The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest

## Plot

The Bob-Whites are preparing for the wedding of Juliana and Hans, and Trixie is not impressed by the arrival of a younger cousin, Hallie.  With the appearance and disappearance of a wheelchair, food, furniture, bicycles and Juliana's engagement ring, Trixie finds herself with a mystery on her hands and the unwanted assistance of Hallie.  Trixie's temper is sorely tested, and she tries to evaluate her own behaviour as she attempts to decipher the strange behaviour of her close friends and family.

## Characters

* Trixie Belden
* Jim Frayne
* Honey Wheeler
* Brian Belden
* Mart Belden
* Diana Lynch
* Dan Mangan
* Helen and Peter Belden
* Bobby Belden
* Hallie Belden
* Miss Trask
* Celia Delanoy
* Regan
* Tom Delanoy
* Matthew Wheeler
* Sergeant Molinson
* Mrs. Vanderpoel
* Julian Maarsden
* Hans Vorwald
* Ella Kline
* Mrs. Boyer
* Dick "Kate" Ryks (aka Oliver Tolliver)

## Chapter Titles

1. The Suitcase Mix-Up
2. What Did Bobby See?
3. Off-Key Whistle
4. Where's Di's Invitation?
5. A Disturbing Phone Call
6. Scooped
7. Ashes From a Bonfire
8. Bare Cupboards
9. The Ring
10. The Footprint
11. A Frog Hunter
12. Teed's and Wheels
13. The Truth Seeker
14. A Wedding and a Wheelchair

## Trivia

* The tone of this book is much different to previous books and Trixie takes a psychological journey through this book as she tries to work out who she is.
* Hallie arrives on the 19th of July and the wedding is on the 6th of August.  Dan goes missing on the 22nd of July and isn't found until the day of the wedding.
* Trixie had know Hallie was coming a week before she arrived, but did not mention it to anyone as she was trying to deal with her feelings (p. 16).
* It had been two years since Hallie and Trixie had last seen each other, and the book implies that Hallie made the last visit (p. 25).
* 'Trixie Belden faced the biggest mystery of all, the mystery of self - the enormously important question, who am I?' (p. 25)
* 'Each time she thought of walking down the aisle, Trixie shivered nervously' (p. 33).  Is this a sign that she was not in a hurry to get married?  Though she does consider what her own wedding would be like: 'She would wear her mother's dress in a simple and lovely home ceremony' (p. 109).
* Trixie thinks that Hallie could be considered prettier than Di (p. 43), but Di doesn't seem threatened by her even though Dan responds instantly to Hallie when he didn't do the same to Di.
* The book explains that the Lynches had re-hired Harrison and the children's nurses after finding it too difficult to run the large household without them (p. 50).
* Bobby says "If I ever get a bike" (p. 53) but he had one in *The Marshland Mystery*.
* Dan makes an effort to look nice for Hallie and Trixie notices it.  Dan and Hallie dance and 'Trixie was not used to sharing the limelight, and she didn't quite know how to make room for a cousin in this fun time.  She sensed that this was also true for Di and Honey' (p. 81).  This seems strange, as with an extra girl, the Bob-Whites balance out.  Trixie can see that Hallie cheers Dan up, but she doesn't acknowledge how good she could be for him or that he might be lonely and feel left out.
* Mrs Vanderpoel made her wedding dress while she waited for her fiancé to return from France after World War One (p. 113).
* Di's twin sisters were present at the shower and flower girls at the wedding, but they were not named.

## References

1. ↑ "The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest." Trixie-belden.com. N.d. Retrieved September 5, 2021 from http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/series/book17.htm