Mistaken identities? Beautiful ghosts in the night? Stolen lilac trees? It must be time
for the latest episode of the Nancy Drew Review with fred flare’s Lulu and Keith.

Keith: Well, readers, we have some good news and some bad news… The bad news
is that The Mystery at Lilac Inn has a lot of similarities to The Bungalow Mystery that
we reviewed last month.

Lulu: More orphaned girls and more stolen jewels…

K: Exactly. The book even begins the same, with Nancy and Helen thrown overboard
from their canoe.

L: What’s the good news?

K: The good news is that – as I recall – we LOVED that last one!

L: I really loved this one, too! There were definite similarities but this episode was
even more action-packed than the last one, if you can believe that. It all starts
when Nancy and Helen are on their way to visit their friend Emily Willoughby at
Lilac Inn to talk over her wedding plans. They’re to be bridesmaids.

K: There’s no time to talk about the wedding, though, because it soon becomes
clear that someone is trying to sabotage the Inn, recently purchased by Emily and
her fiancé. I love how Emily says that a mysterious enemy is trying to "jinx" it.

L. That’s cute.

K: Yeah, totally. Meanwhile, back at River Heights, a mysterious woman is posing
as Nancy Drew, complete with her stolen charge card. The manager of Nancy’s
favorite store even yells at her, "I don’t know what your game is, Miss Drew. But
unless you have a twin, you owe Burk’s Department Store for merchandise worth
two thousand dollars!"

L: I loved that. This type of situation actually becomes a cherished Nancy Drew
theme. We will see many more doubles, twins, impersonators and mistaken
identities in the episodes to follow.

K: And let’s not forget disguises! I love Nancy’s fashion fantasies…

L: Yes, Nancy really is a master of masquerade in this episode. The best one is when
she cooks up this scheme to catch the ghostly figure of Lilac Inn by dressing up just
like her. She wears a white evening dress, a black wig and a transparent white scarf.

K: And then wires pocket-size flashlights to the cuffs of her gown for a glowing
effect. It’s brilliant!

L: Nancy’s schemes don’t always work out, though. Doesn’t she get caught by the
security guard or something?

K: Yes, but the scheme wasn’t a total loss because Nancy finds out that the ghost is
actually her impersonator.

L: Nancy also does some impersonating of her own in this episode.

K: You must mean her "acting" debut… Later in the book Nancy pretends she’s an
actress named Dru Gruen.

L: And Helen pretends she’s a dancer named Helga Marsh. Where do they come up
with these names?!

K: Yet another cherished Nancy Drew theme: the proper name. I’ve noticed as the
stories continue the cast of characters in each episode seems to grow and grow.
This one in particular is packed with peeps! And, in typical Nancy Drew fashion, we
come to know their first and last names.

L: Here’s a brief list: There’s the friend of the fiancé, John McBride, who’s actually a
secret agent. Police Chief McGinnis, who has tremendous respect for Nancy. Maud
Potter, the social director. She’s after Carson Drew! The gardener, Gil Gary. The
geeky waitress, Jean Holmes. Another waitress, Mary Mason, whose real name is
Dotty Mae. The guard, Carl Bard. John Daly, the previous owner of the Inn, who
gives a wonderful horticultural lesson on lilacs. Lillie Merriweather, the aging actress.
And, Nancy’s evil nemesis, Gay Moreau. She is trouble!

K: Nancy really gives it to her at the end, though. She trips her and Gay falls flat on
her face. "That’s one score evened," Nancy said firmly. You go, girl!

L: I can’t wait to see Nancy kick butt in The Secret of Shadow Ranch! Tune in
next month!

08/2002