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Nancy Drew: Girl Detective #30
Pageant Perfect Crime
Ned's classmate Portia Leoni won last year's Miss Pretty Face River Heights Beauty Pageant. But after Portia was accused of shoplifting dresses from a local boutique, her crown was taken away from her. Portia claims that she's innocent, but why would someone want to frame her?
To find out more, I'm going undercover -- as a pageant contestant! But going undercover in Miss Pretty Face may be my toughest challenge yet. Everyone seems to have a motive!
Who knew it was so hard to walk, smile, and wave? I have to find out the truth before someone finds out that I'm anything but a beauty queen!
To find out more, I'm going undercover -- as a pageant contestant! But going undercover in Miss Pretty Face may be my toughest challenge yet. Everyone seems to have a motive!
Who knew it was so hard to walk, smile, and wave? I have to find out the truth before someone finds out that I'm anything but a beauty queen!
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2008
13 people are currently reading
380 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,004 books3,869 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 6, 2019
A fun start to the trilogy. It does a great job of bringing the famed sleuth into modern times while staying true to her roots.
January 6, 2021
Read it in the night, can't wait to read the other 2 books in the trilogy, the end is pretty interesting, I swear crime follows Nancy, like she is a magnet of some sort, know what I mean?
April 30, 2019
This book made me think about honesty when the book said 'but I just couldn't imagine sweet, earnest Kelly taking part in such things, either she was a great actress, or...'
The author is teaching us about honesty because in the book the girls were pretending to be nice in front of the audience but really they were horrible outside of it and to the other contestants.
My opinion about honesty is that it is really important in life because you will need it for many things such as making good friends, doing well at school and getting a job.
The author is teaching us about honesty because in the book the girls were pretending to be nice in front of the audience but really they were horrible outside of it and to the other contestants.
My opinion about honesty is that it is really important in life because you will need it for many things such as making good friends, doing well at school and getting a job.
August 4, 2016
In River Heights, Portia, last years little miss pretty face winner was accused of stealing dresses from a local boutique. Nancy Drew, wants to find out if this accusation is true or false so she decides to join the little miss pretty face peagent and nancy soon finds out the true guilty one behind all of this.
April 23, 2023
As always. Nancy Drew books are nostalgia to me, a nice easy read in between books I want to get lost in.
🔎
Pageant Perfect Crime is book 1 in the triology, so amazon will be receiving some of my hard earned dollar soon, so I can find out the full truth!
🔎
Nancy is hired by a dethroned Pageant winner to find out who plotted against her, but let me tell you, the secrets and lies that the contestants are willing to 6 anything but pretty!
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If you're already a Nancy Drew fan, I'd recommend this as a little quick read. I've not read the full trilogy, so it might pick up pace wise, but it was a fun read nonetheless. If you're new to Nancy's world, I'd suggest picking up one of her older stories to truly fall in love.
🔎
🔎
Pageant Perfect Crime is book 1 in the triology, so amazon will be receiving some of my hard earned dollar soon, so I can find out the full truth!
🔎
Nancy is hired by a dethroned Pageant winner to find out who plotted against her, but let me tell you, the secrets and lies that the contestants are willing to 6 anything but pretty!
🔎
If you're already a Nancy Drew fan, I'd recommend this as a little quick read. I've not read the full trilogy, so it might pick up pace wise, but it was a fun read nonetheless. If you're new to Nancy's world, I'd suggest picking up one of her older stories to truly fall in love.
🔎
February 28, 2021
I'm a little bummed that this series has changed from standalone mysteries to these "trilogies", but that's mostly because the only other one I had read was just too weirdly modern for me. (Nancy Drew interacting with the Kardashians? No thanks.)
But, this one was actually still pretty good. I enjoyed the mystery, and I'm definitely intrigued to find out the secret behind the makeup.
But, this one was actually still pretty good. I enjoyed the mystery, and I'm definitely intrigued to find out the secret behind the makeup.
September 16, 2024
The beauty pageant is an interesting backdrop for a mystery, and I thought it worked well. Nancy is more on her own with this one as Bess and George aren’t competing, but she still manages to solve a mystery and uncover another.
July 16, 2017
It is a story of a girl detective who is investigating her friends classmate case.
April 3, 2021
the first and last Nancy Drew book I ever read.
June 20, 2021
I don’t think I’ve read a book this fast before, but not surprised because it’s Nancy drew and I have a hard time putting them down.
July 15, 2022
not the first time i read this, but i needed a quick break from reading on screens and something to get me off my reading slump!!
i remember really liking this as a kid and it's still a fun read
i remember really liking this as a kid and it's still a fun read
Read
October 15, 2023My introduction to the world of pageants.
December 11, 2024
yeahh its a good short read..try it for fun.
Read
February 13, 2017AR
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2015
My best friend wanted me to read it, so I did. It's a cool story, all "Miss Congeniality" and stuff. But when you are 13, you have better books to read...:P! I enjoyed the book, sure. But I have a need to get something more than enjoyment from books. Clearly it's a kid's book and I probably should have read it as kid.
Cool book though...only if the timing were right...XD
Cool book though...only if the timing were right...XD
June 22, 2010
I really like it but i just can't find the second book in the series.
March 26, 2012
I loved this book.Its really nice that nancy had to win
May 14, 2015
It was suspenseful, and cool. I like Nancy Drew.
July 11, 2015
i love this book its so interesting
October 23, 2015
Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews