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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #72
The Haunted Carousel
Nancy Drew finds more than one mystery to solve when she searches for the reason an amusement park carousel turns itself on during the night.
190 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1983
12 people are currently reading
1539 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
948 books3,857 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 10, 2022
I have been reading and collecting the 190 Hardy Boys books since my youth, but I recently took up collecting Nancy Drew also and if anything, I find some of the now out of print paperback Nancy Drew Books to be even harder to find in quality condition than the out of print paperback Hardys! This is one of the higher quality earlier paperback Nancy books published by Wanderer. Despite being 40 years old my copy still had white pages and an intact binding. There is nice cover art and pencil drawings inside. Nancy and her friends investigate why an old carousel in a local park turns on by itself at night. While undertaking the investigation she comes across pick-pocket theives and helps a fellow young woman whose father has died and who is in the care of a mean aunt. While many of the paperback Nancy and Hardy Boys books have not aged well, this one has. The story is well-written and remains plausible even today and I think young girls would still enjoy reading it today though they might puzzle over Nancy's hair being describe archaically as "titian" and might frown at the political incorrectness of Nancy's friend Bess being called "plump!" But this is a nice Nancy Drew story and I look forward to the challenge of collecting the rest of the books in the series especially these paperback ones, all of which are now sadly out of print.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2020
This was an enjoyable mystery. A carousel that mysteriously starts itself during the night attracts Nancy to multiple mysteries. She investigates the ghostly carousel activity but also helps an orphaned young lady unravel a family riddle and uncovers some long stolen jewels. The sleuthing is relatively coherent and the mystery was believable. Quite a fun read.
March 26, 2023
Another time where I wish I could give it a 2.5 instead of a 2 or 3.
This is a new era of Nancy Drew, the 80's! But this isn't the very 80's Nancy Drew series "Nancy Drew Files," this is the continuation of the mainline Nancy Drew Mystery Stories and it feels like it. It is written in very much the same stiff style as the older books. This is either a deliberate attempt to match that outdated tone or because the author was themself much older than someone who could really connect with an 80's YA audience or likely a combination of the two.
The way a lot of the characters in this book talk is not at all like 80's teens. And any reference to more modern things comes off like someone in their 60s talking about newer technology and culture they barely have a grasp on. Ned says things like "There's been a computer mix-up on the courses I signed up for" and refers to night vision goggles as "night glasses."
They also do Bess and George wrong by trying to de-emphasize George's genderqueer masculine traits and overemphasize Bess's eating habits.
As for the mystery, it's fine. It's less exciting than you'd hope with the implication of ghosts, but at least the two "unrelated" mysteries they crammed together fit a little better than usual. The book also reads quicker. It still drags a bit, but less so than the others I've read so far. The text is larger, but the page count is the same. I'd estimate if the text size was the same, it'd be about 10 pages shorter. It reads so quickly comparative to the lanquid pace of the others, that I would have expected a larger difference in length.
This is a new era of Nancy Drew, the 80's! But this isn't the very 80's Nancy Drew series "Nancy Drew Files," this is the continuation of the mainline Nancy Drew Mystery Stories and it feels like it. It is written in very much the same stiff style as the older books. This is either a deliberate attempt to match that outdated tone or because the author was themself much older than someone who could really connect with an 80's YA audience or likely a combination of the two.
The way a lot of the characters in this book talk is not at all like 80's teens. And any reference to more modern things comes off like someone in their 60s talking about newer technology and culture they barely have a grasp on. Ned says things like "There's been a computer mix-up on the courses I signed up for" and refers to night vision goggles as "night glasses."
They also do Bess and George wrong by trying to de-emphasize George's genderqueer masculine traits and overemphasize Bess's eating habits.
As for the mystery, it's fine. It's less exciting than you'd hope with the implication of ghosts, but at least the two "unrelated" mysteries they crammed together fit a little better than usual. The book also reads quicker. It still drags a bit, but less so than the others I've read so far. The text is larger, but the page count is the same. I'd estimate if the text size was the same, it'd be about 10 pages shorter. It reads so quickly comparative to the lanquid pace of the others, that I would have expected a larger difference in length.
November 1, 2021
A fun read with a good mystery. Really liked this one!
November 9, 2016
Aside from its dated and old-fashioned writing style, I always enjoy reading Nancy Drew adventures. One, they remind me of school days, two, they remind me of the PC games which I LOVE to play, and three, they are always wrought with danger and yet they maintain such a light-hearted innocence which is delightful to read. I’m an old fashioned girl and so this style of story suits me well – it’s great if you want a light, quick read and don’t want anything too deep or complicated.
However, some small aspects make me cringe slightly, but I silently chuckle them away, because these features are very of-the-time. Firstly, character descriptions are blunt and straightforward. She was pretty; for example. I much prefer when authors show me what the character looks like and I can decide for myself whether I think they’re pretty or not. Also, so many of the events that take place seem all too convenient. Nancy gets an idea or a lead on one clue, and sure enough – she was right first time. Or they decide to stay up late to see if the thing they’re investigating happens, and sure enough – it happens on their first attempt! These things make the story seem a little less real and believable. However, it is also these things that make the book a quick, easy read and it prevents any disappointments or boring bits. I’m all for keeping an audience waiting in suspense, but sometimes it is nice to get somewhere in a mystery relatively quickly. Carolyn Keene keeps the reader guessing and turning the pages in a different way and it’s all part of the charm.
However, some small aspects make me cringe slightly, but I silently chuckle them away, because these features are very of-the-time. Firstly, character descriptions are blunt and straightforward. She was pretty; for example. I much prefer when authors show me what the character looks like and I can decide for myself whether I think they’re pretty or not. Also, so many of the events that take place seem all too convenient. Nancy gets an idea or a lead on one clue, and sure enough – she was right first time. Or they decide to stay up late to see if the thing they’re investigating happens, and sure enough – it happens on their first attempt! These things make the story seem a little less real and believable. However, it is also these things that make the book a quick, easy read and it prevents any disappointments or boring bits. I’m all for keeping an audience waiting in suspense, but sometimes it is nice to get somewhere in a mystery relatively quickly. Carolyn Keene keeps the reader guessing and turning the pages in a different way and it’s all part of the charm.
August 10, 2022
I don't want my reviews to constantly be comparing the books to the Nancy Drew games but....that's what this book was for me! The Haunted Carousel was the first Nancy Drew game I ever played and I was OBSESSED with it! So reading the book now my brain just couldn't help but compare the two. I enjoyed the book, but at times it felt like there were so many different storylines happening and there wasn't enough of any of them! I was having a good time but I just wish this book was maybe like 25-50 pages longer. The pacing just felt a bit off, and the mysteries were all connected and eventually they were solved but the ending just felt so abrupt. I just felt like I needed a bit more time with each mystery. In the game (if you haven't played it yet and your a ND fan what are you even doing?) There's two main mysteries and they end up being interconnected, and that's great! But then in the book I felt like there was at least four different things going on at the same time and the weaving of the story felt a little clunky! Overall I still had a lot of fun, I'm still going to carry on with this marathon. I'm giving it a four star mostly because of the nostalgia but realistically this book probably deserves a three!
February 21, 2023
Comparison to the Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel computer game. While this book suffered from being too 80s for its own good, it also suffered from being just a loosely used storyline for the computer game. The things that are the same are the actual haunted carousel that turns on at night, the idea of the story being in an amusement park, and Joy Trent's whole puzzle ordeal. The biggest differences are that the amusement park (sadly called Riverside instead of the nautical-themed Captain's Cove) is in River Heights and the park is actually open instead of closed to customers while Nancy is investigating. The book has way less detail about the art behind carousel horses, which leaves the story with a so-what kind of feeling. Shoutout to the character Fingers Malone for having a weird enough name to not end up in this game, but to be used in Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake. Clearly the game in this case is much better than the book, especially since Nancy doesn't call the Hardy Boys for help, but it's not the worst book-to-game adaptation I've read so far. 6/10
June 3, 2021
This book was okay, but it wasn't one I think I would ever pick up again. I wanted to read it because it was the book that inspired the Haunted Carousel PC game that I've played quite a few times. While they definitely used some themes from this story, the game and the book are very different from each other. I felt like the mystery in this story wasn't really all that interesting and was solved quite abruptly. The main storyline seemed to be surrounding Joy Trent and a puzzle left by her diseased father. I enjoyed this storyline the most, although the ending was so off the rails in my opinion. While Nancy solves the case, her thought process of how she gets these answers are never explained. I feel like in order for it to be a good book, the readers should be able to solve the case with Nancy. This one just didn't give enough information for readers to be able to do that. Still, it wasn't terrible, but like I said, I wouldn't pick this one up again.
June 9, 2021
Paikallisen huvipuiston karuselli alkaa pyöriä öisin omia aikojaan ja paikallislehti haastaa Paulan selvittämään arvoitusta. Samalla Paulaa pyydetään selvittämään myös testamentista löytynyt erikoinen arvoitus.
Ja olipas jotenkin köpöistä nyt. Karusellin mystisen toiminnan selitys tuntui hieman puolivillaiselta ja arvoituksen ratkominen ei toiminut suomeksi oikeastaan ollenkaan. Lisäksi ihmisiä pamauteltiin päähän kauhealla voimalla jatkuvasti. Ei kirkkainta kärkeä.
Ja olipas jotenkin köpöistä nyt. Karusellin mystisen toiminnan selitys tuntui hieman puolivillaiselta ja arvoituksen ratkominen ei toiminut suomeksi oikeastaan ollenkaan. Lisäksi ihmisiä pamauteltiin päähän kauhealla voimalla jatkuvasti. Ei kirkkainta kärkeä.
February 11, 2022
This book is written in a very dated fashion, and I didn't enjoy some of the old-fashioned verbage. The plot plods along and feels like Nancy gets led straight to the culprits. I did like that there was a bit of puzzle solving, but they didn't let the puzzle linger enough in the plot before revealing the answer. The plot is actually more convoluted than the video game that it is based on it, surprisingly.
September 15, 2021
Same Nancy Drew, just a little more modern because this one was not written in the 30s or the 40s. But still the same formula. A nice safe book.
November 8, 2022
Loved this one!
April 5, 2021
Couldn’t finish it , not interesting at all :(
July 5, 2021
I'm realizing that the more time Nancy has to take to explain who did what at the end, the worse the mystery usually is.
There were multiple mysteries going on in this book, and they all ended up being related for some reason. I was generally confused as to who was who, what role they'd played in the story so far, and who out of the many suspects could be responsible for the numerous petty crimes that occurred over the course of the book. Nancy did do plenty of detective work on her own, but she also got lucky on multiple occasions. OVERLY lucky. Like, there's no way this coincidence would ever have happened lucky.
The writing style of this book was also very dated. For example, there's a part where Nancy and Ned are staking out the culprits. While they wait, the author states, "Twenty minutes went by pleasantly as they chatted under their breath and enjoyed each other’s company." Why would you feel pleasant and relaxed while you're waiting to catch some criminals? Wouldn't you feel tense? Afraid? Amped up, at the very least? No, this is all par for the course for Nancy, and so she's able to enjoy a leisurely chat. How very relatable.
So, I guess a good word to describe the book would be "unrealistic," in terms of both the mystery and the characters, and in a way that made it very hard to get into. Which is a shame, because I do like the idea of a haunted carousel, and appreciated that we actually got to see a haunting (unlike in the PC game). Speaking of which, the only character who made it into the PC game was Joy Trent. Since she obviously wasn't the culprit, I had to guess more than usual about what the ending would be. I suppose that's a plus.
There were multiple mysteries going on in this book, and they all ended up being related for some reason. I was generally confused as to who was who, what role they'd played in the story so far, and who out of the many suspects could be responsible for the numerous petty crimes that occurred over the course of the book. Nancy did do plenty of detective work on her own, but she also got lucky on multiple occasions. OVERLY lucky. Like, there's no way this coincidence would ever have happened lucky.
The writing style of this book was also very dated. For example, there's a part where Nancy and Ned are staking out the culprits. While they wait, the author states, "Twenty minutes went by pleasantly as they chatted under their breath and enjoyed each other’s company." Why would you feel pleasant and relaxed while you're waiting to catch some criminals? Wouldn't you feel tense? Afraid? Amped up, at the very least? No, this is all par for the course for Nancy, and so she's able to enjoy a leisurely chat. How very relatable.
So, I guess a good word to describe the book would be "unrealistic," in terms of both the mystery and the characters, and in a way that made it very hard to get into. Which is a shame, because I do like the idea of a haunted carousel, and appreciated that we actually got to see a haunting (unlike in the PC game). Speaking of which, the only character who made it into the PC game was Joy Trent. Since she obviously wasn't the culprit, I had to guess more than usual about what the ending would be. I suppose that's a plus.
October 8, 2013
I remember as a child I would always play Nancy Drew computer games and read the books. I felt it was only perfect to choose Nancy Drew The Haunted Carousel as my mystery book. Nancy starts off by investigating the mysterious carousel that people have claimed was haunted. Throughout the book she gathers evidence so she can tell if it is actually haunted or not. I remember really enjoying these books when I was little because everything seemed so unexpected, but now that I'm older everything is just so predictable, which made it very boring. Overall, I feel that if you are young you might actually enjoy the book but you'll find it creepy at the same time. If you're older you'll find this book rather boring and might feel as if it is a waste of time to read. I recommend this to young readers but not past middle school.
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February 6, 2017Placeholder for reread of Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
January 23, 2020
The Haunted Carousel by Carolyn Keene
Series: Yes Nancy Drew #72
Format: Hard Cover
Star: 5
Recommend: Yes
Would Reread: Yes
Reread 1-22-2020
I give honest reviews and all my opinions are my own.
For more of my reviews go to Heavenly High Seas Books
https://heavenlyhighseasbooks.blogspo...
Series: Yes Nancy Drew #72
Format: Hard Cover
Star: 5
Recommend: Yes
Would Reread: Yes
Reread 1-22-2020
I give honest reviews and all my opinions are my own.
For more of my reviews go to Heavenly High Seas Books
https://heavenlyhighseasbooks.blogspo...
January 28, 2009
My box of school papers turned up a book report on this book. I remembered it when I saw the title, but I didn't like Nancy Drew enough to ever read another one of the series.
June 19, 2009
Every night a carousel at an amusement park is turning by itself, but Nancy Drew finds out the reason why.
September 14, 2009
Quite good, for being part of a series I don't much like. Has atmosphere
March 21, 2013
Don't remember much but I know I liked it.
May 16, 2014
Cheesy as hell pero suficientemente entretenido como para acabarlo en un día.
March 27, 2015
good story
December 11, 2012
One of the less-memorable Nancy Drew books. I didn't care for it much.
April 25, 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 - 29 of 29 reviews