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Dana Girls Mystery #17
The Ghost in the Gallery
A ghostly figure, a walking suit of armor, and a gargoyle in the prompter's box confront Jean and Louise Dana and their Starhurst classmates as they rehearse for a musical at Mozart Hall.
The owner, a retired singer, and the watchman assure the performers there is nothing to worry about. The students wonder whether their imaginations are playing tricks on them. Or are spooky things actually happening each time they visit the opera house?
A contest is held for an original song to be used in the play. The Danas' music is stolen but they make a copy and submit it. When their song is chosen as one of the winners, a listener says she has heard it before! Louise and Jean face danger and intrigue, but they work hard to solve several mysteries and to win out over their enemies.
The owner, a retired singer, and the watchman assure the performers there is nothing to worry about. The students wonder whether their imaginations are playing tricks on them. Or are spooky things actually happening each time they visit the opera house?
A contest is held for an original song to be used in the play. The Danas' music is stolen but they make a copy and submit it. When their song is chosen as one of the winners, a listener says she has heard it before! Louise and Jean face danger and intrigue, but they work hard to solve several mysteries and to win out over their enemies.
180 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
5 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,012 books3,867 followersCarolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 30, 2023
I am rereading some of my childhood books, but it has been over 65 years and this 1 is not as good as I remember it. Still I am giving it 5 stars.
This is the Dana Sisters and not Nancy drew. I most enjoyed them when I was younger and really didn't care for Nancy drew at the time. Now I prefer Nancy drew. What I liked about the Dana sisters is that they lived in a boarding school. My mother always talked about being put into a boarding school when her mother couldn't take care of her. When Her mother remarried she was able to bring her home with Her. What I did not like about the Dana sisters is that they had an enemy Schoolmate. They were always getting even with each other. Just not enjoyable.
In this story they were going to put on a play and the classmates were to write a song. The Dana Sisters wrote a song but their music sheet kept getting stolen. They had to solve that mystery and suspected their enemy LETTIE. The play was to be put on at the Mozart hall, But as they were cleaning up the hall they kept seeing ghost.Now they had 2 mysteries to solve.
This is the Dana Sisters and not Nancy drew. I most enjoyed them when I was younger and really didn't care for Nancy drew at the time. Now I prefer Nancy drew. What I liked about the Dana sisters is that they lived in a boarding school. My mother always talked about being put into a boarding school when her mother couldn't take care of her. When Her mother remarried she was able to bring her home with Her. What I did not like about the Dana sisters is that they had an enemy Schoolmate. They were always getting even with each other. Just not enjoyable.
In this story they were going to put on a play and the classmates were to write a song. The Dana Sisters wrote a song but their music sheet kept getting stolen. They had to solve that mystery and suspected their enemy LETTIE. The play was to be put on at the Mozart hall, But as they were cleaning up the hall they kept seeing ghost.Now they had 2 mysteries to solve.
February 26, 2017
This was my first time reading a book from the Dana Girls mystery series. I love teen stories from the fifties - all the dances, letter writing, and listening to songs on the radio. Nothing brilliant, but a sweet little ghost mystery that was perfect for my sick day.
October 6, 2022
The Starhurst School is preparing to put on an operetta set in the time of Louis XIV called Spring Is Here in order to raise funds for a local charity. In addition the girls of the school are devising original songs and there will be a contest in which the four top songs will be included in the show. Jean and Louise Dana have written a song titled, most appropriately, "We're All Mysterious" which they believe will be a top contender. But their music is repeatedly stolen and then their rival Lettie Briggs insists that the Danas actually stole their song from the radio--because she has heard the same tune with similar words played. So--mystery number one: who stole their music? Was it Lettie, determined that she would get the better of the Danas for once? Or maybe it was the temporary maid who is filling for a reglar servant? And then there's a mysterious red-haired man who's been hanging around. And then, of course, they have to deal with the standard "mean girl" behavior from Lettie and her gang.
Meanwhile, there are other mysteries to be solved. The operetta has generated such interest that the school has sold more tickets than their auditorium can hold. So, the girls suggest that they ask to rent the Mozart Music Hall which is owned by a former singing star. Mrs. Merrill is more than happy to let school use the Hall, but warns the girls that there are rumors that the Hall is haunted. It isn't long before the Starhurst students see a ghostly figure and hear weird singing. Various attempts are made to discourage the girls from using the hall--from the ghostly sightings to a fake official declaring the Hall as condemned. But the Danas are determined that the show must go on and that they must discover why someone wants them out of the Hall so badly.
There are signs that someone has been searching for something, both backstage and in the basement. And when the Danas hear a story about the last musical performance to be held in the Hall--nine years ago--they believe they have their answer. On that occasion, Mrs. Merrill was playing her last stage role as well. It was a role that called for the singer to be covered in jewels. She unwisely chose to use her own valuable heirlooms which were stolen during the performance. The thief was never caught and the jewels were never seen again. The Danas suspect that that the jewels never left the building and that someone is trying to find them. They want to beat whoever that is to the punch.
As I noted in a previous Dana Girls Review (By the Light of the Study Lamp), I read a few of the Dana Girls mysteries when I was young, but I never got into them like I did the Nancy Drew stories. I never really thought about why, but now that I've read this one I really think it has a lot to do with the "mean girls" story line. I really find it hard to believe that a girls' school would tolerate the consistent bad behavior by Lettie and her followers. We're not just talking school girl gossip and pranks. In this outing, Lettie gets a fairly violent man to harass the Danas and he dumps them down an old well. They could have been seriously hurt. But no real punishment has ever been doled out to Lettie in any of the stories I read and Wikipedia notes that over the course of the series:
"Lettie alters or steals school assignments, plagiarizes their work, destroys academic research, puts acid on Jean's towel before an athletic competition (to injure her hand), jeers/cheers against the Danas, short-laces shoes, hires a thug to disrupt an ice skating competition and winter carnival, and spreads rumors of all kinds about the Danas, along with making other character slurs. Incredibly, based upon their academic performance and favored status, Mrs. Crandal [the headmistress] remains neutral, or at times, becomes angry with the Danas, and requires the sisters to make an explanation. In most circumstances she is immediately satisfied with her investigation....Lettie, on the other hand, despite her disruptive, dishonest, and at times, actual criminal behavior, rarely receives due punishment."
My sense of justice is outraged. One would think that Lettie's wealth could only protect her (if that's what is happening) for so long before Mrs. Crandall would be obliged to do something about the outrageous and sometimes criminal actions. One of the things I like least about The Secret in the Old Clock (Nancy Drew) is the Topham girls and the way they behave. I can't imagine that I would have read all of the Nancy Drew stories if they kept popping up to throw a wrench in Nancy's investigations.
The mystery itself is a pretty good one and all of the stars are for that.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
Meanwhile, there are other mysteries to be solved. The operetta has generated such interest that the school has sold more tickets than their auditorium can hold. So, the girls suggest that they ask to rent the Mozart Music Hall which is owned by a former singing star. Mrs. Merrill is more than happy to let school use the Hall, but warns the girls that there are rumors that the Hall is haunted. It isn't long before the Starhurst students see a ghostly figure and hear weird singing. Various attempts are made to discourage the girls from using the hall--from the ghostly sightings to a fake official declaring the Hall as condemned. But the Danas are determined that the show must go on and that they must discover why someone wants them out of the Hall so badly.
There are signs that someone has been searching for something, both backstage and in the basement. And when the Danas hear a story about the last musical performance to be held in the Hall--nine years ago--they believe they have their answer. On that occasion, Mrs. Merrill was playing her last stage role as well. It was a role that called for the singer to be covered in jewels. She unwisely chose to use her own valuable heirlooms which were stolen during the performance. The thief was never caught and the jewels were never seen again. The Danas suspect that that the jewels never left the building and that someone is trying to find them. They want to beat whoever that is to the punch.
As I noted in a previous Dana Girls Review (By the Light of the Study Lamp), I read a few of the Dana Girls mysteries when I was young, but I never got into them like I did the Nancy Drew stories. I never really thought about why, but now that I've read this one I really think it has a lot to do with the "mean girls" story line. I really find it hard to believe that a girls' school would tolerate the consistent bad behavior by Lettie and her followers. We're not just talking school girl gossip and pranks. In this outing, Lettie gets a fairly violent man to harass the Danas and he dumps them down an old well. They could have been seriously hurt. But no real punishment has ever been doled out to Lettie in any of the stories I read and Wikipedia notes that over the course of the series:
"Lettie alters or steals school assignments, plagiarizes their work, destroys academic research, puts acid on Jean's towel before an athletic competition (to injure her hand), jeers/cheers against the Danas, short-laces shoes, hires a thug to disrupt an ice skating competition and winter carnival, and spreads rumors of all kinds about the Danas, along with making other character slurs. Incredibly, based upon their academic performance and favored status, Mrs. Crandal [the headmistress] remains neutral, or at times, becomes angry with the Danas, and requires the sisters to make an explanation. In most circumstances she is immediately satisfied with her investigation....Lettie, on the other hand, despite her disruptive, dishonest, and at times, actual criminal behavior, rarely receives due punishment."
My sense of justice is outraged. One would think that Lettie's wealth could only protect her (if that's what is happening) for so long before Mrs. Crandall would be obliged to do something about the outrageous and sometimes criminal actions. One of the things I like least about The Secret in the Old Clock (Nancy Drew) is the Topham girls and the way they behave. I can't imagine that I would have read all of the Nancy Drew stories if they kept popping up to throw a wrench in Nancy's investigations.
The mystery itself is a pretty good one and all of the stars are for that.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
April 1, 2016
1955,1975 dates.
The basic story is that the girls at the school want to hold a play in an old opera house owned by a woman that lives relatively near there. Things start going bad when Louise and Jean's music is stolen. Lettie is up to worse tricks than normal.
The girls end up being thrown into a pond and shoved down a well. They end up trapped in a room and one is flattened by a piece of scenery. A lot of things go wrong in the opera house included the appearance of what some think to be a ghost.
The whole thing centers around some stolen jewelry.
What is sort of hard to understand is why Lettie has not been expelled from the school. At least some of the pranks she plays are ones that could have ended up with Jean and/or Louise badly hurt. Also, some of the bad people end up getting off rather easily when they could have been charged with assault, attempted murder, trespassing, destruction of private property, etc.
The basic story is that the girls at the school want to hold a play in an old opera house owned by a woman that lives relatively near there. Things start going bad when Louise and Jean's music is stolen. Lettie is up to worse tricks than normal.
The girls end up being thrown into a pond and shoved down a well. They end up trapped in a room and one is flattened by a piece of scenery. A lot of things go wrong in the opera house included the appearance of what some think to be a ghost.
The whole thing centers around some stolen jewelry.
What is sort of hard to understand is why Lettie has not been expelled from the school. At least some of the pranks she plays are ones that could have ended up with Jean and/or Louise badly hurt. Also, some of the bad people end up getting off rather easily when they could have been charged with assault, attempted murder, trespassing, destruction of private property, etc.
Read
March 30, 2010I think this was the first of the series that I ever read. I remember having to sleep with my light on.
March 3, 2015
The author of this book did not have a great plot. Though the 'ghost' scenes did chill you a bit I was constantly confused about what the story was really about. For no apparent reason the girls would say they believed people when they had previously not trusted them.
Overall I hope this author (Who is unfortunately unlisted) didn't write any more of the Dana Girls.
Overall I hope this author (Who is unfortunately unlisted) didn't write any more of the Dana Girls.
September 21, 2008
this was my first mystery chapter book i ever read--i was reading the dana girls mystery series long before i was reading nancy drew!:D
November 11, 2008
The Dana Sisters' mysteries were a favorite series of mine. For some reason this is the one title I can recall.
June 22, 2010
Dana Girls Mystery
November 2, 2012
Read this one when I was a kid...and still have it on my bookshelf!
August 21, 2013
I love these books. The Dana Girls were cooler than Nancy Drew :-) I always look for them in antique stores.
April 12, 2017
I loved these books as kid.
December 20, 2018
We were given the original hardcovers of both this book and The Haunted Lagoon. My daughter loves Nancy Drew but liked The Dana Girls Mystery Stories even better!
February 12, 2022
Love these books.
January 3, 2023
This was an enjoyable read, but it seemed a bit predictable. However it brought back the nostalgia of reading books like these when I was younger.
June 6, 2021
All the characters seemed alike to me, and the story is preposterous. I anticipated a kitschy delight but ended up with a hair-brained waste of time.
How the heck did a song our heroines wrote for a school assignment one night, end up on the radio just days later? Why do the private school girls treat the person who cleans their room with contempt? In short, this novel felt slap dashed together…a few charming descriptions…but formulaic, bland writing with forced plot development.
How the heck did a song our heroines wrote for a school assignment one night, end up on the radio just days later? Why do the private school girls treat the person who cleans their room with contempt? In short, this novel felt slap dashed together…a few charming descriptions…but formulaic, bland writing with forced plot development.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews