The Wild Cat Crime

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #141

by Carolyn Keene

Working as an intern on the Channel 9 investigative news teams gives Nancy a chance to watch breaking stories unfold. The most exciting news comes from the zoo: A cougar, belonging to one of the world's endangered species, has given birth to four cubs. But the wondrous news takes a wicked turn when the priceless baby cats are stolen.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile, Classics, Thriller

149 pages

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Carolyn 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.

Reviews

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

My love of reading started when i was young, and it gives me immense pleasure to provide books to Spread the Word Nevada, an organization that passes them on to children in the community. They are a terrific organization supporting an important cause. If your local I encourage you to check them out. For those living further a field, look in your own community, their may already be a similar program in place. And if not, you can always help start one.

http://spreadthewordnevada.org/

Myself, I go out on the weekends and
shop thrift store and bulk book lots to rescue books and donate them. Sometimes I'll find a book I remember reading when I was young and will read it again before passing it on.

I don't rate these books using my normal scale, instead I give most of them three stars. This isn't a Criticism of the book, simply my way of rating them as good for children.

[LuAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though a zoo setting seems like it would be interesting, it's not well used in this book and the dangers Nancy faces in it and casually walks away from fairly unscathed are more extreme than usual. Since these were churned out en masse for kids, they follow a standard formula: Nancy and/or one of her friends volunteering/working in a new place where there is theft/sabotage and a handful of likely suspects, one of whom turns out to be involved in a lesser crime/incivility that's a red herring and one of whom is nasty to Nancy & co. When they rise above it due to characterization, plotting, setting or some innovation on the formula, I really enjoy them; unfortunately, this one doesn't.

[Eric Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great ND book! It was filled with suspense and action! I was totally surprised to see who had done it! I could not put down this book. It was so good!

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the previous book, I was skeptical about this one. But it ended up being pretty good!

[Jerry]

review text for 959

[Ria Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

why do all men who come into bess' crush list turn out to be the culprits????