The Mystery at Lilac Inn (Nancy Drew #4) by Carolyn Keene

Title: The Mystery at Lilac Inn

Series: Nancy Drew

Author: Carolyn Keene

Release Date: January 1, 1961 (revised ed.)

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

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★★★★★

Synopsis:

Nancy and her friend Helen visit their friend Emily Willouby at the Lilac Inn, which Emily now owns, to help her plan her wedding. Emily plans on selling inherited diamonds in order to help fix up the Lilac Inn. However, Nancy soon learns that someone has been impersonating her and making expensive purchases under her name. Soon after, Emily's diamonds are stolen! Can Nancy find the thieves and recover the missing diamonds?

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My Review:

An intriguing, fishy mystery that kept me reading until the end.

This is one of the Nancy Drew books that have been on my TBR for a long time. Like The Bungalow Mystery, the cover drew me in. For a long time, I've wondered about the mystery at Lilac Inn. 👀

I was so happy when I finally got it.

In this installment of the Nancy Drew series, Nancy and her friend, Helen Corning, visit their friend, Emily Willouby, who recently bought the old inn along with her fiancé, Dick. As soon as Nancy and Helen arrive, though, they instantly notice that there is something wrong with Emily. They learn that there has been trouble at the inn; strange things have been happening, such as a stolen lilac tree, and one of the waitresses claimed it was haunted!

The Mystery at Lilac Inn was intriguing right from the first page!

While on their way to Lilac Inn, Nancy and Helen run into Doris Drake, Nancy's friend, who wonders how Nancy and Helen canoed from River Heights so fast, as her friend Phyl informed her that she was just talking to Nancy at the Elite Drug Store in River Heights half an hour ago! Nancy got surprised and claimed that she and Helen were on their way at the time.

Doris's friend, Phyl, was talking to Nancy at the Elite Drug Store in River Heights half an hour ago, but Nancy was on her way at the time! How could that be? Intriguing!

Then Nancy and Helen's canoe suddenly gets capsized! How did that happen? Was it a floating log? Strange! And who was that man with the crew cut who saw them but rowed away, not bothering to help them? What a rude man!

Strange things have been going on at Lilac Inn. Then Nancy gets a phone call from their housekeeper, Hannah Greun, and learns that there had been a burglary at their home! And then she learns that she owes Burk's Department Store for merchandise worth two thousand dollars! Right then, we learn that Nancy has an impersonator, who's been making expensive purchases under her name!

Then Emily's diamonds get stolen at Lilac Inn...

A lot of exciting and intense scenes in this Nancy Drew book, with a lot of bravery and smart sleuthing. I was really impressed with Nancy's bravery despite the danger going on. She was pro!

That intense scene when Nancy dared to dress like her impersonator at night...

The Mystery at Lilac Inn was a very well-written mystery that would keep the reader reading until the end! Every chapter ended with a cliffhanger!

While I really enjoyed The Mystery at Lilac Inn, I've got only one comment.

I'm not sure if it was just me, but at times, I felt like a lot was going on that I would have to go back to previous pages to remember the incidents and who was who. Overall, I loved it and would recommend it to Nancy Drew and mystery fans.