The Voice in the Suitcase

The Voice in the Suitcase by Margaret Sutton (1935) Not my favorite Judy Bolton book, but then, there have been some good ones to live up to, and I imagine with any series there are ups and downs. Making a point to read them in order, too, takes the pressure off any given book—as they all work together as one extended whole. Not that this isn’t a good story, a good mystery—it is. Lots of crazy stuff going on. It’s mostly about the grandparents (and uncle) of Judy’s new friend, Selma, one of the poor kids in town, the mill workers. The mysterious suitcase with a voice coming from it is the oddity that drives the plot, to some degree. There are plenty of funny and odd events—once again, an aviation near disaster. And there’s the everyday horrors of staying in this truly rustic country house—where the girls have to deal with the eccentric older people, a shortage of food and comforts, and some kind of creatures running over Judy’s face as she sleeps. As usual, she’s brave and resourceful—you have to love Judy Bolton.