Author Nancy Bachana has always been captivated by history’s hidden narratives, but it was a biking trip along a canal that ignited the idea for her latest book, “The Key to Puzzler’s Lock.”

This middle-grade mystery follows young sleuths Vivian and Aiden as they decipher cryptic clues that lead them deep into the past of the Delaware & Hudson (D&H) Canal. 

Bachana’s fascination with canals began in Pennsylvania, where she discovered the Delaware Canal while biking.

“I was amazed that this entire route had been dug by hand hundreds of years ago and had once been teeming with life,” she recalled.

Later, after moving to Sullivan County and finding the D&H Canal practically in her backyard, she felt compelled to explore its history.

“These tranquil waterways, once the lifeblood of commerce, suddenly fell silent—what better setting for a mystery? As a kid, I built a lot of moats around my sandcastles at the beach where I grew up in Florida. And really, canals are just big moats, dug by hand. Your friend’s foot is in the way? Dig your moat around it and keep going. Shawangunk Mountains in the way? Dig the canal around them.”

“I guess you could say I’ve always had a love for digging things out of the earth to create a path—or a way to get around things!”

This canal and its ingenious engineering played a pivotal role in the creation of the story. 

The D&H Canal faced the challenge of navigating New York’s hilly terrain. To overcome this, the canal used a brilliant system of locks—stone-lined structures that acted as giant “elevators” for boats. 

“When a barge was headed uphill, it would enter a lock on one side, and the water would be let in from the higher side, raising the barge to the next level. I loved this simple, yet ingenious solution,” Bachana notes. “It was something I could understand and appreciate—like a ‘water elevator,’ a far cry from the complexities of combustion engines or air travel.”

At the heart of The Key to Puzzler’s Lock are five cryptic clues that pull characters Vivian and Aiden into an unexpected historical puzzle.

“They don’t know who is leaving the clues, but the mysterious ‘Puzzler’ clearly has deep knowledge of canal history,” Bachana explained. 

The excitement of solving each riddle keeps the young detectives engaged, and their complementary strengths, Aiden’s knack for puzzles and Vivian’s encyclopedic knowledge of the canal, make them the perfect duo.

Bachana’s research into the D&H Canal uncovered surprising real-life stories that helped shape the book’s plot. 

“The idea actually started with a story about a 19th-century puzzle maker who turned out to be a humble postmaster,” she said. 

This historical love for riddles inspired her to imagine a secret ‘Puzzling Society’ tied to the canal—a concept that will play a larger role in future books.

While the novel is an adventurous read, Bachana ensured historical accuracy remained at its core. 

“Vivian’s house was once the canal’s headquarters, and she has a giant map showing what it looked like in its prime,” she stated. 

A pivotal moment comes when Vivian realizes a clue references a long-lost location—a revelation she makes only because of her deep connection to the canal’s past.

The book’s historical elements create a vivid picture of life for the ‘canal kids’ of the 19th century. 

“A child Vivian and Aiden’s age would have walked barefoot alongside a mule for miles, slept in cramped cabins, and even been tethered to the boat to prevent them from falling into the water,” Bachana describes. 

She highlights that these immersive details bring history to life for young readers.

Without giving too much away, Bachana hints that readers won’t have to wait long to uncover the Puzzler’s true identity. 

“By the end of Book One, the mystery is solved—but that discovery sets the stage for the next books, revealing a deeper historical connection between puzzles and the canal,” Bachana teased.

Beyond the adventure, Bachana hopes her book inspires readers to think creatively and embrace problem-solving. She notes that each puzzle in the book isn’t just a random challenge, it’s tied to a historical fact or location. The story shows that persistence, teamwork, and seeing things from a fresh perspective can lead to big discoveries.”

What’s Next?

With The Key to Puzzler’s Lock launching in time for the D&H Canal’s bicentennial, Bachana is actively involved in the celebrations. As a member of the Wurtsboro Bicentennial Celebration Committee, she is helping organize a reenactment of the groundbreaking on July 13, featuring descendants of the canal’s founders, the Wurts brothers. She will also be at the D&H Canal Museum in High Falls, NY, on June 14 and 15 for readings and book signings.

Nancy also mentions that while the book is available online, she’s still working on finalizing local events and signings. 

“I don’t have much nailed down for upcoming events/signings and telling people where they can purchase the book locally,” notes Nancy.

“While it’s available online, the only brick-and-mortar store I’m sure of is the D&H Museum in High Falls. I’m just getting started soliciting places like Canaltowne Emporium, Canal Interpretive Center, the Kartrite, Neversink River Resort, Interpretive Center in Summitville (the County). I have relationships with all of them, and the Mamakating Library has offered to host a reading, but there are no firm dates yet and that’s just Sullivan County.”

She noted that she’ll be “hoofing it up and down the Canal from Honesdale to Kingston.”

For Bachana, the D&H Canal is more than a historical relic—it’s a world of stories waiting to be told. Through Vivian and Aiden’s adventures, young readers can step back in time, solve mysteries, and perhaps even dream of one day reviving the canal themselves, just as her characters do.

Readers can find “The Key to Puzzler’s Lock” online at nancybachana.com and nancybachana.myshopify.com with more locations to come in the future.