Leave it to Trixie Belden to discover a mystery while cleaning the attic at Crabapple Farm! The Bob Whites of the Glen are helping the Beldens clear out their attic and barn. Trixie accidentally damages a wall in the attic and finds a forgotten room. Inside the room, she finds a letter dating from the Civil War era about the Sunderland family and a cursed emerald necklace. The Bob Whites travel to Williamsburg, VA to try and track down the lost jewels.

Trixie Belden was my favorite teenage sleuth when I was a kid. I had the entire series of books and read them over and over again. This story was one of my favorites. I had a great time re-visiting the story. The gang has to track down clues, do some research, and even visit an old cemetery! Great fun! :)

The Mystery of the Emeralds is the 14th Trixie Belden book. It was first released in 1965.

The Trixie Belden series has 39 books and was written from 1948-1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell. The rest of the series was written by various authors using the pen-name Kathryn Kenny. I really wish I knew which authors wrote which books in the series! I'm slowly reading my way through the series again, and enjoying it just as much as I did back in the 80s. Most of the books are out of print (Random House owns the rights and re-released the first 15 books in 2003), but it's relatively easy to find used copies.

On to the next book! #15.....The Mystery on the Mississippi! ( )

A childhood favorite re-visited.

Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes

What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.

Length? – Most of a day’s read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Real world, pre - computer pre - air conditioning, pre - cell phone.

Written approximately? – 1965.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers, cell phones, and air conditioning in homes, especially the mansion.

Short storyline: Trixie Belden finds a link the Civil War past of her own home. She, Honey, and her brothers work to find the living descendants of the people mentioned in the letter, and return a set of rare family jewels to their rightful owners.


Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence (only referred to from the past), no murder. ( )

A mystery in which Trixie and the gang try to find an emerald necklace from the time of the Civil War, which is hidden in Virginia. ( )

My favorite book in the series! Of course, I'm a sucker for secret passages and missing jewels- both of which this book contains :) ( )

I loved this series when I was growing up; I thought Trixie was a lot more fun than Nancy Drew, and these were some of my all-time favorite books. I read them as an adult, though, a few years ago, and found that they haven't, IMO, stood the test of time well. They are obviously dated, and there are some messages that I don't think are appropriate anymore (mostly the way Trixie is treated differently - and often poorly - because she's a girl). ( )