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The Penny Parker series was a collection of seventeen books written by Mildred Wirt Benson between 1939 and 1947 (two books a year except for 1945, which only had one). The heroine was the eponymous Penny Parker, a slim, blonde young woman, an only child with [[MissingMom a dead mother]] who was raised by her father and the housekeeper, who was like family. She solved mysteries, most of which took place in her hometown, Riverview, but sometimes were in other locales. Her friends assisted her on her cases and she usually made new ones along the way. [[Literature/NancyDrew Does this sound familiar?]]

There were some marked differences from Nancy Drew, however. Penny's father, Anthony Parker, owned and printed ''The Riverview Star'', a newspaper, unlike Carson Drew, who was a lawyer. Penny's character is actually more similar to that of the original Nancy Drew, as she is terribly flippant and impulsive, which tends to get her into hot water. Penny (who, unlike Nancy, is still in school) also has only one close girlfriend her age, Louise Sidell, as opposed to Nancy's Bess and George. Her other friends included Salt Sommers and Jerry Livingston, a photographer and reporter on her father's paper. The latter was more of a LoveInterest. The cast was rounded out by Mr. Dewitt (later spelled [=DeWitt=]), the ''Star's'' gruff city editor.

This was Wirt Benson's favorite of her series, and she is quoted as saying that she thought Penny was "a better Nancy Drew than Nancy was."

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] [[LetsPlay/SnapCube another Penny Parker.]]



!!This series provides examples of:

* TheAllegedCar: Leaping Lena.
* AlliterativeName: Penny Parker and Salt Sommers. Penny also called her car Leaping Lena.
* BadHabits: In [[spoiler: "The Cry At Midnight."]]
* ButtMonkey: Louise can be this at times.
* CatchYourDeathOfCold: Mentioned in ''Saboteurs on the River'', with "pneumonia" in place of cold.
* ChekhovsSkill: Penny's ice boating in ''Ghost Beyond the Gate''.
* CreepyDoll: The eponymous one in ''Tale of the Witch Doll''.
* DaEditor: [=DeWitt=]
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Salt. Penny has her moments too.
* FineYouCanJustWaitHereAlone: Penny does this to poor Louise sometimes.
* GoingForTheBigScoop
* GreenEyedMonster: Louise in ''The Cry at Midnight'': "Louise considered Penny her dearest friend. Though she would not have admitted it, she was slightly green-eyed whenever another person claimed any of her chum’s attention."
* ImpliedLoveInterest: Jerry to Penny. ''The Clock Strikes Thirteen'' says that she she "liked him better than any young man of her acquaintance", while ''The Wishing Well'' pinpointed him as having long been a "particular friend" of hers. Even though Penny pooh-poohed their relationship on at least one occasion, they still share many tender moments and several kisses throughout the series.
* IntrepidReporter: Jerry and Penny. Salt could also qualify as an intrepid photographer.
* KidDetective
* KindlyHousekeeper: Mrs. Maude Weems
* TheKlutz: Louise, sometimes.
* LoveInterest: Mrs. Deline to Mr. Parker, until [[spoiler: we find out she's a criminal and he was only ''pretending'' that she was a love interest to gain information.]]
* MissingMom: Penny's.
* MysteryFiction
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: In ''Signal in the Dark''.
* OfficialCouple: Jerry and Penny pretty much became this in twelfth book when he declared her to be his "one and only." He was absent from the next two books, and by ''Whispering Walls'' (book fifteen) they were back to their UnresolvedSexualTension.
* ParentalSubstitute: Mrs. Weems to Penny
* PunnyName: Salt Sommers
* PutOnABus: Jerry was gone on military leave for a few books.
** TheBusCameBack: He makes a "guest appearance" in ''Voice From the Cave'' and by the time ''Whispering Walls'' rolled around, he was back, no mention made of his previous absence.
* RecurringCharacter: Salt Sommers and Mr.[=DeWitt=]
* RuggedScar: Apparently, Salt Sommers has a deep scar on his left cheek.
* RupturedAppendix: Mr. [=DeWitt=] got appendicitis in "Ghost Beyond the Gate."
* ScoobyDooHoax: Occurs in ''Hoofbeats on the Turnpike''.
* SoProudOfYou: Jerry and Mr. Parker toward Penny, the former especially in ''The Vanishing Houseboat''.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Jerry and Penny. See ImpliedLoveInterest.
* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: Or Riverview, in this instance. Melon cultivation (prominently featured in ''The Clock Strikes Thirteen'') make it most likely in the southern half of the U.S. -- anywhere from Florida to California -- but no specifics are given.