“The Secret of Red Gate Farm” by: Carolyn Keene

This is the 6th book in the “Nancy Drew Mystery Stories” series by: Carolyn Keene.

Age: 8-10 (I would recommend 12-15 for this one)

Description: Nancy and her friends, Bess and George, meet Joanne Byrd on a train ride home. Joanne lives at Red Gate Farm with her grandmother, but if they do not raise enough money to pay the mortgage, they will soon lose the farm! Nancy, Bess, and George decide to stay at Red Gate for a week as paying customers. Soon, they learn about the strange group of people who rent a cave on the property. They describe themselves as a nature cult called the Black Snake Colony. Nancy investigates their group and helps to uncover a ring of counterfeiters in town!


My Rating: 5/5

This book was very entertaining and intriguing, but it also had more questionable content than some of the other Nancy Drew mysteries.

Although not necessarily unique to this Nancy Drew novel, I do not like how nosy Nancy can be at times. I wish she found clues in ways that do not involve imposing upon other people’s property (especially at the beginning).

I love it when book series’ have the same number of chapters in every book. It adds routine for the dedicated reader. I love that!

Whenever Nancy is in danger, her father is obviously concerned, but he never seems to do anything about it other than warn her to “be careful.”

SPOILER! In the end, I liked that Mrs. Hale still had to be arrested. Even though she attempted to resist the lawbreaking, she did not succeed and was therefore associated with them. END OF SPOILER!


Notable Quotes:

“She had a sharp tongue and delighted in using it.” 😆 


Things to be aware of in “The Secret of Red Gate Farm”

Language:

- 1 “stupid”

- 1 “don’t be such a wet blanket”

- Name calling including: “fool,” “bird,” and “cornball.”


Violence:

- A character gets bitten by a snake.

- A husband violently flings his wife away from him, hurting her badly.

- A character hurts another character and laughs as they cry out in pain.

- SPOILER! Characters are held hostage END OF SPOILER!


Spiritual Content:

- A main portion of this whole book is centered around a cult and their mysterious “worshipping.”


Additional Notes:

- A mention of “maybe luck will be with her today.”

- Mentions of ghosts. One character reassures another that “there’s no such animal.”

- “Now that the woman has forbidden me to go near the camp, I can’t resist finding out what’s happening there!” 

- Many remarks are made about a girl’s appetite, once saying, “Aren’t you glad I don’t eat as much as you?” The girl says on a different occasion, “I’d rather be pleasantly plump than give up sundaes!”

- SPOILER! A wife is powerless against her husband’s evil lifestyle. END OF SPOILER!

- “If I had known what a whiner you are, I’d never have married you!”


Links to the book:

Amazon: https://a.co/d/4k32IQ1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/546255

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