This is the LAST ONE. And there are still unanswered questions, like where is River Heights? (My guess is upstate NY.) What caused Mrs. Drew's death (one book said she died "suddenly" and one other one mentioned "a brief illness" but that's it)? Why didn't Hannah, who was apparently married herself at some point, but has lived with the Drews since Mrs. Drew kicked it, ever get married to Carson? Could you really have a platonic relationship with your live-in housekeeper for fifteen years? I had this one as a girl, but I don't think I cracked the cover of it. Probably a good thing, because it makes no sense.Nancy goes on a wild-goose-chase to Japan and disguises herself as a Japanese girl (with blue eyes and titian hair) and none of the Japanese people are any the wiser. I thought "Asiatics" were supposed to be smart. This was one of the few trips she took with her father and no other entourage. Anyway, they eventually return to River Heights where all the bad guys are (jewel thieves and a pearl-worshipping cult. Nancy and Ned lose consciousness when they're chloroformed at the close of the penultimate chapter. This book could have been not-the-final book if one sentence had been added to the effect of "Little did she know but she was soon to be entangled in the [insert next title here]."
The Thirteenth Pearl is a children's story by Carolyn Keene (pseudonym) and the 56th book in the Nancy Drew series. Asked to locate a stolen necklace of unusual value, Nancy Drew soon discovers that strange and dangerous people are responsible for the theft.I’ve always been a voracious reader. So, as a child, one of my favorite things about summer was the frequent trips to our local library, which was less than a mile from our house. Like most young girls of a certain age (ahem), my love for mysteries started with Nancy Drew—there simply was no mystery too baffling that she couldn’t solve. And as I would read her most current adventure, I would imagine myself following in her footsteps … taking charge and plunging ahead, getting into mischief, chasing down culprits and solving the mystery. Even though I haven’t re-read any of these books since I was a child, I still think that Nancy is a great character—her courage, confidence and fierce independence, makes her an iconic source of inspiration for young girls everywhere. A must-read children's book, The Thirteenth Pearl is another wonderful Nancy Drew mystery.
What do You think about The Thirteenth Pearl (1992)?
Wow! I can't believe I'm finally done with the Nancy Drew books. It took longer than I expected, a year and a little over two months, I honestly don't even remember them all. The final book could have been a lot more spectacular, the end quote wasn't even by Nancy herself, but it wasn't bad. It was a lot like all the others. I do wish it would have ended more conclusively, and time passed accurately (Nancy was 18 in all 56 mysteries, each took more than a week), but, for children's books, I suppose it isn't important. It also makes it easy to read them in any order. Overall, the series was cute, but I think I would have enjoyed it more when I was younger.
—Ashleigh
I know the series continues after 56, but this technically is the last of the originals. I'm kind of sad after finally reading this book many years too late. I used to read these as a 10 year old. In my dark room, I'd get scared of the evil criminals in these tales. I used to fantasize being Nancy Drew. As a fan of this series, there wasn't many things that bothered me in this book. Just the fact that it is kinda of impossible for an 18 year old to figure all this out within a few weeks/days. None of that mattered to 10 year old me though.I quite enjoyed the travel to Japan and the jewelry theft aspect. I'm feeling very nostalgic after reading this. I might have to dig out the rest of them for a re-read!
—Katie Dever
