1987 edition. (Other cover from Applewood facsimile edition.)
This is the first of the Nancy Drew books. Nancy is 18 years old. He father is an attorney. In this story an old man dies, seemingly leaving his money to some people he had been living with. The people are supposedly already rich and snobbish. They have two daughters, neither of whom Nancy gets along with.
There is a possibility of a later will, though, and Nancy starts to check into things. She meets a number of people who knew the old men and who could use money far more than those he supposedly left it to. One woman needs medical help; another could use voice lessons as she is a talented singer, and there are others. The problem for Nancy is finding out if there actually was a later will and where the guy put it, and doing this before the supposed-last will is finalized.
Although doing this she encounters some nice people, she also encounters some thieves and is left in a position where she could end up starving to death. She figures out where a clue to the will is hidden, but getting that means running up against the thieves again.
Nancy is quite persistent, though, and in the end the needy are the ones who get help and the greedy are the ones who don't.
I think it's a very good book. Nancy is obviously intelligent and willing to do the work necessary to find out what she needs to know. She is compassionate towards others, polite and brave.
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