When Trixie and Honey explore an abandoned gatehouse, they discover more than dust and spiderwebs. Stuck in the dirt floor is a huge diamond! Could a ring of jewel thieves be hiding out in Sleepyside?
The Gatehouse Mystery (Trixie Belden)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle.
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
When Trixie and Honey explore an abandoned gatehouse, they discover more than dust and spiderwebs. Stuck in the dirt floor is a huge diamond! Could a ring of jewel thieves be hiding out in Sleepyside?
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The little cottage, which had been the gatehouse of the manor in the days of carriages and sleighs, was so covered with wisteria vines they could hardly see it. But Bobby’s sharp blue eyes caught a glimpse of the door, and before Trixie could stop him, he raced down to yank it open.
“Wait, Bobby,” she yelled, “don’t go in until we–”
But he had already darted over the threshold. And then he screamed. Trixie, her heart in her mouth, dashed across the remaining stretch of lawn. What could have happened? What on earth could have been inside the old abandoned cottage to make Bobby scream?
Then she saw to her relief that he had merely tripped on the rotting door sill and lay sprawling in the semidarkness of the interior.
“Honestly,” Trixie moaned to Honey, “if there’s anything in the whole of Westchester County to trip over, Bobby trips over it.”
Together, they helped the little boy to his feet and carried him out to the bright light. Blood was trickling from his right knee. Trixie was used to Bobby’s accidents, but she knew that the sight of blood sometimes made Honey feel faint.
“It’s nothing,” she said quickly as she tied her clean handkerchief around the cut. “Bobby is always covered with bandages, anyway. He must have fallen on a pebble in the dirt floor.”
“I wanna go home,” Bobby was wailing.
“Of course you do,” Honey cried sympathetically. “But let’s ask Regan to look at your knee, first. He knows all about first aid, you know.”
“I want Regan,” Bobby said promptly through his tears. “I love Regan. He’ll give me a ride on Lady.”
“That’s right,” Trixie said. “If you don’t cry when he puts iodine on your cut. Do you want to ride pickaback on my shoulders, or can you walk?”
Bobby tossed his silky curls. “I never yell when people put iodine on me.” He started off up the grassy slope toward the stable, first hopping, then limping, and finally, when he caught sight of Regan, he broke into a run.
The tall, broad-shouldered groom scooped the boy into his arms and gently removed Trixie’s improvised bandage.
“First aid me, Regan,” Bobby ordered. “First aid me. Take me up to your room on top of the g’rage and first aid me.”
“That I will,” Regan said, grinning. “You didn’t cut yourself on a rusty nail, did you?”
“We don’t know what he fell on,” Trixie replied and turned to Honey. “I guess we’d better go back and look inside the cottage with flashlights to make sure. If it was a rusty nail that cut him, Bobby should have a booster tetanus shot. Puncture wounds, you know.”
Honey nodded. “There’re a couple of flashlights in the tack room. All right if we borrow them, Regan?”
“Natch,” the pleasant-faced groom said as he strode toward the garage with Bobby. “The kid probably cut himself on a harmless pebble, but you girls had better make sure. Meanwhile, I’ll wash the knee and paint it with iodine.”
Five minutes later the girls stood at the entrance to the old cottage. “He must have fallen right about here,” Trixie said, pointing with the beam of her flashlight. “He’s got short legs, so when he tripped on the sill–” She stopped. Something glittered in the beam of her torch. “A piece of glass,” she said moving cautiously inside.
Honey followed her, and then they saw that the glittering object was imbedded in the dirt floor. Trixie pried it loose with a twig.
“Oh, golly,” she gasped. “It looks just like the stone in the ring Jim gave me. You remember, Honey, his great-aunt’s solitaire which we found up at the mansion before it burned. Dad put it in our safety deposit box at the bank until I’m older. But this couldn’t be a diamond.”
She led the way outside and handed the stone to Honey. Honey examined it carefully. The facets glittered brilliantly in the bright sunlight. After a moment, Honey said in an awed tone of voice, “But it is a diamond, Trixie! I’m sure! How on earth did it get inside this old, tumbledown cottage?”
“Wait, Bobby,” she yelled, “don’t go in until we–”
But he had already darted over the threshold. And then he screamed. Trixie, her heart in her mouth, dashed across the remaining stretch of lawn. What could have happened? What on earth could have been inside the old abandoned cottage to make Bobby scream?
Then she saw to her relief that he had merely tripped on the rotting door sill and lay sprawling in the semidarkness of the interior.
“Honestly,” Trixie moaned to Honey, “if there’s anything in the whole of Westchester County to trip over, Bobby trips over it.”
Together, they helped the little boy to his feet and carried him out to the bright light. Blood was trickling from his right knee. Trixie was used to Bobby’s accidents, but she knew that the sight of blood sometimes made Honey feel faint.
“It’s nothing,” she said quickly as she tied her clean handkerchief around the cut. “Bobby is always covered with bandages, anyway. He must have fallen on a pebble in the dirt floor.”
“I wanna go home,” Bobby was wailing.
“Of course you do,” Honey cried sympathetically. “But let’s ask Regan to look at your knee, first. He knows all about first aid, you know.”
“I want Regan,” Bobby said promptly through his tears. “I love Regan. He’ll give me a ride on Lady.”
“That’s right,” Trixie said. “If you don’t cry when he puts iodine on your cut. Do you want to ride pickaback on my shoulders, or can you walk?”
Bobby tossed his silky curls. “I never yell when people put iodine on me.” He started off up the grassy slope toward the stable, first hopping, then limping, and finally, when he caught sight of Regan, he broke into a run.
The tall, broad-shouldered groom scooped the boy into his arms and gently removed Trixie’s improvised bandage.
“First aid me, Regan,” Bobby ordered. “First aid me. Take me up to your room on top of the g’rage and first aid me.”
“That I will,” Regan said, grinning. “You didn’t cut yourself on a rusty nail, did you?”
“We don’t know what he fell on,” Trixie replied and turned to Honey. “I guess we’d better go back and look inside the cottage with flashlights to make sure. If it was a rusty nail that cut him, Bobby should have a booster tetanus shot. Puncture wounds, you know.”
Honey nodded. “There’re a couple of flashlights in the tack room. All right if we borrow them, Regan?”
“Natch,” the pleasant-faced groom said as he strode toward the garage with Bobby. “The kid probably cut himself on a harmless pebble, but you girls had better make sure. Meanwhile, I’ll wash the knee and paint it with iodine.”
Five minutes later the girls stood at the entrance to the old cottage. “He must have fallen right about here,” Trixie said, pointing with the beam of her flashlight. “He’s got short legs, so when he tripped on the sill–” She stopped. Something glittered in the beam of her torch. “A piece of glass,” she said moving cautiously inside.
Honey followed her, and then they saw that the glittering object was imbedded in the dirt floor. Trixie pried it loose with a twig.
“Oh, golly,” she gasped. “It looks just like the stone in the ring Jim gave me. You remember, Honey, his great-aunt’s solitaire which we found up at the mansion before it burned. Dad put it in our safety deposit box at the bank until I’m older. But this couldn’t be a diamond.”
She led the way outside and handed the stone to Honey. Honey examined it carefully. The facets glittered brilliantly in the bright sunlight. After a moment, Honey said in an awed tone of voice, “But it is a diamond, Trixie! I’m sure! How on earth did it get inside this old, tumbledown cottage?”
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ideal mystery series for your very own amateur detective!,
By
This review is from: The Gatehouse Mystery (Trixie Belden #3) (Hardcover)
Trixie Belden is having the summer of her life with her new neighbor - and new best friend - Honey Wheeler. A rich girl who enjoys the finer things in life - such as swimming in the cool lake everyday, and solving intrepid mysteries that even the police can't find clues to. Which is why, when the two pals decide to visit an old gatehouse on Honey's property that is covered with vines, and hidden by bushy trees, the two girls are hoping that they will stumble upon a mysterious secret. One that will have them putting their thinking caps on. Lucky for them, the long-abandoned gatehouse in the woods holds just that. For, when the two girls enter the secret hideaway, they discover a very large, very shiny diamond wedged between the floorboards. Now, the two girls, accompanied by Trixie's brothers Mart and Brian, and Honey's newly adopted step-brother, Jim, have begun searching for clues to discover whether there are a ring of jewel thieves hiding out right here in Sleepyside. However, all fingers seem to point to Honey's new chauffeur, Dick, who seems to have a quick temper, a penchant for bruises, and a dislike for all things work-related. Unfortunately, proving the truth is turning out to be much more difficult than the two pals could have ever imagined, and if the culprit isn't caught soon, everyone could soon be in more danger than they ever would have thought.
Trixie Belden is the answer to a girls prayers. She's a brazen, brave, outspoken, feisty character, whose penchant for digging up trouble, and sticking her nose where it doesn't belong is enjoyable to read about, whether you're young or old. The adventures that she discovers with her pal Honey, as well as her bossy brothers truly bring the story to life, and make the reader feel as if they are accompanying Trixie on her hot and sticky sleuthing missions. These books may have been written over 30 years ago, but even in the year 2006, this series stays strong, and gives readers - whether male or female - a wonderful, independent outlook on Trixie's life, and truly show how the world has changed over the years. The ideal mystery series for your very own amateur detective! Erika Sorocco Freelance Reviewer
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A rollicking adventure!,
By
This review is from: The Gatehouse Mystery (Trixie Belden #3) (Hardcover)
Trixie Belden and Honey Wheeler find a diamond in the abandoned gatehouse at the edge of the Wheelers' property, but someone is trying to get it back. Meanwhile, Trixie's brothers Brian and Mart have returned from camp, meeting Honey and her brother Jim for the first time, so the secret Bob-Whites of the Glen club is ripe for formation.As much trouble as the girls get into, the adults still come off as helpful and intelligent, unlike many other YA mystery series (or even the Harry Potter books). Usually I prefer the Deluxe edition from the 1960s with covers illustrated by Paul Frame, but for this one, check out the edition illustrated by Mary Stevens. One picture shows Trixie and Honey doing some pruning -- with Trixie looking remarkably like Beavis of MTV fame -- and a charming Ashley Judd look-alike picture of Trixie greeting Mart. This book also features the memorable line by Regan, the Wheeler's beloved young groom, "Reach for the ceiling, Laughing-Boy."
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite in a Favorite Series,
By Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Gatehouse Mystery (Trixie Belden #3) (Hardcover)
When Trixie and Honey go to explore the abandoned gatehouse on Honey's property, they find a diamond pressed into the dirt floor. How did it get there? Is there a gang of thieves in the area? Or did someone bury treasure there long ago? The girls are determined to find out. And with the help of Jim and Trixie's brothers Mart and Brian, they just might.This is easily my favorite book in the series, and I love the entire series. While the mystery plot itself is a little easy to figure out, finding out how Trixie is going to prove it keeps you turning pages. But for me, the best part of this book was character and setting. Trixie, her family and friends, and their surroundings seem so real when reading this book. And the fun and friendship they share has always made me want to be part of the group. Julie Campbell must be given credit for the wonderful way she handles the introduction. A lot happened in the first two books, and new readers will need some of that information to understand character relationships. She does it in an entertaining way that makes it seem part of the story. She also finally introduces Brian and Mart (they've only been mentioned previously) and the new friends form the "Bob Whites of the Glen" in this book. Frankly, I consider this the last foundational book, even though we still have two more main characters to meet. I've gone back to this book and reread it so many times, I practically have parts memorized. I'm so thrilled to see Random House reprinting the series so that a whole new generation can share the adventures of Trixie and her friends.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
"Oh, Moms," Trixie wailed, twisting one of her short, blond curls around the pencil she had stuck behind her ear. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
new chauffeur, leather heels, lonely country road, new gardener, pruning saws, rubber heels, tool house Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Miss Trask, Manor House, Glen Road, New York, Honey Wheeler, Tom Delanoy, Moll Dicks, Trixie Belden, Bob-Whites of the Glen, Dick the Dip, Jim Frayne, Labor Day New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!
"Oh, Moms," Trixie wailed, twisting one of her short, blond curls around the pencil she had stuck behind her ear. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
new chauffeur, leather heels, lonely country road, new gardener, pruning saws, rubber heels, tool house Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Miss Trask, Manor House, Glen Road, New York, Honey Wheeler, Tom Delanoy, Moll Dicks, Trixie Belden, Bob-Whites of the Glen, Dick the Dip, Jim Frayne, Labor Day New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
