The Hidden Staircase vs The Mystery of the Strange Messages: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Adventure, Mystery, Children's fiction

Cover of The Hidden Staircase

The Hidden Staircase Carolyn Keene · 1930 ★★★★☆ 4.0 185 pages · ≈ 3 h 26 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The Mystery of the Strange Messages

The Mystery of the Strange Messages Enid Blyton · 1969 ★★★★☆ 4.1 160 pages · ≈ 2 h 58 m · Light Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.0 vs 4.1 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Mystery of the Strange Messages is the easier read (Light), The Hidden Staircase more demanding (Moderate).

Side by side