The Mardi Gras Mystery facts for kids
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| Author | Carolyn Keene |
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| Language | English |
| Series | Nancy Drew |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
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Publication date
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1988 |
| ISBN | 978-0-671-64961-6 |
| OCLC | 17442867 |
| LC Class | CPB Box no. 1783 vol. 20 |
| Preceded by | The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds |
| Followed by | The Clue in the Camera |
The Mardi Gras Mystery is the 81st book in the exciting Nancy Drew mystery series. In this story, Nancy travels to New Orleans during the lively Mardi Gras celebration. But the fun turns into a puzzle when a valuable painting goes missing!
Contents
Characters in the Mystery
- Nancy Drew - the clever young detective
- Ned Nickerson - Nancy's boyfriend
- Bess Marvin - Nancy's friend
- George Fayne - Bess' cousin
- Brian Seaton - Ned's college friend
- Bartholomew Seaton - Brian's father
- Michael Westlake - Brian's grandfather
- Carson Drew - Nancy's father
- Ferdinand Koch - a local art dealer
- Warren Tyler - Mr. Seaton's rival
- Max Devereaux - a person who creates fake art
- Mariel Devereaux - Max's daughter
The Mystery Begins
In The Mardi Gras Mystery, Nancy's boyfriend, Ned Nickerson, gets an invitation. He's asked to spend his vacation with Brian Seaton, a friend from Emerson College. On their way to the Seaton Mansion, Brian makes a quick stop. He visits Warren Tyler's house to pick up his father, Bartholomew Seaton.
While there, Brian shows Ned a special painting. It's a portrait of his late mother, Danielle Seaton. A famous artist named Lucien Beaulieu painted it. Mr. Tyler now owns the painting because he found it in a barn he bought.
A Stolen Painting
After leaving Mr. Tyler's, the friends head to Seaton Mansion, also known as "The Bat Hallow." They get ready for the Mardi Gras celebration, putting on fun costumes. Later that evening, they go to the Silver Yacht Club to enjoy the party.
But during the night, something terrible happens: the valuable portrait is stolen! Everyone starts looking for clues. The main suspect is Mr. Seaton himself. People think he wanted his wife's painting back. All the evidence seems to point to him. He was wearing a bat costume, just like the thief. Also, he was missing at the exact time the painting disappeared, around 10:00 p.m.
Nancy's Investigation
Nancy Drew can't resist a good mystery, so she decides to help. Her search for clues leads her to the famous French Quarter in New Orleans. There, she sees a woman who looks exactly like Danielle Seaton. The only difference is that the woman's face has some marks. Nancy is very surprised. She starts to wonder if Danielle might have survived a sailboat accident that everyone thought she died in.
Later, Nancy discovers the woman's real identity. She is Mariel Devereaux. Mariel's father, Max, is an art forger. This means he is very skilled at making fake copies of famous paintings. Nancy puts all the pieces together. She figures out that Max used his daughter, Mariel, as a model for the painting. Mariel looked almost exactly like Danielle.
The Forger's Plan
Max purposely left the painting in the barn. He wanted Mr. Tyler to find it. Mr. Tyler was a suitor of Danielle and a rival of Bartholomew Seaton. Max's plan was to steal his own painting back later. Then, he would demand a lot of money for its return. He wanted a million dollars to pay for his daughter's medical treatment. Nancy's clever detective work helps her solve this tricky art theft!
Video Game Adaptation
The 17th game in the Nancy Drew point-and-click adventure game series is called Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull. This game is loosely based on the story from The Mardi Gras Mystery book.
See also
In Spanish: Nancy Drew para niños
