When I was in elementary school, more years ago than I care to remember, we had a book fair every year. Each class got to go look at the books and choose which ones we would like to own. We could give the list to our parents, who got to attend the book fair one evening and could purchase books.
When I was in fourth or fifth grade, I saw the most wonderful books at the fair. They were part of a mystery series featuring an airline stewardess, Vicki Barr -- Silver Wings for Vicki, Vicki Finds the Answer, and The Hidden Valley Mystery. In those days, becoming an airline stewardess was the most romantic career to which a girl could aspire. Even better, the heroine and I had the same first name -- she even spelled it the same way! Not only did Vicki get to wear a neat uniform and fly all over the country, she also got to solve mysteries. I desperately wanted to own and read those books! But they were hardcover books and cost a lot of money.
I asked my parents for them, but I had little hope I'd get them. I even suggested that they give them to me for Christmas. I didn't hear anything else about them, and I'd forgotten all about it, when one day I was looking for something in a closet, and there they were, hidden away where I wouldn't find them before Christmas. It was like finding a hidden treasure, especially because I didn't want to spoil the surprise by telling anyone I'd found them.
On Christmas morning, they were under the tree, and I didn't have to pretend to be thrilled! I devoured them all. They were the first mysteries I'd ever read, and they opened a whole new world for me. The beautiful, blonde Vicki Barr was clever and smart and always solved the crime, in between trips to far-off cities and romance with a handsome pilot.
Next I tackled Nancy Drew, books passed down to me by an older cousin. The books were already dated, even back then. I didn't know what a running board was, but I understood Nancy perfectly. She was the girl we all wanted to be when we got old enough to drive -- clever and smart and she always solved the crime. This lead to other books with other clever and smart heroines who always solved the crimes.
Decades later, and after reading hundreds of mysteries, I was offered the opportunity to create my own mystery series. Today I get to write the Gaslight Mysteries with heroine Sarah Brandt, a woman who is clever and smart and always solves the crime. But I'll never forget Vicki Barr, the young woman who started it all.
Who are your favorite clever and smart heroines?
Editor's Note: The author of more than twenty historical novels, Victoria Thompson's latest book, Murder on Waverly Place, was published this past Spring.
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