The Mystery of the Queen's Necklace

## Plot

When Honey inherits a necklace from a great-great aunt,  Mrs Wheeler enlists the help of Trixie, Jim and Mart to research the necklace and the Hart family history in England.  They set off to England under Miss Trask's care, and try to uncover the origins of the necklace.  The four find themselves unwelcome in England and Trixie is certain they are the targets off a pickpocket.  When a stranger saves Honey's life, he quickly becomes part of their lives as he and Miss Trask become quite close.  Trixie is suspicious of him, but can she convince the others before it's too late and solve the mystery of the necklace?

## Characters

* Trixie Belden
* Jim Frayne
* Honey Wheeler
* Brian Belden
* Mart Belden
* Helen and Peter Belden
* Bobby Belden
* Miss Trask
* Gordie McDuff
* Misses Elizabeth and Mary Tweedie
* Andrew Hart
* Anne Hart
* Gregory Hart
* Ferdie

## Chapter Titles

1. Honey's Inheritance
2. Yankee, Go Home
3. In the Chamber of Horrors
4. Clues in the Catalog
5. Piccadilly Circus
6. The Crown Jewels
7. The Maroon Saloon
8. The Tweedies
9. A Hostile Host
10. Anne
11. Gregory
12. To Market, To Market
13. Family Tree
14. Warwick Castle
15. *A Midsummer Night's Dream*
16. A Strange Disappearance
17. At the Castle Gate
18. *All's Well That Ends Well*

## Trivia

* Mart was letting his hair grow which made him look more like Trixie, and Brian is 17 (p. 16).  Both Brian and Dan aren't able to go on the trip as they have to work to earn money for college, and Di is away with her parents.
* Honey has a great-great aunt Priscilla who lived in New England, and whom she never knew (p. 21).
* Mrs Wheeler's maiden name is Hart, and she believes she is related to Shakespeare (p. 24).
* The Bob-Whites, especially Trixie feel that they are resented and Jim tells her that English resented the American tourists after WWII, as the English were still on rations (p. 36).  Later Trixie comments (a little arrogantly) that there wouldn't be any London if the the US hadn't entered the war and Miss Trask corrects her (p. 53).
* They send postcards home.  Mart writes to Di, Trixie writes to Dan and Honey writes to Brian.  Only Honey's postcard is revealed to reader and she signs it "wish you were here" (p. 61).
* Honey is so trusting, yet Trixie is instantly suspicious of Gordie McDuff.  This has tones of #15 *The Mystery of the Mississippi* where Honey's trusting nature got them into trouble.
* Honey and Trixie fight about McDuff and Honey accuses Trixie of being jealous and afraid that Miss Trask might marry McDuff.  Trixie thinks Honey is being ridiculous, but is Honey really expressing her own feelings?  (p. 81-82)
* Trixie and the others are disturbed by the changes in Miss Trask's personality.  She forgets the time (p. 90) and reprimands Trixie severely when they are forced to leave the Shakespeare Hotel after Trixie causes a disturbance with her laughter (p. 100-101).
* Miss Trask's name is revealed when McDuff calls her Marge and Honey tells them her sister writes letters to her, address to Margery (p. 115).  Later she appears in a pink evening gown and they are all quite shocked (p. 130).
* Jim gets a classic line: "I think I'm in love - with a horse."  (p. 149)  Poor Trixie!  However, his priorities are clear when he finds the group at the end and 'threw his arms around Trixie and whirled her until she was dizzy' (p. 207).

## References

1. ↑ "The Mystery of the Queen's Necklace." Trixie-belden.com. N.d. Retrieved September 5, 2021 from http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/series/book23.htm