I think the 1950s rewrite is better??? Damn ( )

While driving a motorboat around the Twin Lakes, Nancy and her friend Helen get caught in a dangerous storm. Luckily, they are rescued by another teenage girl in a rowboat. They soon learn that their rescuer is Laura Pendleton, whose mother has recently passed away. Laura has come to meet up with her new guardians, but something isn't quite right about them. Nancy investigates the situation, and soon she stumbles upon a shocking surprise in the cellar of a bungalow!

Adventure

4.25/5 I forgot how some books could start off with heart-pounding thrills. This one grabbed me from the 1st page, and I couldn't stop reading until it was finished. Gotta love Nancy, Miss-Jack-of-All-Trades: “She got out of the car, lifted the hood, and flashed her light inside. She had taken a course in automobile mechanics and knew the possible sources of trouble.“ Of course she did. #wonderwomannancy Can't wait for the next one! ( )

Overall review for both the 1930 original story and the 1960 revision.

The third book in the series was perhaps the most exciting so far, with Nancy almost continually in peril and getting herself out of one scrape after another. As usual, the mystery depends heavily on coincidence and inconsistencies that don’t stand up to much scrutiny, but it gives Nancy plenty of opportunity to show off (modestly, of course) her smarts, her skills, and her courage.
There is a significant difference in storytelling style and characterization between the versions.
The 1930 plot and characters are kept simple and few. We are more often inside Nancy’s head as she’s working out the clues and coming to conclusions. There is a buildup of suspense, violence both actual and implied, and Nancy is far more impulsive and emotional – she gets spooked, is at times frightened, but bravely recovers and thinks things through. The 1960 version introduces many more characters, romance elements, and a far more complicated plot, but we don’t get to solve the mystery inside Nancy’s head. We are on the outside and she just tells us her conclusions along with the other characters. This Nancy is also brave, but she is almost always deliberate, cool, and collected; justifying her actions as staying within the letter of the law and as morally just

Original 1930 text: ★★★★★
Revised 1960 text: ★★☆☆☆
Averages out to a probably over-generous ★★★★☆

Full review with a chapter-by-chapter comparison of original and revised versions at Booklikes. ( )