What do you think?
Rate this book
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #6
The Secret of Red Gate Farm
When Bess Marvin purchased an expensive bottle of Oriental perfume, she never expected to stumble into a mystery. Now Bess, Nancy, George, and their new friend Jo are out to unravel the secrets of a mysterious conspiracy, a secretive cult, and a ring of counterfeiters in The Secret of Red Gate Farm
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1931
310 people are currently reading
4175 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,019 books3,873 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 719 reviews
April 30, 2019
I don’t remember this one from my childhood, but I’m sure I must have read it. As an adult it is rather absurd, but as a kid looking for adventures, I’m sure it was exciting and suspenseful.
As an adult it is always easy to pick out features of children’s mystery books that help give away the clues and allow the reader to potentially solve the mystery on their own. Here we can see how the author makes it easy to pick out the “bad guys.” They are always described using words with negative connotations like rough, hard, penetrating eyes, or even outright hostile. The “good guys” are described using words with positive connotations such as sweet, personable, bright eyes, and warm. There is no wondering whether a character will be friend or foe, just see how they are described.
As a kid I’m sure all those scary and mean bad guys were thrilling to read about. No doubt, I imagined myself as Nancy, brave and fearless, always just out of harm’s reach. Now if only it were so easy today to detect the “bad guys.” Criminals have gotten much more savvy in their duplicitous methods. Don’t think I’ll be fooled by a ghost costume and nonsensical waving of arms! Yesterday you could have gotten me, but today I’m wiser after reading this Nancy Drew case.
A fast paced read, I was intrigued to see how all the various, albeit absurd, happenings would tie together in the end. Nancy was a childhood favorite and I just can’t bring myself to rate this less than 4 stars.
As an adult it is always easy to pick out features of children’s mystery books that help give away the clues and allow the reader to potentially solve the mystery on their own. Here we can see how the author makes it easy to pick out the “bad guys.” They are always described using words with negative connotations like rough, hard, penetrating eyes, or even outright hostile. The “good guys” are described using words with positive connotations such as sweet, personable, bright eyes, and warm. There is no wondering whether a character will be friend or foe, just see how they are described.
As a kid I’m sure all those scary and mean bad guys were thrilling to read about. No doubt, I imagined myself as Nancy, brave and fearless, always just out of harm’s reach. Now if only it were so easy today to detect the “bad guys.” Criminals have gotten much more savvy in their duplicitous methods. Don’t think I’ll be fooled by a ghost costume and nonsensical waving of arms! Yesterday you could have gotten me, but today I’m wiser after reading this Nancy Drew case.
A fast paced read, I was intrigued to see how all the various, albeit absurd, happenings would tie together in the end. Nancy was a childhood favorite and I just can’t bring myself to rate this less than 4 stars.
March 19, 2021
I am reading this in order, minus Book #2 which I cannot find (in my house) though I own two copies of it!
This book, #6, continues an ongoing theme in the early Nancy Drew books, that is someone needs money, desperately needs it, in order to keep their home, or ranch, or inn, or this case, their farm. The mortgage is overdue, or they're living in poverty and were promised money in an old man's will, or similar. I think these themes all come out of the 1930's, when the first ND books were written. (Of course they could be set in various other times, say 2009 or so, but that's the theme, or trope which I keep seeing as I re-read these books.)
In this story Nancy encounters a girl, Joanne, who lives with her grandmother on a lovely country farm. (Though at some point Gramma mentions how the land isn't fertile, so what the heck is a farm doing there? I digress.) Gramma takes in boarders to help pay the bills, and is also being harassed by a guy who wants to buy the farm. He's very nasty; he threatens Gramma a few times. (Why do they not report this guy to the authorities? They just DON'T.) In the meantime Nancy is baffled by a man who said some strange words to her while on a train, and while Nancy stunk up the joint with a very strong perfume. (She spilled it, okay?) The perfume was bought by Bess (Nancy's 'plump' friend) while on a shopping trip with Nancy and George, (Nancy's tomboy friend, get it?)
The mystery continues with Nancy and her friends, and her new friend Joanne, constantly running into strange, nasty, coarse and vulgar people. (I think the first time Nancy encounters a strange, nasty, coarse or vulgar person she needs to go STRAIGHT to the police and not waste time about it.)
Moving on...
In order to help Joanne's grandmother, Nancy, Bess and George move onto the farm as boarders, hoping to help out Joanne (and Gramma) by doing chores AND paying rent. (Nancy is one heck of a nice girl, regardless of how mean I am to her in these reviews.) At the same time they encounter a strange cult who wear white sheets, wave their arms around and hang out in a cave. (This cult is paying rent to Gramma to use part of the farm property.) As usual Nancy is in dire straits several times, running into coarse people, going on an interview (with Joanne) in a shady part of town, spying on this weird cult to see what they're up to, though in this book she does NOT get run off the road.
Nancy's father, prominent lawyer Carson Drew, is in the picture, sort of, and expressing his concern with Nancy's running around and living in odd places and finding a message written in code, but at the same time he admires his daughter's pluck and go-getted-ness, and who wouldn't?
After getting involved with a counterfeiting gang, and having her police chief friend just 'look up' information when she needs it, Nancy solves a mystery involving the cult, the farm and the strange code, but she DOES NOT SAVE THE DAY. No sirree. When Nancy is at her lowest moment, near possible death though she doesn't say as much -
(And she's tied up again but THIS TIME she can't wriggle out of her bonds so she must have forgotten the trick a detective showed her like four or five books back.)
- she needs a MAN to save her, along with a bunch of other guys, federal agents or something.
(I do hope my review isn't spoiler-rich, though it might be.)
Yes, a MAN helps her, a youngish man who has his eye on Nancy. But we all know she loves Ned, who has yet to make his appearance in the series. Several guys have 'eyed' Nancy in the series so far and I am getting tired of her playing this waiting game. Is Ned that special? We'll wait and see.
Three stars.
This book, #6, continues an ongoing theme in the early Nancy Drew books, that is someone needs money, desperately needs it, in order to keep their home, or ranch, or inn, or this case, their farm. The mortgage is overdue, or they're living in poverty and were promised money in an old man's will, or similar. I think these themes all come out of the 1930's, when the first ND books were written. (Of course they could be set in various other times, say 2009 or so, but that's the theme, or trope which I keep seeing as I re-read these books.)
In this story Nancy encounters a girl, Joanne, who lives with her grandmother on a lovely country farm. (Though at some point Gramma mentions how the land isn't fertile, so what the heck is a farm doing there? I digress.) Gramma takes in boarders to help pay the bills, and is also being harassed by a guy who wants to buy the farm. He's very nasty; he threatens Gramma a few times. (Why do they not report this guy to the authorities? They just DON'T.) In the meantime Nancy is baffled by a man who said some strange words to her while on a train, and while Nancy stunk up the joint with a very strong perfume. (She spilled it, okay?) The perfume was bought by Bess (Nancy's 'plump' friend) while on a shopping trip with Nancy and George, (Nancy's tomboy friend, get it?)
The mystery continues with Nancy and her friends, and her new friend Joanne, constantly running into strange, nasty, coarse and vulgar people. (I think the first time Nancy encounters a strange, nasty, coarse or vulgar person she needs to go STRAIGHT to the police and not waste time about it.)
Moving on...
In order to help Joanne's grandmother, Nancy, Bess and George move onto the farm as boarders, hoping to help out Joanne (and Gramma) by doing chores AND paying rent. (Nancy is one heck of a nice girl, regardless of how mean I am to her in these reviews.) At the same time they encounter a strange cult who wear white sheets, wave their arms around and hang out in a cave. (This cult is paying rent to Gramma to use part of the farm property.) As usual Nancy is in dire straits several times, running into coarse people, going on an interview (with Joanne) in a shady part of town, spying on this weird cult to see what they're up to, though in this book she does NOT get run off the road.
Nancy's father, prominent lawyer Carson Drew, is in the picture, sort of, and expressing his concern with Nancy's running around and living in odd places and finding a message written in code, but at the same time he admires his daughter's pluck and go-getted-ness, and who wouldn't?
After getting involved with a counterfeiting gang, and having her police chief friend just 'look up' information when she needs it, Nancy solves a mystery involving the cult, the farm and the strange code, but she DOES NOT SAVE THE DAY. No sirree. When Nancy is at her lowest moment, near possible death though she doesn't say as much -
(And she's tied up again but THIS TIME she can't wriggle out of her bonds so she must have forgotten the trick a detective showed her like four or five books back.)
- she needs a MAN to save her, along with a bunch of other guys, federal agents or something.
(I do hope my review isn't spoiler-rich, though it might be.)
Yes, a MAN helps her, a youngish man who has his eye on Nancy. But we all know she loves Ned, who has yet to make his appearance in the series. Several guys have 'eyed' Nancy in the series so far and I am getting tired of her playing this waiting game. Is Ned that special? We'll wait and see.
Three stars.
July 6, 2025
3 stars ⭐️ Children’s Classic [Yellow Flashlight revised 1961 edition - Listened to Penelope Heaven’s audiobook of this on YouTube]
Listened to this one with my mom, but because my dad was home, he also got to listen it to and ended up also getting invested 😂 (“I knew it!” “A rest-stop that’s clean and inviting? That’s a Buc-ee’s!”) Which was fun and made the book more enjoyable. I’m not a big fan of the cult element of this book and I remember being so confused by the concept as a little girl when I first read them years ago. Not one of the better Nancy Drew books, in my opinion.
I didn’t care for how George treated Bess; perhaps it was tone I read/listened to her comments in, but she seemed like George was in a snit about her cousin a few times and needlessly poking at her. Nancy had to be a peacemaker at these moments because of the girls and made me miss oversharing Helen.
0 mentions of Ned
1 case of Nancy’s father’s name saving her 😅
Main Content notes for parents-
A “nature cult” is seen, discussed, & mentioned very often (including someone asking what the cult is worshiping); They dance when the moon is out and wear all white robes and masks (at first glance, Bess exclaims that they’re ghosts); The cult live in shacks and tents, plus do not mingle with outsiders; Nancy (of course) thinks it would be fun to investigate the cult.
*Spoilers about the cult and a wife being abused by her husband* .
George comments that she loves “spooky things” when a mysterious cave is brought up in a conversation; Later, George comments on needing her head examined for thinking such a thing.
Mentions of luck & luck being with someone; A mention of Nancy and the others going to church services; A mention of counting blessings.
Dangerous Situation Counter: Drinking through a bad thunderstorm; Almost hitting someone while driving; Watching and getting near to the cult; Being grabbed (x2) and tied-up; Receiving a suspicious note; Nancy offers to help a woman escape the cult; A snake bite one of the girls (which leads Nancy to make tourniquets for it and cut the spot with a knife to draw out the possible serum); The bad guys intend to leave Nancy and the others to starve to death; See above spoilers for more cult details and dangerous situations.
Mentions of counterfeit money, counterfeiters, & arrests; Mentions of a snake bite, injuries, blood, & pain; Mentions of lies & lying (by bad guys); A couple mentions of a threatening phone call; A mention of Halloween.
George & Bess bicker a few times (mostly George fussing or scornfully saying something to Bess, like calling her a “wet blanket” or scoffing at her comments) and Nancy tries to change the subject; A bad guy uses some sarcasm.
George’s “boyish” name is said to fit her “slim build and straight-forward, breezy manner”; When Bess is talking about having cream “inch thick”, George teases her by saying “just what you need for reducing!” (commenting on her weight); When eating a sundae, Bess comments “here goes another pound. But I’d rather be pleasantly plump than give up sundaes!”; George teases Bess about herself being a featherweight compared to how much Bess eats;
Bess teases that a man is interested in Nancy; George teases that Bess will break another heart (this time being a man double her age); Bess is later especially sorry that a young man won’t be staying at the farm; Both girls tease Nancy about a man staring at her, which causes her to blush; A man tells Nancy he could use a “good-lookin’ girl like her” to work in his office.
Some things that worked for the time period this book was written/revised in, but might raise eyebrows now: The cover of the 1930s edition with the suspicious people in white outfits and an illustration of the cult wearing very Ku-Klux-Klan-like outfits (😬); A woman is said to be “Oriental-looking” multiple times (she has the last name Wong) and there’s many mentions of a Oriental shop; Bess also says that a smell of a perfume makes her think she’s “in the mystic Orient”; Someone is bitten by a snake, which leads Nancy to make tourniquets for it and cut the spot with a knife to draw out the possible serum (which is not recommended to do today, but Nancy is complimented by a doctor for her actions); “queer/queerly” (odd) is used thrice.
Listened to this one with my mom, but because my dad was home, he also got to listen it to and ended up also getting invested 😂 (“I knew it!” “A rest-stop that’s clean and inviting? That’s a Buc-ee’s!”) Which was fun and made the book more enjoyable. I’m not a big fan of the cult element of this book and I remember being so confused by the concept as a little girl when I first read them years ago. Not one of the better Nancy Drew books, in my opinion.
I didn’t care for how George treated Bess; perhaps it was tone I read/listened to her comments in, but she seemed like George was in a snit about her cousin a few times and needlessly poking at her. Nancy had to be a peacemaker at these moments because of the girls and made me miss oversharing Helen.
0 mentions of Ned
1 case of Nancy’s father’s name saving her 😅
Main Content notes for parents-
A “nature cult” is seen, discussed, & mentioned very often (including someone asking what the cult is worshiping); They dance when the moon is out and wear all white robes and masks (at first glance, Bess exclaims that they’re ghosts); The cult live in shacks and tents, plus do not mingle with outsiders; Nancy (of course) thinks it would be fun to investigate the cult.
*Spoilers about the cult and a wife being abused by her husband* .
George comments that she loves “spooky things” when a mysterious cave is brought up in a conversation; Later, George comments on needing her head examined for thinking such a thing.
Mentions of luck & luck being with someone; A mention of Nancy and the others going to church services; A mention of counting blessings.
Dangerous Situation Counter: Drinking through a bad thunderstorm; Almost hitting someone while driving; Watching and getting near to the cult; Being grabbed (x2) and tied-up; Receiving a suspicious note; Nancy offers to help a woman escape the cult; A snake bite one of the girls (which leads Nancy to make tourniquets for it and cut the spot with a knife to draw out the possible serum); The bad guys intend to leave Nancy and the others to starve to death; See above spoilers for more cult details and dangerous situations.
Mentions of counterfeit money, counterfeiters, & arrests; Mentions of a snake bite, injuries, blood, & pain; Mentions of lies & lying (by bad guys); A couple mentions of a threatening phone call; A mention of Halloween.
George & Bess bicker a few times (mostly George fussing or scornfully saying something to Bess, like calling her a “wet blanket” or scoffing at her comments) and Nancy tries to change the subject; A bad guy uses some sarcasm.
George’s “boyish” name is said to fit her “slim build and straight-forward, breezy manner”; When Bess is talking about having cream “inch thick”, George teases her by saying “just what you need for reducing!” (commenting on her weight); When eating a sundae, Bess comments “here goes another pound. But I’d rather be pleasantly plump than give up sundaes!”; George teases Bess about herself being a featherweight compared to how much Bess eats;
Bess teases that a man is interested in Nancy; George teases that Bess will break another heart (this time being a man double her age); Bess is later especially sorry that a young man won’t be staying at the farm; Both girls tease Nancy about a man staring at her, which causes her to blush; A man tells Nancy he could use a “good-lookin’ girl like her” to work in his office.
Some things that worked for the time period this book was written/revised in, but might raise eyebrows now: The cover of the 1930s edition with the suspicious people in white outfits and an illustration of the cult wearing very Ku-Klux-Klan-like outfits (😬); A woman is said to be “Oriental-looking” multiple times (she has the last name Wong) and there’s many mentions of a Oriental shop; Bess also says that a smell of a perfume makes her think she’s “in the mystic Orient”; Someone is bitten by a snake, which leads Nancy to make tourniquets for it and cut the spot with a knife to draw out the possible serum (which is not recommended to do today, but Nancy is complimented by a doctor for her actions); “queer/queerly” (odd) is used thrice.
June 16, 2022
While Nancy, Bess and George complete a day of shopping, they find themselves onto the next adventure when they meet a young woman named Millie. As Millie explains how close she and her aunt are to losing their home-Red Gate Farm, Nancy finds herself inclined to help.
It's easy to see why these mystery stories were so popular as they were published during the time of the Great Depression. Nancy's desire to help others would have been a good lesson for young readers. I read the original edition published in 1931.
Goodreads review published 27/ 12/21
It's easy to see why these mystery stories were so popular as they were published during the time of the Great Depression. Nancy's desire to help others would have been a good lesson for young readers. I read the original edition published in 1931.
Goodreads review published 27/ 12/21
May 3, 2020
Nancy and her friends Bess and George are returning from a shopping trip when they meet Joanne on the train. She is heading to try to find a job to help her grandmother save her farm. The four quickly become friends, and Nancy gets involved in helping her find a job. However, several strange things happen to them along the way. Can Nancy figure out what is going on now?
When I pick up a Nancy Drew book, I expect coincidence to drive the plot a little. Here, there was so much of it early on that it was hard to overlook it. Fortunately, that lessened as the story moved forward. The story was still action packed and kept my attention. The characters are thin as always, but I still enjoyed spending some time with them again. Kids will probably more easily overlook both of these things. They might get confused by a few dated references, however, including using an old, now unacceptable, term for a minority. Still, I suspect they will enjoy this page turning story.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
When I pick up a Nancy Drew book, I expect coincidence to drive the plot a little. Here, there was so much of it early on that it was hard to overlook it. Fortunately, that lessened as the story moved forward. The story was still action packed and kept my attention. The characters are thin as always, but I still enjoyed spending some time with them again. Kids will probably more easily overlook both of these things. They might get confused by a few dated references, however, including using an old, now unacceptable, term for a minority. Still, I suspect they will enjoy this page turning story.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
November 8, 2021
Teenaged sleuth Nancy Drew returns in this sixth mystery novel devoted to her adventures, this time confronting a number of puzzling mysteries centered around the eponymous Red Gate Farm. When Nancy and her two good friends, Bess and George, go shopping in a nearby city, they are intrigued by a particular fragrance in an Oriental perfume shop, and insist on buying it, even when the saleslady is reluctant to sell it to them. On the train ride home, an accident with the perfume leaves the girls drenched in the stuff, leading a complete stranger to approach Nancy and ask for word from "the chief." After this strange encounter, the girls have their hands full dealing with Millie Burd, a young farm girl come to the city to find work, in order to help her grandmother keep her farm. Hoping to help their new friend, who has had no luck in her job hunt, the girls arrange to spend some time at Red Gate Farm as paying boarders. Here they encounter the strange Black Snake Colony, a supposed nature cult renting part of the farm. The nighttime rituals of the group provide quite a spectacle, but are they simply nature lovers, or is something more sinister going on...?
This being a Nancy Drew novel, the answer is clearly the latter, and our intrepid heroine loses no time in diving in, soon finding that her mysterious experiences with the Oriental perfume are related to The Secret of Red Gate Farm. I read the original 1931 version of the book, reprinted in facsimile by Applewood Books, and the cover artwork by Russell H. Tandy - long-time illustrator of the original series - had me doing a double-take. The white-sheet-clad figures on the front immediately made me think of the Ku Klux Klan, who would have been active at the time of publication, but as it turns out, they are members of the aforementioned nature cult, out and about enacting their sham rituals on the hillside, in order to convince the local country folk that they are eccentric cultists, rather than . Leaving aside that issue, I found this an enjoyable addition to the series, although the developments were telegraphed ahead of time so thoroughly that little of it was a surprise. It was a surprise, on the other hand, to see that although one of the villains was a mixed-race Asian girl named Yvonne Wong, there was no overt racism directed at her. The narrative isn't complimentary, of course - Nancy thinks she is flashy and ill-bred, as her female adversaries inevitably are - but there is no commentary specifically related to her background. This was a pleasant anomaly, as I find that these original Nancy Drew titles have far more objectionable content than the revised versions from the 1950s and 60s - versions still available today. All in all, a fun little romp, recommended to fans of Nancy Drew.
This being a Nancy Drew novel, the answer is clearly the latter, and our intrepid heroine loses no time in diving in, soon finding that her mysterious experiences with the Oriental perfume are related to The Secret of Red Gate Farm. I read the original 1931 version of the book, reprinted in facsimile by Applewood Books, and the cover artwork by Russell H. Tandy - long-time illustrator of the original series - had me doing a double-take. The white-sheet-clad figures on the front immediately made me think of the Ku Klux Klan, who would have been active at the time of publication, but as it turns out, they are members of the aforementioned nature cult, out and about enacting their sham rituals on the hillside, in order to convince the local country folk that they are eccentric cultists, rather than . Leaving aside that issue, I found this an enjoyable addition to the series, although the developments were telegraphed ahead of time so thoroughly that little of it was a surprise. It was a surprise, on the other hand, to see that although one of the villains was a mixed-race Asian girl named Yvonne Wong, there was no overt racism directed at her. The narrative isn't complimentary, of course - Nancy thinks she is flashy and ill-bred, as her female adversaries inevitably are - but there is no commentary specifically related to her background. This was a pleasant anomaly, as I find that these original Nancy Drew titles have far more objectionable content than the revised versions from the 1950s and 60s - versions still available today. All in all, a fun little romp, recommended to fans of Nancy Drew.
April 3, 2010
Our f2f group did a session where we all read one or more original editions of a Nancy Drew as well as the 1960s revised version. Some of us even read one or more of the most recent Nancy Drew series books. We then had a "compare and contrast" discussion that was lots of fun. Very interesting changes in style, characterizations & sociological aspects.
I found the 1931 facsimile edition from Applewood to be much better than I expected having grown up reading the "modern" 1960s versions. The writing was much more 'adult' or should I say less dumbed down & juvenile. You could really feel the Depression era coming through in the values and sensibilities. There were also a few instances of 'politically incorrect' descriptions or comments that were accepted at the time of writing but jump out at us today.
I found the 1931 facsimile edition from Applewood to be much better than I expected having grown up reading the "modern" 1960s versions. The writing was much more 'adult' or should I say less dumbed down & juvenile. You could really feel the Depression era coming through in the values and sensibilities. There were also a few instances of 'politically incorrect' descriptions or comments that were accepted at the time of writing but jump out at us today.
June 11, 2020
During a shopping expedition, Nancy, Bess, and George find it curious that a saleswoman was so reluctant to sell them a perfume. They then meet Joanne, whose grandmother owns a farm but is off to find a job in the town so as to be able to make ends meet. The girls offer to help her, and soon find themselves embroiled in a fun mystery.
In a bid to help Joanne, the three girls decide to go and stay in Red Gate Farm as boarders, paying rent and working in the farm as well! The land and caves nearby are rented by a mysterious and secretive cult. The four girls decide to find out more.
I have always enjoyed this book, mainly because of the caves and farm life and cult business. But on a more critical rereading, I find that the some of the threads are not tied up properly. One of the main questions left unanswered is why the Blue Jade perfume is so ubiquitously used by the female members of the cult. Also, really, this mystery is rather overblown to be believable.
But nevertheless, I still enjoyed it a lot and The Secret of Red Gate Farm continues to hold its charm for me.
In a bid to help Joanne, the three girls decide to go and stay in Red Gate Farm as boarders, paying rent and working in the farm as well! The land and caves nearby are rented by a mysterious and secretive cult. The four girls decide to find out more.
I have always enjoyed this book, mainly because of the caves and farm life and cult business. But on a more critical rereading, I find that the some of the threads are not tied up properly. One of the main questions left unanswered is why the Blue Jade perfume is so ubiquitously used by the female members of the cult. Also, really, this mystery is rather overblown to be believable.
But nevertheless, I still enjoyed it a lot and The Secret of Red Gate Farm continues to hold its charm for me.
October 4, 2023
This is a story about a cult living on a farm. I did not like it years ago. And in my re reading of her books, this is not 1 I will try again
November 21, 2012
I read Nancy Drew like crazy when I was a kid, and loved them. I could get through a book in a single afternoon, often between getting home from school and eating dinner. So it was with a sense of nostalgic excitement that I opened this book and re-read it, about 40 years after the first time.
What a disappointment. They say you can't go home again, and that is true here. This is #6 in the series, so it was pretty old even when I read it the first time - first published 1931 - and the writing is pretty darn awful by modern standards. Or maybe just by my modern standards. There is a forest of adverbs, especially in the dialogue tags. Nancy's mystery-solving skills involve as much blind guessing as clever deductive or inductive reasoning - she's trying to break a coded message, and having realized that one number stands for the letter H, extrapolates that it might stand for "Hale", which is the name of the Mysterious Nefarious Group whose activities excite Nancy's notice in the first place, and then the letter M, why that could stand for "Maurice", and Maurice Hale is the group's leader! There is an incredibly improbable series of events that starts the mystery off, followed by coincidence after coincidence that introduces Nancy and her friends to another (mostly cardboard) person (Joanne) who, coincidentally, is unwittingly peripherally involved in the the Big Mystery. Another coincidence takes Nancy, Bess, and George to Joanne's titular farm, where they amuse themselves by performing domestic services and waiting for more coincidences to coincide so that they can walk into a trap, get captured, and be saved by a deus ex machina (mostly cardboard) male character, but still get all the credit for cracking the code and infiltrating the organization.
I hope modern Nancys are better than this one. Because if they're not, I'm not sure I'd give them to any girls I know. The writing is pretty awful, the plotting is lazy and indifferent, the characters - even the primary cast! - are mostly cardboard, and the various anti-feminist messages are irritating to an adult, but potentially poisonous to girls. George often teases her cousin Bess about her plumpness; domestic industry and skill are praised and lauded (because you never know when you might need to make a not-really-a-KKK-robe-and-mask out of several yards of white muslin, using just scissors, needle and thread); and when it comes down to it, the teen sleuth and her friends get themselves into a bad situation and get rescued before they can even start thinking about extricating themselves from it. (Seriously, Chief McGinnis, rather than encouraging Nancy's help, maybe suggest to her that she stop getting herself into fixes that use up valuable police resources in rescuing her from her own poor decisions.)
It's true that Nancy is also thoughtful, kind, and likes to help, but she's not as clever as the writers want us to think she is, and I felt horribly cheated that she and her friends all had to be rescued from the bad guys at the end of this story. Talk about disempowering the heroine, and thus the reader!
I have a bunch more Nancys as ebooks. I might try another one some day, but I'm in no hurry.
What a disappointment. They say you can't go home again, and that is true here. This is #6 in the series, so it was pretty old even when I read it the first time - first published 1931 - and the writing is pretty darn awful by modern standards. Or maybe just by my modern standards. There is a forest of adverbs, especially in the dialogue tags. Nancy's mystery-solving skills involve as much blind guessing as clever deductive or inductive reasoning - she's trying to break a coded message, and having realized that one number stands for the letter H, extrapolates that it might stand for "Hale", which is the name of the Mysterious Nefarious Group whose activities excite Nancy's notice in the first place, and then the letter M, why that could stand for "Maurice", and Maurice Hale is the group's leader! There is an incredibly improbable series of events that starts the mystery off, followed by coincidence after coincidence that introduces Nancy and her friends to another (mostly cardboard) person (Joanne) who, coincidentally, is unwittingly peripherally involved in the the Big Mystery. Another coincidence takes Nancy, Bess, and George to Joanne's titular farm, where they amuse themselves by performing domestic services and waiting for more coincidences to coincide so that they can walk into a trap, get captured, and be saved by a deus ex machina (mostly cardboard) male character, but still get all the credit for cracking the code and infiltrating the organization.
I hope modern Nancys are better than this one. Because if they're not, I'm not sure I'd give them to any girls I know. The writing is pretty awful, the plotting is lazy and indifferent, the characters - even the primary cast! - are mostly cardboard, and the various anti-feminist messages are irritating to an adult, but potentially poisonous to girls. George often teases her cousin Bess about her plumpness; domestic industry and skill are praised and lauded (because you never know when you might need to make a not-really-a-KKK-robe-and-mask out of several yards of white muslin, using just scissors, needle and thread); and when it comes down to it, the teen sleuth and her friends get themselves into a bad situation and get rescued before they can even start thinking about extricating themselves from it. (Seriously, Chief McGinnis, rather than encouraging Nancy's help, maybe suggest to her that she stop getting herself into fixes that use up valuable police resources in rescuing her from her own poor decisions.)
It's true that Nancy is also thoughtful, kind, and likes to help, but she's not as clever as the writers want us to think she is, and I felt horribly cheated that she and her friends all had to be rescued from the bad guys at the end of this story. Talk about disempowering the heroine, and thus the reader!
I have a bunch more Nancys as ebooks. I might try another one some day, but I'm in no hurry.
April 24, 2021
Quand même un bizarre mystère de Nancy Drew, avec un culte secret qui se rejoint dans une grotte et un mystère avec un parfum... Des fois je me demande comment je peux prendre tant de plaisir à des livres qui manquent autant de subtilités et pour lesquels je vois venir les liens et la solution dans les deux premiers chapitres, mais après, c'est reposant, y'a un charme, et une (fausse) nostalgie aussi qui entre en jeu, du fait que j'aurais voulu les lire enfant et grandir avec eux, mais aussi que ça me fait penser à Scooby-Doo.
March 22, 2017
I don't think I'll bother to sort through or call to mind enough from my large Nancy Drew collection in order to give them all ratings on Goodreads, but, this one is special because it's the first one I ever read. My grandparents had taken me to a thrift store or flea market, and ended up buying it for me -- it had that wonderful "old book smell" to it since it was an older edition, and it also ended up involving a cult, which to me at the time was particularly creepy and mysterious. And so that was my gateway drug, and over the next few years I collected a large percentage of the original 56, and a few of the newer ones, finding them at used book stores, yard sales, and occasionally new, as well as requesting them for Christmas and finding more at the library.
Good memories. There is a part of me that wants to go back and re-read a few of them, but I'm afraid I'll just ruin them in my mind, since to me now they will probably seem cheesy and juvenile. Either way, I was a big fan of Nancy and Bess and George, and always enjoyed watching her gather clues and solve the mystery.
Good memories. There is a part of me that wants to go back and re-read a few of them, but I'm afraid I'll just ruin them in my mind, since to me now they will probably seem cheesy and juvenile. Either way, I was a big fan of Nancy and Bess and George, and always enjoyed watching her gather clues and solve the mystery.
September 16, 2016
"'Miss Drew,' he said earnestly, 'I want to thank you for your work which has resulted in the solution of one of the most baffling cases of counterfeiting the United States Government has ever had. How did you do it?'"
And that, my friends, is Nancy Drew in a nutshell. A mystery that's in fact quite easy to solve, and yet no one but Nancy Drew can.
As to how she does it, IT'S BECAUSE SHE'S NANCY DREW.
She may be a special snowflake, but she's MY special snowflake.
And that, my friends, is Nancy Drew in a nutshell. A mystery that's in fact quite easy to solve, and yet no one but Nancy Drew can.
As to how she does it, IT'S BECAUSE SHE'S NANCY DREW.
She may be a special snowflake, but she's MY special snowflake.
April 27, 2021
The Secret of Red Gate Farm (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #6) by Carolyn Keene. 2002 Printing. Published by Grosset & Dunlap. 178 pages. Fiction. 5 Stars.
Another fun mystery with Nancy Drew, amateur detective and daughter of small town lawyer, Carson Drew. This one includes cousins Bess and George, who encounter serious danger when they should all probably be in bed. The handsome love interest plays a part in delivering them from sure death. Highly recommend!
Another fun mystery with Nancy Drew, amateur detective and daughter of small town lawyer, Carson Drew. This one includes cousins Bess and George, who encounter serious danger when they should all probably be in bed. The handsome love interest plays a part in delivering them from sure death. Highly recommend!
September 10, 2019
Another win for Nancy! Finally we have George and Bess, and this one has a Cult in it!! A cult is defined in a ND mystery as people who dance around in the middle of the night dressed in white from head to toe, hoods - of course, and wave their arms in a frantic, crazy way. HA! Some things don't change (SEE Outlander opening, Seasons 1 and 2).
Am having fun re-reading these!
Am having fun re-reading these!
September 21, 2015
This was the first Nancy Drew book that I listened to and I loved it! The narrator, Lara Linney, does a wonderful job and she needs to read more than just the first 7 Nancy Drew books. I laughed out loud many times. The story was fun, but because of the audio I bumped it up to 4 stars.
November 21, 2018
I didn't like the fat shaming in this book but, hey, that's the 1930's for ya. Whatchu gonna do?
Read
January 2, 2013Review originally posted on my blog http://hobbitsies.net/2012/11/sleuthi...
Previously on Sleuthing Saturdays, I discovered The Secret of Shadow Ranch. It involved ghost ponies. And farms. And some really interesting culture, actually.
So. This week, I learned several things while reading The Secret of Red Gate Farm. The first, and probably the most important thing, is that if you’re with Nancy Drew and you get bit by a snake – don’t panic! She can whip up a tourniquet at moment’s notice AND sterilize your wound with a bottle of perfume they bought several days earlier in the book that they just happen to still be carrying around.
I also realized that every single person Nancy Drew has helped so far (we are six books in) is in some sort of financial crisis. Whether it’s almost losing a house (I believe this has happened twice so far?) or a farm or your mother’s jewels, etc – Nancy Drew will be there to save the day just in time for you to tell that greedy buyer (who is usually the bad guy) to step off.
Okay, but in all seriousness, I actually really liked The Secret of Red Gate Farm. I don’t read the synopsis of these books before I read them, so imagine my surprise to find out The Secret of Red Gate Farm involved mysterious CULTS. And counterfeit money! And cow milking! Guys, I love cults.
I also loved Bess and George in The Secret of Red Gate Farm. They provide much needed personality to balance out Nancy Drew’s lack thereof so far, I think. Not that Nancy Drew will never have a personality, because I know she will as the series develops, but right now I just want to shove her in the mud.
Anyway, The Secret of Red Gate Farm is on par with The Hidden Staircase. I loved the mysterious cult-ness of it all and the white figures dancing in the moonlight for no apparent reason. I thought the ghostwriter of this one also did an amazing job of tying all the bits in the beginning to the end, so that rocked.
Next up on Sleuthing Saturdays, I’ll be hunting for The Clue in the Diary, so don’t miss it! I, for one, am dying to know whose diary it is – and I have heard that the (hopefully) dashing Ned Nickerson makes his first appearance!
Previously on Sleuthing Saturdays, I discovered The Secret of Shadow Ranch. It involved ghost ponies. And farms. And some really interesting culture, actually.
So. This week, I learned several things while reading The Secret of Red Gate Farm. The first, and probably the most important thing, is that if you’re with Nancy Drew and you get bit by a snake – don’t panic! She can whip up a tourniquet at moment’s notice AND sterilize your wound with a bottle of perfume they bought several days earlier in the book that they just happen to still be carrying around.
I also realized that every single person Nancy Drew has helped so far (we are six books in) is in some sort of financial crisis. Whether it’s almost losing a house (I believe this has happened twice so far?) or a farm or your mother’s jewels, etc – Nancy Drew will be there to save the day just in time for you to tell that greedy buyer (who is usually the bad guy) to step off.
Okay, but in all seriousness, I actually really liked The Secret of Red Gate Farm. I don’t read the synopsis of these books before I read them, so imagine my surprise to find out The Secret of Red Gate Farm involved mysterious CULTS. And counterfeit money! And cow milking! Guys, I love cults.
I also loved Bess and George in The Secret of Red Gate Farm. They provide much needed personality to balance out Nancy Drew’s lack thereof so far, I think. Not that Nancy Drew will never have a personality, because I know she will as the series develops, but right now I just want to shove her in the mud.
Anyway, The Secret of Red Gate Farm is on par with The Hidden Staircase. I loved the mysterious cult-ness of it all and the white figures dancing in the moonlight for no apparent reason. I thought the ghostwriter of this one also did an amazing job of tying all the bits in the beginning to the end, so that rocked.
Next up on Sleuthing Saturdays, I’ll be hunting for The Clue in the Diary, so don’t miss it! I, for one, am dying to know whose diary it is – and I have heard that the (hopefully) dashing Ned Nickerson makes his first appearance!
November 7, 2017
It's a "cult" being a cover operation for a money printing scheme.
Not-so-bright idea: Using a highly suspicious activity to cover up an illegal activity.
Odd red herring: Strong "jade"-smelling "oriental" perfume. The crooks think that whenever a lady wears THAT particular perfume, she must automatically be friendly to their secret plot. Naturally, our protagonist Nancy accidentally gets a gob of that perfume dumped on her, and one of the crooks tries to slip her a code. She immediately calls her friends on the police force and keeps them updated during her investigation. Her friends come along as sidekicks, but as usual, they aren't incredibly helpful.
When the crooks are nabbed, they are told by the police: "This is the last time you try any funny business with Uncle Sam!"
Not-so-bright idea: Using a highly suspicious activity to cover up an illegal activity.
Odd red herring: Strong "jade"-smelling "oriental" perfume. The crooks think that whenever a lady wears THAT particular perfume, she must automatically be friendly to their secret plot. Naturally, our protagonist Nancy accidentally gets a gob of that perfume dumped on her, and one of the crooks tries to slip her a code. She immediately calls her friends on the police force and keeps them updated during her investigation. Her friends come along as sidekicks, but as usual, they aren't incredibly helpful.
When the crooks are nabbed, they are told by the police: "This is the last time you try any funny business with Uncle Sam!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2011
Nancy Drew returns as she investigates the goings on of a secret society. Yet another home run for the book series.
November 22, 2015
An interesting book. I enjoyed it more when I first read this book as a child, but it was still enjoyable this second time through.
January 7, 2018
This is a fun mystery to read for sure -- one that even includes the Secret Service. That was really cool.
So, it makes for a nice read...
So, it makes for a nice read...
June 1, 2024
'The Secret of Red Gate Farm' (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #6) by Carolyn Keene.
Rating: 4.25/5.
Review:
It has been a long time since I last read a Nancy Drew novel. Considering the large number of Hardy Boys books I have read over the last couple of decades, it is shameful to say that the number of Nancy Drew books that I have read can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Perhaps this happened because of the misconception that Hardy Boys Mystery stories were aimed at boys while the Nancy Drew Mysteries served as stories for girls – a misconception that has been ingrained in our minds since our early school days. Considering how I have come to enjoy the Nancy Drew stories that I have read over the last few years, I'm glad to have given these a chance, and I shall continue to read more of these in the coming months.
The Secret of the Red Gate Farm was a thoroughly gripping story that I finished in a single sitting. The paperback copy that I owned contained the 1961 revised text, and while I enjoyed reading it, it left me wanting to read the 1931 original version. In this book, Nancy finds herself enmeshed in multiple mysterious circumstances at different locations, all in a single day – a perfume saleswoman who is reluctant to sell the Blue Jade perfume to Bess, a mysterious encounter with a shady stranger on the train, a farm girl whose grandmother is being bullied into selling her farm, and a message written in a secret code that Nancy finds in an office owned by a dubious organisation. If you are acquainted with the early Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew novels, you can easily surmise that all of these instances are connected in one way or another. But it isn't the destination that solely matters – it is the journey that makes the experience much more enjoyable.
Nancy is a great character, and she is almost perfect in all ways possible. She is a great sleuth, has a charming personality and a helping nature, and she is quite handy with first-aid. George and Bess, her two friends, offer a somewhat realistic touch to a world inhabited by a protagonist who was created to be a paragon of perfection. I loved the antagonist-yet-affectionate bickering between George and Bess, but I think that Bess, more often than not, gets the short end of the stick. I do feel bad for Bess – it is as if she was created to be the frivolous, dumb friend of the group, who, despite having her heart in the right place, becomes the butt of George's jokes.
In conclusion, I had a great time reading this book. It was an engaging mystery, with weird cults and secret codes thrown into the mix, and I devoured it within a matter of few hours. If most of the earlier Nancy Drew books are almost as good as this one, I'm quite excited to explore more of these in the days to come!
“The slightest mistake will mean detection!” Nancy thought, her heart pounding. Waiting for the right moment, she suddenly slipped out among the white-robed figures and instantly began waving her arms and making grotesque motions.
Rating: 4.25/5.
Review:
It has been a long time since I last read a Nancy Drew novel. Considering the large number of Hardy Boys books I have read over the last couple of decades, it is shameful to say that the number of Nancy Drew books that I have read can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Perhaps this happened because of the misconception that Hardy Boys Mystery stories were aimed at boys while the Nancy Drew Mysteries served as stories for girls – a misconception that has been ingrained in our minds since our early school days. Considering how I have come to enjoy the Nancy Drew stories that I have read over the last few years, I'm glad to have given these a chance, and I shall continue to read more of these in the coming months.
The Secret of the Red Gate Farm was a thoroughly gripping story that I finished in a single sitting. The paperback copy that I owned contained the 1961 revised text, and while I enjoyed reading it, it left me wanting to read the 1931 original version. In this book, Nancy finds herself enmeshed in multiple mysterious circumstances at different locations, all in a single day – a perfume saleswoman who is reluctant to sell the Blue Jade perfume to Bess, a mysterious encounter with a shady stranger on the train, a farm girl whose grandmother is being bullied into selling her farm, and a message written in a secret code that Nancy finds in an office owned by a dubious organisation. If you are acquainted with the early Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew novels, you can easily surmise that all of these instances are connected in one way or another. But it isn't the destination that solely matters – it is the journey that makes the experience much more enjoyable.
Nancy is a great character, and she is almost perfect in all ways possible. She is a great sleuth, has a charming personality and a helping nature, and she is quite handy with first-aid. George and Bess, her two friends, offer a somewhat realistic touch to a world inhabited by a protagonist who was created to be a paragon of perfection. I loved the antagonist-yet-affectionate bickering between George and Bess, but I think that Bess, more often than not, gets the short end of the stick. I do feel bad for Bess – it is as if she was created to be the frivolous, dumb friend of the group, who, despite having her heart in the right place, becomes the butt of George's jokes.
In conclusion, I had a great time reading this book. It was an engaging mystery, with weird cults and secret codes thrown into the mix, and I devoured it within a matter of few hours. If most of the earlier Nancy Drew books are almost as good as this one, I'm quite excited to explore more of these in the days to come!
September 5, 2025
Rating: 4.3 / 5
Much as there are several things that I really enjoyed about this one--particularly the whole setup with the "cult"--I will admit that this mystery is a bit...flimsier in terms of how it's set up.
What I mean by that is that you have to believe some pretty incredible coincidences for how Nancy gets involved with this one, with just a few too many things fitting just perfectly in place in a certain way for it to be fully...well, believable. Like...A, B, C, and D are all seemingly unrelated events, and yet Nancy stumbles onto all of them and somehow manages to put the pieces together. It just seems to me like it takes more a stroke of luck than sleuthing, and that's not quite what I like to expect from Nancy Drew.
However, I will give the story credit for having a few twists and turns in terms of how to connect those pieces together, as I couldn't claim that I always knew where the story was going. Likewise, I did like seeing Nancy actually break a code as well, as that's just something that you'd expect an amateur sleuth to do, no?
Ultimately though, this story just about hits the middle ground for me in terms of the mysteries that I've read from Nancy Drew so far, in particular because at the end, by all accounts Nancy should have been doomed this time, and it almost felt like a deus-ex-machina moment to have her saved at the end. But, ah well!
My Ranking of the Nancy Drew Series (so far)
1. The Bungalow Mystery (Book 3)
2. The Secret of the Old Clock (Book 1)
3. The Secret of Red Gate Farm (Book 6)
4. The Secret of Shadow Ranch (Book 5)
5. The Hidden Staircase (Book 2)
6. The Mystery at Lilac Inn (Book 4)
Much as there are several things that I really enjoyed about this one--particularly the whole setup with the "cult"--I will admit that this mystery is a bit...flimsier in terms of how it's set up.
What I mean by that is that you have to believe some pretty incredible coincidences for how Nancy gets involved with this one, with just a few too many things fitting just perfectly in place in a certain way for it to be fully...well, believable. Like...A, B, C, and D are all seemingly unrelated events, and yet Nancy stumbles onto all of them and somehow manages to put the pieces together. It just seems to me like it takes more a stroke of luck than sleuthing, and that's not quite what I like to expect from Nancy Drew.
However, I will give the story credit for having a few twists and turns in terms of how to connect those pieces together, as I couldn't claim that I always knew where the story was going. Likewise, I did like seeing Nancy actually break a code as well, as that's just something that you'd expect an amateur sleuth to do, no?
Ultimately though, this story just about hits the middle ground for me in terms of the mysteries that I've read from Nancy Drew so far, in particular because at the end, by all accounts Nancy should have been doomed this time, and it almost felt like a deus-ex-machina moment to have her saved at the end. But, ah well!
My Ranking of the Nancy Drew Series (so far)
1. The Bungalow Mystery (Book 3)
2. The Secret of the Old Clock (Book 1)
3. The Secret of Red Gate Farm (Book 6)
4. The Secret of Shadow Ranch (Book 5)
5. The Hidden Staircase (Book 2)
6. The Mystery at Lilac Inn (Book 4)
January 28, 2024
Much like “Bungalow,” this one kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. 👏🏻 So close to five stars, more like a 4.5 than a 4.
Also personally amusing was thinking how yesterday’s “counterfeiters” would be today’s gift card scammers or something similar.
And, unfortunately, the Bess “fat” jokes continue, a true marker of the time these were written in. Prevents me from fully immersing myself in the story.
Also personally amusing was thinking how yesterday’s “counterfeiters” would be today’s gift card scammers or something similar.
And, unfortunately, the Bess “fat” jokes continue, a true marker of the time these were written in. Prevents me from fully immersing myself in the story.
November 5, 2022
Another great Nancy Drew mystery!! Perhaps one of my new favorites.
January 30, 2025
Albeit being a rather slow burn, it was still quite enjoyable. Definitely on the cozier side when it comes to the Nancy Drew books published in the 30’s.
Read
May 21, 2020Kitty-böcker är min guilty pleasure, så stå ut med att jag nu lägger in alla jag läst på goodreads:)
February 7, 2017
#6 in my Nancy Drew read project!
"The Secret of Red Gate Farm" was a solid entry in this mystery series. I randomly got the "Just As You Remember Them" version when I put a hold on it at the library - I actually secretly prefer these 1930s editions when I can get them, because I like reading the old-timey language (and sometimes laughing at the old-timey language). The only downer with that is that they are almost always completely different from the story in the yellow hardback editions, and I'm unwilling to read the same "book" twice for a different story, so this is the one I got!
In this episode, Nancy and her friends help a girl named Millie and her grandmother out by boarding at Red Gate Farm for the summer to give the pair some extra money - they aren't doing well financially and will have to give up the farm if they can't make their mortgage payments. Millie's grandmother also leases part of her land to a so-called "Nature Cult" to hold secret meetings in exchange for rent. These "meetings" usually consist of the members running around making spooky sounds while wearing sheets, and then entering a cave to do who-knows-what. Nancy thinks it would be intriguing to infiltrate the cult and find out what they do; hence a mystery is born.
The farm setting was nice and idyllic, full of farm things you'd expect like herding cows and milking and playing horseshoes along with the mystery. There's a lot more violence and danger in the "Just As You Remember Them" series as opposed to the more cleaned-up yellow hardbacks, so that may have made it more interesting than its counterpart. My main complaint with the story was the subtle and sometimes overt racism that comes along with reading a book from the 1930s - Nancy and her friends run into a shady perfume store girl who is definitely a shady trickster, but they almost seem to be more wary of her because she is Asian than because she is shady. The picture of the cult on the cover also looks suspiciously like the KKK... although very thankfully that's not what the cult is at all (I think I audibly sighed with relief at that point, because I wouldn't put it past the 1930s).
The mystery also wasn't as interesting as some of the ones I've read thus far, such as the excellent "The Secret of the Old Clock" and "The Secret of Shadow Ranch" (5 stars) or "The Hidden Staircase" (4 stars) so I'm giving it 3 stars. I'm trying to be fairly judicious with my star ratings, as I think I have like 60 or so of these bad boys to read before I'm done with my project.
"The Secret of Red Gate Farm" was a solid entry in this mystery series. I randomly got the "Just As You Remember Them" version when I put a hold on it at the library - I actually secretly prefer these 1930s editions when I can get them, because I like reading the old-timey language (and sometimes laughing at the old-timey language). The only downer with that is that they are almost always completely different from the story in the yellow hardback editions, and I'm unwilling to read the same "book" twice for a different story, so this is the one I got!
In this episode, Nancy and her friends help a girl named Millie and her grandmother out by boarding at Red Gate Farm for the summer to give the pair some extra money - they aren't doing well financially and will have to give up the farm if they can't make their mortgage payments. Millie's grandmother also leases part of her land to a so-called "Nature Cult" to hold secret meetings in exchange for rent. These "meetings" usually consist of the members running around making spooky sounds while wearing sheets, and then entering a cave to do who-knows-what. Nancy thinks it would be intriguing to infiltrate the cult and find out what they do; hence a mystery is born.
The farm setting was nice and idyllic, full of farm things you'd expect like herding cows and milking and playing horseshoes along with the mystery. There's a lot more violence and danger in the "Just As You Remember Them" series as opposed to the more cleaned-up yellow hardbacks, so that may have made it more interesting than its counterpart. My main complaint with the story was the subtle and sometimes overt racism that comes along with reading a book from the 1930s - Nancy and her friends run into a shady perfume store girl who is definitely a shady trickster, but they almost seem to be more wary of her because she is Asian than because she is shady. The picture of the cult on the cover also looks suspiciously like the KKK... although very thankfully that's not what the cult is at all (I think I audibly sighed with relief at that point, because I wouldn't put it past the 1930s).
The mystery also wasn't as interesting as some of the ones I've read thus far, such as the excellent "The Secret of the Old Clock" and "The Secret of Shadow Ranch" (5 stars) or "The Hidden Staircase" (4 stars) so I'm giving it 3 stars. I'm trying to be fairly judicious with my star ratings, as I think I have like 60 or so of these bad boys to read before I'm done with my project.
October 27, 2012
This was the first Nancy drew book i read.It was so interesting I finished it in one or a few hours.It has mystery,perfume,"ghosts"and more.It all starts when Bess buys a bottle of oriental perfume sold by a hesitant woman.On the train ride to river heights,she accidentally spilled some on Nancy.Then a girl across their aisle faints.Nancy then gets a cup of water.on the way she encounters a man who smells the perfume then says "Any word from the chief?". That is the start of Nancy's adventures.How Nancy solves the mystery of red gate farm makes an intriguing and exciting read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 719 reviews