Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #18) by Carolyn Keene

Writer: Mildred Wirt (1941)

Revised By: Harriet Stratemeyer Adams (1971)

Mr Drew is solving a puzzle on an ad in the newspaper and wondering whether it relates to his case. With Nancy's help, he successfully cracks the code, which reveals the word NASA. Mr Drew explains that his client Mr Billington was arrested for sending explosive Hamlin oranges into the Space Center. Someone has secretly borrowed his truck and delivered several sacks of Hamlin oranges to the Center.

Mr Drew probably needs Nancy's help to investigate the case while he is busy with other matters. Mr Drew, together with Nancy and her friends, including their housekeeper Hannah fly to Merritt Island for the case. They stay at Mr Billington's house with his caretaker, Antin and his wife. The orange grove and the packing house are near their residence, allowing them to find more clues about the explosives.

In this story, we learn that Nancy is skilful in operating a motorboat. Since there is no car available, Nancy drives the motorboat to the dock near Mrs Nickerson's place. Mrs Nickerson is Ned's mother, and Ned is Nancy's date. Mrs Nickerson wishes Mr Drew would be interested in buying the house near her place. When Mrs Nickerson shows the house to the girls, they hear a scream coming from next door. The spooky house is covered with moss, and they wonder where the scream comes from.

I wish I could read the story in a more naive manner. The girls can't travel anywhere without a car because Mr Drew uses Mr Billington's car. Then, suddenly one of the girls finds a motorboat at the dock and Nancy can operate a motorboat and steer her way to Mrs Nickerson's house. They need more information about the explosives at NASA. During their visit to the Center, Hannah's long-distance relative appears out of nowhere, and he is an engineer working there. Hannah can crack a code without Nancy's help, the boys know how to crack a whip, and Nancy can climb up to the van's roof. Putting aside what I mentioned before, I found it strange that I was somehow intrigued with the story and trying not to overthink the logic in certain parts of the story. Every story in this series is like testing my analytical thinking, and my patience is continuously tested by Nancy Drew.