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Nancy Drew Files #75
A Talent For Murder
Nancy enters a world of glamor and glitz where murder is all the rage
While in San Francisco to visit Ned's cousin, whose husband works at one of the Coast's hottest talent agencies, Nancy and Ned rub elbows with some of the city's most beautiful people. But one of those beautiful people has met a blunt and ugly end. The agency's #1 model is out of the picture for good--found dead in a back alley!
The urge to make it big in front of the camera is powerful and tempting. Even Ned has stars in his eyes, and Nancy's beginning to wonder if he's lost sight of her. But behind the spotlight, she finds that the climb to the top can prove slippery and dangerous. Greed, ambition, and deceit are the rules of the game...and murder has struck the final pose!
While in San Francisco to visit Ned's cousin, whose husband works at one of the Coast's hottest talent agencies, Nancy and Ned rub elbows with some of the city's most beautiful people. But one of those beautiful people has met a blunt and ugly end. The agency's #1 model is out of the picture for good--found dead in a back alley!
The urge to make it big in front of the camera is powerful and tempting. Even Ned has stars in his eyes, and Nancy's beginning to wonder if he's lost sight of her. But behind the spotlight, she finds that the climb to the top can prove slippery and dangerous. Greed, ambition, and deceit are the rules of the game...and murder has struck the final pose!
160 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1992
5 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
993 books3,864 followersCarolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 5, 2020
Quick and easy read while I waited for my library holds to be ready. It's been so long since I read this the first time that I had completely forgotten it. One thing I am realizing is a ridiculous amount of detail about physical appearance. Some of the story lines (like Nancy and Ned's "troubled" relationship . . . after a couple of odd moments) are a little bit of a stretch, but I have to remind myself these books were not written for a 40-year-old mom. They were written for a newly teenaged non-mom, who loved them at the time!
November 27, 2019
Ned and Nancy are trying to patch up the worst relationship in the world when they end up trying to help Neds cousin figure out who murdered a model. Ned becomes an actor in a commercial and annoys Nancy by hanging all over his gorgeous co-star (again!!!!)
July 7, 2024
The mystery itself was one of the better ones, but I HATE the Ned/Nancy drama that they keep throwing in for no reason. Some things did not need to be Dallasified.
That said, I LOVE how angry and indignant Nancy gets whenever someone suggests that she should get an actual P.I. license. Like, SO huffy. How DARE this cop who's never heard of her in a totally different major city suggest that a random teenage girl not have full access to a crime scene. THE NERVE, THE GALL!
That said, I LOVE how angry and indignant Nancy gets whenever someone suggests that she should get an actual P.I. license. Like, SO huffy. How DARE this cop who's never heard of her in a totally different major city suggest that a random teenage girl not have full access to a crime scene. THE NERVE, THE GALL!
May 12, 2024
Lite för mycket kärlekstrubbel i förhållande till mysterielösande. Dessa med kärlekstrubblet är inte mina favoriter. Lite ovanligt med mord i Kitty, det var lite oväntat.
October 20, 2024
I like how Ned only realizes that Nancy is the one for him after a near-death accident…
December 31, 2025
3 stars. The case was just okay but for the first time ever I will say that the Nancy and Ned relationship drama was the most interesting part of this book for me.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews