Edgar Edwards, the collector

Re: “Not a Girl Detective” by Susan Kandel

Cece has been asked to deliver a speech at a Nancy Drew fan convention, but before she does that she needs to hand-deliver a copy of the Nancy Drew book ‘The Mystery of the Ivory Charm’ as a favor to her bookstore owner friends. The person she is delivering the book to is named Edgar Edwards. Mr. Edwards is quite wealthy and collects many things, among them rare Nancy Drew books.

He also has foreign editions of the books. In Sweden Nancy Drew is known as Kitty. In Finland, she’s Paula. And in France she is Alice Roy.



Kitty och spindelmysteriet (The Spider Sapphire Myastery). Artwork by Norma Miralles, copyright © 1991 by ScandBook AB, Falun.

Cece must have made a good impression, because before she leaves Mr. Edwards house, he gives her a key to his vacation home in Palm Springs. She and her friends are to use it during the Nancy Drew fan convention as his guests.

The next day Edgar’s curator, a guy named Mitchell Honey, calls Cece to ask what she said to Edgar. He is quite upset as it seems that Edgar has disappeared and Mitchell thinks Cece was the last one to see him. Cece doesn’t have a clue.

So she and friends make the drive to Edgar’s Palm Springs house. The lights are on in the house but he isn’t there. There aren’t any clothes in his closet. Hmmm.

Not to worry - the organizer of the Nancy Drew convention tells Cece that Edgar called and he is going to give a speech, right before Cece’s. He says he has a great surprise for them all.