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The Ghost of Blackwood Hall
The Ghost of Blackwood Hall | Carolyn Keene
26 posts | 24 read | 1 reading | 4 to read
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
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kwmg40
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Pickpick

This was a fun installment, with seances, a spooky mansion and swindlers.
#NancyDrewBR @Librarybelle
#ChristmasCrimeChallenge (famous lead detective) @Ruthiella @RaeLovesToRead

Ruthiella I thought this was a fun one too! Nice work! 🎄🔪💀🎅🏻 (edited) 1w
Librarybelle Yay!! 7d
42 likes2 comments
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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

AITAH?

I Bess (18 f) went on a trip to New Orleans with my friend Nancy (18 f, titan hair.) I wanted to see the sights and sample the local food, but Nancy wanted to work and eat sensible meals the entire time. AITAH?

I enjoyed this #NancyDrewBR - it had quicksand so how could I not? Thanks for leading us @Librarybelle

Ruthiella Great review! 😂😂😂 1w
Bette 🤣 1w
Librarybelle This is hilarious! I love your review!! 1w
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

I think this is my favorite one to date! We had at least one off-page #NNK, kidnappings, near-drownings, ghosts, mediums, and QUICKSAND!!!!!!! Seriously, this was absolutely DELIGHTFUL. Ned and Carson both had a lot more page time. Bess, George, Hannah, and even Nancy‘s dog got in on the action. There was the obligatory fat-shaming of Bess early on, but no harmful racist language or stereotypes. So 👏🏻Much 👏🏻Fun!
#nancydrewbr

Ruthiella I agree! I thought this was a fun one. 1w
Librarybelle Yay!!! 1w
43 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
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QUICKSAND!! 🤣🤣🤣

#nancydrewbr

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DebinHawaii
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Pickpick

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

I finished this one last weekend for #NancyDrewBR & while not my favorite Nancy Drew, it was entertaining. This one is less about a ghost in Blackwood Hall than it is about a gang of scheming crooks fleecing people out of money & jewels through the lens of the spirit world. Slight Spoilers Ahead*** Nancy faces lots of danger in this one including quicksand (childhood fears unlocked!), being locked in an elevator in ⬇️

DebinHawaii … the haunted house & getting knocked out which puts the Nancy Noggin Knockout counter #NNK at 11/25 books. So still concerned about Nancy‘s brain health. 🤕 Anyway, overall it was a solid entry in the series. 1w
Librarybelle Yay! 1w
DieAReader 🤕Poor Nancy! 1w
41 likes3 comments
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Librarybelle
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It‘s time for our #NancyDrewBR discussion! I have 6 questions posted as spoilers. You can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag.

Next month, we learn about The Clue of the Leaning Chimney which involves thievery and missing pottery experts.

Ruthiella I‘m just finishing the last two chapters! 1w
Librarybelle So weird—the tagging timed out on me, and so I had to post the remaining list in comments. If you‘re not tagged and should be, I‘m so sorry! Technology seems to be a little hairy today (I got bloodwork done this morning, and the system crashed on my patient account, which meant no one else could get their bloodwork done until IT fixed the issue. Yikes). 1w
33 likes4 comments
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Librarybelle
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6. We talked about the mysteries, but let's talk about the adventures. Haunted houses and quicksand come to mind! Any thoughts on these? #NancyDrewBR

BarkingMadRead The quicksand was a bit crazy, but definitely a popular thing at that time! 1w
Ruthiella Quicksand was one of my irrational fears as a child. This book doesn‘t quite outdo the puma attack and exploding oranges in “The Moss Covered Mansion” or the submarine in “Mystery of the Lilac Inn” but it‘s still pretty good adventure-wise. (edited) 1w
DebinHawaii @Ruthiella Mine too! The quicksand was nuts! I‘m pretty sure my conviction I would get trapped in it some day was spurred on by mysteries. Also we know River Heights is the land of plenty but just how many abandoned “haunted” mansions does it have?! All have secret passages too. 🤔👻 Exploding oranges 💥🍊💥 & the wild animals & steaming pool in the evil genius‘s lair will always out crazy the other antics for me! 🤣🤣🤣 1w
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CogsOfEncouragement The quicksand made me smile. 1w
DGRachel The quicksand was definitely a standout. I enjoy a good haunted mansion with secret rooms, so I loved all of those investigations around the mansion here. And yes @DebinHawaii how many mansions can one town have?!? 🤣🤣 I don‘t think anything will top those exploding oranges, though. 1w
Bookwormjillk We all must be around the same age given how the quicksand made something click in all of our brains. It was such a thing at a certain point in my life. 1w
kwmg40 The quicksand incident was pretty exciting, though it seemed a totally random addition that didn't connect to the rest of the plot. 1w
8 likes7 comments
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Librarybelle
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5. We meet up again with Togo briefly! I had to look when we last saw the dog, and it seems Togo was mentioned in The Whispering Statue book (book 14). Kind of odd we have not seen him since then.

Besides the furry character, any thoughts on the characters in this book? I did not that Bess was referred to as “plump“ a few times. #NancyDrewBR

BarkingMadRead They are way too hard on Bess! 1w
Ruthiella I liked that Hannah was pretty active in this one, physically coming to the rescue-not just staying home baking cookies and answering the phone. 😆 1w
DebinHawaii Yes & Togo 🐕 is quite the tracker-Nancy should use him more often! I also noted the Bess jabs. 😠 Good point about Hannah jumping in @Ruthiella 1w
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bookandbedandtea I loved that everyone- Carson, Hannah, Bess and George, Ned- were all involved in this one. Thanks @Librarybelle for finding out which book Togo was last in, saves me going back to check! @DebinHawaii Nancy should definitely utilize him more! He was very helpful this time. 1w
DGRachel I loved how much page time Ned, Carson, and Hannah got, and the fact that Ned wasn‘t a jerk this time. No whining about Nancy‘s amateur sleuthing, and instead being an active, enthusiastic participant. I‘m always amazed at the personal information giving out by postal workers, policemen, the DMV, and hotel staff in these books. The victims were often annoying, but I honestly never got mad at them. 👇🏻 1w
DGRachel The more obstinate they became, the angrier I got at the criminals because I saw it as a sign of how vulnerable the targets were and in the current climate, I find anger at grifters readily available to me. 1w
Bookwormjillk I was happy to see Hannah take an active part. And I even liked Ned in this one! 1w
kwmg40 I too liked the bigger role that Hannah had. She can definitely do more than cook! 1w
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Librarybelle
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4. Please tell me none of you have also invested in Three Branch Ranch!

There seem to be a lot of aspects that tie together in this one, especially with the “haunted“ abandoned house, the leaving of messages in the woods, and the trance-like state of Lola. What did you think of the mysteries in this one? #NancyDrewBR

BarkingMadRead I feel like everyone was very gullible, but maybe that was due to the time it took place! 1w
Ruthiella @BarkingMadRead Agreed. They had to be for the story to work and probably also for the 10 year old reading to also recognize the scam. I feel like that‘s why the stories are so over the top - so kids can feel like they are able to spot the truth. 1w
DebinHawaii I mentioned in the comment before that it seemed like an awful lot of effort on the crooks‘ behalf for the victims who were young working women & not making that much money. Mrs. Putney is another story with her jewels. And yes, all were so gullible. I would not have had the patience with Mrs. P that Nancy had! (edited) 1w
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bookandbedandtea @BarkingMadRead and @DebinHawaii I had trouble with how gullible all these women were. Although, to be generous, they probably wouldn't have ever heard of similar scams so maybe their lack of suspicion isn't surprising. Your point @Ruthiella, that the plots can't be too hard for their intended audience, is a good one! 1w
CogsOfEncouragement I felt sorry for these people being swindled. I agree that Nancy was very gracious with Mrs. Putney. She had to be in order to help her. Mrs. Putney was so fully convinced her husband was the one giving her directions, Nancy handled it very maturely. 1w
DGRachel I loved the way things tied together here so that nothing felt like it came out of nowhere. @Ruthiella I never thought of it that way, but that‘s an excellent point about making the stories OTT so kids had a chance to recognize what was happening. This one felt more logical to me than others in the series. 1w
Bookwormjillk This mystery was over the top but also much better than the last one so I went with it. I feel like this ghost writer must be a lot of fun at parties. 1w
kwmg40 The victims seemed very gullible to me. On the other hand, I hear of many people who fall prey to online scammers these days, so maybe it's not so unbelievable. 1w
kwmg40 Seances seemed to be very popular in the early 20th century, and they appeared in so many Golden Age mystery novels. I was surprised when I saw a local winery advertising a wine-tasting and seance event. Are seances making a comeback? 1w
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Librarybelle
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3. What jumped out at me in this one was the “spirit writing“ that appears in images. While not necessarily spirit photography, it's also not quite automatic writing, where the spirit channels its energy through someone to write a piece.

Brief information on both can be found in links in the comments.

But, we've seen Nancy tackle spirits and “hauntings“ before. How does this compare to other hauntings in the series? #NancyDrewBR

BarkingMadRead I will admit, the thieves are super creative in this one! 1w
Ruthiella @BarkingMadRead I agree. This one takes the fakery to a new level. The bad guys got greedy. They had a nice little business going, I thought, with the New Orleans “church”. 1w
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DebinHawaii It seemed like a bigger team of bad guys & yes, very creative & involved plots. It seemed like most of their victims beyond Mrs. Putney, didn‘t have all that much money to make the long game worthwhile though. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1w
DGRachel I agree with everyone here. The con was really creative. I hate that they targeted really vulnerable people, though. Yes, they were gullible, but especially in the case of Mrs Putney, she was a grieving widow who wasn‘t thinking straight. Would she have fallen for the scam if they hadn‘t used her dead husband as manipulation? 1w
Bookwormjillk I thought it was very creative as well. 1w
kwmg40 I liked the idea of a ghost (even a fake one) in a haunted house. This book reminded me of a couple of other books on my shelves that I loved as a child: The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Green Ghost, and The Mystery of the Green Cat, both involving eerie green things in spooky mansions! 1w
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Librarybelle
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2. Nancy travels a bit in this novel, venturing to New Orleans to follow a lead. We're seeing Nancy traveling a bit more over the last several books, though River Heights also seems to be quite the metropolis with a variety of transportation systems at the ready.

To get us a bit into the New Orleans flavor, here is a tourism site: https://www.neworleans.com/ .

Have you ever been to New Orleans? #NancyDrewBR

BarkingMadRead I‘ve been so many times, it‘s one of my favorite paces to visit 1w
Ruthiella Ye, River Heights is the gateway to the whole of the US apparently. I‘ve never been to New Orleans or even the South really. The closest I got was New Orleans Square at Disneyland Anaheim. 😆 1w
DebinHawaii I have not been to Nee Orleans before. It‘s on my list for someday. Nancy doesn‘t really need to travel, River Heights has it all! 😉🤣 1w
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bookandbedandtea Did planes have to stop often to refuel? I noticed that their flight to New Orleans had more than one stop and when "Mrs Egan" flew out of town they discovered that she left the plane at "one of the stops before Chicago." Sounds more like bus travel. 1w
Sace I‘ve been to New Orleans twice. Once in the 70s (I was maybe 8?) and then again in high school. It‘s beautiful and the pralines and beignets are delicious! 1w
CogsOfEncouragement I've never been, and Nancy sure hops on a plane more than I realized. 1w
DGRachel @bookandbedandtea I was puzzled by people apparently getting on and off planes like you would a greyhound bus! Sadly, I‘ve never been to New Orleans. I‘d love to go someday, but not during the summer. The South, especially the Deep South sucks in the summer - heat + humidity + mosquitoes. No, thank you. 1w
Bookwormjillk @bookandbedandtea I thought that was weird too. I have never been to New Orleans but would like to. 1w
kwmg40 I'd love to visit New Orleans one day. I wouldn't have minded if more of the story had been set there. 1w
9 likes9 comments
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Librarybelle
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1. Welcome to the 25th book of the series! How can we be this far already in the series?!?

What are your overall impressions of this book? I thought it was better than last month's book! #NancyDrewBR

BarkingMadRead Not my fave, but not the worst 🤣 1w
Ruthiella I thought it was ridiculously fun! The séance stuff, the conveniently abandoned mansion with secret passages, and Nancy gets 1. Kidnapped 2. Knocked out AND 3. Locked in an an elevator! A trifecta! ? 1w
DebinHawaii It wasn‘t my favorite but it had it moments & it moved the NNK to 11/25 & as @Ruthiella pointed out between that & the kidnapping & trapped in an elevator was pretty lively! 🤕 1w
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DebinHawaii Also, the quicksand!!! 😱 Is this where my childhood conviction that I would sink in quicksand someday came about? 1w
bookandbedandtea This one started out fun and exciting but I felt it lost something midway. Maybe my real issue was being annoyed with how gullible the victims were. (Not very empathetic of me, I know 🫢) I loved how the whole gang was very involved. 1w
TheAromaofBooks @DebinHawaii - I wondered about this!!! The way it just suddenly was there to grab them! 😱 1w
Sace @bookandbedandtea Me too! I was chugging right along and thought I was gonna finish in one sitting, but I had to get some sleep. I came back to it the next day and the end just felt like a slog. It was a great beginning though! Just lost me around page 130. 1w
CogsOfEncouragement This one seemed creepy to me. I don't think of seances as being material for elementary school readers. I would not have liked this one at that age.
1w
DGRachel I loved it and was absolutely delighted with it. I, too, found it ridiculously fun @Ruthiella Was excited to add another #NNK to the tally (@DebinHawaii her poor brain!), and the quicksand! I howled with laughter at the quicksand. #GenXTrauma 1w
Bookwormjillk I‘m with @DGRachel and @Ruthiella I was really entertained just seeing what would happen next. I was so excited when the quicksand made an entrance. 1w
kwmg40 This was a fun one but like @bookandbedandtea and @Sace, I found myself losing interest in the last chapters, despite a good set-up initially. 1w
9 likes11 comments
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bookandbedandtea
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Read this last night for #NancyDrewBR & the binding broke on my old book. 😟 I have no idea what to do about it.
My notes while reading:
ND suddenly has a dog
Sadie's employer giving away her address; the Motor Vehicle Bureau giving names attached to license plates
Quicksand!
Only trust people who speak their names backwards! 😆 If someone told me their name was Drawoh I doubt I could easily convert that to Howard
Mrs P is unbelievably gullible

Ruthiella The dog was in one earlier book but he does seem to be there only when the ghost writer remembers. 😉 Also, another magical aspect of River Heights is Chief McGinnis‘ seemingly unlimited amount of patrolmen to post! 😆 I bet if you look on YouTube, you can find ideas on how to repair the binding. 🤞 (edited) 1w
AnnCrystal Dick Blick art supply store sells book repair crafts:

https://www.dickblick.com/search/?q=book%20repair%20
(edited) 1w
LeahBergen I would just try some book tape and regular white glue with a binding like that. Use quite a bit of it and keep it pressed between a few books while it dries. (edited) 1w
bookandbedandtea @Ruthiella I was trying to remember if any of the dogs in previous books had been Nancy's 🤔 Thank you, @AnnCrystal and @LeahBergen for the suggestions. I'm going to do some research tomorrow and I appreciate having some starting ideas. 💜 1w
AnnCrystal @bookandbedandtea ☺️👍🏼💝💝💝...p.s. be sure to research about the using of acid-free, non-yellowing adhesives or tapes that won't damage paper over time. 1w
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Ruthiella
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I missed #FridayHappyReadingHour yesterday but this morning I am enjoying my coffee and listening to the sound of the rain with the slider open.

I am ready to finish up the tagged for #NancyDrewBR as well as Parrot and Olivier for #OffMyShelf and #10beforetheend today.

Later, after errands and my parents, I will crack in to my pile for #ChristmasCrimeChallenge.

bookandbedandtea Sounds like a lovely day 1w
Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea I do love Saturdays! ☕️📚 1w
kspenmoll Sounds like a great day! 1w
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Ruthiella @kspenmoll It‘s starting off well! ☕️📚 1w
AnnCrystal Loveliness 😉🎶🌧️📚🌧️. 1w
Ruthiella @AnnCrystal Loving the rainy weather! 🌧️ 1w
AnnCrystal @Ruthiella me too, my favorite 🎶🌧️💖🌧️🎶. 1w
Cathythoughts I missed this Friday too 😬 But I love the sound of rain 🥰 1w
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts it‘s very soothing. 🌧️ 1w
Tamra Oh, Christmas crime time! I need to decide on one to read. (edited) 1w
Ruthiella @Tamra There‘s a lot to choose from! 🎄🔪🎅🏻💀 1w
Tamra @Ruthiella any favorites? 1w
Ruthiella @Tamra well, I am partial to Agatha Christie, so there is 1w
Tamra @Ruthiella stacked! I‘ll check to see if I can snag it on audio via the library. (edited) 1w
Ruthiella @Tamra I also really liked this one that we read for #GoldenAgeCrimeClub a couple of years ago (edited) 1w
Aims42 What a great way to start your Saturday!!! 1w
Ruthiella @Aims42 I agree! 😃 1w
Reggie I should know when it drops but your mug faked me out. I thought the tob list dropped today. 1w
Ruthiella @Reggie Ha ha ha! 😂 I didn‘t mean to deceive you. It just the most bookish mug I have. 1w
BkClubCare @Reggie @Ruthiella - Same! My first thought 💭 when I saw this mug! Well, also, “they” did release the LL on this date a few years ago. It popped up on my memories so I had the idea to check. 1w
Ruthiella @BkClubCare Sorry for causing a commotion! 😜😂 🐓 ❤️📚 1w
57 likes21 comments
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Librarybelle
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We‘re a couple of days away from our next #NancyDrewBR discussion! I‘ll post questions during the morning on Saturday (US East Coast time). Drop by whenever to join the discussion!

Ruthiella I have my copy and am about 1/2 way through. 😃 2w
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CogsOfEncouragement
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Pickpick

Finished Nancy Drew # 25! Ready for #NancyDrewBR discussion on the 15th.

Librarybelle Yay!! 2w
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Ruthiella
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Joining the fun for the #37by37 Readathon hosted by @MatchlessMarie starting tomorrow and running till November 13. 😃

My goal is to finish these seven books, most of which will do double duty for other read alongs or challenges: #EBBR #NancyDrewBR #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub #10beforetheend #OffMyShelf

MatchlessMarie Yay!! Good luck! 🧁 2w
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DebinHawaii
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#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

For tonight‘s #HyggeHour I‘m hanging out with Nancy Drew & crew for #NancyDrewBR This one sounds a little familiar with its New Orleans setting.

Drinking cold cider (‘tis the season 🍎 but it‘s still warm & humid so on ice) & a chocolate chunk Crumbl mini cookie for snack/dessert.🍪

Mood is the usual weekend end melancholy + mentally preparing for work including a Hilo overnight at the end of the week.😵‍💫

Librarybelle That cookie looks delicious! 3w
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BarkingMadRead
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Starting this for the #nancydrewbr

Librarybelle Yay!! Let‘s hope this is a good one! 3w
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LitsyEvents
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repost for @Librarybelle

#LittenDetectives : We‘re going to New Orleans next month! Nancy, Bess, and George track down a thief and while there, they also explore the abandoned Blackwood Hall which supposedly has…you guessed it…a ghost.

Discussion on November 15th. All are welcome to join. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the tag list. #NancyDrewBR

Librarybelle Thanks for reposting! 1mo
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Librarybelle
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#LittenDetectives : We‘re going to New Orleans next month! Nancy, Bess, and George track down a thief and while there, they also explore the abandoned Blackwood Hall which supposedly has…you guessed it…a ghost.

Discussion on November 15th. All are welcome to join. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the tag list. #NancyDrewBR

BarkingMadRead Can‘t wait!! 1mo
Bookwormjillk 👻👻👻 1mo
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Ruthiella Looking forward to this! 👻 1mo
Librarybelle I‘m a bit too excited for the ghost, @Bookwormjillk . I just hope my expectations are not too misplaced! 1mo
34 likes6 comments
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AshRaye
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Mehso-so

This one felt a little slower than some of the other ones, but I actually really enjoyed the mystery. However, a lot of the characters came across as dumb for believing the scam happening in the story. But, ultimately, it was interesting and I enjoyed it.

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curiouserandcurioser
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Catching up on my reviews #SeriesLove2023 loved revisiting this series! @TheSpineView @Andrew65

Andrew65 True classics. 3y
TheSpineView Fantastic 3y
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wordslinger42
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Pickpick

Another delightful Nancy Drew mystery 😊 It's been fun to read these for the first time!

#SeriesLove2023

@TheSpineView @Andrew65 A question: Are we supposed to tag both of you in our reviews for giveaway entries or just post using the hashtag? I don't want to annoy you with tags haha!

Andrew65 If you can post both of us in the tags please as we like to respond to any postings 😁 It‘s never annoying and love to see what people are reading. Still can‘t beat Nancy Drew, well done 🥳 3y
TheSpineView As Andrew said we both want to recognize you for your progress. Also, I am doing a giveaway at the end and tagging me allows me to keep track. ❤️ Nancy Drew 3y
Clare-Dragonfly I recognize this cover from a Kate Beaton comic 😂 3y
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ravenlee
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Pickpick

Nancy‘s at it again, breaking up a ring of racketeers running a seance scam. Number 24 down for #nancydrewchallenge, and number 10 for #14books14weeks.

GypsyKat Awe! I loved Nancy Drew when I was young! 6y
TheHeartlandBookFairy Love Nancy Drew! 6y
34 likes2 comments
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twohectobooks
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