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Nancy Drew: #1-6 [Box Set]

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Nancy Drew is a fictional 18-year-old amateur sleuth, living in the town of River Heights with her father, attorney Carson Drew, and their housekeeper, Hannah Gruen. Nancy spends her time solving mysteries, some of which she stumbles upon and some of which begin as cases of her father's. Nancy is often assisted in solving mysteries by her two closest friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, and also occasionally by her boyfriend, Ned Nickerson. Ned is a college student at Emerson College.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1930

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About the author

Carolyn Keene

948 books3,854 followers
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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
50 reviews1 follower
Read
April 30, 2015
Nancy Drew is by far the best series of books I read in elementary school. These books were filled with adventure and thrill. These page turning novels just made you want to read one book after another. Each book is different and follows Nancy, and investigator through all kinds of cases until she solved them. These books are great for outside of class readings. One thing I would change about it is to make them not so scary. When I was younger I use to get nightmares about these books. Granted, I was in elementary school, and I still read them no matter how scared I was. I would have my students read these books on their own, and then maybe once they have finished them, I would have a treasure map set out for each group and have my students follow the map going from clue to clue learning about the subject we are learning about in class. This would be a fun and active way to get my students excited about reading their book and learning about the lesson in class.
Profile Image for Heidi (can’t retire soon enough).
1,379 reviews272 followers
April 18, 2008
I read these over and over again when I was in grade school... they were definitely my entrance into mystery fiction... and I always wanted a Dad just like Nancy's... he was too cool!
Profile Image for Bronwyn.
160 reviews78 followers
March 20, 2020
They are very good books for young adults, each one is slightly differently and they are fun to read
Author 38 books61 followers
October 29, 2010
Secret of the Old Clock
Nancy Drew is the daughter of Carson Drew a private investigator. Nancy helps her father solve cases. Nancy rescues a little girl named Judy off a bridge and learns from her family that the need money and she is told about the will. While Nancy is there Judy's guardians find out some fancy silverware has been stolen. Nancy tries to find the will and missing silverware.Nancy Drew is looking for a will that Josiah wrote. She sees all of his relatives and family. The Tophams want the entire fortune of Josiah. The Tophams don't want this other will found because they believe they will get nothing.The Tophams are in serious dept and need the help of Josiah's money to get them out. In the meantime a band of thieves steal people's furniture and housing supplies.

I have read most of the Nancy Drew books when I was younger. I have always loved Nancy Drew. I wished that her books would become films. I really liked this book. It made me get hooked on Nancy Drew. When my parents were kids they use to read Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books. Nancy Drew is passed down from generation to generation. Personally I think every child should try one Carolyn Keene's books. This book is wonderful for kids all ages. I recommend anybody that likes mystery books to read these.

The Hidden Staircase
I'm still amazed on how these books hold my attention. These books just seem to get better as you read along.The suspense is great. Nancy is called by her friend Helen Corning to investigate ghost haunting at Twin Elms. In the meantime a Nathan Gomber comes by to warn Nancy to stay close to her father. He says someone is out to hurt him. Nancy tells her father when he gets home. He tells her about a railroad in which an owner Willie Wharton goes missing. Willie says he never signed a contract and sends Nathan Gomber out to get him more money for his house. Nancy decides to investigate Twin Elms. While she was there Nathan Gomber also goes to Twin Elms to get Aunt Flora to sell her house in which she refuses to do so. Nancy learns from Aunt Flora and Rosemary of the house next door named Riverview Manor in which Nancy believes is a passage connecting each house to one another.Nancy investigates Twin Elms looking for a hidden passageways into the house. The best parts about the book is mishappenings at Twin Elms and the kidnapping of her father.

The Bungalow Mystery
Another great mystery book with Nancy Drew. This girl always solves a case. Nancy and Helen are shipwrecked on a lake and meet Laura Pendleton. Laura is now an orphan. She has came to meet her guardians the Orbans. When Nancy returns to the hotel she meets a rude woman who happens to be her guardian. Nancy returns to the bungalow and nearly ran down by a foreign car owned by Mr. Orban. Nancy goes home to see Hannah Gruen who has broken her ankle. While at home he rather tells her about an embezzlement case in which bank employees stole money from certain people. Mancy pays a visit to all of the suspects. One of the suspects the Dowds aren't home. She then receives a call from Laura. Laura is forced to hang up by Mrs. Orban. The Orbans wanted Laura's jewelry so she runs away to Nancy. Laura suspects the Orbans are after the estate. The most intriguing part of the story is when Laura meets the Orbans and discovers something is wrong. The Orbans attitude toward Laura is very strange. At times they act like they hate and then love her. They lock her in her room. The Orbans tell Nancy, Laura locked herself in her room. The particularity of these people are very strange. Nancy and Laura wonder why Laura's mother trusted these people to take care of her. The vileness the couple have toward Laura is like they are trying to hide something from her. Nancy later finds the real Mr. Orban in the bungalow and later caught by the thieves. The two run away to the police. The suspense in this book is great.

The Mystery at Lilac Inn
This book is very interesting. The events that happen are so typical, but I still find it very exciting. Many things happen to Nancy. First she heads to Lilac Inn with Helen Corning, and is force under the water. The girls notice a man on a dock and then later find him gone. Nancy gets to the inn and finds out someone is trying to impersonate her. Someone is haunting Lilac Inn. Nancy returns home to find that her house was robbed. Someone stole her charge plate and one of her dresses.Nancy receives a call from a department store that he told her wrong price of the watch. She goes to Burke's and explains the whole story. The man thinks she is lying and calls the police. Two clerks think Nancy came to the store, because the impersonator is so good. The police later clear her because they know who she is. Emily plans to make money off her diamonds to finish the inn. Emily gets the diamonds from the bank but somebody turns out the lights and then steals the diamonds. Then thief put fake diamonds out in the open for John to find. Many mysteries are going on that all tie into one. Many strange happenings happen at the inn. Nancy at first has nothing, and then figures it all out at once. My favorite part of the whole book is when the diamonds are stolen from Emily. Maud Potters becomes very jealous of Nancy. Maud accuses Nancy for the stealing the diamonds, but Helen and Emily defend her. Maud is rude and vulgar, but then overcomes it in the end. Nancy seems to be the target for this gang of criminals out to get her. They try to hurt her more than the people at Lilac Inn. The whole book is interesting to me. The plot is so intense. There is a lot of suspense in this book. This is one of the most exciting Nancy Drew books I have read. I wish movies would be based on these books. I've seen a couple of the original Nancy Drew movies. The movies are great, The Disney Nancy Drew movie sucks and is all wrong.

The Secret of Shadow Ranch
Another great Nancy Drew book. I like how all her books end the same way. I love the mystery to them. I really loved this one. I was so happy to see Bess and George. I have been waiting for them to show up. The girls are pretty much in all of the Nancy Drew books. I love how in each of her books their is suspense. This was another book where I couldn't help to keep turning the pages. I couldn't stop. What I disliked about this one is that there wasn't quite enough. There wasb't as much thrill in ...more Another great Nancy Drew book. I like how all her books end the same way. I love the mystery to them. I really loved this one. I was so happy to see Bess and George. I have been waiting for them to show up. The girls are pretty much in all of the Nancy Drew books. I love how in each of her books their is suspense. This was another book where I couldn't help to keep turning the pages. I couldn't stop. What I disliked about this one is that there wasn't quite enough. There wasb't as much thrill in this one as there are in others.

The Secret of Red Gate Farm
I really enjoyed this book. Bess and George go with Nancy again.Each page gets better and better. This truly exciting. I love the chain reaction. I love this one more than the others. Nancy realizes that something is going wrong. It's interesting how everything in this one pops in her lap. It makes the criminals look very stupid. At first Nancy isn't really looking for anything. Wow these guys are incredibly stupid and so are the secret service agents. Although I don't like how everything in thi ...more I really enjoyed this book. Bess and George go with Nancy again.Each page gets better and better. This truly exciting. I love the chain reaction. I love this one more than the others. Nancy realizes that something is going wrong. It's interesting how everything in this one pops in her lap. It makes the criminals look very stupid. At first Nancy isn't really looking for anything. Wow these guys are incredibly stupid and so are the secret service agents. Although I don't like how everything in this one is so predictable.
Profile Image for Caroline.
1,545 reviews77 followers
November 6, 2021
Ordered this for a nostalgic buddy read in the Book Lovers Club on Discord.
Sadly it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be, and I just felt too old for them now. The mysteries are pretty obvious and easy. I will keep these though, maybe my future kids will like them.
Profile Image for Elf.
226 reviews
October 14, 2023
The origin of my reading obsession (along with Malory Towers and an unhealthy amount of Jacqueline Wilson)
Profile Image for Teardra.
249 reviews15 followers
June 22, 2009
So I've read a lot more than just 6 Nancy Drew books but I couldn't find a category for "Every Nancy Drew Book I could find". I must credit Carolyn Keene with instilling in me the love of reading. I can also credit her with my abnormal sleeping habits. Every summer I would start reading a Nancy Drew book at bedtime and finally go to sleep when I was done. Every day in and out and I never grew tired of trying to figure out the mystery before Nancy and Ned.
Profile Image for Karalyn Loftus.
3 reviews
February 16, 2019
Read this box set with my dad when I was just beginning my reading adventures, so this series holds a special spot in my heart. I loved the mysteries and Nancy of course. Overall the series is just a good read.
Profile Image for Beth Kaminske.
693 reviews5 followers
October 1, 2017
When I was young, I enjoyed quite a few Nancy Drew books, but they get really old after reading several. Hardy Boys or Judy Bolton books are so much better!
150 reviews
August 17, 2015
I can't even begin to describe how these books influenced my childhood. I've only marked 1-6 as read but there are two full shelves of them at my house in Alabama and I'm trying to fill in the holes so that someday I've got a complete set.
Once again, a great fictional role model- here we've got a girl (three if you count Bess and George who're always helping) out solving mysteries using her own intelligence, determination and perserverence.
These are a great way to get kids (probably particularly little girls) hooked on books. Worked for me.
Profile Image for Dayna.
209 reviews
July 6, 2008
Okay, I am adding this to replace all of the Nancy Drew books I have individually listed on here. Let's just say I have read pretty much all 50+ of them, and that I enjoyed them a lot as an eleven-year-old. Just to clarify, I never read the Nancy Drew Files or the Girl Sleuth books. I compared those to the Babysitter Club books, which I despised for some reason. I also read some first editions (like, real first editions, not the reproductions of the originals that are out now) and they are different from the yellow books, but equally entertaining.
Profile Image for A. D. Norton.
31 reviews30 followers
June 30, 2013
My almost six year old and I are reading this. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Nancy Drew as a kid, I credit this "author" it was created by Mildred Wirt Benson (and a publisher's syndicate). Some of the language is still a bit scary for her age so I change it up as we read.

We are currently on The Mystery of Shadow Ranch.

We had fun discussing those ancient relics known as -- phone booths!

We were excited to try Wilma Tenderfoot but much too scary for her age. Not there yet. Wouldn't recommend.
Profile Image for Karen.
197 reviews3 followers
July 11, 2008
I read all of the Nancy Drew books during 3rd to 5th grade - I think that is all I read :) However, once my mom bought me the 64th book, I was finally tired of them :( I recently bought the first 5 books and enjoyed reading them all over again. I am a Nancy Drew purist and don't really have an interest in the more modern series. My cousin, Kathy, still has most of her original collection.

Profile Image for Megan.
10 reviews
April 11, 2011
Nancy Drew is a fun light read but the problem I have with the whole series is that the author, in every single book, puts down Nancy's friends and insults them in order for Nancy Drew to appear even more perfect. After saying how pretty Beth and Georgia are, we hear that Beth is a little pudgy and Georgia is a tomboy, therefore, we are expected to come to he conclusion that Nancy is the prettiest of them all.
Profile Image for Haley.
3 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2013
Reading Nancy Drew for the first time when I'm 19 severely changes my opinion sadly. I found them quite predictable and simple, BUT I know that they are children's books. I would definitely have enjoyed these as a kid and probably would have found them a lot more thrilling and unpredictable. It's too bad I didn't read them before, but I'm glad I read them now. I will definitely give these to my children (when I have some).
Profile Image for Gabby.
56 reviews
June 6, 2007
I have read about 60 Nancy Drew stories, and they all captivate you and make sure that you CAN NOT put the book down! Because pretty much at the end of every chapter there is a new surprise and they leave you at a cliff hanger. So if you HAVE to stop reading it, good luck at finding a good place to stop!
Profile Image for Melissa.
232 reviews
June 15, 2007
The summer before fourth grade I spent a few weeks with my grandparents in the middle of nowhere Florida, and went every day to the oldest library in the state, where I read every single old Nancy Drew hardcover available (and the entire collection of The Three Investigators too). Got a soft spot in my heart for that rich bitch Nancy now.
Profile Image for Hank.
144 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2007
While I read most of these, from The Secret of the Old Clock up to around #56 or so, they were a great read although a more modern take on the books would mean she probably wouldn't come out of some of the situations the same anymore. This review, of course, coming out with the timing of a movie, apparently, under the series name.
Profile Image for E.
50 reviews
June 19, 2007
If this was a boxed set of 1-60 or so that would fit the bill better for me. My cousin and I "lived" for being able to go to the mall to get the next 2 books that we didn't have. Our goal was to get the whole series between the 2 of us. We were very disappointed to discover that Carolyn Keene was not a real person. We loved Nancy Drew.
Profile Image for Sky.
2 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2007
As young girls my sister and I had most of the books in this series written by Millie Benson under the pen name of Carolyn Keene. Keene worked in her professional field of journalism while ghost-writing the Drew series. Now Nancy is being revived via Hollywood, the film potentially bringing new interest to the famous young sleuth and to these books!
Profile Image for Nicole.
283 reviews74 followers
July 6, 2007
I love Nancy Drew. I started reading them when I was a child and I had never read anything like a mystery before. I remember feeling so excited at the new experience. I doubt they'd hold the same magic for me now, but I will always love Nancy Drew. I think they're wonderful books for engaging a young child into the awesome world of reading.
Profile Image for Tracy.
12 reviews1 follower
September 6, 2008
oh my gosh! old school nancy drew! my mom bought me my first nancy drew book when i was about 5. i fell in love with nancy. i picked this box set because i didn't want to click on every single book, but i read all eleventy million of them. My dream is to one day own all of them, the old yellow ones of course.
29 reviews1 follower
November 13, 2008
Ok I couldnt find the complete boxed set on this, but I am pretty sure that I have read almost every single Nancy Drew book. When I was younger, I LOVED Nancy Drew, and when I feel like reading a really easy book I still read them from time to time. I just love mysteries, and when I was younger I wished that I could be Nancy Drew!
Profile Image for Hannah.
51 reviews
January 4, 2011
Who can't go wrong with an old classic!!! I absolutly love these books! its something that can pass down for generations. Just the curiousity of a young smart girl gets to me and how she can solve all these problems. All the mysteries always suprise me at the end never an expected ending. Its what i love about these books!
Profile Image for Kim.
14 reviews1 follower
Read
February 11, 2012
These books remind me of my Oakwood Elementary Library.. for some reason and for the librain Miss Jacobs who recommended them to me.. I can acuatlly still see where they are in the library.. back wall less than half the way down and about the top 1/3 of the shelves.. :) I read alot more than the first five but I think this will suffice :)
Profile Image for Jessica Banner.
31 reviews1 follower
September 7, 2012
These books were some of the first "big kid" books I ever read (very few, if any, pictures), so they'll always have a special place in my heart. Now, I know that they are fairly predictable and a little corny, but as a kid they were exciting and had me reading under the covers with a flashlight after I was supposed to be asleep.
9 reviews5 followers
March 28, 2008
I'm working on the owning the complete collection. But even today when I'm feeling blue I'll pull one of these dusty classics from the shelves and give myself a good time revisiting my old friends from River Heights. And some day I hope to have my very own shiny blue sporty roadster.
Profile Image for Ashlee.
253 reviews7 followers
February 21, 2012
I guarantee you i have read every Nancy Drew book ever written. I have been getting one for my daughter every Christmas since her first. I hope she will enjoy them as much as I did! i am tempted to add The Sweet Valley High books to my list too! ;-)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews

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