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Nancy Drew joins the circus in order to investigate the mystery surrounding a gold charm bracelet and a young orphaned aerialist.Tags
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Nancy's Aunt Eloise, aware of her niece's current interest in learning horseback riding stunts, sends her a second-hand golden bracelet bearing charms of horses in all five gaits; a sixth charm is missing. Coincidentally, the Sims Circus, former employer of Nancy's equestrian instructor, is coming to town. Nancy investigates the link between the unhappy circus star, young aerialist, Lolita, and her bracelet. Lolita is the adopted daughter of the acting manager, Ringmaster Kroon, and his wife. Pietro, the young, handsome clown, tells Nancy Lolita has the missing charm from her bracelet. Nancy's regular appearances at the circus, and her detective reputation brings the ire of Kroon. When a bareback rider is injured, Nancy is asked to join show more the show as her replacement. Bess Marvin stands in at an interview with Kroon, and agrees to audition later, while Nancy lightens her hair and cuts it to resemble her friend. Nancy's travels with the circus come to an abrupt end when she and George are kidnapped and left aboard the car of a freight train. After their escape, Nancy continues following up on clues, including a mysterious woman in England linked to both the bracelet and Lolita! In the climax of the story, Nancy is rescued by Ned when Kroon tries to imprison her in the lion's cage, and all is revealed!
1974 Edition: the story is a shortened and abridged version of the original, lacking detail in the subplots, and quickening the pace. Nancy uses a wig to resemble Bess, as well, since her hair is titian in the revision. The story is basically a simplified version of the original. show less
1974 Edition: the story is a shortened and abridged version of the original, lacking detail in the subplots, and quickening the pace. Nancy uses a wig to resemble Bess, as well, since her hair is titian in the revision. The story is basically a simplified version of the original. show less
Nancy Drew is given a beautiful gold bracelet and finds that one of the horse charms is missing. When she learns the unusual story behind the jewelry, she sets out to solve the fascinating mystery.
I enjoyed the read, but found a few things about it that bugged me as I'm no longer in the target age group.
http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2014/11/nancy-drew-ringmasters-secret-carol...
http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.ca/2014/11/nancy-drew-ringmasters-secret-carol...
Nancy knows that something is up in the circus, because Hitch a groom at her hourse riding academy is being secretive. Hitch also tries to ruin Nancy, but, Nancy knows what and which thing is right or wrong. After researching for evidence and working with friends, she learns that the cruel ringmaster, also Lolita a acrobat's foster father... Nancy solves question one, what does the ringmaster want? She knows that the cruel men work for him is always just for money... and Wealth...Which, eventually, leads her to the "case solved".
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Author Information

927+ Works 201,876 Members
Carolyn Keene was the pseudonym that Mildred Wirt Benson and Walter Karig used to write Nancy Drew books. The idea of Nancy Drew came from Edward Stratemeyer in 1929. He also had other series, that included the Hardy Boys, but he died in 1930 before the Nancy Drew series became famous. His daughters, Harriet and Edna, inherited his company and show more maintained Nancy Drew having Mildred Wirt Benson, the original Carolyn Keene, as the principal ghostwriter. During the Depression, they asked Benson to take a pay cut and she refused, which is when Karig wrote the books. Karig's Nancy Drew books were Nancy's Mysterious Letter, The Sign of the Twisted Candles, and Password to Larkspur Lane. He was fired from writing more books because of his refusal to honor the request that he keep his work as Carolyn Keene a secret. He allowed the Library of Congress to learn of his authorship and his name appeared on their catalog cards. Afterwards, they rehired Benson and she wrote until her last Nancy Drew book (#30) was written in 1953, Clue of the Velvet Mask. Harriet and Edna Stratemeyer also contributed to the Nancy Drew series. Edna wrote plot outlines for several of the early books and Harriet, who claimed to be the sole author, had actually outlined and edited nearly all the volumes written by Benson. The Stratemeyer Syndicate had begun to make its writers sign contracts that prohibited them from claiming any credit for their works, but Benson never denied her writing books for the series. After Harriet's death in 1982, Simon and Schuster became the owners of the Stratemeyer Syndicate properties and in 1994, publicly recognized Benson for her work at a Nancy Drew conference at her alma mater, the University of Iowa. Now, Nancy Drew has several ghostwriters and artists that have contributed to her more recent incarnations. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Ringmaster's Secret
- Original publication date
- 1953; 1974 (revised) (revised)
- People/Characters
- Nancy Drew; Lolita; Hannah Gruen
- First words
- “Oh, Nancy, I worry so about your doing that trick riding,” remarked Hannah Gruen, looking fondly at the slender attractive girl in jodhpurs and a tight-fitting coat.
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Statistics
- Members
- 1,494
- Popularity
- 15,496
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.68)
- Languages
- English, Finnish, French, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 15
- ASINs
- 23

























































