Secret at Mystic Lake

I mostly enjoyed this story. It has a tinge of classic slasher horror to it - what with the bike expedition to woods, thefts, disappearances and the feeling of being unable to trust your companions. However, Nancy...really doesn't pick up on anything in this series. She literally trips over the solution every single time. I managed to figure out about half of it, which was more than Nancy - who is supposed to be some super sleuth, but really is just a nosy busybody who asks questions and trips over the solution.

In a side note, I've figured out why I have such a hard time with mysteries anymore: Because most of the characters are unlikable. Sometimes you can like the sleuth (I do like Nancy, Bess and George) but the suspects, red herrings and victims are so unlikable. Much like this book, as we see how, when put under pressure, people fall apart.