This’ll be the first of many Bobbsey Twins books reviewed on this blog, for the simple reason that there are many Bobbsey Twins books in existence. Only the first fourteen or so are still in print, but in its heyday, back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the series went up to a staggering 72 titles! Thus, there’ll be plenty of titles to examine here.
There are actually four Bobbsey Twins—for the simple fact that there’s a twelve-year-old set and a six-year-old set. (At least, some of the books give the ages, though I don’t believe this one did.) None of them are identical, sadly—they’re both boy-girl pairs. Bert and Nan are the older, and Freddie and Flossie are the younger. They live in the imaginary town of Lakeport, where their father owns a successful lumber mill. Some of the stories take place in Lakeport, but often, the twins find themselves going to such strange and wonderful places as London, Egypt, Mexico, or other faraway destinations.
This time, though, they’re at home in Lakeport, but the setting’s still exotic. Sing Foo, an elderly Chinese gentleman who lives in a mansion outside of town, invites the twins to stay at his house, Mystery Mansion, while he goes to San Francisco for a few days in response to a telephone call. The twins’ guardian at the mansion is Aunt Sallie Pry, a kind, old lady who is very deaf—this deafness will be a source of running gags throughout the story, as she’ll constantly not quite hear what is said. Examples? “You mean the flowers?” becomes “Oh, I hope it won’t shower”; “We saw a light last night” turns into “You saw a kite at night! Why would anyone fly a kite at night?” and “To get you all out of here” turns into “I never bet and I have no auto here”—still, everybody knows she means well.
As for the mansion, it’s one of those massive houses you read about in books that you just wished you owned, the type with so many rooms in it, you keep discovering new ones that you haven’t explored—and they’re filled with incredible things, from a talking statue to a trick stage to a merry-go-round. Sing Foo knows the children are detectives, and so he tantalizes them before leaving by suggesting that they search for the Golden Key, which is supposed to unlock something special.
However, Sing Foo isn’t the only one who has secrets at mystery mansion. Cars keep coming by in the night, and there are signs of mysterious prowlers. Unknown strangers phone the residence and tell everyone to get out, for Sing Foo has sold the place. I must confess, I’ve made fun of this series in the past for its lack of danger and excitement when compared with the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew series, Grosset and Dunlap’s more famous offerings. However, everyone, from Bert and Nan to Freddie and even poor Flossie will be in danger before this book is over.
It’s a delightful adventure that will keep you in suspense. If you pay attention, you may be able to guess some things that are coming, but you have to be on your toes. Also, the book has a number of little subplots that are the icing on the cake of a finely crafted story. I knew it looked good when I saw it at the bookstore, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations. If you like stories involving mysterious mansions, then this is definitely one for you!
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