Sunday, September 23, 2018

Trixie Belden #25 The Sasquatch Mystery and #26 The Mystery of the Headless Horseman

In Trixie Belden #25, The Sasquatch Mystery, the Bob-Whites and Miss Trask are camping in the woods of Idaho with Hallie, Cap, and Knut Belden.  One evening, the campers spot a very tall creature near camp, a creature that might be the sasquatch!  When Cap Belden vanishes, the Bob-Whites fear that the sasquatch has taken him.

This is a good book, but it isn't as good as it should have been.  I feel that the story could have been more compelling.  Perhaps the problem is simply that I knew that the sasquatch could not possibly be real, so I never felt much suspense.

In Trixie Belden #26, The Mystery of the Headless Horseman, Diana's butler, Harrison, disappears, just before a charity event that he is to help run for the Bob-Whites.  Trixie and Honey follow a trail of clues and discover Harrison locked in the basement of Sleepyside Hollow.  Strangely, Harrison insists that he accidentally locked himself in the basement, when there is no possible way he could have bolted it from the outside.  Trixie begins to suspect that Harrison is guilty of a crime, which puts a strain on her relationship with Di.

This story is interesting since it mimics plot points from Trixie Belden #4, The Mysterious Visitor, as well as some of the other Julie Campbell titles.  In fact, page 149 refers to "Harrison's mysterious visitors."

Like in The Mysterious Visitor, Trixie and Di's relationship is strained because Trixie suspects someone close to Di of being guilty of a crime.  Harrison has a prominent role in both stories.

I also noticed that Trixie and Honey hide in the hayloft of an abandoned barn just like they do in The Red Trailer Mystery.  Last, Reddy causes lots of trouble just like he does in the Julie Campbell books.

This book is excellent.

1 comment:

Sean said...

I know you don't mean it this way, but it seems like you are saying, "The Headless Horseman" copies every pastiche from Julie Campbell's first half-dozen books, boringly rehashing the old plots! That's EXCELLENT! Hehe!

I actually did like the Headless Horseman, but your description might not draw new readers to it (sorry, no offence meant)

I liked the Sasquatch Mystery. Yes, I knew it wasn't real, but in most mystery books, the monster never is. Following along as our heroes figure that out is the exciting part (at least to me)