Penny Parker Mystery

Eager to become a reporter, Penny Parker grabs the chance to cover a society wedding. Her father, the editor of the Riverview Star, explains that the only access to the Kippenberg estate is via a rickety bridge and that Mr. Kippenberg, who is on the run for tax evasion, just might show up at his daughter's wedding. Penny smells a scoop! When the groom receives a mysterious note and disappears moments before the ceremony, Penny is on the trail. The mystery deepens as the intrepid teenager gathers clues while encountering a belligerent gardener, unsavory boatmen, and an alligator.

Overall, those who loved Penny Parker overlooked her casual ways and flippant speech. These largely resulted from her dad having taught her to think straight. She sometimes had to wait a few minutes before gathering sufficient courage to continue battling whatever setbacks might come her way. Her mother died when Penny was only a three-year-old child, but she was, as she said, “on my own, with a vengeance.” This largely resulted from the loving care of her newspaper owner/editor father, Anthony Parker, who never remarried

The story begins when Carol, a recent college graduate, takes a job as a secretary for a wealthy businessman named Edward Norton. Norton seems like a charming and respectable man, but as Carol becomes more involved in his business affairs, she realizes that he is involved in some shady dealings. Norton is involved in smuggling and counterfeiting, and Carol is soon drawn into a dangerous web of intrigue.