White Water Terror

I give you, the cover. Yeah, pretty awful. Nancy looks extremely ugly, what with the black eyes and everything, and Max...well, personally I don't think he's very good looking. Maybe that's just me though. Yeah, this is one of the worst covers. Thankfully they're not all like this, but some come pretty close.

The case: When George wins a rafting trip on a wild Montana river, Nancy and Ned agree it's time for a vacation. Bess is persuaded to go because there will be boys in the group. But a sinister telephone warning and two near-fatal "accidents" soon put the vacation on ice and Nancy and her friends on guard.
Then when one raft capsizes and another is sliced to ribbons, it's obvious someone is sabotaging the trip. Everyone is a suspect - until one of the rafters is killed and another disappears. It's clear that Nancy and her friends are being stalked by a ruthless murderer. But why? If Nancy doesn't find some answers soon, she can kiss her vacation - and her life - goodbye.

The Suspects: Max, a master rafter with a troubled past. He seems interested in Bess, but is it just a ploy?

Tod, an immature loudmouth who plays with dangerous toys, like firecrackers - and switchblades.

Mercedes, Paula's cousin. She's watching Nancy's every move - and rifling through Nancy's backpack.

Complications: Both rafts are lost - one swept away, one sabotaged. Then Max and Paula disappear. Nancy has to get the group out of the wilderness alive. But that isn't easy when a maniac starts to stalk them - and the main target is Nancy Drew!

Contact: Paula Hancock, the leader of the rafting expedition. Nancy has never seen her before. So why does Paula seem so familiar?

My review: Despite the cover, this is actually a very good book. Suspenseful and intriguing, and the culprit was difficult to guess. I'll give it five stars.

Murder on Ice

Well, the cover is better than most. Nancy looks more like fifteen or sixteen, though, and I have no clue who that guy in the very back is. It can't be Ned, he's a lot younger than that. I don't know.

The case: A weekend on the slopes is just what Nancy and Ned need to rekindle their romance. Joined by Bess and George, they head for the mountains - and run straight into deadly peril. First, Nancy's towline breaks, then she and Ned careen toward cliff's edge in an out-of-control Jeep! Among the suspects is a good-looking ski instructor who's already got George falling for him. Nancy's got to move fast - before an avalanche of murder buries them all!


  The Suspects: Luke Ericsen - the handsome ski instructor has a mysterious - and maybe murderous - past.

Michael Price - the handsome, helpful stranger saved Nancy's life, but she's sure he has a dark motive.

Gunther - the cheerful German student is enjoying an American vacation. He came to the lodge for fun - or could he be there for revenge?

Complications: George has fallen hard for Luke Ericsen. How can Nancy tell her that Luke might be a killer? Then a blizzard cuts the lodge off from the rest of the world, and Nancy, Bess, Ned, and George find their lives on the line!

Contact: Liz Whitcomb, the owner of the lodge. She wants Nancy's help - but does she have something to hide too?

Pretty good. It's another one of my favorites, though there are a few things about it that bother me. For instance, Nancy goes behind Luke's back and uses the towline even after he's told her not to. It's not his fault she almost got into a serious accident.

''There's a rickety old tow rope I use when I'm checking the chair lift," Luke said, "but it's a very steep trail and I'm not letting anyone but an expert mess around on it."
"What makes you think I'm not an expert?" Nancy said hotly, but Luke just turned away without answering.
Wouldn't it have been great if Luke just snickered and said, "Everything about you."? Yeah, that would have been better.

'Nancy was always modest, even though her detective work had earned her an international reputation.' There's something about that line that bothered me, though I'm not exactly sure why.

Over all, though, this book was very good. Exciting and hard to put down. I'll give it 5 stars.