The Mysterious Code

## Publication Order

The Mysterious Code is the first book in the series to be written after Julie Campbell Tatham's relinquishing of the series in 1958. The books were then written under the pseudonym "Kathryn Kenny."

## Plot

"After the school district cracks down on secret clubs, Trixie and the other Bob-Whites put on an antique show to prove their worth. While collecting antiques, Trixie is robbed by thieves and finds a mysterious code in Honey's house. In the midst of this, romance blooms between Jim Frayne and Trixie Belden, making readers wonder what happens next!"

## Characters

* Trixie Belden
* Jim Frayne
* Honey Wheeler
* Brian Belden
* Mart Belden
* Diana Lynch
* Mrs Belden
* Peter Belden
* Bobby Belden
* Miss Trask
* Celia Delanoy
* Regan
* Tom Delanoy
* Madeleine Wheeler
* Mrs Lynch
* Tad Webster
* Spider Webster
* Sergeant Molinson
* Mrs Vanderpoel
* Brom Vanderheidenbeck
* Oto and Kasyo Hakaito
* Mrs. Bruger
* Mike
* Bull Thompson
* Snipe Thompson

## Chapter Titles

1. No More Bob-Whites?
2. Trixie's Big Idea
3. "The Winnah!"
4. Treasures in the Attic
5. The Acrobatic Alphabet
6. A Musical Mystery
7. Thieves!
8. Foreign Intrigue
9. Lost in a Blizzard
10. A Caller in the Night
11. The Mask Comes Off
12. "This Can't Be Me!"
13. Going Partying
14. At the Police Station
15. The Most Fun Ever
16. The Show Takes Shape
17. Brom's Surprise
18. Night Watch

## Trivia

* This was the first book written by a new author, and published three years after the last Campbell book, and there were a few signs of inconsistency. The author must have paid little heed to Jim's background history as this is where the biggest inconsistencies occur.  Trixie finds a jewellery box that had belonged to Jim's Aunt Nell that was hidden by the daughters of the previous owner, Mrs Spencer when they were young.  Jim tells Trixie that his mother told him Jonesy, his step-father, was accused by his aunt and uncle of stealing the music box and even his mother thought so.  This introduces two problems.  Jim was ten when his father died and his mother married Jonesy sometime after.   In The Secret of the Mansion, Jim tells Trixie and Honey that after Aunt Nell died, his mother never heard from his uncle again (p. 48) and it does not seem that Jim ever met his Uncle.  It doesn't appear that Jonesy ever met the Frayne's and, therefore, could not have stolen the music box.  Also, Mrs Spencer mentions that her daughter, who now lives in Canada, is currently visiting and confesses that she and her sister hid the music box.  If Jonesy, was on the scene it must have been less than five years ago and her daughters could not have possibly grown up so quickly and the Manor House would not have been empty for "so many years" as Trixie states in The Secret of the Mansion (p. 37).
* Molinson, who seems to be a contemporary of Spider's in The Mysterious Visitor, becomes a Sergeant in this book and has a well-established dislike for Trixie and her involvement in mysteries.
* The book is set either in late January/early February as Di holds a pre-Valentine's Day party.
* Trixie's birthday is May 1 (p.161).
* This book is probably most remembered for the orchid Jim sent Trixie, addressing her as "Schoolgirl Shamus" and the author telling the reader that Jim had recently noticed "that Trixie was a pretty girl" (p. 122).

## References

1. ↑ "List of Trixie Belden Books." Wikipedia. March 28, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_Trixie\_Belden\_books
2. ↑ "The Mysterious Code." Trixie-belden.com. N.d. Retrieved April 5, 2021 from http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/series/book7.htm