A wonderful ghost mystery as Nancy and her besties investigate the secret of Craven Cove in picturesque Maine. This is currently my favorite book in the Wanderer series. ( )

I'm not going to rate this book because I'm a middle-aged woman, not a young girl. I found it enjoyable enough. One secret I guessed early on and another escaped me. The style reminded me of the Nancy Drew books of my (and my late mother's) girlhoods. Well, the social attitudes are better than in 1930s Nancy Drews. The action takes place in Maine. If the book explains why Smuggler's Cove had its name changed to Craven Cove, I missed it. Was it renamed for someone whose last name was "Craven"? "Craven" is also a word meaning someone who has not even a trace of courage. Given that the cliff above the cove had a fort in the 19th century and the soldiers used the old smuggling tunnels to escape being bombarded, was the name change because some people felt the soldiers were cravens? I don't know. Yes, it's a small point, but I'm curious.

Miss Braden was Nancy, George, and Bess' third grade teacher. The mystery is whether Miss Braden's brother is dead or alive. His daughter, Laura, insists he's alive. Should she be telling people that she's seen her father? Mr. Karl Braden did top secret work for a nearby naval base. Is that stuck-on-herself local reporter, Ms. Walters, right in thinking that Mr. Braden was up to no good? Was Sam Beaumont, lobsterman, really as good a friend of Mr, Braden as claimed? If so, why does he keep trying to get Nancy to drop her investigation? Note to potential readers: the cover does show a scene that actually happens in the book. That's not the only peril encountered, either.

*possible spoilers*

A pretty good and interesting ND book! I love how Nancy starts out on just a nice vacation, but of course with her no vacation is complete without a good mystery. :) I felt so sorry for Laura, she was so certain that she'd seen her father, but everyone kept trying to convince her that he was dead... I'm glad Nancy stuck with the case, even when she wasn't sure there was a case at all. What seemed like a daughter in denial of her father's death turned into such a huge mystery, it even involved the navy! Very good book. ( )