Customer Reviews

Trixie Belden and the Marshland Mystery

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Trixie and Honey decide to replace the plant speciman collection of one of their teachers, and to do that they make several field trips to the local marsh. At the same time, Honey has a house guest - a famous child violin player (this character, Gayle, is terrific - she's pretty & manipulative, and she has Bobbie completely enthralled). The girls meet Miss Rachel, who lives at the edge of the marsh, and who is the last, impoverished member of a respectable Sleepyside family. The book has several interesting themes (concern for the environment, respect for the elderly, consideration of the feeling's of others, and as always, Trixie learns that making hasty judgments about other people can be a big mistake), but does not allow moralizing to overtake the heart of the story. It's also a good mystery, though this one does not include criminals, as many of the other volumes in this series do.

The book I ordered was in great shape, other than there was some damage to the binding that was never mentioned in the description. It would have been helpful if that would have been included. Other than that I was very happy with the condition of the book. It arrived pretty quickly which was nice! Glad to have this book, so that my set is complete!

A little violin protegy comes to Sleepyside with her mean old aunt to perform as a guest artist with the symphony. (She's so spoiled, Bobby could take Brat Lessons from her.) Meanwhile, the Bob-Whites are putting together a collection of herbs and flowers from nearby Martin's Marsh, where pirate treasure is rumored to be hidden. A mysterious recluse lives at the edge of the marsh, and paths converge, as they are wont to do, the famous child violinist dogging Trixie and Honey's steps with a persistence that reminds one of the Schoolgirl Shamus herself.

The author was clearly tiring by the end of the story, and what could have been a dramatic rescue is told almost in summary. But there is mystery and history to be discovered in this book, and its fast pace makes up for this undeveloped scene. It does make the reader aware of how pleasant normal life can be compared with the burdens of fame, especially for child performers.