Super Sleuth Nancy Drew

Having a penchant for mystery novels, it is not surprising that these roots were planted by the infamous Nancy Drew series. As a little girl, I remember thinking Nancy Drew was the most clever "titian blonde" out there - and I wanted to be a private eye just like her, digging up clues and unmasking the bad guys. I found the mysteries ambitious to solve, which placed Nancy high in my esteem. After all, reading mystery novels is like playing Sudoku or tackling the New York Times crossword puzzle - the end result is much more satisfying when a real challenge has been surmounted.

One of my favorite whodunits is The Mystery At Lilac Inn, the fourth volume in Carolyn Keene's series. I devoured the story this Sunday - probably for the first time in over 10 years - while sunning outside, appropriate given that the setting is picturesque Lilac Inn perched on a flowing river and surrounded by quaint little cottages and lilac groves. The book begins with Nancy's visit to her dear friend Emily Willoughby, who is opening the historic inn with her fiancé. Emily's excitement, however, is tainted by her employees' fears that the inn is haunted. To make matters worse, her precious inheritance of beautiful, shimmering diamonds is stolen right out from under her nose at a dinner party. Nancy insists on getting to the bottom of this foul play, which is evidently linked to a serious concern of her own - someone is impersonating Nancy Drew and doing a fine job of it.

Full of adventure and high-risk moments, Nancy Drew's shrewd investigative skills are assayed like never before. Even as a 22-year-old revisiting my childhood sleuth, I found the mystery compelling and was delighted with the 1960's charm incorporated throughout. Nancy is right up there with my favorite, Hercule Poirot, and I can't help but laugh picturing them as associates - a short prying Belgian with a large mustache and a fresh-faced American girl of 18.