The Mysterious Image

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #74

by Carolyn Keene

Nancy sets out to locate a kidnapped actress and to clear one of her father's clients, a renowned photographer, accused of stealing ideas for his images.

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

189 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Malin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jag har inte läst en Kittybok sedan 1990-talet, men det är som att inget hänt. Särskilt inte i den här som är skriven långt före tiden då jag läste Kitty som mest. Det går att säga mycket om Keenes böcker, men en sak går inte att förbise: de fick mig att läsa, att älska att läsa böcker, att vända sida efter sida i jakten på historiens slut. Och de gav mig mycket läsglädje och som har haft betydelse för den läsare jag är idag.

[Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nancy investigates a missing actress and a plagiarism claim against a famous photographer.
There is the usual sabotaged car incident and a firework bomb at a rock concert. The villains are a bit anonymous in this story and the "twist" wasn't that much of a surprise. It felt a bit rushed and not that well pulled together. Not one of my favourites.

[Prami{reader and dreamer} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't remember much but I like Nancy and the mysteries.

[Myra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had been a great fan of Nancy Drew as a pre teen and early teen and then I kinda just forgot about it.
But I recently found out that ebooks of Nancy Drew actually exist and I actually went crazy and downloaded six in a single day. Of course I haven't read them all yet, but I fully intend to.
I am ignoring my TBR and review copies and ARCs for Nancy Drew. And I don't even mind.
So anyway, about this book - Nancy is as always a strong character and very observant. It was a tight plot and a good mystery - not a clichéd one either!
Plot inventiveness - 5/5
I have just one question about something in this book that has me real confused - what on Earth is a shuttle flight? She takes, on multiple occasions, a shuttle flight from River Heights to New York, and she goes in the morning and is back by lunch?!
What technology is this even?

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

good story.

[Johnnysbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Nancy Drew book. It little interesting case.

[Truly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy Drew mendapat tugas dari ayahnya untuk membantu seorang fotografer yang dituduh menjiplak karya orang lain untuk dipakai dalam iklan. Padahal selama ini, reputasi Dallas Curry cukup baik. Ia dikenal sebagai fotografer handal.

Selain itu, secara bersamaan Nancy juga mendapat tugas dari kepolisian untuk mencari seorang artis hilang yang bernama Clare Grant. Ternyata kedua kasus tersebut berhubungan.

[Tech Savvy]

Subliminal messaging is the name of the game as Nancy finds herself once again investigating two mysterious that end up being linked. I must admit I didn't see the twist concerning the missing actress but one of the illustrations gave it away. We're now in the age of video cassette recorders in the books!

[Shauna]

I don’t think it’s fair to rate this one. But my daughter bought it for me for Christmas & I wanted to read it for nostalgia’s sake. I get why I loved Nancy Drew as a child & I’m forever grateful for the love of books she fostered in me when I was young. Some of the content is kinda laughable given the way the world looks today but Nancy Drew will always have a special place in my reader’s heart.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isn’t River Heights in Illinois? How does Nancy jump on a plane to New York, walk around for hours, and still make it back home in time for dinner?!

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Mskychick]

Placeholder for Breakeven by Michelle Diener, which is not listed on Goodreads yet.