It's anchors away for Trixie as she travels down the Mississippi River. No, it's not on the old-fashioned paddle-wheel steamship she always dreamed of, but the trip is still more exciting than she ever imagined. Someone is shadowing her every move, trying to steal to the mysterious graph papers Trixie found in a trash can in her hotel room in Memphis. Why are the papers so important? Could there be more to the childish drawings than meets the eye?

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? – 1965.

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, cell phones, and air conditioning in homes, especially the mansion.

Short storyline: Trixie Belden, Honey, Jim, and her brothers work to catch the an international ring of gun smugglers. This is one of the more daring and dangerous missions they encounter, with chances of death occurring frequently.


Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No murder, though there are attempted murders of the main characters. ( )

I loved this series when I was growing up; I thought Trixie was a lot more fun than Nancy Drew, and these were some of my all-time favorite books. I read them as an adult, though, a few years ago, and found that they haven't, IMO, stood the test of time well. They are obviously dated, and there are some messages that I don't think are appropriate anymore (mostly the way Trixie is treated differently - and often poorly - because she's a girl). ( )