"The Mystery of the Missing Millionaire", is one my favorites, I love how jealous Trixie gets of Jim and Laura's relationship. Trixie and Honey are out riding one morning and find a wallet with a hundred dollar bill. They take it to Mr. Lytell's store, and he tries to call the owner in New York, but there's no answer. Later on, he calls the girls and asks them to come back to his store. There's a beautiful young woman there named Laura Ramsey. She says the wallet belongs to her father, who has gone missing and she's terribly worried. It seems he and his longtime business partner have had a nasty falling out, and the business partner is just looking for an excuse to take over. If he discovers Laura's father is missing he will do just that. Laura mentions hiring a private investigator, but doesn't have the cash on hand to do so, since all her money's tied up under her father's name. Mr. Lytell loans her some money, and Honey insists she stay at Manor House while the investigator looks for her father. Trixie is suspicious from the start, and of course it turns out for good reason. Laura and the private eye are really con men, looking to milk poor old Mr. Lytell. ( )

A childhood favorite re-visited.

Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes

What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.

Length? – Most of a day’s read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Real world, pre - computer, pre - air conditioning, pre - cell phone.

Written approximately? – 1980.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers and cell phones.

Short storyline: Trixie Belden, Honey, and Jim work on a case involving a missing person. Meanwhile, mart is hoodwinked by a mailorder home business opportunity. When Trixie figures out the swindle that she, honey, and Mr. Lytel fell for, she only has a a little time to save Mr. Lytel and his money.


Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence and no murder. ( )