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Dana Girls Mystery #11
The Clue of the Rusty Key
The Danas are thrust into the middle of a dispute between Oliver Pritz Gormly and Jasper Conway. The girls rescue Conway and his important papers when Gormly sets fire to Conway's store. Later, when Pritz confronts the girls and orders them to turn over the papers, the girls refuse, earning themselves a new enemy.
Jean and Louise learn that Gormly is a swindler, cheating many people, including their classmate Lettie Briggs, who refuses to believe that Gormly is dishonest. Jean and Louise can do little to help Lettie since she refuses to talk to the Danas, but the girls befriend several other victims as they search for clues.
The girls face many difficulties before they finally bring Dr. Gormly to justice.
Jean and Louise learn that Gormly is a swindler, cheating many people, including their classmate Lettie Briggs, who refuses to believe that Gormly is dishonest. Jean and Louise can do little to help Lettie since she refuses to talk to the Danas, but the girls befriend several other victims as they search for clues.
The girls face many difficulties before they finally bring Dr. Gormly to justice.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1942
3 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,128 books3,909 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 13, 2025
A friend who knew I enjoyed The Dana Girls when I was young gave me the 1942 edition of this book. The story is typical of all the Dana Girl mysteries; kind of hokey but entertaining and fun.
January 16, 2016
1942, the 11th book in the series.
This is without doubt the best Dana Girls book that I've yet read. We know the villain right from the start but knowing who it is and catching the character are two totally different things. The thug is one of the nastiest villains they have had.
Early on they enter a store and the thug comes in with his dog and is quite nasty. The dog upsets a stove that causes a fire which ends up burning down the entire building. The girls help the store owner and end up saving some important papers. They are followed by the thug who threatens to call the sheriff if they don't turn the papers over to him.
Lettie plays a larger-than-usual role in this story and is a major source of trouble for the girls. I cannot understand why she has not been expelled from the school and especially why she isn't expelled at the end of the story for what she does stealing from the Dana Girls, interfering with police work and even doing things that could place the lives of other in danger.
The girls find a rusty key and even that leads to major problems. The are attacked by the thug, trapped and, to top it off, they are basically poisoned by Lettie. It takes a lot of police work and a lot of work on the part of the Dana Girls before the thug can be brought to justice.
This is without doubt the best Dana Girls book that I've yet read. We know the villain right from the start but knowing who it is and catching the character are two totally different things. The thug is one of the nastiest villains they have had.
Early on they enter a store and the thug comes in with his dog and is quite nasty. The dog upsets a stove that causes a fire which ends up burning down the entire building. The girls help the store owner and end up saving some important papers. They are followed by the thug who threatens to call the sheriff if they don't turn the papers over to him.
Lettie plays a larger-than-usual role in this story and is a major source of trouble for the girls. I cannot understand why she has not been expelled from the school and especially why she isn't expelled at the end of the story for what she does stealing from the Dana Girls, interfering with police work and even doing things that could place the lives of other in danger.
The girls find a rusty key and even that leads to major problems. The are attacked by the thug, trapped and, to top it off, they are basically poisoned by Lettie. It takes a lot of police work and a lot of work on the part of the Dana Girls before the thug can be brought to justice.
March 21, 2013
I loved this series of books that I read back in junior high. They are from the same syndicate that wrote the Nancy Drew books and the Hardy Boys, but I much preferred the Dana Girls.
November 10, 2015
Suspense and intrigue. He he
January 19, 2019
I couldn't decide between 3 or 4 stars for this formulaic Dana Girls book. I finally gave it 4 stars because it is better than some of the stories.
As usual, the Danas are following several mysteries and they all have the same thread going through them: Oliver Pritz, or Dr. Gormley. You know the villain right from the beginning. Oliver has swindled about everyone he came into contact with. This is a winter story. The Danas meet Jasper Conway when they stop by his grocery store to get warm while ice skating. And they are there when the place catches on fire. They are able to save the contents of his safe, important papers, but they are stolen. Then Mr. Conway disappears. Along comes a wife looking for him. He abandoned her in California but she feels that her place is beside him. The Dana Girls nemesis Lettie causes plenty of mischief, as usual. The rusty key, by the way, was fashioned from an old spoon. Can spoons get rusty?
As usual, the Danas are following several mysteries and they all have the same thread going through them: Oliver Pritz, or Dr. Gormley. You know the villain right from the beginning. Oliver has swindled about everyone he came into contact with. This is a winter story. The Danas meet Jasper Conway when they stop by his grocery store to get warm while ice skating. And they are there when the place catches on fire. They are able to save the contents of his safe, important papers, but they are stolen. Then Mr. Conway disappears. Along comes a wife looking for him. He abandoned her in California but she feels that her place is beside him. The Dana Girls nemesis Lettie causes plenty of mischief, as usual. The rusty key, by the way, was fashioned from an old spoon. Can spoons get rusty?
May 30, 2018
Louise and Jean Dana and their friend Evelyn stopped at Jasper Conway's store to warm up while skating, when a very rude man and his dog enter. When the dog knocks over a lamp, starting a fire, his owner quickly leaves. But the girls stay to help. This is only the beginning of a very convoluted mystery that they undertake to solve, making several new friends in the process. Enjoyable.
May 6, 2025
Même auteur que la saga Alice très chouette et très à l’ancienne (1973)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews