1904 in Boonton, New Jersey. She graduated from Skidmore College in 1926, settling in New York to write advertising copy for the Macmillan Company, Century Company, and Shelton Looms from 1927 to 1934. She also worked as the managing editor for the magazine American Girl. She married Jesse Alfred McKaughan in 1936. That same year, she published her first children’s book, The Tale of the Sorry Sorrel Horse. She went on to publish a series of mystery novels, including Mystery of the Diamond Necklace (1954) and Mystery at the Villa Caprice (1969), travelling extensively in order to research the various locations for her books. She also wrote two volumes of Bible stories, People of the Promise (1949) and We are His People (1959). Her final novel, The Spy at Tory Hole (1975) was a work of historical fiction for adults. She died on August 12, 2003.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The past

The first time I read this book was the year it came out. And I was a kid. Every time the library got a book by this author, I grabbed it and read it. I was surprised to find it in the Amazon Kindle selections. So I bought it. And I enjoyed it as much as when I was young. The Holland family plus dog is still entertaining. The mystery fast paced, the town heart warming, and the past celebrated. I’m on the hunt for the next one in the series.