“The Secret of Shadow Ranch” by: Carolyn Keene

This is the 5th book in the “Nancy Drew Mystery Stories” series by Carolyn Keene.

Age: 8-12 (I would suggest 11-15)

Description: Nancy Drew arrives in Phoenix, Arizona, eagerly looking forward to a fun-filled vacation at Shadow Ranch, but abruptly finds herself involved in a baffling mystery. The ranch is being haunted by an unknown enemy. Local people believe that the ghostly animal is carrying out the curse of Dirk Valentine, the romantic outlaw who was killed many years ago at Shadow Ranch, where he had gone to fulfill a promise to his sweetheart. Aided by her friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne, Nancy comes face-to-face with disaster when she is trapped inside a building that is toppled by a rockslide —a rockslide which is deliberately caused. But the pretty titian-haired detective remains undaunted in her determination to solve the mystery.

My Rating: 4/5

I didn’t like this book as much as some of the other mysteries. In my opinion, the first couple were much better. I found this one harder to follow. (-1 star)

It starts kind of abruptly. I was hoping for a bit of introduction.

Isn’t it kind of weird that Nancy is often woken up in the middle of the night to investigate the mystery but no one else ever is awakened by whatever woke Nancy up?

Things to be aware of in “The Secret of Shadow Ranch”

Language:

- 1 “shut up”


Violence:

- Two times character(s) are seized.

- A dog is knocked out and held hostage.

- Characters retell the story of another character’s death via gun.

- A character is knocked unconscious.

- Threats are given.


Additional Notes:

- A character is described as “slightly plump” and another character tells this character, “eating is really a very fattening hobby”

- Talks of a curse


Links to the book: 

Amazon: https://a.co/d/hmyp0nh

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101001

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