Love Notes

Nancy Drew Files #109

by Carolyn Keene

Attending a world-famous piano competition in Massachusetts, Nancy Drew becomes romantically involved with finalist Ted Martinelli, but her happiness is cut short when each of the finalists is threatened. Original.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Childrens

160 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1995

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nancy really skanks it up in this one.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is not up to the standard set by the previous books.

[August · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery was interesting, although the summary plays up the romance aspect a lot. The actual plot has very little to do with romance, thankfully. The culprit isn't as painfully obvious as it is in some of the other (older) books, and I thought the climax was kind of weak, and, well...anti-climactic. It was interesting to have only Bess helping with the mystery, instead of both Bess and George, and there weren't any comments about Bess being overweight or eating too much! Yay!

[K.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Nancy struggles with her feelings for a finalist in an international piano competition whilst trying to discover who is behind the threats to the finalists

[Vernell Schutte · Rating 3 out of 5]

average mystery

[Aaliyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought that yed woulf be the bad guy

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was a tween and loved it the, just as I do now! I highly recommend this book at people of all ages. It's clean, fun, and a mystery!

[Maryann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The suspense in the book was really biting for me. Everyone was a suspect really. I didnt figure anything out until the end LOL

[Melissa]

It mixed my two favorite genres, mystery and romance.

[Dr. Aditi Kapoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A musical mystery as Nancy explores the mystery of her heart and the series of accidents