#2: The Hidden Staircase

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories: #2: The Hidden Staircase 

Rating:

Book Detail:

This is the second book in the Nancy Drew Mystery Series , This book was published in 1930.
and published by Grosset & Dunlap.

Book Read:  Ebook


Characters:

• Nancy Drew
• Helen Corning (Nancy Friend)
• Aunt Rosemary (Helen Aunt)
• Hannah Gruen (Nancy's housekeeper)
• Nathan Comber 
• Willie Wharton
• Mr Drew (Nancy Father)
• Miss Flora(Helen's Great Grandmother)
• Captain Rossland
• Miss Skade (Nurse)
• Anthony Barradale
• Captain McGinnis
• Samuel Greenman

Summary: (with spoilers)

Helen ask Nancy to help her Aunt Rosemary who is living in Twin Elms mansion because the mansion is haunted by ghost and ask her to solve the mystery.
Her Aunt is also troubled because the news has spread that the mansion is haunted by ghost and there is a constant pressure from Mr Nathan Comber to sell the house to him in low price.
Aunt Rosemary mother (Miss Flora) doesn't want to sell this house to anyone. But the ghost has troubled and scared her now so she wants to seek help from Nancy to detect the mystery behind it.

Meanwhile , Mr Drew is working on a case where he has to find Wille Wharton to certify that he has indeed signed the contract papers for the land where the bridge construction is taking place.
In search of Wille Wharton, Mr Drew travels to Chicago and in same time Nancy visits Aunt Rosemary place to solve the mystery.

Ghost secretively visit them in their kitchen, attic, bedroom, living ,drawing rooms (parlour) and create troubles by making noises either by switching on the radio or playing instrument, or by moving the chandelier or by stealing the food or scaring them by showing weird faces.
Nancy suspects that there is a secret passage somewhere from where the ghost is coming and vanishing. She continues her search but fails in her attempt to find the passage.

Meanwhile Mr Drew vanishes during his journey from Chicago to Twins Elms. On investigating Nancy finds that Mr Drew has actually got kidnapped and she doubts that Nathan Comber is involved in this because he has once warned them before that something bad will happen if Mr Drew doesn't stop the bridge work.
Nancy finds that that there is twin mansion build next to Aunt Rosemary place and Nathan Comber has bought the same place and now by blackmailing Miss Flora he has succeeded buying her place as well. She logs a complain to Police to capture Nathan Comber as his actions and whereabouts are suspicious.

When Nancy & Helen goes to investigate the other Twin Mansion , they find the secret passage opening in through wardrobe in one of the bedrooms. On exploring this passage , they find Wille Wharton hiding there and when confronted he explains how he played the ghost role and why he did this, It seems that Nathan has promised him to get a better deal in bridge construction case, if he hides here for some time and do this ghosting business to scare away Miss Flora to sell her house to him.

Nancy & police starts exploring the different ends of passage , one of passage leads to dungeons , where they find Mr Drew is held and he is in weak health, they quickly rescue Mr Drew through another passage which opens to drawing room(parlor), where he recovers and Nancy tells him the whole story as what had happened and who is behind this trouble.

Meanwhile police captures Nathan Comber and he confess of doing the kidnapping and other illegal stuff.
Mystery gets solved.


My Review:
This book is good to read, It has the mystery going on till 60% of the book, and even though you will feel that Mr Drew case and Nancy case may be related but you wont be able to put the pieces together as you will want more information and findings to do so.
So in a way you will still be reading it to reach the end.
Explanation of the mansion and individual rooms was good and imaginative.

Now there are few scenes which were not necessary, like the scene where ceiling falls, this was unnecessary because it was very well conveyed that ghost trouble was increasing day by day.
Also the change of Willie Wharton behaviour and surrendering himself to Nancy was kind of quick and easy.
I feel that at last chapter story goes on quick and every thing falls quickly in place so that mystery gets resolved soon..

Overall story is good , all characters play a vital role and response from each character at certain situations are well managed and written .

---------