By now, even Honey was finding it difficult to stay calm about the withdrawals.  "This isn't a normal drop-out rate," she said.  "Something's going on, and I'm going to find out what it is."

"How are you going to do that?" Trixie asked.

Honey's jaw set in a stubborn look that was rare for her.  "I'll think of a way," she replied.

A few moments laster a girl from Honey's homeroom withdrew her dog.  This girl, too, had suddenly found out about a visit to her grandparents on the day of the show.

Honey managed to smile as she returned the money.  Calmly, she watched the girl walk away from the sign-up table.  Then she stood up and said, "You wait here, Trixie.  I'm going to talk to Heather."

Honey followed the girl.  Trixie saw Heather turn and pause as Honey quietly called her name.  The two girls talked for several minutes.

Finally, Heather went off down the hall.  Honey walked back toward the sign-up table.  A tight knot formed in Trixie's stomach as Honey drew nearer.  There was a smile on Honey's face - but there were tears in her eyes!

"Oh, Trixie," she said softly, the tears running down her cheeks, "you won't believe this.  She says there's a rumor going around school about us, and that's why she withdrew.  The rumor is that we don't plan to use the money for the game birds at all - we're going to spend it on ourselves!"

The Pet Show Mystery (p. 64-65)

Title :
Trixie Belden and the Pet Show Mystery 

Author :
Kathryn Kenny
The ghost writer of this book is thought to be Laura French

First Published :
1985

Chapter Titles :
1.  An Everlasting Winter
2.  Patch Provides a Plan
3.  The Bob-Whites Begin
4.  The Angry Young Man
5.  Honey Uncovers a Rumor
6.  Dr. Chang Explains 
7.  The Man from the Mall
8.  Dressed for Waiting
9.  The End of a Suspect
10. A Last-Minute Entry
11. Computerized Confrontation
12. Tailing a Suspect
13. The Evidence on Ice
14. Success!

Setting :
Sleepyside, New York

Synopsis :
When a classmate draws Trixie's attention to the plight of the local birds during a cold winter, the Bob-Whites decide to organise a Pet Show to raise awareness and money to feed the birds.  However, not everyone is supportive of the idea and the Pet Show is threatened by sabotage on several fronts.  Trixie suspects the angry young man who runs the Anti-Hunger Foundation, but Trixie discovers he is guilty of a more serious crime and the Bob-Whites are forced to look at themselves and admit that their actions do not help everyone. 

Characters : 
Trixie Belden
Jim Frayne - adopted son of the Wheeler's
Honey Wheeler - Trixie's best friend
Brian Belden - Trixie's eldest brother
Mart Belden - Trixie's "almost twin" brother
Helen Belden - Trixie's mother
Bobby Belden - Trixie's six year old brother
Diana Lynch - a Bob-White and neighbour
Dan Mangan - a Bob-White and Regan's nephew
Norma Nelson - a class mate who feeds the hungry birds
Nick Roberts - an artist and classmate
Dr Chang - Sleepyside veterinarian
Paul Gale - head of the World Anti-Hunger Foundation
Miss von Trammel - School secretary
Heather - classmate
David Llewelyn - Special investigator with the State Attorney's Office
Gordon Halvorson - a classmate in Mart's computing class

Villains :
Paul Gale and his assistant are the main villains in this book, using the funds raised for the anti-hunger campaign to buy jewels and smuggle them into the US.  Norma Nelson and Gordon Halvorson are also guilty of separate acts of sabotage against the Bob-Whites because of jealousy.

Points of Interest:
The book commences on the first day back at school after winter vacation (p. 9-10).

Finally technology is introduced into Trixie Belden and Mart sings the benefits of computers after he begins a computing class (p. 13).

Norma Nelson has set up feeding stations along Glen Rd and Old Telegraph Rd to feed pheasants and quails (p. 17).  There was a Mark Nelson in #31 The Mystery at Maypenny's, could he be Norma's brother?

Sleepyside has a mall!  (p. 36)

Honey says 'we have people of many different races here at school' (p. 47) but why are they rarely mentioned?

Honey is portrayed several times in way that is completely out of character for her.  On page 55, she loses her patience with Peter Gale and on page 64, her actions and comments in finding what is causing the students to withdraw from the Pet Show, would normally be attributed to Trixie.

The Anti-Hunger Foundation is situated at 75 South Tenth Street in Sleepyside (p. 61).

David Llewelyn is staying at the Sleepyside Inn (p. 115).  The only inn mentioned in previous books was the Glen Road Inn.

Peter Gale confesses his crimes to the girls with very little prompting, and asks them if they've 'ever seen a really big beautiful ruby or diamond?' and the girls answer no (p. 171).  Obviously, Honey and Trixie have forgotten the diamond they found in #3 The Gatehouse Mystery or the diamond they uncovered in #12 The Mystery of the Blinking Eye.