The Marshland Mystery

Trixie Belden #10

by Kathryn Kenny, Paul Frame (Illustrator)

The weather is finally warming up in Sleepyside and Trixie has plans for her and her best friend Honey. They’re going to lonely Martin’s Marsh to collect herbs and flowers for botany class. But Honey’s family has a visitor, a child who wants to tag along on Trixie’s and Honey’s expeditions. How can Trixie explore the mysterious burned-out house by the marsh and look for Captain Kidd’s hidden pirate treasure with a kid along?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Middle Grade, Adventure, Mystery Thriller

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

The Kathryn Kenny pseudonym was created by Western Publishing House in 1961, three years after Julie Campbell wrote her last book (#6) of the Trixie Belden series. There were several ghost writers who wrote Trixie Belden stories under this pseudonym. Some have been identified and later credited but some are still unknown.

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http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/Ka...

The Kathryn Kenny pseudonym was born in 1961, three years after Campbell wrote her last book of the Trixie Belden series. Did it take Western Publishing several years to find a suitable author? The answer is unknown and the identity of the authors of the 33 Kathryn Kenny books are not known for sure but there is some information about the ghost writers.

Nicolete Meredith Stack

Nicolete Meredith StackStack is thought to be the first author to tackle the Trixie Belden series, although there is much debate about which books were actually written by her. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1896 but lived in Webster Groves in St. Louis, Missouri for most of her adult life. Stack wrote other children's books under her own name and various pen names, including the Robin Kane series by Eileen Hill for Whitman between 1966 and 1971.

Stack is said to have written five books in the Trixie Belden series between 1961 and 1971, but Who's Who in the Midwest claims that she wrote eight titles between 1961 and 1966. There were eight Trixie Belden titles published between 1961 and 1966, but it is doubtful that she wrote them all.

James Keeline in his article, Trixie Belden "Schoolgirl Shamus", believes that books 7, 9 and 16 can be attributed to Stack but there are others that may have been written by her.



Virginia McDonnell

Virginia Bleecher McDonnell was born in 1917 and was a registered nurse who trained at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. McDonnell wrote the Nurses Three series from 1963 to 1965 using the pen name Jean Kirby, and the Kim Aldrich series as Jinny McDonnell, both for Whitman. She is also wrote volume six of The Waltons.

McDonnell and her husband were avid skiiers and many of her books featured details of nursing or skiing. It seems likely that she wrote three Trixie Belden books, The Mystery of Cobbett's Island (1964), The Mystery of the Emeralds (1965) and The Mystery of Mead's Mountain (1978). Skiing is mentioned early in The Mystery of Cobbett's Island, although this is not the theme of the book.

McDonnell also wrote another book called Country Agent that has a number of similarities with The Mystery at Happy Valley, although her book was published in 1968. Read a review of this book, and see what you think.

There is little biographical information available on McDonnell, but the three books attributed to her are three of the most widely loved books in the Trixie Belden series.



Gladys Baker Bond

Gladys Baker BondGladys Baker Bond was born in Berryville, Arkansas on the 7th of May, 1912. On September 2, 1934, she married Floyd James Bond and had one son, Nicholas Peter. Bond's childhood years were spent in the Ozarks of Arkansas. She lived in Idaho and Washington all her adult life and was an officer of the Idaho Writers League between 1952-54.

Bond's books for children cover a wide range of subjects and are often autobiographical. Mrs. Bond wrote under the pseudonymns, Jo Mendel (The Tucker series) and Holly Beth Walker (the Meg series), as well as her own name. She also wrote volume five of The Waltons.

She is credited with writing The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest (1977), The Mystery of the Castaway Children (1978), and The Sasquatch Mystery (1979). However, with her childhood spent in the Ozarks, she could be the author of The Mystery at Bob-White Cave (1963).



Carl Henry Rathjen

Carl Henry RathjenRathjen was born on the 28th of August 1909 in Jersey City, New Jersey and died in 1984. His ambition was to become a mechanical engineer, but when things didn't go

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been happily re-reading the Trixie Belden series over the past few weeks. When I was in middle school in the 80's, this was my favorite book series. I received new books for nearly every holiday, and babysat my ill-behaved nephew to earn money to buy more of the books. Those trips to Walden Books at the mall to get another Trixie book are what started my love of bookshops! I had the entire series, and I remember being so excited when two new books came out in the late 80s. Then the series came to an end.....and I went off to college. I sold my full set of books to a middle school aged girl at a garage sale for 25 cents apiece. I hope she got as much enjoyment from them as I did!

I didn't think about Trixie Belden for years and years. Then, I found a couple old Nancy Drew books at a local thriftshop. That got me to thinking about books I enjoyed as a kid.....and the first one that popped into my head was Trixie! I decided I needed to re-visit my old pals from Sleepyside, NY. I still enjoy this series, even though I look at things with an adult mindset now and notice things I didin't see when I was a young girl reading them for the first time.

Trixie Belden and the Marshland Mystery is the 10th book in the series. Trixie and her bestie, Honey Wheeler, venture out to a nearby swamp to gather plants. They are going to give them to a teacher, Miss Bennett, whose book of pressed herbs was damaged by a careless student. The plants will allow her to restore her book. Little do they realize they are going to uncover a mystery of sorts in the swamp as well! Soon their club, The Bob-Whites of the Glen, are hunting for a missing child, looking for lost pirate treasure, and helping an elderly woman.

I'm not sure this story was really a mystery....more of an adventure for the teens and gathering clues to find out what exactly happened to a little girl while she was missing. Trixie learned a few lessons about jealousy, jumping to conclusions and forgiveness. All in all, despite there not really being any "mystery'', this was a fun, relaxing read and a great visit to Sleepyside!

And poor Dan Marsdon appears to have disappeared out of the books entirely. He was introduced as a new Bob-Whites member a couple books back. Then in the book after that he was mentioned only twice. And in this book.....no Dan at all. I guess Dan is a bit like Richie Cunningham's older brother on Happy Days....there one day, went upstairs.....never seen again. He never even got his picture added to the cute illustration of all the Bob-Whites on the pastedown pages at the front of the book. I wonder if he will be back? I have a theory for what happened to Dan..... The first six books of the Trixie Belden series were written by Julie Campbell. The rest of the series was written by various authors all using the pen-name Kathryn Kenny. So perhaps one author added the Dan character, but the next book was written by someone else....and they didn't like the character? Or the books were written concurrently, and the two mentions of Dan added to the story at the beginning and end of the book were added for continuity. Then...next book, no Dan at all, with no explanation. Poor, unloved Dan. :)

There are 39 books in the Trixie Belden series, written from 1948-1986. The stories, although a bit dated, are fun, quick reads.

On to book #11! Maybe Dan will be back! ha ha :)

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars (7/10 hearts). Now THIS was a great Trixie book!! It had two mysteries instead of one, it was perfectly heartwarming, and Trixie did no silly or awkward things. 😝 As usual, the family relationship was amazing. Jim & Brian were awesome, Mart + Trixie were epic, and Honey was sweet, as always. I even liked Gaye at the end, & Miss Rachel was sweet. I just wish Dan showed up!!!

I really enjoyed the mysteries that were interwoven along with the plot of helping out Miss Rachel and the teacher, and the addition of Gaye and her aunt. It all made for a very well done and well-layered story. Definitely one of the best so far. And I have to mention I love how these books all follow a chronology, unlike Nancy Drew!

A Favourite Quote: “‘I’ll say she had to practice! ... Her loving aunt marched down to the clubhouse personally and dragged her, weeping, to the practice dungeon.’
“Mart leaned against the car and snickered. ‘Weeping? Yowling like a banshee, you told me, friend. As I recollect, you said she yelled louder than Bobby with soap in both eyes!’”

[Melissa McShane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have zero memory of this one, except for feeling that the hand on the cover looks undead and that the book should have been far more exciting than it was. This falls into the category of "Trixie's imagination runs away with her, but she's not as far off as you'd think" stories. The mystery is very low-key, and most of the action is concerned with the awful would-be muckraker journalist and the child prodigy violinist. I kind of liked Gaye, the violinist, because she was a spoiled brat and a really good liar...you'd think that would work against me liking her, but she made for an interesting challenge to Trixie and Honey's patience. I'm not sure if the solution to the "mystery" makes sense--what kind of finish can you apply to gold to make it look like brass that both comes off easily and doesn't come off accidentally?--but the story made the ending satisfying.

Not happy with the immediate downplaying of the significance of the bracelet Jim gives Trixie in The Happy Valley Mystery. I want them to be a couple, dang it! It made me wonder what went on in the syndicate planning meetings that led from book 9 to book 10 and beyond: "Sorry, I know Janet did a great job on their romance, but we're going to have to dial it back now. And no kissing!" Was it that Trixie is still only fourteen, or what? I'm curious now.

[Tita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vejam a minha opinião em vídeo, AQUI.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another adventure with Honey & Trixie. I have to say, this marginalization of Miss Trask and Regan is not sitting well with me.

This time we have a child prodigy who is misunderstood, and a little spoiled. Trixie, of course, isn't having it, as you might expect. Come on, Trixie, and grow up a bit, ok? She's a child, and you are a teenager. We also have a mystery involving treasure, some dried plants, and an old woman who lives alone on the edge of the marsh. It barely hangs together, folks. I promise this is one you can skip if you'd like, because it kinda stinks and Trixie is a little mean.

I'm still giving it three stars but it is close to being 2.5.

[Lydia Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this one, people complain that there isn't really a mystery involved. I don't see why. Trixie can't always be solving a mystery 24/7 nonstop. And it wasn't like the book was bland, either. There was plenty of action and suspense to keep you satisfied.

Favorite Kathryn Kenney book so far, four-and-a-half-stars out of five.

[J.L. Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

a HUGE and most dedicated fan of Trixie and her crew. This is odd, of course, because they were MEANT for teen and pre-teen girls, but I was a young boy that read everything he could get his hands on and when I first stumbled on my first TRIXIE BELDON book I was instantly hooked!

I immediately sat about reading them all, as quickly as I could get my greedy little paws on them. Trixie is the star, or "lead" character, followed by Jim and Honey (who quickly became the love of my young life, I had a total crush on a fictional character that only existed in ink) and this brave trio was constantly getting into trouble, solving mysteries and murders; that sort of thing.

It falls along the line of the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and other similar series, but the Trixie series carries more of the teenage angst and a subtle love triangle of conflicted who likes whom mystery that battles back and forth throughout the series. All of the while though, the same cheerful, effervescent and energetic positive attitude and domineering never quit/never let them see you down philosophy is the major subtext all through the books.

It is simply impossible to read these and NOT feel good about yourself and about LIFE, to have a sense of "all is well" in the world and a cheerful demeanor just naturally permeate your soul. I know, it SOUNDS crazy, but it is true.

I lost all of my Trixie books years ago, lending them to friends and that sort of thing. Since then, I have been on a quest to rebuild my collection of hardbacks. I find most of them at "Friends of the Library Sales" and things like that, but I am ever watchful at garage sales and places, for I do not have even a third of them built back

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trixie and Honey have a new project - they want to explore the marsh to find plants for a teacher whom they like. Gotta love these projects, because it just shows how big-hearted Trixie can be. At the same time, there's a child prodigy who is staying at Honey Wheeler's house. Here Trixie let me down. She's not nice to the little girl, and if anything is entirely clueless as to her casual cruelty. Which of course leads to the girl running away and the entry into a whole new mytery.

This book is more an adventure and an explanation of events of the past than a true mystery. At the same time, we're seeing some serious growth from Trixie in the course of the book. Eventually the puzzle is solved, and Trixie has learned a lesson (which may or may not stick).

Again, I always love Trixie Belden and her friends. This might not be my favorite book in the series, but it's still a solid volume and definitely worth reading. I echo some of the other reviewers though, when I say, "Dan, where are you?"

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the best lessons from this book is timeless and still applies today. “There seems to be something magical about printer’s ink. Once people read a story in a newspaper, most of them believe that story is true, even if it’s retracted.”

It is difficult to award this more than a three out of five due to the utter lack of threat. I’m not sure I remember this one at all. Maybe vaguely. That lack of threat is a likely cause. Our antagonists are a Bugs Meany flavored reporter and an exceptionally unrealistic road construction project. I know this is a YA book, but bypass construction projects that require draining a swamp just don’t get decided and funded in a couple days time, with construction to begin the following week. Even in a pre-NEPA world, road construction was costly and the planning and design stages were time consuming.

I had such high hopes early on. Captain Kidd’s treasure buried in a swamp! Quicksand! Gothic trappings of a ghost, a burned down manse, and a mysterious harried woman locked up inside issuing dire warnings.

Instead we just get an annoying little kid and Mr. Poo.

Interesting to see how the different ghost writers drop in casual racism differently. This is clearly the ghost that has issues with indigenous people and Romani and has expressed those views through the characters’ mouths previously. This is a fascinating contrast to the otherwise frequently sickly-wholesome charity work of the team and their awareness of the powerless and downtrodden.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, a bit of background on the Trixie Belden series. Trixie Belden is a 13-year-old girl detective, and this series is much in the same vein as Nancy Drew, only aimed at a slightly younger readership (which, of course, doesn't discourage me from reading them!) There were 39 books published between 1948 and 1986, and while they're all attributed to Kathryn Kenny, this is actually a pseudonym. The first 6 books were written by Julie Campbell, and the rest were written by various other writers (some unknown).

I have almost the entire series (I'm missing #19 and #35-#39 - the last five are reasonably rare and very expensive to buy). I bought quite a few books to fill some gaps last year, so I decided to start re-reading the series and incorporate the new books along the way. I read the first 9 last year and I'll try to read a couple more before the end of this year.

The books are light and enjoyable reads, following the exploits of Trixie and her friends and siblings as they solve various mysteries. I have to say, though, that this one (#10) is the first Trixie Belden book I've been a little disappointed in. The humour seemed a little forced and 'try-hard' and, in actual fact, there was no real mystery to solve at all and very little concerning the marsh. It was more about the unhappiness of a child prodigy. There were quite a few references by characters to the myth that Captain Kidd hid treasure in the marsh, but it was always dismissed quickly and nothing came of it. I think treasure in the marshland would have made for a much better story here. Oh well, it was still a good read!

[April Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A childhood favorite re-visited.

Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes

What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.

Length? – Most of a day’s read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Real world, pre - computer pre - air conditioning, pre - cell phone.

Written approximately? – approximately 1963.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers, cell phones, and air conditioning in homes, especially the mansion.

Short storyline: Trixie Belden, Honey, Jim, and her brothers work to save Rachel Martin from losing her ancestral home to the highway and the bank. They meet a child prodigy, who makes Bobby seem normal, healthy, and well adjusted.

Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence (only referred to from the past), no murder.

[Miri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so the description of this book is misleading, the story has little to nothing to do with looking for gold.

Honey's cousin Gaye a young violin prodigy is staying with the Wheelers with her Aunt Della while preparing for a concert. The child seems spoiled and obnoxious and runs away from her aunt causing a big to do. She hides out at old Rachel Martin's and this leads to a nosy and unscrupulous reporter printing a nasty story about Mrs. Martin that ends up having the city decide it's time she's put into a home. Trixie and the Bobwhites work together to try and find a way to solve Mrs. Martin's problems and help little overworked Gaye. Also Trixie and Honey are working on a project collecting herbs for their botany teacher. There's not a lot of mystery in this story but it was entertaining nonetheless. However Trixie without a mystery to solve is kind of like peanut butter and no jelly sandwich. They could have played up the pirate gold angle a little more.

[Bobbi Rightmyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a child prodigy and her mean old aunt come to stay with the Wheelers, you can guarantee a mystery will follow. The child will be performing as a guest artist with the symphony, and believe it or not, she is so spoiled, she puts Bobby to shame!

After accidentally running their botany teacher's herb collection, Trixie and Honey venture into Martin's Marsh to collect flowers and herbs to make her a new one.

While Trixie and Honey are exploring, they come across a burned out house near the marsh. Trixie tells Honey about the legend of Captain Kidd's hidden pirate treasure, which is supposed to be buried near the Marsh.

But when the child prodigy disappears, it's all hands on deck!

Although this is not one of my favorites, it does have an interesting, but full, storyline.

[Madeline Henricksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trixie Belden and the Marshland Mystery is book number ten in the Trixie Belden mystery series. Trixie Belden and Honey Wheeler are best friends, horse lovers, and detectives who always seem to accidentally find a mystery waiting to be solved. In this book, a famous child violinist, Gail, runs away to an acquaintance of the Belden family's abandoned barn and puts on the acquaintance's dead sister's clothes. Her disappearance is on the front page of the news and causes a big fuss. It is up to Trixie, Honey, and the Bob Whites of the Glen to find out where Gail is before Gail misses her upcoming big tour!

I love the Trixie Belden Mystery Series because it combines two of my favorite things - - horses and mystery!

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Christmas one year, my parents grabbed me the entire Trixie Belden set and I couldn't put them down. After I finished with them, they continued to purchase them as quickly as I could read them. Even with a learning disability, I devoured the books. I look back now and I find that Trixie Belden was much more age related to young girls, particularly to me, reading the books than Nancy Drew. There was something in these books that I found to be a greater escape than I did ND, too. I found that they weren't so "over the top" or dated. I will be doing the same thing with my granddaughters, if and when I have them, even if I have to stalk every used bookstore to get them.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread this to my daughter. I owned this book as a kid so I must have read it, but I remembered nothing of the plot and now I know why. This one is a bit of a disappointment, redeemed from a 2 star by the middle section when a young girl goes missing and Trixie finds her. The actual "marshland" mystery is barely a mystery at all and what could have been an exciting ending is condensed into a single paragraph of Trixie remembering something after the danger had passed. Grrr. Next up in Missing Heiress which I do remember certain scenes quite vividly.

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tenth book in the Trixie Belden series. Boy, for a small town they sure have some tragic family histories. Firs the Fraynes, then the old lady living in the cottage and her family and the burnt out mansion.

I enjoyed the story that went with the BWG’s latest project, and thought the injection of the spoilt little girl added a different element to the dynamics.

A fun read with nothing too much to complain about.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have NO idea when I first read this book. It was not one of my favorites at the time and as I am reading it now, I do not remember much. Must be I didn't go back to it like so many of the others. :-)

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RE-READ~12/5/2013

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not one of my favorite Trixie Beldon books, but still has some good fun with the gang. Also some compassion for another, less fortunate ... always enjoy the rich/poor themes running through the books.
September 2013 ... re-read ... good help for a senior citizen, but not really a mystery (though it is a more believable kind of mystery for young teen-agers).

[Mark Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A trip to the nearby marsh leads to a chance encounter with the old woman who lives there. Can Trixie and her friends help Miss Rachel? The characters are still wonderful, but I really struggle with this book because there is no real mystery.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 10. Trixie's birthday was mentioned at the beginning of the book as being only a few weeks away and I spent the whole book excited as if I was going to attend her birthday party. The joke was on me when it ended on her birthday. (I wasn't bummed though).

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bland mystery in this one, though I love the spring setting and the fact that Trixie actually gets a birthday (her only one in the series). Hated the violin prodigy and her annoying poodle and found Bobby Belden's crush on her totally unbelievable.

[Tacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trixie turns 14 at the end of the story. Miss Rachel Martin gives Trix an old 'brass' box, which turns out to be solid gold. The sale of which allows Miss Martin to move to town and open a rug and quilt shop.

[Karsyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never one of my favorites in the series, but still a good one. The thing with this one is there's no real mystery. It says it's about Trixie seeking Captain Kidd's treasure, but she never believes that. A treasure is found but it was a small part of the story.

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.9)

Trixie and Honey (and the rest of the gang towards the end of the book) help a young prodigy to experience a more normal life and help an old neighbor in trouble.

I hate the prodigy's dog so dang much.

Recommend 9/10+ for scary situations.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite ghost writer trixie books

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book makes ME want to go to Lonely Marvin's Marsh.
that sounds cool!

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this whole series my Mom passed them all down to me.

[Lily E · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 estrelas - grande leitura da minha pré-adolescência!

[Erin McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

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