Apparently The Bungalow Mystery is something a bit different for a Nancy Drew mystery in that the 1960 revision (which I was reading) of the original 1930 edition made the plot considerably more complicated. I didn’t compare the two so I can’t say, but I did come away thinking this, the third book in the series, was the best so far and the first I actually enjoyed.

It’s a double plot. The first strand is introduced when Nancy and her BFF Helen Corning are caught in a storm while out boating. Apparently they don’t have lifejackets or any life preservers on board either, which is a lack of common sense and practicality that we don’t expect from Nancy.

When their boat sinks, however, Nancy and Helen are saved by another girl named Laura Pendleton, which leads to their soon getting involved in a mystery. Laura has been recently orphaned and things have been arranged for her to become the ward of a couple, the Aborns, who were friends of her mother but whom Laura has never met. Unknown to Laura, however, a pair of frauds have taken the place of the Aborns, looking to get their hands on Laura’s inheritance. Meanwhile, the second strand of the plot has to do with Nancy’s dad, lawyer Carson Drew, investigating the theft of some securities from a local bank. You won’t be surprised to learn that these two crimes are connected.

Nancy’s investigation of the phoney foster family is what we spend most of our time on, and I found this part of the story quite compelling. It reminded me of the M. Night Shyamlan movie The Visit, but I guess you could take the idea back to Little Red Riding Hood. And, like those other versions, it’s pretty dark stuff. The real Mr. Aborn, for example, is being kept chained in the basement of a shack in the woods and it looks as though the villainous Dowds plan on leaving him there to die, along with Nancy when she gets caught trying to rescue him.

In addition to this darkness I thought there were moments that indicated a more adult flavour to the matter of sex. I may be reading too much into things here, but I think it’s there when Nancy checks into her hotel before making a night trip to the house Laura had been trapped in. Let’s keep in mind that in the revised versions of these books Nancy is 18 years old (not 16) and is described as being an attractive young woman.

Awakening at six o’clock, Nancy put on the simple black cotton dress from her suitcase and pumps. After brushing her hair until it snapped with electricity, she was ready for supper.

“What will it be this evening, miss?” asked the friendly waitress.

Nancy selected steak, a baked potato, and tossed salad, then sat back to enjoy the soft dinner music playing in the background. The orchestra was in an adjoining lounge.

Nearby diners regarded the lone girl with interest, for the prospect of the daring adventure had brought a becoming flush to her cheeks.

“If I’m wrong in suspecting Jacob Aborn of being dishonest,” thought Nancy, “then I guess I’d better give up sleuthing!”

Upon leaving the dining room an hour later, she lingered on the porch for a few minutes, watching couples dance. As a red-haired young man began to walk toward Nancy with an invitation in his eyes for her to dance, she hastily went to her room.

Chuckling to herself, Nancy said aloud, “Romance and detective work won’t mix tonight!” Then she changed to walking shoes, sweater, and skirt.

Can you blame the diners for noticing with interest the girl in the black dress with the electrically-charged hair and flushed cheeks? Or the red-haired young man for targeting her? There’s something undeniably erotic about this scene. And don’t get me started on the possible significance of the threatened theft of Laura’s jewels. Just read Freud’s Dora case study.

These mature undertones don’t mean there’s no room for sunshine and lollipops though. There are also signature moments like this:

When the three girls stepped outside, Nancy took a deep breath of air. She loved the earthy smell of the forests surrounding the lake resort, particularly the scent of the tall pines.

“What a day!” she exclaimed. Only a few fleecy white clouds broke the clear blue sky.

What a day, what a girl! “Miss Drew, you’re the most ingenious girl I’ve ever met,” Mr. Aborn exclaims (“admiringly”) when she rescues him. “You’re the most courageous girl I’ve ever met,” a prospective boyfriend tells her later. “You’re a whiz of a detective, all right.” More than just a pretty face with a healthy glow, that’s for sure!

And finally there are all the nice period touches. When the Dowds are captured after crashing their car and are then whisked away to a hospital the police lieutenant in charge tells us that “They’ll get a nice long rest after that in the state pen. I shan’t try to question them now.” I love that “shan’t.” I also love being told that the elevator Nancy enters at one point is “self-operated,” so that she has to push “the fourth-floor control” herself. Which I guess means she presses a button? A bigger puzzle though is why the bungalow of the title is repeatedly described as having two floors. I did a bit of research into this and I guess some bungalows have two floors (or, more often, a single floor and an attic), though the term is usually reserved for single-floor dwellings. But perhaps not in 1930.

It all adds up to an enjoyable adventure with an interesting plot, lots of action (Nancy is even knocked unconscious by Stumpy Dowd’s “stout cane,” the symbolism of which I won’t dig into), and some funny bits too, like Nancy being mistaken for a dog-walker. I don’t plan on reading many more of these, and there are many more to read, but even if I stop here I’ll at least have fond memories of this one.

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