The cover: Eh. Nancy doesn't look terrible, although I'm trying to make sense of her outfit. Why is she wearing a scarf? It's not even cold outside in the book. And Ned looks very different from what I pictured him looking like - and from the cover of High Risk. He looks...younger. Oh and there's Nancy and Jessica in the background, gliding precariously through the air. Nancy's the lower one, I think.
The case:
Another girl is out to get Ned - for eternity
Ned takes Nancy out for a special, romantic dinner. But when he asks her to marry him, she turns him down. Then, the next night, he announces his engagement to the new girl in River Heights, Jessica Thorne! Nancy is hurt - and suspicious.
Jessica goes out of her way to make friends with Nancy. She invites her to go skydiving, and when Nancy's chute fails to open, she saves her life. Still, Nancy is determined to uncover the secret of Jessica's past - and her true interest in Ned - before the final knot is tied.
The suspect:
Jessica Thorne - Ned's fiancé No one knows anything about her - except that she lives alone in a luxury hotel and has loads of charm and money.
Complications: Jessica seems to be truly in love with Ned. She won't even accept his expensive gifts. Could she really have some other scheme in mind?
Contact: Ned Nickerson, Nancy's boyfriend. He's sure Jessica has something up her sleeve, and he wants Nancy's help to figure it out.
Setting: River Heights.
You know, I wish Nancy had accepted Ned's proposal. It would be very interesting for them to get married. Heh heh heh, I wonder what would happen at the wedding. A criminal kidnaps Nancy, Ned chases them down, Nancy captures criminal, wedding continues, Nancy gives statement to police afterwards, then they go on the honeymoon and Nancy cracks another case. Hmmm...sound interesting anyone?
So anyway I'll give you the story:
Ned was jogging outside his house when this dark-haired girl jogs up, says she lost, and asks him to direct her toward the Royal Hotel. Ned drives her there and Jessica asks him if he knows any good restaurants in River Heights. He suggests one and she tells him she hates to eat alone. Could he possibly.....?
So they had dinner together. And he agreed to play tennis with her at the country club the next day. Jessica constantly invented new excuses to keep seeing him. She played on his sympathy, building in him a sense of obligation. Ned was too polite to refuse her, and before he knew it he was spending all his free time with Jessica.
Then, slowly, she began to drop little hints into their conversations. They were innocent ones at first: "Isn't it nice that we have so much fun together, Ned?" That kind of thing. Gradually, though, the hints got heavier. "Wouldn't it be great if we got close - I mean, really close?" she'd say.
And then she mentioned marriage. Ned had a feeling she was planning something, scheming, and so he proposed to her to string her along until he figured out what it was. Doesn't work out the way he thought it would.
I recommend this book to Drew fans. I really loved it. It was different than the others, especially since there was only one suspect.
This book was so funny. Nancy has to be mean to Jessica to keep her from getting suspicious, and it's hilarious.
Conversation:
Nancy: "What a 'sweet' dress. It makes you look so young and innocent."
Jessica: [smirk] "Oh, that's why I bought it. Ned says he hates it when girls try to look older than they are. He says it's immature."
Nancy: "Really? That's odd. Ned told me loves the sophisticated look. He said he likes girls who've got the figure to carry it off."
Nancy gives Jessica a hand mirror.
Jessica: "Oh, how lovely!"
Nancy: "I thought you'd like it. You strike me as the kind of girl who likes to look at herself a lot."
Jessica: "Why, you little -" [runs to Ned with an outraged cry]
And there was another scene I love too. Nancy and Ned meet at the mall, where Ned's supposed to meet Jessica later. They're kissing and Jessica spots them. So then Nancy has to really make an act to convince her that their kiss was a farewell.
Nancy fakes tears: "You're horrible, Jessica! I'm going to make you pay!"
Jessica [taken aback]: "Huh? What for? What are you talking about?"
Nancy works herself into a rage. "Me and Ned. The two of us had something really special - until you came along!"
Jessica smiles, gleefully takes the bait: "Oh, I get it. You think I stole him. Well, I've got news for you. Stealing isn't my style. You lost him. You didn't try hard enough."
"That's not true. I love him!" Nancy wails.
Jessica starts to drag Ned away.
Nancy grabs his arm. "Ned! You can't leave me like this!"
Ned: "Nancy, it's over."
"Forget it. Let go of my arm!"
Nancy holds on, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Jessica [furious]: "Let go of him. It's over."
"NO!"
Jessica pries Nancy's fingers off Ned's arm and pushes her headfirst into the mall fountain. Nancy gets completely soaked from head to toe, and Jessica storms off with Ned.
Is it just me, or did this seem funny?
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