Brief Reviews of Nancy Drew #88 through 92

I took a long break from reading the Nancy Drew Digests.  I read #88-92 before taking the break, but I made very few notes.  While I could take the time to write up proper reviews, I will get on with my reviews much faster if I keep #88-92 brief based on what notes I made. 

The title of Nancy Drew #88, The Search for Cindy Austin, pretty much summarizes the plot.  Nancy searches for Cindy Austin.  See?  Nice and easy.  This book takes place in River Heights, which is nice because so many of the books take place in distant locations.

On page 12, Cindy has disappeared.  The Austins have a security detail consisting of three people who are near the family at all times.  One of them asks what Cindy was wearing.  This took me aback, since I thought that his job was to be observant and aware of his surroundings.

I had some trouble getting into the story at the beginning because Cindy is so obnoxious.  Soon, the book had me, and I read through the entire book very quickly.

A scene near the end of the story involving cheerleaders is very amusing.

In Nancy Drew #89, The Case of the Disappearing Deejay, popular deejay Dan Wildman has disappeared while on the air.  Heck, even this book tells the plot in the title.  How nice!

On page 18, Nancy decides to begin checking typewriters in order to find the typewriter upon which the kidnapper's note was typed.  This book was published in 1989, and many people still used typewriters instead of computers.  I know I did.

I enjoyed reading The Case of the Disappearing Deejay.

In Nancy Drew #90, The Puzzle at Pineview School, George helps coach a girls' soccer team that plans to compete in the Canadian Cup.  A pair of brooches that was to be sold to benefit the team goes missing.  The mother of one team member is accused of the theft, while other players taunt her daughter.  Nancy must discover who stole the brooches.

I took no notes about this book, so all I can report is that I enjoyed the story.

In Nancy Drew #91, The Girl Who Couldn't Remember, Nancy, Bess, and George help a girl named Toby who has amnesia and has been accused of theft.  Toby is in danger, and the girls protect her while seeking answers.

I also took no notes about this book.  I do recall that I had trouble getting into the story in the early chapters.  I believe that since this story involves someone with amnesia that I couldn't help thinking of The Swami's Ring, which I dislike.  Once I got past my instinctive dislike because of The Swami's Ring, I was able to enjoy the story.

In Nancy Drew #92, The Ghost of Craven Cove,  Miss Braden, Nancy's third-grade teacher, asks Nancy, Bess, and George to come to Maine to help her niece, Laura.  Laura's father drowned six months before, but his body was never found.  Laura believes that her father is still alive and has supposedly even seen him.

This story starts out a bit strange, as though the author wasn't sure how to get started.  On page 4, Nancy wonders why Miss Braden asked them to come, since her letter did not mention a specific reason.  Nancy thinks that Miss Braden has a mystery, yet she is puzzled.  She thinks that Miss Braden would have no possible way of knowing that Nancy is a detective.  This type of stupidity on Nancy's part is more like the Nancy of the Girl Detective or Diaries series.  Use your brain, Nancy!

Many previous Nancy Drew Digest books have mentioned Nancy Drew's fame.  She has been written up in many newspapers.  Not only that, why on earth would Nancy not consider that Miss Braden might just possibly still be in contact with people from River Heights?  Also, Nancy, teachers do tend to be interested in the exploits of their former students.  Really, girl!

So two pages later, the girls talk to Miss Braden.  Guess what?  She knows about Nancy's detective skills from people back home and from the River Heights newspaper, which she receives.  Stupid, stupid.

Nancy is still in her strange, stupid, helpless frame of mind on page 13.  Laura asks Nancy to help find her father.  Nancy hesitates, saying that there is no evidence of a crime.  When has that stopped Nancy?  Nancy also remarks, "I don't know this area very well."  What?!  Lame!  Nancy, if you don't want to help the poor girl, at least come up with a better excuse.  There are things called maps.  Besides, you've been all over the world.  When has being in a strange place ever stopped you?

Also strange is that Nancy was put in this same position in #73 Enemy Match.  In both books, a girl or young woman believes that her father is still alive.  In both cases, he drowned, and his body was not found.  Nancy has no trouble looking for the father in Enemy Match, but in this book, she is most reluctant.

Once the reader gets past the stupid introductory chapters of this book, the story is quite good.