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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #115

by Carolyn Keene, Anna Warras (Translator)

While helping to raise $10,000 to rebuild the River Street Recreation Center, Nancy begins to suspect that the fire that destroyed the rec center was hardly an accident.

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

119 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1993

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[V. Arrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Nancy Drew, as in Scooby-Doo, it's always the shady land developer.

[Myra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another Nancy Drew. I've been reading a lot of these lately.

I don't know if it's related to some need to go back to a more innocent age, which is when I read these books. Or if it's about me consciously making an effort to learn descriptive techniques from it. It's simplistic yes, but so far in my writing I've been doing dialogue well, but my descriptions suffer.

A good story, but more plot twists than most Nancy Drew stories. There was slight foreshadowing, yes, but less obvious clues than is usual for the series.

A welcome change, and just goes to show that even for a tried and tested structure, approach can be changed to an extent.

My reviews of Nancy Drew books are often tied into my writing, whereas all other books, my reviews are about the book itself. That in itself is slightly weird but I actually like that somehow it keeps me more accountable in that way.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable addition to the Nancy Drew series. I especially enjoyed the community-centered plot line, which is something we don't see a lot of with the Nancy Drew books.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that this series got more creative with the titles after #56. A community based mystery where Nancy and her chums—now friends—spend much of their non-sleuthing time helping fund raise for the burnt rec center that has no insurance, which, of course, is the mystery. I enjoyed the community fund-raising focus, a strong female victim, an elderly romance though one party was irritatingly curmudgeonly and Nancy having five suspects for a change!