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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #95
The Silent Suspect
In San Francisco Nancy Drew helps an architect investigate the suspicious fires at his construction sites and tries to explain the evidence implicating his own daughter.
154 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1990
11 people are currently reading
1075 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,069 books3,891 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 4, 2019
Damn, y'all, Nancy gets her ass WHUPPED in this one. She's thrown down some stairs, strangled in her sleep, and thrown off a fucking BOAT. And she's driving when the car she's in has a blowout that almost sends her over a guardrail. So, y'know, standard practice.
Nancy and Ned are visiting Ned's Uncle Bob and his two daughters, Lisa and Laurel. Uncle Bob, who is a dick, is also an architect, and he wants his daughters to follow in his footsteps. Lisa wants to be a Cool Architect™ who designs cool buildings. Her father's designs are boring. Ned was encouraged to visit so he could convince Lisa to buckle down and... become a boring architect? So Ned jumps at the chance to bring Nancy to San Francisco for a little vacation slash being a therapist for a hot minute.
The first night they're there, Lisa SUPER DRAMATICALLY flounces in, announces she's quitting, calls someone and is like "they'll all pay!", leaves for a while, and when she comes back, her father receives a call that his massive in-progress project is going up in flames. Immediately Lisa, who refuses to talk about where she was or provide an alibi for herself, becomes prime suspect, especially when Nancy goes to the scene, pokes around, and finds a bracelet that Lisa had been wearing earlier.
FIRE MARSHAL: What's that?
NANCY: Oh, just... this bracelet I found. Tangled up in a string which I'm sure is also unimportant.
FIRE MARSHAL: Oh, okay. Cool.
NANCY: Do you... want it? For evidence reasons?
FIRE MARSHAL: Nah, you seem like good people. Hang onto it.
ME: holy shit y'all
Eventually Nancy suspects EVERYONE, and then because she scratched her assailant and then finds makeup on something, figures out who the culprit is: the lackey who seems perfectly content to stay in Lisa and Laurel's shadow, but is working to get them out of the picture so he can become the heir apparent. Idiot.
In a side plot: Lisa figured out that Laurel's calculations for the project were incorrect and would cause it to collapse under its own weight. Instead of, I don't know, DOING FUCKING ANYTHING ELSE, she decides to just NOT SAY ANYTHING and then DESTROY THE CALCULATIONS SO WHEN THE BUILDING FUCKING COLLAPSES HER SISTER WON'T BE BLAMED FOR IT. Just A+ decision-making all around, idiots. FUCKING TELL SOMEONE, IDIOT. HURT FEELINGS <<<<<<<<<< A BUNCH OF DEAD PEOPLE.
Also: Ned has his own room at his uncle's house, and Nancy's staying in Lisa's room. For plot reasons. Kinda. Had I written this, y'all, Nancy would have been sneaking out every night to hang out in Ned's room.
Nancy and Ned are visiting Ned's Uncle Bob and his two daughters, Lisa and Laurel. Uncle Bob, who is a dick, is also an architect, and he wants his daughters to follow in his footsteps. Lisa wants to be a Cool Architect™ who designs cool buildings. Her father's designs are boring. Ned was encouraged to visit so he could convince Lisa to buckle down and... become a boring architect? So Ned jumps at the chance to bring Nancy to San Francisco for a little vacation slash being a therapist for a hot minute.
The first night they're there, Lisa SUPER DRAMATICALLY flounces in, announces she's quitting, calls someone and is like "they'll all pay!", leaves for a while, and when she comes back, her father receives a call that his massive in-progress project is going up in flames. Immediately Lisa, who refuses to talk about where she was or provide an alibi for herself, becomes prime suspect, especially when Nancy goes to the scene, pokes around, and finds a bracelet that Lisa had been wearing earlier.
FIRE MARSHAL: What's that?
NANCY: Oh, just... this bracelet I found. Tangled up in a string which I'm sure is also unimportant.
FIRE MARSHAL: Oh, okay. Cool.
NANCY: Do you... want it? For evidence reasons?
FIRE MARSHAL: Nah, you seem like good people. Hang onto it.
ME: holy shit y'all
Eventually Nancy suspects EVERYONE, and then because she scratched her assailant and then finds makeup on something, figures out who the culprit is: the lackey who seems perfectly content to stay in Lisa and Laurel's shadow, but is working to get them out of the picture so he can become the heir apparent. Idiot.
In a side plot: Lisa figured out that Laurel's calculations for the project were incorrect and would cause it to collapse under its own weight. Instead of, I don't know, DOING FUCKING ANYTHING ELSE, she decides to just NOT SAY ANYTHING and then DESTROY THE CALCULATIONS SO WHEN THE BUILDING FUCKING COLLAPSES HER SISTER WON'T BE BLAMED FOR IT. Just A+ decision-making all around, idiots. FUCKING TELL SOMEONE, IDIOT. HURT FEELINGS <<<<<<<<<< A BUNCH OF DEAD PEOPLE.
Also: Ned has his own room at his uncle's house, and Nancy's staying in Lisa's room. For plot reasons. Kinda. Had I written this, y'all, Nancy would have been sneaking out every night to hang out in Ned's room.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2021
I read this book when I was 10. To this day, I always know “who dunnit?” because of what I learned in this little book. I wow my husband and I always say “Nancy Drew, #95”. 30 years of being a know it all!
January 18, 2021
Very much enjoyed this short, but captivating mystery book! The chapters don't feel too short, but aren't super long! Perfect for early readers, for all ages, or just for a short mystey for fun! I recommend this book! Enjoy! And please read her other books, the others as good as this one! But don't take my word for it, read it for yourself! And find out, who, is The silent Suspect!
May 6, 2020
Just a basic Nancy Drew mystery
May 16, 2020
I knew who it was right from the start, but the ending and reveal was still so great.
February 19, 2015
Another interesting setting, this time with boyfriend Ned's architect uncle and cousins in San Francisco. The family dysfunction sets this apart from other ND mysteries. I did know whodunit before Nancy, which usually isn't the case. A nice change to have just Nancy and Ned working on the mystery.
April 26, 2017
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews