Mystery of the Golden Horn

by Phyllis A. Whitney

Vicki summers in Istanbul with her father and befriends an orphan named Adria, and the two young girls become involved with gypsies who tell them a "golden horn" is the key to the future

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Cozy Mystery

190 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Phyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 – 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".

She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.

Reviews

[Laurie Bok · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was a pre-teen and remembered loving it...I finally found it again as an adult & read it! It probably didn't hold as much power as I remembered because I only remembered a few books when I was younger that I loved - but it's still a great story!

[Melissa]

I believe I read this book as a girl. I have a vague memory of a book that took place in Istanbul with 2 young girls as the main characters. I remember loving the descriptions of the architecture, the climate, the way people dressed, the mysteriousness of the city. It seemed so exotic and foreign and I think it was one of the first books to spark my interest in travel. Which has now morphed into an interest in foreign cultures, languages, foods and travel. I will have to find a copy and read it to see if this was the book...

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know the treasure trove of finding Phyllis A. Whitney’s youth adventures. I’ve been astounded to discover some superior to her gothic novels. I don’t place “Mystery Of The Golden Horn”, 1962, among the masterpieces. It fell short of elements I normally praise. I’ll give examples, still urging it is worthy of being read. I see Phyllis entered the 1960s with Turkish flavour. “Black Amber” was plotted there in 1964. Because the adult intrigue was laid out so sharply and atmospherically, I visualized this treatment identically, with ease. This beloved writer’s gift is conveying locations.

This time, focus was on a child, whose injured Mother lay in an American hospital. ‘Vicki’ was regarded as problematic, on the verge of failing her grade. Her Aunts send her to her Father, working in Istanbul. The driving angle is, not having seen her Father in a year, she feels as uncertain of him as her new environment. An American woman in the pasha palace is caring for the daughter of his colleagues, who were recently killed in an accident. ‘Adria’ is considered as challenging as ‘Vicki’; for having a mystical vista of the world that neither her guardian nor her son share. A coming-of-age story isn’t what I want in a mystery. However I believe most readers under thirty would find the dynamics of the three displaced teenagers enthralling.

What snipped my enthusiasm above all is that the synopsis describes a mystical dilemma: exactly the book I savour. Unfortunately like many misleading tag lines, there was no etherealness at all and it hardly qualified as a mystery either. The ‘golden horn’ wasn’t an artifact hidden centuries ago. It was a recently-hidden item, most valuable in proving the household children didn’t take it. A family story is fine, if it is presented that way.

[Lisa Nixon Mabry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in elementary school and adored it!

[KerryT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm….how do I describe this book? There was a bit of a mystery but it was more a story of 2 young girls going through difficult times and how they helped each other to come to terms with their problems. It was an ok book. This is labeled a Young Adult Mystery….oh how times have changed! YA books today, in my opinion, are not for young teens, but this one is age appropriate and harmless.