The Professor and the Puzzle

Nancy Drew Diaries #15

by Carolyn Keene

Nancy and her friends are on an epic quest to discover the identity of a treacherous Greek scholar in this fifteenth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to the classic mystery series.

Nancy, Bess, and George are excited to attend Oracle College’s annual Greek mythology themed gala. But the festive sprit turns troubled when a student falls from the balcony mid-speech. Nancy’s investigations quickly reveal this was a case of collegiate sabotage. Can she find the campus menace before someone else gets hurt?

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook, Detective

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2017

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mysteries have long been my go to palette cleansers in between denser reads, this year more than ever. As I have become ever so picky about what fiction I read, mysteries have not only become what I read in between harder times process books, but they have become the majority of the fiction that I read at all. This week in real life I have a lot going on, with world, the holidays quickly approaching, and the vagaries of everyday life. As much as I’d like to, I am not going to read an opus a day but it is so tempting to forget about everything and re-enter my reading cocoon. When I am too stressed to think of much else, that is when Nancy Drew comes into my life. A few of my reading friends thought that I would enjoy her modern stories and they were right. I have been reading through the diary series and have been impressed on how the writing consortium have given Nancy a new look in the 21st century. Reading through these books have been both relief and fun. Today I absolutely had to return to River Heights.

Nancy is invited to the Greek Gala at Oracle College at the request of her childhood friend Iris Pappas. Of course, an accident occurs at the event, and Nancy goes into full on investigating mode. In this series Bess and George play key roles in helping Nancy crack the case. In this particular case neither was available, so Iris played Nancy’s sleuthing sidekick. Even though the two friends got to catch up on life, solving this mystery was not the same as when Bess and George and, of course, Ned use their strengths to help Nancy solve cases in record time. They know each other so well that asking for helping or knowing who is best at various aspects of a case remains unspoken; the friends don’t have to ask because they already know who is going to do what. Iris might be studying fashion design but in the sleuthing world she is a novice. As in the early iterations of Nancy Drew, here she had to solve the case solo. I was not a fan of the early days of Nancy Drew because the cases involved her sleuthing and Bess and George sitting around. In this case they had prior commitments, but Nancy going solo is a bit too one-dimensional for me, which is why I enjoy the diary series in the first place.

Because this book is marketed for tweens, Nancy solves the case because that is what she does. There are no cliff hangers, and the book resolves neatly, Oracle College getting back to normal and Nancy returning to River Heights. I do enjoy the diary series because they take place in the 21st century and involve the four friends solving cases together. Here not so much and even a lot of the sleuthing was a bit cliched for my liking. That could be because I read so many mysteries that I have learned to pick up patterns as cases develop. The consortium could also be writing so that the tween age readers try to solve these cases on their own. This was not my favorite book in this series, but, because I have read them out of order, I know that the later books are an improvement on this one. River Heights is still a repeat destination in my fiction reading. I have been averaging about a book a month and have enjoyed becoming reacquainted with Nancy Drew at this point in my life. Although not the best, I got to decompress and hopefully allow myself to read something with a little more bulk to it next.

3.5 stars

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy Drew is attending an annual Greek Gala which is hosted by her childhood friend, Iris' father. She goes there with her friends George and Bess. They all dress up as Greek Gods and Goddesses. I quite liked the Greek mythology element woven in with the mystery and this was one of the main reasons I picked up this book and didn't find out until later on that this is not the first book but number 15 in the series.

The gala is being held at Oracle college and one of the students, Bash falls off a balcony and gets hurt. Everyone thinks it's just an accident but Nancy suspects there's more. She starts investigating and finds out that it was no accident and someone is out to hurt Bash. But further investigation reveals that Bash isn't the target but the target is one of the professors, Dr. Stone. Nancy keeps digging and finally figures out who is behind all this and saves Dr. Stone just in time and reveals everything.

I read the older Nancy Drew books a decade ago and loved those. I love Nancy Drew and her sleuthing and I think she makes for a really good kick-ass female character. This is my first read from the newer books and I have to say that it wasn't great.

The mystery was okay even though I knew exactly who the bad guy would be as soon as they made an appearance but so much was wrong considering this is based in the technological age and some research could have benefitted this book. There were also some grammatical errors. Even though this is number 15 in the series, I think it works perfectly as a stand alone but I will try to read the series in chronological order. Not great but not bad.

2.75 stars

[LaGaryce · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5!!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun mystery that kept me entertained

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Drew mysteries are so relaxing to me and I love listening to them while I drive. She's so clever and I love the way she explores every element of her case. She's got an excellent record and solves all her mysteries. I liked this particular book because it heavily focused on Greek mythology. There were references to polytheism, Delphi University, and the book opened up with a gala with everyone dressed as a different Grecian character. There have been multiple gala episodes in the Nancy Drew collection. How many soirees do you need? I suppose they're just the perfect setting for a mystery to occur. The Professor and the Puzzle was lots of fun and I found myself trying to solve the mystery alongside Nancy. I didn't guess the suspect until the last quarter, which is nice considering they're either too easy or it comes out of left field. This was a great case and I hope to solve the next puzzle in the forthcoming volume!

[Ruvi Perera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read a Nancy Drew book after a very long time! Although it doesn't have the feel of the original 56 books this one was an okay read.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com

I’m chugging along with my reading of Nancy Drew Mysteries and the current Diaries series. Currently I’m up to volume #15, The Professor and the Puzzle. I’ve had issues with the previous books for a variety of reasons. Would the same hold true for this book?

“Nancy and her friends are on an epic quest to discover the identity of a treacherous Greek scholar in this fifteenth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to the classic mystery series.

Nancy, Bess, and George are excited to attend Oracle College’s annual Greek mythology themed gala. But the festive sprit turns troubled when a student falls from the balcony mid-speech. Nancy’s investigations quickly reveal this was a case of collegiate sabotage. Can she find the campus menace before someone else gets hurt?”

Sigh. You read that right. Sabotage. AGAIN. And again. And again. It seems that Nancy will never have to hunt for a lost will, a missing relative, or buried treasure again. The Diaries are always about sabotage, which makes them highly unoriginal if you read them right in a row like I’ve been doing. So, despite the overdone trope, was The Professor and the Puzzle a good book otherwise?

Well, I figured out who the culprit was as soon as the person was introduced. I’m not sure if younger readers would pick up on it, but just like Nancy’s “spidey sense” going off, I immediately knew who the baddie was. It turns out that the college student that fell, Bash, wasn’t the target, but Professor Stone, one of the teachers who was supposed to be speaking on the balcony instead. Who could have it in for a teacher? Plenty of people, including a gazillion students because she’s a hard teacher but fair grader.

Bess and George disappear after the first evening, so Nancy is stuck with only Iris, the dean’s daughter and an old friend of Nancy, as a sidekick. She cares more about what to wear while sleuthing than actually doing any sleuthing, so Nancy is pretty much on her own. And time after time, as in the other Diaries books, Nancy finds clues but doesn’t ask enough questions or make the right conclusions based upon the evidence in front of her.

Professor Stone is a diabetic, yet doesn’t seem to understand her disease and is embarrassed to have to take insulin and frequently forgets to take care of herself. I don’t have diabetes but have read enough about it that most diabetics take their condition seriously and take insulin when their blood sugar is high, not low like described in the book. Clearly this “Carolyn Keene” neither has nor researched much into diabetes before writing about it. Diabetes is a part of life and so is treating it. Do better, publishers. Impressionable younger people read these books.

Once again, Nancy seems to solve this mystery by dumb luck, not super-sleuthing skills. What has happened to my favorite teen sleuth? She certainly doesn’t project the smart and capable young woman she used to be. The only good thing I could find about this particular book is the introduction of Greek mythology for some younger readers.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so wanted to give this book 5 Stars, but there are too many things that just don't make sense, including -- but not limited to -- the idea that most everyone connected with the case that takes place at Oracle College, which is located near River Heights, Illinois, is of Greek descent or has a Greek name. The mystery itself isn't too bad, though I figured out (okay, I guessed correctly) who did it from the moment the bad guy was introduced.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

[Anuja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great character building and use of Greek mythology. Quite fun. One of the best till now.

[Stacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nancy Drew, girl detective, has made me sad.

I loved Nancy Drew as a child. I spent my allowance on her books and read every one. I enjoyed a stage in my daughter's life when I could introduce her to Nancy. Even as an adult with no young kids, I still pick up a book periodically just to see what millennial Nancy Drew is like.

That said, the writers and editors have apparently given up on the idea that they should do some basic research. I was in the car with my daughter and this book happened to be in my CD player. Suddenly, the narrator mentioned diabetes, which caught our attention and we both paused to listen. The conversation went something like this:
Professor: I have diabetes. I had checked my blood glucose measurement and it was low. I almost never do this but I need to give myself an injection. I'm sorry that you need to see this.
Nancy: Oh, that's okay, I had a friend in high school with diabetes and she had to give herself a shot every day.
Professor and Nancy: Okay, now that the shot is done, let's eat a lemon drop.

My daughter and I looked at one another. She developed type 1 diabetes at 2. Her brother did the same at the age of 10. Pancreas-ing is practically a full-time job in our house. We looked at one another in a "Did I hear that right??" way, then I popped out the CD and she put it back in the case.

To Nancy's authors and editors:
Diabetes is a part of life, as is treating it. Real people in real life with real diabetes are not formally announcing things with phrases like "blood glucose measurement." They are not treating a low with insulin. High numbers need insulin, lemon drops need insulin, lows need carbs. They are not ashamed to do a shot or use a pump in public. They receive insulin through a pump or in multiple shots, day and night. They don't apologize for keeping themselves alive. If you ever give someone diabetes again, talk to a diabetic first. I suggest:
Professor: *tucks glucose meter back into purse and pulls out a few lemon drops* I can answer your questions but I need to treat my low first. Lemon drop?
Nancy: *takes candy* Thanks, Professor. Is there anything else you need?
Professor: Oh no, I'll be fine once these candies kick in. Do you know anything about diabetes?
Nancy: Not much. I know it's an auto-immune diseases and I know that people with diabetes need insulin, but that's it. I'd love to learn more, though, if you don't mind telling me about it.
Professor: I never mind. I love when people are genuinely interested. *talks briefly about life with diabetes*
Nancy: Thanks, Professor. I won't sound like an idiot if I ever become an author and write diabetes into a story line now!
Professor: Your future readers will appreciate that! Now, what can I help you with?

I'm assuming that diabetes was a plot point and not completely random, so maybe it was handled better the next time. I have my doubts.

[Linda Klinedinst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this book....this is her latest one in the Nancy Drew Diaries. I am going to be reading the other ones sometime in the near future.

I give this book 5/5 Stars on Goodreads. I dearly love this book. I highly recommend this book. I love what she wrote in her Diary at the very end. It makes you laugh!

Happy Reading

[Karis Anna-Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series, it's a nice, modern take on Nancy Drew that's a lot more accessible to kids these days (that makes me sound a hundred years old, lol). But really. As someone who grew up reading the flashlight classics, I honestly think most of the love for them is nostalgia. Not that that's a bad thing! I also have a very nostalgic love for them. But I can also see why newer readers aren't as enthralled by them. They rarerly have much of an actual mystery--the perpetrator is always the mean, surly (often foreign) man you meet at the beginning of the book who's unpleasant from the start. Nancy is an almost ridiculously perfect character at times, to the extent that every single good character in the book has to compliment her constantly. There's some pretty serious racism, even in the books updated from the 30s, and while I absolutely don't believe that that makes them inherently bad or that they should be banned, I do think it means adults need to have discussions with kids who are reading them about stereotypes: this is what people believed back then, do you see how that was wrong, how could this have been better? And let's be real, most adults do not have the time, willingness, or both to have that kind of discussion with every single Nancy Drew book their kids or students read. Add to that the fact that most of the books take place around the 50s, 60s, etc--again, not at all a bad thing, but there are going to be some aspects of the story or plot that modern audiences just don't "get", or understand but don't really connect with (as an example, my younger brother knows that telegraphs, like, existed, but he finds trying to parse through all the STOPs and all-caps difficult, and as a child of the cell phone age, he doesn't really get the drama of searching for a telegraph office) (again, this isn't a flaw of the original books, obviously, and there are plenty of kids who enjoy the old-timey, historical feel. I did. My brother doesn't, different strokes and all that).

To reiterate, I adore the classic books, flaws, quirks, and all, and I'm so, so grateful they have been a part of my life. But I have to wonder if some of the people who complain about every single modern series of Nancy Drew books (not this book specifically, just in general) and say they miss the "good ol' days of Nancy Drew" have actually gone back and examined those stories with a critical eye. I think if they did, they'd understand why more modern adaptations, with their active tone, diverse characters, and updated technology, are more accessible and relatable to kids nowadays. Not that these modern books are better than the classics--they're just different, and different is okay. If these different books help my brother fall in love with Nancy Drew the way I did when I was his age, then I'm more than content with different.

Wow, that was quite a rant, with very little bearing on this actual story, sorry. It's rather early and I'm grumpy. Anyways, I enjoy these books (though I do think the use of the diary as a framing device is weird and adds nothing to the story), and I enjoyed this one in particular. Nancy retains her spunky curiosity while also seeming like a real, human character who makes mistakes. The college setting is a little OTT, but it's fun, and while it is very easy to guess the perp, they're not a completely stereotypical mustache-twirling villain, either. Also, the narrator of the audiobook has a very nice voice, she makes a perfect Nancy Drew.

[Eric Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Diaries entry was alright, not as good as some of the other books in the series however. Like some of the other books in the series, Nancy is determined and motivated in solving the mystery and uses her head. Unfortunately, despite that though, she still solves the mystery through dumb luck. The story is also pretty slow paced most of the time, due to all the talking that's in the book. Most of the conversations in the book seemed like filler and I was a bit annoyed and kept thinking how Nancy is going to have time to solve the mystery with so much chit-chat! I had a pretty good feeling of who the culprit was and was correct. It was pretty obvious halfway through. This is also the first book in the series where Nancy doesn't have Bess and George helping her with the case and although it was a little nice change when she had another friend,Iris, helping her out, she was kinda annoying. The author did a good job with characterization and description however and with the action scenes. There was also a little twist halfway through. Overall, not the best Diaries book, if it was a bit more fast paced and Nancy didn't have most of the clues just fall in her lap, it would be better. 3 stars.

[Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy, Bess, and George are excited to attend the Greek-themed gala at their local college. Each girl dresses as a Greek mythological character; I loved the descriptions of their costumes and that their choice resembled their personalities. While at the gala, there is an act of sabotage, and an Oracle student, Bash, is injured in the process. Nancy and her friends immediately jump to action to find out who injured Bash, and a slew of clues come to light, as well as several suspects. With her friends' help, Nancy solved the mystery, and they enjoyed learning about Greek mythology along the way.
My thoughts on the book:
I enjoyed that the author introduced Greek mythology to young readers.
I wish the author would have researched facts on diabetes-she provided inaccurate information.
I miss the Nancy, who can solve mysteries, not by chance, but by her skills and abilities as a detective.
3.5 stars

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Nancy Drew's go, this is another run-of-the-mill mystery. It has darker elements than other novels, which I like, plus it gets rid of Bess and George who, in these novels, can be insufferable. But Nancy does happen to just found another friend who helps during the investigation, which is a nice coincidence. Also the head professor guy is basically Nancy's psuedo-father so she gets all sorts of access to the campus. Also, also, there's another one of those random "suspects blurt out everything when they think they're alone even though the protagonist is secretly hidden and hears just enough to help with the case" things which seem to happen more in Nancy Drew novels that I remembered. Also, also, also, the clincher of the case stems from the fact that the professor uses purple ink to mark her student's work which was very uninspiring. But then again, not sure what I expected.

[Claude · Rating 3 out of 5]

saw this while i was at the library (first time in over 18 months! highlight of my week lol) and decided to borrow it for the nostalgia which is exactly the mindset i had while reading it at work today. it's not by any means the greatest novel out there, it is written for a younger audience (maybe 9-12?) although Nancy, Bess and George seem to be aged around 16-18, and it took me a hot second to realise that it must be set in the early 2000s but it was quirky and fun and exactly what i needed to read as a pick-me-up today.

hopefully i'll have a chance to borrow out the other books in the series soon :)

[Truebluedah ♪ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was really good, at first I thought I was going to be able to predict the ending, but then a twist came along. The plot was good, and I liked how Carolyn Keene weaves in a bit of Greek mythology into the story. I did feel like lots of the minor revelations Nancy discovers, are not important to the story, most of them are just wild goose chases. In the end, (I won't spoil), I felt like the antagonist had a bad motive to do what he did. Overall I liked the theme of the book, and the ending, but felt like the antagonist had a bad motive, and did a bad job of covering up his crimes.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my least favorite novels of hers. It become so predictabkw from the beginning but I was actually pretty intriguied which is the only reason I got myself to finish it. It reminded me of a murder mystery but of course t was a lot cleaner because of it being a juvenile read. I am not sure I would recommend this book out of the series to read but I do like how they all connect but you can also read them individually and not get too lost because she describes the characters quickly but in depth enough where you know what’s going on.

[Millzz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

While I was reading the book, I went on a little adventure in my mind. Reading the Nancy Drew book, helped me understand how the author was feeling. I thing everyone deserves a chance to be locked in there own crazy world. When you read books like this, I think it helps you grow and teaches you things you never knew before. I'd recommend this book to people that love mysteries and adventure. I'm sure that they would love it as much as I did!

[Stacy Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this was a little homework assignment I gave myself in order to see what kind of mystery tone I prefer to read/write. In the end this was a little fluffy but understandably so given that it’s geared toward young adults. The stakes felt really low and the bad guy was a little to compliant with his consequences. In the end I can see how kids would find this fun but it was too vanilla for me to get into.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book in the series had another interesting plot. The book quickly jumped into action and danger in the beginning of the book when Bash fell . Even though i could guess who the bad guy was pretty quickly, I still enjoyed the rest of the story. It was kind of weird to read the story without Bess and George but Iris was interesting. Overall, this was a good but predictable story.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greek Time!!

This was a pretty good little mystery, complete with all the Greek subtleties and hints to make a mythology nerd happy. Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson. My only complaint is that it seemed to go by too fast and it seemed that Nancy came by several clues by mere coincidence. Otherwise, it was pretty good.

[Priscilla Vorce · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author failed to do even the most basic of research.

The only reason I am writing this review is a young person might actually trust the author's ignorance to be facts.

From 17 year olds being able to rent cars (Riverboat Roulette) to a Diabetic injecting insulin in their arm, or injecting insulin to treat low blood sugar, which would in fact probably kill them.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Mystery/Fiction

Copyright Date: 2017

This would be a great book or series for students who are into mystery books. The main focus of this story is on Greek mythology. I would say good for grades 3-6.

[Library_Dweller89 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was pretty good. It wasn’t my favorite mystery, but the characters and the setting were fun. I did think it read a little like one of the Nancy Drew games from HerInteractive, just the way they set everything up.

[Michelle Seckinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

The description of the low blood sugar incident bothered me. But the author redeemed herself at the end with an accurate example of how to send someone into a diabetic coma.

Besides that, another entertaining mystery that keeps you engaged while able to still multitask!

[Shri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The way that it is so stylish, along with casual conversation and Greek mythology makes it so much more real and less of a fantasy. I love books which I can relate to and this was definitely one of them!