The Ghost of Blackwood Hall

 The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (1948) by Carolyn Keene

Nancy's jeweler brings Mrs. Putney (another customer) to consult the young detective. It seems that Mrs. Putney, after being advised by her dead husband's spirit, buried her jewels near a certain tree to avoid a robbery. But when she dug the jewels up again to take them to the jeweler to be cleaned, he found them to be fake. She wants Nancy to find out what happened to her real jewels. Nancy's efforts are hampered by the fact that Mrs. Putney has absolute faith in the so-called spirit of her husband and medium whose seances produce him. Nancy is positive that the medium is a charlatan who may be part of the gang who stole the jewels. Her investigations lead her to two young women who are also being swindled out of their paychecks by spirit instruction. 

Consultation with her father produces leads that take Nancy and Bess and George to New Orleans in search of information on a ex-jewelry salesman who may have designed the imitations left for Mrs. Putney. And finally the trail leads to Blackwood Hall, an abandoned property near River Heights which just might be the headquarters for the gang.

This was one of my favorites when I first read it over forty-five years ago. The seances, ghostly messages, weird chanting and organ-playing in Blackwood Hall, the hypnosis theme, and, of course, Nancy figuring it all out. Lots of fun with just the right amount of creepiness when I was in elementary school. It was fun to revisit and see how it held up. And it held up pretty good. I enjoyed myself quite a lot. ★★★★

First line: "If I ever try to solve a mystery with a ghost in it I'll use a smart cat to help me!" Nancy remarked laughingly.

Last line: "Anyway, it's much more fun to catch the people who try to do the flimflamming!" Nancy said, smiling
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Deaths = 6 (three natural; one shot; one drowned; one in war)