Review of "Nancy Drew #5: The Secret of Shadow Ranch" by Carolyn Keene, Laura Linney

Do you remember the old days when these books were the first and best mystery reading for early teens? These titles are a real treat to find. Way back when, the schoolboys read all of the Hardy Boys books and the girls (like me!) never missed a new title of the Nancy Drew mysteries.

This mystery by Keene places Nancy in Phoenix, Arizona where she is on vacation. Nancy expects to have a quiet time, but we all know that she is going to find another of her mysteries that will keep us guessing right up to the end. The reader is a skilled actress who has appeared in many different venues of drama.

Then there are the Hardy Boys - the boys' equivalent of Nancy's mysteries. Boys did not read girls' mysteries, and of course, I never read any Hardy Boys books. So I listened to them now. Hey, not bad! Lots of excitement in the plot. There is a blizzard in the Rocky Mountains where the boys brave stuff like wolves and a cave that falls in on them. This mystery concerns the robbery of a big payroll.

These audiobooks make wonderful gifts for a new generation of budding mystery readers. Old memories return when adults listen to these beloved characters out of our youth. I think it is wonderful that we have the opportunity to enjoy these young detectives again and to share them with newcomers.