A wounded homing pigeon lands in Nancy Drew's garden carrying a strange coded message, and it leads her to a hidden estate and an elderly woman in danger
A message on a pigeon's leg
When an injured homing pigeon flutters down into the Drews' garden, Nancy finds a puzzling message tied to its leg. At almost the same time, a family doctor is mysteriously driven away blindfolded to treat a patient and cannot say where he went. Nancy suspects the two mysteries are connected. With Bess and George, she tracks the pigeon's route to a well-guarded country estate, where she learns a secret password, slips inside in disguise and discovers that a kindly elderly woman is being held against her will.
Who will enjoy it
Young mystery readers, fans of earlier Nancy Drew books, and anyone who enjoys stories with disguises, secret passwords and daring rescues.
What you will get
A classic Nancy Drew mystery in which a wounded homing pigeon's message leads Nancy to a guarded estate, a secret password and an elderly woman in danger.
The Password to Larkspur Lane Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Children’s Books · Nancy Drew · Homing pigeon · Secret estate
Length
175 pages · ≈ 5 h
More about this book
The homing pigeon is one of the series' most memorable opening clues, and young readers will enjoy following Nancy as she works out where it came from. The puzzle of the blindfolded doctor adds a second thread, and the moment the two mysteries click together is satisfying. The chapters are short and end on small cliffhangers, which makes the book a good choice for reading aloud.
The second half is pure adventure. Nancy learns the password, goes undercover at the estate and has to keep her nerve while surrounded by suspicious people. Her kindness towards the frightened Mrs. Eldridge gives the rescue real warmth, and Bess and George each get moments to help. Nancy's quick thinking under pressure, and her willingness to take risks to help a stranger, show the series heroine at her most admirable.
As with the other early books, the revised text in print is fast and simple, and the villains are thinly drawn. Some coincidences are convenient. For young readers who enjoy secret codes, disguises and a brave heroine, it is one of the more exciting entries in the classic series. About 175 pages in the Grosset & Dunlap hardcover; retail listings say 192.
The Clue in the Diary
The Secret of the Old Clock
The Mystery at Lilac Inn
The Secret of Shadow Ranch
The Bungalow Mystery
The Hidden Staircase
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
The Secret of the Old Mill
The Missing Chums
The City of Ember
Theodore Boone: The Abduction
Theodore Boone: The Accused