The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage

The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage by Carolyn Keene (1934) This is a Dana Girls Mystery, the first one I've ever read, and the second of the series. Carolyn Keene is the pen name attributed to the Nancy Drew series, of course, though there were ultimately many actual authors for that series as well as this one. According to Jennifer White, whose excellent Series Books for Girls website I refer to often, this title was actually written by Leslie McFarlane, who wrote the first many, and best, Hardy Boys titles. Unfortunately, of all the old series books I've read recently, I like this one the least, so I don't think I'll pursue or peruse more Dana Girls. I'm a slow reader and want to read more Judy Bolton and Connie Blair (my two recent favorites) and also check out other odd series books, and there are a lot out there. Not that this one was terrible—I enjoyed it—I just felt like it was a bit tedious, could have been much shorter, and the the two Dana sisters, Jean and Louise, didn't come to life for me enough that I could even remember which one was which. There were some interesting things, like this old guy character who complains about everything, and everyone tiptoes around, fearing his wrath and for his health. It's a great portrait of that type of patriarchal tyrant, so familiar and too prominent in most people's lives. Also, the bad guy was pretty slippery, even to the point of being disguised as a woman, which struck me as particularly fun and creepy, and likely a Leslie McFarlane touch, as his original Hardy Boys texts are full of odd and sometimes mildly disturbing details that make them worth rereading.