The Trixie Belden Series #1-13


#1 The Secret of the Mansion

"Oh, Moms, I'll just die if I don't have a horse!"  Trixie Belden faces what promises to be a boring summer.  Her older brothers are away at camp, leaving Trixie with only her little brother, Bobby, to play with.  As Trixie despairs, she notices horses being led to the stable at the neighboring mansion.  Trixie is thrilled when she learns that the Beldens have new neighbors, including a girl her own age.  Most importantly, they have horses!

The Secret of the Mansion
Trixie becomes fast friends with her new neighbor, Honey Wheeler.  The Wheelers' groom, Regan, teaches Trixie how to ride a horse, and Trixie teaches Honey how to ride a bicycle.  The girls investigate the nearby Frayne estate after they learn that old Mr. Frayne is in the hospital and realize that a prowler is on the property.  The girls meet young Jim Frayne, who is running away from his mean stepfather.  Through a series of adventures, the girls help Jim find his inheritance and devise a plan to save him from going back to his stepfather.  Unfortunately, Jim disappears before the girls can tell him of their plan.
#2 The Red Trailer Mystery

Miss Trask departs with Trixie and Honey in the Wheelers' trailer, the Silver Swan, to search for Jim Frayne.  Honey hopes that Jim will be found and that her parents will want to adopt him.  Honey wants a brother more than anything in the world.

Soon after their departure, the girls meet the poverty-stricken Darnell family, who are traveling in a red trailer that looks vaguely familiar to Trixie.  Joeanne Darnell runs away from her family because of something her father has done, so Trixie and Honey search for her while they search for Jim.

The Red Trailer Mystery
The girls follow several false trails, which end up leading them to some trailer thieves rather than to either Jim or Joeanne.  After a daring confrontation with the thieves, Trixie and Honey finally discover both Jim and Joeanne.  The girl is reunited with her family and learns that her father did nothing wrong; he only borrowed the red trailer until he could find a job.  Trixie realizes that the trailer belongs to Diana Lynch's family, which is why it looked familiar.  After a nervous meeting with Honey's parents, both the Wheelers and Jim agree that Jim should be adopted by the Wheeler family.
#3 The Gatehouse Mystery

Trixie and Honey explore the old gatehouse in the woods of the Wheelers' property with Trixie's brother, Bobby.  As is typical, Bobby trips and falls, hurting himself.  At first Trixie thinks Bobby cut himself on a piece of glass, but Honey identifies the stone as a genuine and rather valuable diamond.

Trixie convinces herself that thieves hid out in the gatehouse and accidentally dropped the diamond.  Neither Honey nor Jim agree with the farfetched idea generated by Trixie's vivid imagination.  However, they soon take stock in Trixie's story when someone tries to steal the diamond out of the jewelry box in which it has been placed.

The Gatehouse Mystery
Trixie's brothers, Brian and Mart, return from summer camp and find the story of the diamond rather difficult to believe.  They tease Trixie but change their minds when they learn more about the situation.  As the young people plan how to proceed, they decide to join together as a semi-secret club, the Bob-Whites of the Glen.  The Bob-Whites put a plan into action for catching the diamond thief red-handed, and after several frightening events, the jewel thieves are brought to justice
#4 The Mysterious Visitor

Lonely Diana Lynch is invited to spend the weekend at the Wheelers' mansion.  The Bob-Whites discover that Diana is troubled about her brand-new long-lost uncle, Monty, who is staying with the Lynches.  Di hates Uncle Monty and feels like he is trying to control her life and make her miserable.  The Bob-Whites invite Di to become a member of their club and do what they can to take her mind off of her problems.

The Mysterious Visitor
The Bob-Whites help Di plan a Halloween masquerade party at her home, but all of their plans go to waste when Uncle Monty takes over as the master of ceremonies.  During the party, Trixie decides that Uncle Monty is an imposter who is after the Lynches' money, and announces her belief way too loudly.  Trixie soon finds herself under intense scrutiny by Uncle Monty and becomes very fearful for her safety.

Trixie loses Di's friendship after Uncle Monty tells Di falsehoods about Trixie.  Honey intervenes, and Trixie remains determined to prove the truth about Uncle Monty.  Trixie's investigation places her in grave danger, and it is Mart who unexpectedly comes to Trixie's rescue and helps Trixie to obtain the proof that she needs in order to prove that Uncle Monty is indeed an imposter.

#5 The Mystery Off Glen Road

During a fierce hurricane, the Bob-Whites' clubhouse is severely damaged.  With little money to spare, the Bob-Whites face losing everything that they have stored in the clubhouse.  Brian decides to use the $50 that he has saved to buy an old jalopy from Mr. Lytell on the clubhouse.  Mr. Lytell will only hold the vehicle for a few more days, and there is no way that the Bob-Whites can pay Brian back in time.

The Mystery Off Glen Road
Trixie decides that she can save the jalopy for Brian if she can use the old ring that Jim gave her to Mr. Lytell as collateral.  However, there is no way she can let her father know why she wants the ring so she must suddenly become feminine.  Trixie fakes falling in love with Honey's cousin, Ben Riker, and her family believes she has lost her mind.  Nevertheless, Trixie obtains the ring from her father.

Meanwhile, the Bob-Whites take on the job of patrolling the Wheelers' game preserve to earn money, and Trixie and Honey stumble upon what appears to be a poaching operation.  The girls suffer through many exhausting and worrisome hours before they discover the solution to the mystery, but all of the struggles are worth it once the Bob-Whites earn enough money to pay Brian back.

#6 Mystery in Arizona

Di's Uncle Monty invites the Bob-Whites to spend Christmas in Arizona at his dude ranch.  Trixie fears that she cannot make the trip due to her bad grade in math, but her parents agree to let her make the trip so long as she receives tutoring from her brothers each day.  After the Bob-Whites arrive in Arizona, they learn that they must go back home since most of Uncle Monty's hired help has vanished!  Before she can stop herself, Trixie volunteers the Bob-Whites as replacements for the hired help during their stay.  The others are horrified but agree to the plan to avoid hurting Uncle Monty.

Mystery in Arizona
During the first half of their stay in Arizona, Trixie is miserable since she has no time for fun aside from cleaning, setting tables, and studying her math.  Since none of the others have to study, they still have time for recreation.  Even though Trixie is busy, she still manages to discover several mysteries.  Why is quiet Rosita selling her prized jewelry?  And why does Tenny the cowboy not have a western accent when he thinks no one is listening?  Most importantly, where did the Orlando family go and will they come back?  These questions are resolved in a surprising fashion, and Trixie finds much more time for recreation during the final days of her stay in Arizona.
#7 The Mysterious Code

The Bob-Whites are in danger of being ordered to disband by the school board in light of recent vandalism at the school.  The school board fears that secret clubs may be responsible for the destruction.  The Bob-Whites must prove their worth to the community in order to stay together as a club.

Trixie immediately thinks of UNICEF, and the Bob-Whites plan an antique show and sale to benefit UNICEF.  As the plans proceed, some of the antiques are stolen.  There are few clues as to who is responsible, but it is likely the same people who are responsible for the acts of vandalism.

The Mysterious Code
As the day of the sale approaches, the Bob-Whites keep a watch for thieves, but the thieves manage to outsmart them.  In a thrilling climax, Trixie is held captive by the thieves, and it is only her quick thinking that gives her the opportunity to get a message to the other Bob-Whites who are able to save her and the valuable antiques.
#8 The Black Jacket Mystery

Trixie instantly dislikes Dan Mangan, a newcomer to Sleepyside, who is staying with Mr. Maypenny at his cabin.  Dan dresses in a black leather jacket and cowboy boots and brags about being a member of a gang in the city.  Even though Trixie tries to be friendly to Dan, everything she says comes out wrong, and Dan returns her comments with rude ones of his own.

When Honey loses her watch, the girls conclude that Dan has it because of boot prints found in the snow.  Dan claims he never found the watch, but stubborn Trixie refuses to believe him.  Next, Mr. Maypenny is attacked and circumstantial evidence again points to Dan.

The Black Jacket Mystery
In the end, Trixie and Bobby get lost in the woods and are nearly attacked by a catamount.  It is Dan Mangan who rescues him, and Trixie suddenly learns a lesson about jumping to conclusions based on flimsy evidence.
#9 The Happy Valley Mystery

The Bob-Whites spend spring vacation at Andrew Belden's farm in Iowa.  Trixie is intrigued to learn of sheep thieves who are stealing from Uncle Andrew and his neighbors.  Trixie blunders into several embarrassing situations as a result of her impetuousness and quickly becomes the subject of much joking.

Trixie becomes more determined than ever when carelessness on the part of the Bob-Whites causes Uncle Andrew's sheep to be left out during a snowstorm.  Fortunately, the sheep are located and saved, but Trixie feels that she must make amends.  Most importantly, she must prove her worth as a sleuth!

The Happy Valley Mystery
The vacation quickly nears its end, and finally the last opportunity for sleuthing arrives.  Trixie convinces Jim and Honey to go with her to Walnut Woods during a thunderstorm in hope of discovering the thieves.  Trixie obtains the information she needs in order to lead the police to the thieves, but the cost of the information is nearly too high.  Trixie, Honey, and Jim are caught in a flash flood, and only through sheer determination and more than a little luck are they able to survive the terrifying ordeal.
#10 The Marshland Mystery

Trixie's world is dismayed when Gaye Hunya, a child prodigy at the violin, stays with the Wheelers.  Gaye is spoiled, petulant, and determined to always get her way.  Trixie plans to ride to Martin's Marsh to harvest some herbs for her teacher and is infuriated when Gaye invites herself along.  After hearing that Gaye must practice, Trixie leaves without waiting for Gaye to return after asking permission to take the trip.  Later, when Trixie learns that Gaye has disappeared, she wonders if Gaye may have made the trip alone.

The Marshland Mystery
A search reveals Gaye's whereabouts, but Trixie's trip to the marsh and Gaye's disappearance bring unwelcome attention from an arrogant young newspaper reporter.  Miss Rachel Martin, who lives near the marsh, comes under close scrutiny by the townspeople and is forced to move as it is feared that she is too old to live alone.  Trixie is upset that her desire to help her teacher has hurt Miss Martin and vows to help Miss Martin however she can.
#11 The Mystery at Bob-White Cave

Andrew Belden invites the Bob-Whites to his fishing lodge in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri.  Trixie is off and running when she reads of a prize for finding a certain species of blind fish that can only be found in caves.  Trixie's enthusiasm rubs off on the rest of the group, and Uncle Andrew helps them gather the necessary supplies that will make it safe to explore the nearby caves.  The search proves more difficult than the Bob-Whites anticipate when others who are also searching for the fish do their best to thwart the plans of the Bob-Whites.

The Mystery at Bob-White Cave
Trixie's search for the blind fish draws her into more than one dangerous situation, including a frightening underground flood that nearly claims her life.  Despite the many problems, Trixie ultimately emerges victorious and at the same time helps to reunite a man with his family.
#12 The Mystery of the Blinking Eye

"Great-headed man with blinking eye . . ."

This strange message given to Trixie by a fortune-teller at the airport in New York City and a mysterious wooden idol purchased in a junk store plunge Trixie into her latest mystery.  Swarthy men follow the Bob-Whites as they sightsee in New York City, and oddly, the fortune-teller's message predicts everything that happens to the group.  The boys claim it is all just a coincidence, but even they are baffled at the many coincidences.

The Mystery of the Blinking Eye
Trixie finally realizes that the men are after her idol—but why?  It is too late when Trixie learns the truth, and it is only through a chance stroke of luck that she is able to survive the danger in which she recklessly places herself.
#13 The Mystery on Cobbett's Island

The Bob-Whites travel to the beach at Cobbett's Island to spend the summer with the Wheelers.  The group arrives during a fierce storm and helps an injured man.  While the Bob-Whites wait for the storm to abate, Trixie finds a letter in an old book.  The letter gives a clue to a hidden treasure.  Intrigued, the Bob-Whites search for the treasure with the help of their neighbor, Peter Kimball.

The Mystery on Cobbett's Island
The Bob-Whites search for the treasure in between helping Peter clean up after the storm and going sailing.  After an exhaustive search which includes both good times and bad, the Bob-Whites find what they seek and help a needy family.
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