The Vanishing Shadow

''The Vanishing Shadow'' is the 1932 debut mystery novel by Margaret Sutton, introducing readers to Judy Bolton, notable for its grounded realism and social commentary compared to its Stratemeyer Syndicate contemporaries.

Fifteen-year-old Judy Bolton expects a quiet, mundane summer staying at her grandparents' farm near Dry Brook Hollow. While exploring, she overhears a suspicious conversation involving local men discussing a fatal flaw in the Roulsville dam. When the men realize Judy is nearby, they threaten her, sending her on a dangerous quest to uncover a corporate fraud that threatens the town. A torrential downpour puts the cracked dam at risk of bursting, leaving Judy to rely on her seemingly timid brother Horace to risk his life and warn the townspeople.