Judy Bolton Series Final Thoughts

I read the first three Judy Bolton books for the first time in the fall of 1991.  This was in the first six months that I collected series books.  I had found those three books in tweed editions at different times in antique shops.  The Haunted Attic was the very first Judy Bolton book I purchased, and I did so because the dust jacket reminded me of the Nancy Drew dust jackets.  I soon thereafter found tweed copies of The Vanishing Shadow and The Invisible Chimes and read all three of them.  I thoroughly enjoyed all three of them and hoped to complete my set eventually.

I was able to purchase most of the books by 1997.  For the higher-numbered titles, I purchased the Aeonian reprints.  I read through the set, except for the three books that I did not have which were #14, 21, and 32.

After I finally finished my set in 1998, I read through the entire set.  This means that I had read the first three titles three times apiece and most of the set twice.  As far as I know, I enjoyed all of the books.  I never recall thinking anything negative about any of them.

Around 15 years ago, I put together the Judy Bolton page on my website.  At that time, I at least partially read some books again in order to write summaries of them.  In the intervening time, I did not touch the books.  I had read the opinions of others, and I now realize that those opinions influenced my memories.

I did clearly remember #22 and #23 as my two favorite titles in the series.  Influenced by others, I thought that I didn't like #1 and #8.  I thought the series was weak from #30 through #38.

After reading the books again in late 2018, I was surprised by how much my opinion of many of the books changed.  I ended up liking some books more than I ever did before, and I ended up disliking some books that I had previously enjoyed.

Here is a list of how I rank the books.

  1. The Vanishing Shadow, 1932 - excellent
  2. The Haunted Attic, 1932 - very good
  3. The Invisible Chimes, 1932 - very good
  4. Seven Strange Clues, 1932 - very good
  5. The Ghost Parade, 1933 - good
  6. The Yellow Phantom, 1933 - excellent
  7. The Mystic Ball, 1934 - good
  8. The Voice in the Suitcase, 1935 - good
  9. The Mysterious Half Cat, 1936 - somewhat good
10. The Riddle of the Double Ring, 1937 - good
11. The Unfinished House, 1938 - very good
12. The Midnight Visitor, 1939 - very good
13. The Name on the Bracelet, 1940 - excellent
14. The Clue in the Patchwork Quilt, 1941 - excellent
15. The Mark on the Mirror, 1942 - very good
16. The Secret of the Barred Window, 1943 - very good
17. The Rainbow Riddle, 1946 - do not like
18. The Living Portrait, 1947 - good
19. The Secret of the Musical Tree, 1948 -  excellent
20. The Warning on the Window, 1949 - excellent
21. The Clue of the Stone Lantern, 1950 - excellent
22. The Spirit of Fog Island, 1951 - excellent
23. The Black Cat's Clue, 1952 - excellent
24. The Forbidden Chest, 1953 - very good
25. The Haunted Road, 1954 - do not like
26. The Clue in the Ruined Castle, 1955 - very good
27. The Trail of the Green Doll, 1956 - do not like
28. The Haunted Fountain, 1957 - very good
29. The Clue of the Broken Wing, 1958 - very good
30. The Phantom Friend, 1959 - do not like
31. The Discovery at the Dragon's Mouth, 1960 - good
32. The Whispered Watchword, 1961 - do not like
33. The Secret Quest, 1962 - very good
34. The Puzzle in the Pond, 1963 - good
35. The Hidden Clue, 1964 - do not like
36. The Pledge of the Twin Knights, 1965 - excellent
37. The Search for the Glowing Hand, 1966 - excellent
38. The Secret of the Sand Castle, 1967 - excellent

The Vanishing Shadow is often mentioned as being a boring book where nothing happens.  I did not find it boring at all.  I found the story thoroughly engaging, and my reading experience was enhanced by reading all three versions and comparing them.  The suspense about the dam possibly breaking and Judy's great fear are what make the story compelling.

I now like The Voice in the Suitcase better than I once did.  I still find the messy house a bit disgusting.  The lengthy performance near the end of the story bores me, but otherwise, I like the book now.

My opinion of The Mysterious Half Cat went down.  The story is strange and not very compelling.

I have always had trouble remembering the titles of #13 through 16.  I'm not sure why, but it's like they were never memorable to me and all blended together.  For that reason, I have had a negative opinion of that group of books in the years since I read them.  After all, I couldn't remember them.  If I couldn't remember them, then I concluded that I didn't like them.

I still find #16 The Secret of the Barred Window to be a bit depressing, but the book is very good.  #13 through 15 are rather good books, so hopefully I will be able to remember them now—or maybe not.  Several times in the last month I have mentally reviewed those titles to see if I can remember them.  I continue to struggle and have to think really hard about them before I can recall the titles.  I can quickly recall every title in the series outside of that group easily in order with no struggle.

I believe I liked #17 The Rainbow Riddle the first time I ever read it.  The next time I read it, I didn't find it very interesting.  This time I found it boring and did not like it at all.  Other readers consider it their very favorite title.  I suspect that those readers who love the book happen to love sentimental books.  I don't enjoy reading chapter after chapter of sentimentality about Judy and Peter getting married.  Very little happens in the book aside from the wedding and honeymoon trip.

The main Roberta books, #18 through 21, are overall as good as ever.  My opinion of #18 went down significantly, but my opinion of #19 through 21 increased considerably.

#22 and #23 were formerly my favorite titles in the series.  I still consider them excellent, but they are no longer necessarily my favorite books.

I no longer like #25 The Haunted Road.  This time I found it boring with the plot creeping along at a snail's pace.

I had a negative opinion of #29 The Clue of the Broken Wing, but this time, I found it excellent.

I have never been very fond of #30 The Phantom Friend, and I liked it even less this time.

I like #31 through #34 much less than I once did.  #32 is excruciating.

I have never liked #35 The Hidden Clue very much.  This time was no exception.

The series ends strong with all of #36 through #38 being quite good.  It's unusual for a series to end with really strong books.

I very much regret that Peter ever became an FBI agent.  I wish he had remained a lawyer.  Peter being in the FBI gives him a superiority over Judy that is a bit obnoxious at times.  He also keeps secrets from her because of his job, and that is also obnoxious.  I do not like it.

I find the Judy Bolton series to be a bit uneven.  Margaret Sutton wrote the books over the course of 35 years that included much change in her personal life.  Furthermore, Margaret Sutton had different editors over the years, and each editor had different expectations about the books.

The series can be divided into four parts.  In #1-10, Judy goes to school and is caught in a love triangle between Peter and Arthur.  These mysteries tend to be quite odd.  In #11-16, Judy is engaged to Peter, and he is an attorney.  In #17-21, Roberta lives with Judy and Peter and is like their daughter.  In #22-38, Judy's adventures tend to involve various friends and sometimes Peter's cases.

For readers wishing to try out the series, no single book will be representative of all of the books due to the variance in premise and style.  My suggestions for the very best titles to try are #18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 36, and 38.  These titles are the ones that would most easily be enjoyed by people who have never read a Judy Bolton book before and have no knowledge of the series.

Judy Bolton #38 The Secret of the Sand Castle and #39 The Strange Likeness

In Judy Bolton #38, The Secret of the Sand Castle, Roxy asks Judy to inspect a property on Fire Island that she is supposed to inherit.  Judy visits the property, known as the Sand Castle, along with Irene, Flo, and Pauline.  The girls only intend to visit for the afternoon, but a misunderstanding causes them to be stranded for days.  The Sand Castle is reputedly haunted by the ghost of a dead woman, and Judy even sees her!

The book opens with a fast car almost hitting Blackberry.  The driver looks just like Peter.  Margaret Sutton intended for the next title in the series to be about Peter's double, and this scene sets it up.

I like that Peter is only present at the beginning and end of the story.  Judy gets to solve a mystery on her own with her friends.  The atmosphere is spooky.  The girls are alone on a mostly deserted island with few people around.

This is an excellent book and a strong ending to the series.

The Strange Likeness was published in 2012 by Margaret Sutton's estate.  It was written by Kate Duvall and Beverly Hatfield.  The book uses the title planned by Margaret Sutton to be the 39th title in the series.  Sutton never wrote that book, since the series was canceled after the publication of #38.

In Judy Bolton #39, The Strange Likeness, Judy witnesses a jewelry theft by a man who looks exactly like Peter!  Judy keeps seeing the man, and she tells Peter about him.  Peter reveals that he is working on a case that involves his double, but he cannot give Judy any details.  Judy continues to see Peter's double, and Judy worries about what might happen.

Page six mentions how Lorraine and Arthur are living in Europe for a year.  This is good continuity, since Arthur and Lorraine are in Europe for a year at the end of the original series.

Pages 15 and 16 remind the reader about Peter's double almost running over Blackberry at the beginning of The Secret of the Sand Castle.  By mentioning events from the previous title, this book reads like it is part of the original series.

This is a very good book.

Judy Bolton #37 The Search for the Glowing Hand

In Judy Bolton #37, The Search for the Glowing Hand, Judy finds a frightened boy hiding in her house.  The boy is scared because he has been blamed for setting off a fire alarm, which resulted in firefighters being led away from the actual fire.  The boys swears that he is innocent.

Meanwhile, a group known as the Wasps is infiltrating the local schools, getting the students to protest against outsiders living near them.  In particular, the Wasps are against anyone who is not Christian or Caucasian.  Judy searches for the people who are in charge of the group.

On pages 11 and 12, Judy and Horace discuss how Peter became an FBI agent.

"And business school was just something to finish fast so I could work for Peter, and then he joined the FBI—"

"To please you, sis.  You know that was why he joined, don't you?  If you hadn't made such a fuss over Mr. Trent because he was a G-man, Peter might still have his little law office in Roulsville."

"I'd never seen an FBI agent before.  I guess I was a little childish about it," Judy admitted.  "I didn't mean to push Peter into a job that would take him away from me all the time."

This is the second time that Judy has expressed regret about Peter becoming an FBI agent.  I have to wonder whether Margaret Sutton regretted that decision.  I certainly do.  I wish Peter had remained in his law office with Judy helping him.

The previous book, The Pledge of the Twin Knights, mentions characters and scenes from the Oz books.  This book has a character named Oz and mentions the name Ozma.

The cover art was painted by Rudy Nappi.  This is the only Judy Bolton book done by Nappi.  It is believed that the cover art for The Search for the Glowing Hand was originally intended to be the cover of one of the revised text Nancy Drew books, possibly The Secret in the Old Attic.  The cover actually used on The Secret in the Old Attic is seen at the left.

The quality of the cover art for The Search for the Glowing Hand is not as good as Nappi's usual work.  I wonder if that is the reason the cover was not used on Nancy Drew and was then recycled for one of the other series.

The glowing hand was likely added to the cover painting later when it was used for this book instead.

A lot happens in this book.  I feel that the plot could easily have been enough for two books with perhaps the story continuing through both books.  One book could have featured the boy accused of the false alarm, and the other could have focused on the growing unrest in Farringdon.

This is a thoroughly engaging book.  It is excellent.

Judy Bolton #36 The Pledge of the Twin Knights

In Judy Bolton #36, The Pledge of the Twin Knights, Judy and Honey join the chess club at its meeting in one of the conference rooms of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company.  Judy considers the location to be strange and wonders whether any of the members could discover the company's secrets.

Horace and Donald are called back to the newspaper during the meeting, and Judy's disquiet grows.  She seeks out a radio, learning from the news that 10 prisoners have escaped.  Judy's new friend, Lorna, acts strange, and Judy wonders if she knows something.  Later, Judy learns that her father is missing.

A baby swallowed a screw, and Dr. Bolton is supposed to remove the screw by dropping a magnet down the esophagus.  Since Dr. Bolton is missing, the hospital decides to wait until Dr. Bolton is found before doing anything about the screw.  What if Dr. Bolton is never found?  What if they end up waiting too long?  The hospital's decision seems strange to me.

This story is quite compelling, since Dr. Bolton is missing.  This is an excellent book.

Judy Bolton #34 The Puzzle in the Pond and #35 The Hidden Clue

In Judy Bolton #34, The Puzzle in the Pond, Judy discovers a piece of the Boltons' old furniture from the Roulsville flood in a pond near the Jewell sisters' property.  The pond is upstream from Roulville, so Judy is mystified how the furniture came to be in the pond.  Judy also helps locate a missing boy from a nearby orphanage and hopes to reunite him with his father.

On page 52, the reader learns that the Roulsville flood occurred six years ago, which puts Judy's age at about 21.

On page 142, Blackberry has gone inside an abandoned house.  He will not come when Judy calls him, so she and Peter drive off.  Judy is rather careless with that cat.  Of course, he's supposed to be as smart as a human, so the reader can assume that the cat will be found.  In real life, the cat would end up lost forever.

The ending of this book is more drawn out than I would have liked, and I became quite bored towards the end.  I do like how the book has a connection with the Roulsville flood.

This is an overall very good book, but some parts were not very compelling and bored me.

In Judy Bolton #35, The Hidden Clue, Judy cares for a young sister and brother who have no place to stay after their orphanage burned.  The girl and boy have no names and are known as Sister and Little Brother.  Judy learns about a talking doll that Sister remembers and feels that the doll is a clue to Sister's past.

I do not find Sister to be at all likable, so I was never interested in the story.

This book bored me.  I do not like it, and I have never liked it.

Judy Bolton #32 The Whispered Watchword and #33 The Secret Quest

In Judy Bolton #32, The Whispered Watchword, Judy visits Washington, D.C., with Peter.  They stay in a motel with Blackberry, who disappears shortly after their arrival.  Judy learns that Blackberry was taken to a restaurant by somebody.  Meanwhile, several people who are staying at the motel act strange, and Peter, as usual, knows something about the situation.

I found Judy to be less worried about Blackberry than she should have been.  Judy is concerned, but I would have been completely freaked out if possible gangsters had taken my beloved cat away from me.

I quit reading this book halfway through.  The book is yet another travelogue, and I found it quite boring.

Page 60 of A Guide to Judy Bolton Country contains part of a letter to Margaret Sutton from her editor, Alice Thorne.  Thorne mentions many problems with The Whispered Watchword, among them that the book focuses too much on the sights in Washington.  The book "sounds guide-booky, not a strong Judy Bolton mystery."  I concur.

I do not like this book. 

In Judy Bolton #33, The Secret Quest, Judy and Peter are still in Washington, D.C., and are joined by Honey.  Mercifully, Honey's suitcase gets switched with someone else's, so Judy and Honey leave to find the owners.  No more Washington, D.C.!  Judy discovers quite a mystery at the home of Dorcas and Violetta Jewell.

On page 22, Judy and Honey see the President and his wife.  Honey remarks about how beautiful the First Lady is.  Since this book was published in 1962, the First Lady would have been Jacqueline Kennedy.

A Guide to Judy Bolton Country has a letter on page 62 from Alice Thorne to Margaret Sutton which includes criticism of The Secret Quest.  Thorne concedes, "If you want to start the story in Washington, that's fine, because it will make the readers want to read the previous book."  Since I had already attempted to read the previous book, I was horrified that Judy is still in Washington.  I wanted to escape!

The first one-third of the book is a travelogue, and it bored me.  The story improves greatly once the girls leave Washington.  The last two-thirds of the story is very good.

Judy Bolton #30 The Phantom Friend and #31 The Discovery at the Dragon's Mouth

In Judy Bolton #30, The Phantom Friend, Judy's new friend, Clarissa, claims that she cannot see her reflection in a mirror, so she isn't real.  Judy and her friends tour a television studio.  The girls take turns being shown briefly on one of the studio's televisions.  The screen goes to static during Clarissa's turn, and she goes into hysterics.  Later, Clarissa disappears, and Judy cannot figure out what has happened to her phantom friend.

This book is a travelogue, and I can no longer stand travelogues.  The story also makes a mystery out of nothing and is never very interesting.  I stopped reading the book halfway through.  I do not like this book.

In Judy Bolton #31, The Discovery at the Dragon's Mouth, Judy purchases a corsage made from snapdragons to match one worn by another girl.  Later, Judy is mistaken for that girl and is given a package to deliver at Yellowstone Park.  Judy and Honey decide to drive across the country to Yellowstone so that they can get the package to the proper recipient.

On page 19 at the top, Judy thinks about how Peter doesn't understand how she feels.  "He just didn't seem to realize how much she wanted to be with him and share in his work the way she used to when they worked together in the little law office in Roulsville."  This is exactly why Peter should have remained a lawyer instead of becoming an FBI agent.

This book is also a travelogue, and too much of the story is centered on the travelogue aspect.  The part where the girls drive to Yellowstone bored me.  The story improves once the girls arrive at Yellowstone.

The story is overall good, but I consider it below average for the series.

Judy Bolton #28 The Haunted Fountain and #29 The Clue of the Broken Wing

In Judy Bolton #28, The Haunted Fountain, Judy remembers an old haunted fountain on the Brandt estate.  When Judy was young, the fountain seemingly spoke to her.  Judy and her friends go to the Brandt estate to visit the fountain, and they discover unfriendly tenants who warn them away.  Undaunted, Judy vows to find out who these people are and what they are doing in the Brandts' home.

I like the setting and pretty much everything about this book.  This is a very good book.

In Judy Bolton #29, The Clue of the Broken Wing, Blackberry discovers an broken china wing in Judy's garden.  Thinking little about the broken wing but taking it with her, Judy drives with Peter to New York City to visit Irene, Dale, and little Judy.

Judy is shocked to find that Tower House has been torn down and replaced by apartments.  When Judy inquires in the Lakes' home across the street, she spots a china angel that is missing a wing.  Dumbfounded, Judy discovers that the broken wing matches the angel!  When Mrs. Lake sees the broken wing, Judy is accused of abduction and murder!  Terrified, Judy runs from the Lakes' house.

Page 59 of A Guide to Judy Bolton Country quotes part of a letter to Margaret from her editor, Alice Thorne.  The guide notes that the letter likely refers to The Clue of the Broken Wing.  "You'll think I'm taking pot shots at Peter, but what bothers me is that he seems so cocksure and overbearing with Judy in this story that he isn't as likable as usual; also he tends to take the spotlight away from her."

Peter seems a bit quiet in this book, so I believe that Margaret took out what Alice Thorne didn't like.  There is one scene where Judy is talking to Irene and Dale, and Peter is present but very quiet.  It's almost like he isn't even there.

Even though Peter isn't overbearing in the published book, he is a bit annoying because he knows the solution to the mystery and does not tell Judy.  I wish that Margaret had kept Peter as a lawyer for the duration of the series instead of making him an FBI agent.  I liked the books better when Peter was more open with Judy.

The story is overall very good.

Judy Bolton #26 Clue in the Ruined Castle and #27 Trail of the Green Doll

In Judy Bolton #26, The Clue in the Ruined Castle, Judy and Peter go on a picnic near an old, ruined castle.  The castle is owned by John Dent, who is in a feud with Granny Joerg over some missing money.  John Dent hasn't been seen in some time, and rumors abound that he might be deceased.  The Joerg grandchildren disappear, and Judy helps search for them.

All of the story except for the last 18 pages occurs in just one day.  The story is paced well and is quite interesting.  This is a very good to excellent book.

In Judy Bolton #27, The Trail of the Green Doll, Judy decides to take in boarders, which leads to her becoming acquainted with the Riker family.

Judy learns that some type of green doll was stolen from Mrs. Riker and that the Rikers were planning to visit old Uncle Paul Riker.  Uncle Paul has disappeared, and his house has burned down.  Judy is puzzled by the seemingly disconnected events.

I found it odd that Judy decides to open her home to tourists without asking Peter's opinion.  He lives in the home as well, and he should have input into such an important decision.

This book would not have been a mystery at all if the characters had actually revealed what they knew.  I had read the book before, so I knew the big secret.  The magician is constantly called the "magician" throughout the text, and Margaret did that to hide the truth from the reader.  Also, Peter knows the secret and keeps it from Judy.  I find the whole thing to be obnoxious.  The story is also boring.

I do not like this book.

Judy Bolton #24 The Forbidden Chest and #25 The Haunted Road

In Judy Bolton #24, The Forbidden Chest, Judy goes with Holly to get her belongings from Cousin Cleo's house.  Holly insists on taking a chest that she calls the "forbidden" chest.  The next day, Cousin Cleo accuses Holly of theft, since her antiques have been stolen.  Judy knows that Holly is innocent, since Judy was present.  Holly can prove her innocence by opening the chest, but Holly refuses.  Judy tries to find the thief so that Holly can be cleared.

This is another one of those strange coincidences where Peter's FBI case and Judy's mystery turn out to be the same.

I always liked this cover art until other collectors pointed out the flaws.  I won't point out the problems, but this cover is one that should not be examined too closely if you wish to enjoy it.

I really like that Judy goes west on a train with Hal.  I enjoy her independent adventures.  She is worried, and that makes the story compelling.

This is a very good book.

In Judy Bolton #25, The Haunted Road, Peter learns that Frank Caffero's father, a truck driver, has been threatened.  Peter and Frank unsuccessfully try to prevent Mr. Caffero from being hijacked, and Peter disappears.  The only clues are ghosts—people dressed in sheets—seen on the haunted road where the truck was hijacked.  Judy desperately tries to determine what happened to Peter.

On page 20, the reader learns that the Roulsville dam broke five years ago.  This puts Judy's age at about 20.

This story moves too slowly.  Everything about it creeps along.  The text is full of excessive reminiscing about Judy's past cases.  The reminiscing continues through the entire book.

I began skimming by the last one-third of the book.  The plot moves way too slowly with way too much discussion about what happened on Halloween night.  The discussions are quite realistic to what any of us would do when trying to figure something out, but they are way too boring for a book.

I do not like this book.

Judy Bolton #23 The Black Cat's Clue

In Judy Bolton #23, The Black Cat's Clue, Holly Potter has returned to Roulsville to see her Uncle David Potter during a family reunion, to which she was not invited.  Judy must tell Holly the bad news, that her Uncle David has passed away.  Holly decides to attend the reunion anyway along with Judy masquerading as her sister, Doris.

The girls soon learn that Uncle David's will is missing, and strange sounds come from a locked room inside the house.  Is the house haunted?  And why does Holly keep thinking that she sees Uncle David?

The plot of this book is rather similar to the plot of Penny Nichols and the Mystery of the Lost Key by Mildred Wirt Benson.  Benson wrote the Penny Nichols book under the pseudonym of Joan Clark.  I have read both books.  The main plot points are the same, and anyone who has read either book knows the solution to the other book.

Several years back, a collector stated in a discussion that Sutton copied entire passages from the Penny Nichols book and that The Black Cat's Clue is a "carbon copy" of the Penny Nichols book.  I found no evidence of copied passages.

This time when I read The Black Cat's Clue, I also skimmed through Penny Nichols and the Mystery of the Lost Key.  I read two or three chapters of The Black Cat's Clue, then I skimmed through a few chapters of the Penny Nichols book.  I did not find any passages that are the same.  I also did not find any sentences or phrases that are the same.  I could have missed something minor, but I do not believe any of the text was copied.  Margaret Sutton had to have read the Penny Nichols book and was inspired by it.  She used a number of plot points, but she did not copy the text.  Let's put that to rest.

Page 243 of A Guide to Judy Bolton Country states, "Inspiration unknown, Sutton freely admitted using the basic plot of Penny Nichols and the Mystery of the Lost Key by Joan Clark (Mildred Wirt) as the basis of this story."  That's all it is, no more and no less.

On this reading, I found that this story starts out way too slow.  The banter between Judy and Horace at the beginning of the story is excruciating.  I couldn't stand it.  Once Holly enters the story, the book is excellent.  I still love it, and it has always been one of my favorite Judy Bolton books.

Judy Bolton #22 The Spirit of Fog Island

In Judy Bolton #22, The Spirit of Fog Island, Judy receives a note from Peter while waiting for him on the pier in Chicago.  The note tells Judy that Peter will be waiting for her on the beach of Fog Island on Friday evening.  Judy is mystified, especially since she has never heard of Fog Island.  Judy learns that the island is on an Indian reservation.  She makes the journey and is immediately plunged into a strange mystery.

Margaret Sutton teaches about Indians in this book.  She sets the stage with Judy's thoughts on page 19.

She knew nothing about Indians, really.  What she had learned in school had not greatly impressed her.  Neither had the few Indians she had seen in shows and rodeos.  They were not people to her, but vague shadows out of America's past. 

On page 44, Judy begins to learn that Indians are in fact people just like everyone else.

"They don't teach us much about modern Indians either," Judy said.  "I didn't expect to find you so very much like everyone else," she added rather shyly.

"Do you mean in the way we talk and dress?" Winona inquired.

"I mean in every way," declared Judy.

Judy learns how rude the tourists are to the Indians.  Some of the other girls remark that the Indians were rude to them when they were looking in their windows.  Another girl replies that they were actually trespassing while looking in the windows.  Indeed.  They were also invading the Indians' privacy.

By page 93, Judy understands.

As she walked back toward the government building a feeling of sadness overwhelmed her.

"We took this whole beautiful country away from them and left them so little, so very little," she thought.

After spending hours on Fog Island, Judy is finally back at the inn.  On page 192, Judy reflects, "Somehow, I felt safer with the Indians."

This book is remarkable for how well it teaches about Indians and their culture.  The book is also very spooky, especially when the reader is unaware of what is really happening.  This used to be my favorite Judy Bolton book, but it isn't my favorite now, simply because it has lost the mystique that it once had.  Even so, I still find the book to be excellent.

Judy Bolton #20 Warning on the Window and #21 Clue of the Stone Lantern

In Judy Bolton #20, The Warning on the Window, the construction in Roulsville is being sabotaged.  One man has been killed, and a number of accidents have occurred.  Peter is called to investigate, but he is attacked and nearly buried alive.  While Peter recovers in the hospital, Judy and Roberta investigate.

I rather like that Peter's injury keeps him out of the plot so that Judy can solve the mystery by herself.  Peter gets a bit tiresome when he knows what is going on and doesn't tell Judy.  This time, Peter cannot interfere with Judy's investigation.

This is an excellent book.

In Judy Bolton #21, The Clue of the Stone Lantern, Roberta is transfixed by a picture of a garden shown on a seed package.  At first, Judy doesn't realize the significance, but later, she discovers that Roberta is actually remembering a place from her past.  If Judy can find this garden, she may be able to locate Roberta's family.

I was a bit surprised when Peter refers to Judy's hair as her "titian locks" on page 56.  That word is not used in any other Judy Bolton book, and I have rarely ever seen it used in any series other than Nancy Drew.

This is also an excellent book.

Judy Bolton #19 The Secret of the Musical Tree

In Judy Bolton #19, The Secret of the Musical Tree, Judy and Peter try to visit Roxy at her home in Cleveland, but the maid answers the door, claiming that Roxy is away.  Later, Judy is mistaken for Roxy in a department store, and Judy learns some information that leads her to believe that Roxy is in trouble.  Judy calls Roxy's home and speaks to her, but Roxy is vague and mysterious.  Judy is certain that Roxy is in trouble and must find a way to help her.

The plot of this book is apparently similar to Dorothy Dixon and the Double Cousin.  I have never read the Dorothy Dixon book.  I intended to years ago, but I couldn't stand the writing style of the books.  They did not appeal to me.  I cannot confirm this myself, but a review on Goodreads gives enough information that it is apparent that the plots are indeed similar.

On page 89, Judy requests that Mrs. Bolton drop everything and come to her house to take care of Roberta while she leaves for Cleveland.  "Oh, Dad can take care of himself.  I hate to ask you to drop everything and come, but you'll be coming for Christmas anyway.  In case I'm delayed, you can fix the tree and put the packages around it just the way you always used to at home."

This seems rather presumptuous.  Doesn't Mrs. Bolton have some Christmas preparations of her own?  Not only that, but Judy just expects Mrs. Bolton to set up Judy's Christmas decorations and presents for her.  Wow.

This is an excellent book.

Judy Bolton #17 The Rainbow Riddle and #18 The Living Portrait

In Judy Bolton #17, The Rainbow Riddle, Judy and Peter are married in a double wedding in which Arthur and Lorraine are also married.  Roberta arrives unexpectedly just before the wedding and seems quite afraid that Judy and Peter will be injured.  Roberta disappears with one of the wedding presents, and shortly thereafter, an explosion is heard.  This is passed off as nothing, and Peter acts mysterious.

I can't stand it when Peter keeps rather important details from Judy.  This book isn't even a mystery, and it bored me.  The book is a favorite among many Judy Bolton fans, and those people likely enjoy sentimental books much more than I do.  I want a good mystery and care nothing about sentiment.

I skimmed much of this book.  This is really just a wedding and honeymoon story.  The Rainbow Riddle is now my least favorite book in the series. I do not like it.

In Judy Bolton #18, The Living Portrait, Roberta now lives with Judy and Peter.  She acts as if the portrait in the living room is real and that it talks to her.  She calls the woman her teacher, and Judy doesn't understand what Roberta means.  Prowlers roam around the property at night, and it soon becomes apparent that they want the portrait.  What is special about the portrait?

Why does the portrait, as seen on the cover, look like Judy?  The girl is not supposed to look just like Judy.

This book is interesting at first but then it drags in the middle and towards the end.  Way too much time is spent looking for Blackberry, and I became bored.

Once again, Peter keeps details from Judy, and of course, the case is his instead of hers.  This is supposed to be the Judy Bolton series—not the Peter Dobbs FBI series.

On this reading, I found this story to be a bit slow and uninteresting.  It is still overall good.

Judy Bolton #15 Mark on the Mirror and #16 Secret of the Barred Window

In Judy Bolton #15, The Mark on the Mirror, the girls throw a wedding shower for Judy and Lorraine.  A mirror for Judy is brought to the shower by a masked messenger, and Lorraine is convinced that Arthur gave the present to Judy.

Judy must prove that Lorraine is wrong, and she is certain that the mysterious gift is tied to the mirror that had previously fallen from the wall in the Bolton home.  Who broke it?  And what was the meaning of the mysterious mark on the mirror?

The cover art has always bothered me.  I have never felt that the shape of the back of Judy's hair quite matches what is seen in the mirror.  Blackberry is also messed up.  Blackberry's reflection looks fine, but there's something wrong with the position of Blackberry, his leg, and Judy's hand as they appear before the mirror.  His leg seems to be turned around backwards.  Yikes.

This is a very good book.

In Judy Bolton #16, The Secret of the Barred Window, Judy goes to New York City to purchase her wedding dress.  She stays with Pauline Faulkner.  At Pauline's request, Judy travels with her to Connecticut to search for a missing author.  The girls are unable to find the author, but even worse, Judy loses her wedding dress.

Judy learns that Lorraine is upset once again, and this time, the double wedding may be called off.  Judy must find her dress and the missing author as she tries to find some way to patch up the mess with Lorraine.

Roberta is introduced on page 50.  Roberta will be an important part of the series up through volume 21.

This book is rather depressing.  On my previous readings through the series, I always considered #8 The Voice in the Suitcase to be the most depressing book in the series.  It didn't really bother me this time, though.  Now, I consider this book to be a real downer.  Judy has lost her dress, Lorraine is calling off the wedding, and a strange house has a barred window and muddy tracks on a bed.  Yuck!

This is an overall very good story, but it is depressing.

Judy Bolton #14 The Clue in the Patchwork Quilt

In Judy Bolton #14, The Clue in the Patchwork Quilt, Judy's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Smeed, have passed away, and Judy is going through their belongings.  She discovers that Mrs. Smeed's will is missing, and that a criminal known as Blackie may have taken it.

Meanwhile, Judy finds an old telegram that had apparently had never been seen by her grandparents.  The telegram announces the birth of a baby that must be Judy's cousin.  Judy hopes that she can find this unknown cousin, but soon, she learns that this cousin knows Blackie.

On page 7, Margaret Sutton makes a sly reference to Nancy Drew.

"I'm not very eager to solve the mystery of a missing will," Judy told him.  "In books they're always hidden in old clocks and secret drawers and I'm sure Grandma wouldn't do anything as foolish as that."

On pages 41 and 42, the text mentions the radio that Judy and Horace had given their grandparents for Christmas.  Beverly Hatfield incorporated that gift into the plot of The Mystery on Judy Lane.  Since I had just read that book, reading the mention of the radio really emphasized what an excellent job Beverly Hatfield did with Judy Lane.

Sometimes it seems like Honey Dobbs could have been the inspiration for Honey Wheeler of the Trixie Belden series.  From page 87:

Honey let out a little scream of laughter.

"She's trying to say that if she has a cousin and if the cousin looks like her and if the pocketbook was intended for the cousin and if she's at the lecture and if we can find out what lecture it is and if—"

"Honey, for goodness sake, stop before you have us all crazy," commanded Peter.  "The more ifs you put in, the more complicated this sounds when it may really be a simple matter of Judy's uncle by marriage trying to get possession of the will for his daughter."

I felt like I was slipping into a Trixie Belden book as I read the passage.  The dialogue matches the speech pattern of both Honey Wheeler and Trixie Belden when they think faster than they can talk.  Jim Frayne would have been the one commanding her to stop.  It's perfect.  I mean, it's perfectly perfect.

This is an excellent book.

Judy Bolton #13 The Name on the Bracelet and The Mystery on Judy Lane

In Judy Bolton #13, The Name on the Bracelet, a telegram arrives announcing the birth of Judy Irene Meredith, Judy's namesake and the daughter of Dale and Irene Meredith.  Judy is asked to come to Tower House to be Judy Irene's nursemaid until one can be hired.

After the baby is brought home, Judy is horrified to discover that the bracelet on Judy Irene's wrist belongs to another baby.  The babies were switched!  Judy and Dale frantically begin searching for the other baby while Dale is determined to keep the truth from Irene.  Judy realizes that their lives will be destroyed by the secret, so she vows to find the baby.

This book is rather melodramatic, and I rather wanted to slap Dale at times.  However, the story is excellent and quite compelling.

In November 2018, one final Judy Bolton book, The Mystery on Judy Lane, was published with the permission of Margaret Sutton's family.  This book fits seamlessly between volumes 13 and 14 of the original series by Margaret Sutton.  The book was written by Beverly Hatfield.

In The Mystery on Judy Lane, Judy assists Peter in his law office during the holiday season.  Peter is once again assisting the Piper family—this time with a will.  Meanwhile, Judy shops for Christmas presents, and as she shops, she notices a strange woman spying on her.  Who is this woman, and does she have something to do with the Piper family?

The subplot in which Judy searches for Christmas presents is delightful.  I especially enjoyed getting to know Judy's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Smeed, who really come alive in this book.  I love Judy's gift to her grandparents.  It is quite special.  I was also a little sad knowing that the Smeeds would not live much longer.

In the beginning of the story, I found the references to earlier mysteries to be a bit distracting and seemingly overdone.  The references to past mysteries continue throughout the book, but I found them interesting rather than distracting as I continued reading.

Some time later, after I had read further into the original series, I realized that the writing style and references to past mysteries more closely match Margaret Sutton's style for the later Judy Bolton titles, like #25 and up.  That was my problem, since I had just read #13 and had not reached the later books yet.  Margaret Sutton's style shifted somewhat over the 35 years that she wrote the series.

I am in awe that Beverly Hatfield was able to so closely match Margaret Sutton's writing style.

The book strikes the right tone and meshes quite well with the original series.  This is an excellent addition to the Judy Bolton series that is just as good as the original books.

Judy Bolton #11 The Unfinished House and #12 The Midnight Visitor

In Judy Bolton #11, The Unfinished House, Peter has established his law office in Roulsville, and Judy assists him as his secretary.  Peter is determined to thwart a real estate racket in which unusable narrow strips of land are raffled off, then the winners are coerced into purchasing the adjoining land.

Judy becomes acquainted with the Piper family, winners of one of the strips of land.  Judy and Peter find a way for the Pipers to build a house on the narrow land.  During construction, someone tries to frighten the workers away with strange sounds and threats of the Red Circle.

The book is like a traditional mystery, and the beginning reminds me of the Nancy Drew book, The Clue in the Diary, in which a needy family is brought to the attention of the main characters.

The story is quite suspenseful up until when the secret of the Red Circle is revealed.  That main mystery is revealed by around page 200, and the book is 250 pages long.  The last 50 pages bored me.

Except for the last 50 pages, this is a very good book.

In Judy Bolton #12, The Midnight Visitor, Judy and Peter seek shelter in an empty house during a storm.  They keep hearing noises, and they discover that a girl named Sally is hiding in the house.  Sally goes home with Judy, and Judy soon learns that Sally is related to Kay Vincent's family.  Harry Vincent is trying to take away Sally's inheritance.  Peter and Judy vow to help Sally.

This is a very good book.

Judy Bolton #10 The Riddle of the Double Ring

In Judy Bolton #10, The Riddle of the Double Ring, Judy is shocked when Arthur Farringdon-Pett proposes to her and gives her a ruby engagement ring.  Judy is unsure of what she wants and makes Arthur promise to keep their engagement a secret.  Judy still likes Peter, but she also likes the idea of marrying Arthur.

Lorraine has her own suspicions and decides to try to capture some thieves in order to prove that she is as good as Judy.  Lorraine disappears, and Judy and Arthur begin a desperate search for her whereabouts.

On page 14, Arthur says of Lorraine, "Sometimes I feel like taking her over my knee and giving her a few lessons her mother should have given her sixteen years ago."  Ugh.  Sexism like this did bother me years ago, but it does now.

The middle part of the story bored me somewhat.  This is the part where Judy searches for Lorraine.

Judy's brief engagement to Arthur has always annoyed me, simply because it is so obviously wrong.

I enjoyed the book, except for the parts that bored me.