Koffee & Kpop

Russell H. Tandy cover sourced from this amazing article. Other covers sourced here.

#2, The Hidden Staircase

In the second book, we meet Nancy again, and this time her friend Helen has a mystery for her to solve. Her great-grandmother’s house is being haunted by a ghost!

While Nancy is investigating, her father is working on his own case concerning a railroad contract–but someone will go to any length to prevent him from uncovering the truth.

The 1959 rewrite changed several things, including the last name Gombet to Gomber. The revolver given to Nancy by her father is also written out of the revised edition, which is a pity. The book could have used a little more danger and gun-slinging.

According to Wikipedia, this was the personal favorite book of Mildred Benson that she wrote.

There is a slur in the first few chapters for a Roma person, but I would not have expected that to have been known back in 1959.

The foreshadowing in this book is better than in the first, and the story seems to move along at an easier pace. It was definitely a more enjoyable experience, but perhaps that’s because I already had one Nancy Drew book under my belt so I knew what kind of language and pacing to expect. I thought it was quite strange how Nancy seems to be more involved in solving the ghost mystery than the fact her father is missing.

All in all, a much better book than the first.

There were a few stand-out lines that get honorable mentions:

“The mood was contagious and soon Miss Flora seemed to have forgotten about her mansion being haunted.” (A good party, indeed.)

“You’re not going to break in?” Helen asked, horrified. // Her friend smiled. “No, Helen, I’m not going to evade the law.” (Because of course, Nancy Drew wouldn’t do that!)

Phrase of the Book

“Of all the nerve!”

Foods Mentioned

• “sherbet glasses filled with orange and grapefruit slices”
• “delicious dinner of spring lamb, rice and mushrooms, fresh peas and chocolate angel cake with vanilla ice cream”
• “chicken salad, biscuits, and fruit gelatin”
• “steak and French fried potatoes, fresh peas, and yummy floating island for dessert”
• “split-pea soup”  
• “custard pie”
• “steaming chicken bouillon, a thin slice of well-toasted bread, and a saucer of plain gelatin”

Outfits

• “sports shirts and jeans”
• “rose velvet robe”
• “pale-green silk down with the panniers”
• “man’s purple velvet suit… knee breeches and the waistcoat had a lace-ruffled front… tricorn hat, long white stockings, and buckled slippers”*

*A suitcase full of costume clothes is found in the attic. These are put on by the other character, Helen, but Nancy wears the pale-green silk dress.