The Clue in the Old Stagecoach

 The Clue in the Old Stagecoach (1960) by Carolyn Keene

While vacationing at Camp Merriweather Nancy, Bess, and George find themselves in the middle of a a hunt for an old stagecoach. Mrs. Strook, an older citizen of Francisville, wants to help her town build a new school. Family stories say that her great-uncle Abner Langstreet hid a treasure that he wanted to be of use to his old town, if ever the need were great enough. Her great-uncle had been a stagecoach driver in the days before trains  ran most coach drivers out of business. A letter that Mrs. Strook found which Langstreet began to write to her grandmother gives more details:

You will find a clue in the old stagecoach which may prove to be of great value to my beloved town of Francisville. I put it there because I wanted it to be found some day, but not for many years.

But Langstreet was ill and the letter cuts off before he could reveal where he had hidden the stagecoach. Mrs. Strook asks Nancy to help her find the coach and the clue mentioned in the letter.

There's a couple staying at the camp who are way too interested in what Nancy is doing and who seem to be on a hunt of their own. And there are a couple of tough customers hanging around as well. Oh, and don't forget the the grumpy townsman who keeps popping up and warning Nancy off. It isn't long before a stagecoach is stolen, an abandoned barn is burned down, and Nancy is in danger. But the intrepid sleuth and her friends prevail (of course!), the real stagecoach is found (who knew there might be multiple stagecoaches near Francisville?), and the town is all set to build their school.

This was a fun revisitation of one of the Nancy Drew mysteries that I didn't reread much. I'm not sure why--there's plenty of mystery, a treasure to find, and lots of action with the baddies. It was nice to see Nancy make a few mistakes (as a child I didn't mind Nancy being perfect, but as an adult I appreciate a more realistic Nancy) on the way to the solution. I had no recollection of the girls dating other boys at the camp. I guess they have open relationships with their "special friends" Ned, Burt, and Dave. When the boys write to say that they'll be coming to visit the girls at the camp, Bess asks, 

But, Nancy, what are you going to do about Rick? [what about the guy Bess was dating?]

Nancy pretended to look worried, then said, "Some situations just solve themselves."

And, of course, it does. Rick and his friends conveniently have to leave the camp right before Ned, Burt, and Dave show up. Gotta love how Nancy deals with multiple guys...

Overall, a good mystery with several suspects (instead of the usual obvious one) and lots of adventure. ★★★★

First line: "Nancy, this is one of the steepest hills I've ever climbed down," said Bess Marvin.

Last line: "This adventure was worth it!"
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Deaths = 3 (two natural; one tractor accident)