Compliments to Series Books for Girls for the cover.
Once upon a time, a teenage girl named Nancy Drew got an unmarked package. Inside was a beautiful moonstone. There is a printed note that reads "from a well-wisher". Nancy goes to the post office to find out about the sender. George and Bess are, of course, with her, and they note a man in an ugly plaid suit. He is following Nancy! Boy, doesn't Nancy ever get a day where she isn't followed? The man runs off before the girls even get a chance to report him.
Meanwhile, Mr. Drew has another case. He must find a young woman whose parents died in an accident when she was a little girl. The girl, whose name is Joanie, wasn't seen after the accident. The parents' estate is just gathering dust! The girl's grandparents were missionaries in Africa when Joanie was just over two years old. They want to find their granddaughter. Cue Nancy Drew to the rescue!
The Drews have another watchman at the house, just in case the spy comes by. Sure enough, Mr. Drew sees something in the night, and both he and the watchman chase the mysterious man, but don't catch him.
Not long after, Carson gets a call from his client, Mr. Bowen. He's gotten a threatening message: Anyone who goes to the town where Joanie was last seen to attempt to solve the mystery is in danger! He begs Nancy not to go. Nancy is all, "Oh, it would be wimpy to ignore a serious warning!" and he's all, "Ok, that's fine, just remember the warning, okay?" 0_0
Nancy, Bess and George are soon in Deep River. There's a castle in it! From the hotel, Nancy trains her binoculars on the castle. It is so friggin awesome!
Mrs. Thompson, the hotel's owner, comments that if the girls want to know more about the castle, they should go to the Brass Kettle restaurant. There's a gossipy elderly woman, Mrs. Hempstead, who hangs out there a lot. Mrs. Hempstead tells them that odd, tragic events happened around the castle. The original builder abandoned the project without adding the last turret, but someone is still paying tax on the castle.
George does some sleuthing, following a suspicious-looking man, Mr. Seamen (don't giggle!). She loses him, but soon someone realizes that someone else is following her. Meanwhile, Nancy and Bess delve a little more info related to Joanie's mysterious vanishing. Oh,yeah, Joanie's last name is Hornton.
George and Nancy swim across the moat around the castle, despite a mysterious voice warning them to go back. Once across the moat, the girls explore the castle. Nancy manages to get to the area where the drawbridge can be manipulated, and learns how to make it go up and down.
The girls tie the bridge down with some wire and rocks, and meanwhile discuss some car tracks they found near the castle. This is a sure sign that something's up--because anyone visiting the castle is suspicious. Except for them (rolls eyes). Later, Nancy reflects that maybe they've been tampering with private property (securing the drawbridge), but George scoffs it off. They need to save the world!
Later, Nancy's car is stolen, but Nancy, Bess, George and Bess's new "interest", Alan Ryder, go to a picnic and have fun, and forget about it for a while. The picnic is for Alan's grandmother's birthday, and Alan was just so taken by Bess that he invited all three girls to the picnic.
And after the picnic is a cliff-hanging boat ride. Will the girls crash and drown in the river?
Find out in PART TWO.
