Portrait in Crime

Nancy Drew Files #49

by Carolyn Keene

Portrait in Crime (A Summer of Love Trilogy #2) (The Nancy Drew Files, Case 49)

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction, Crime, Summer, Juvenile

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library)]

This one was fun! I had missed this series after not reading it for a while.

[Lauri]

Again Nancy Drew belongs to the Liz Wakefield school of “It’s not cheating if you are out of town”

[Kristin]

Definitely better than the first book in this trilogy. They do actual summer activities like waterskiing during their summer in the Hamptons.

It’s a missing painting/murder mystery. A lot of time is spent talking about art and art galleries but that felt right for a rich beach town like The Hamptons.

I could not keep Christopher Scott and Nicholas Scott straight the entire time. Their names sounded too similar to me.

-forgery
-money laundering
-hair pin
-scuba
-boating accident/shipwreck
-scuba
- dance club called Lobster Tank
-culprit was a bit obvious

Ready for Sasha to sashay away already.

[Chris Comden]

Portrait in Crime by Carolyn Keene
Series: Yes Nancy Drew Files #49
Format: Softcover
Stars: 4
Recommend: Yes
Would Reread: Yes


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...

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader)]

3 stars. Much better than the previous book. The mystery in this wasn’t all that great but it was everything else that kept me interested. Also, I don’t trust Sasha at all. I really think he’s up to no good and I need Nancy to be more alert around him.

[Kate]

Best of the series so far!

[K.L.]

Slightly better than the first- involving a missing painting. Sadly annoying Sasha is still lurking about distracting Nancy from her investigations

[Alex]

The mystery in this one was needlessly complicated, but these are fun as always.

[Samantha Hurley]

Feel good read, I absolutely love any and all Nancy Drew

[Steph Hayward-bailey]

I enjoyed sharing a book from my youth with my daughter. She really enjoyed the mystery and working out what happened.

[Roderick]

Good fun (although I don't care for the dancer as Ned's possible replacement)

[Sahar]

loved it to bits...it was so action filled and romantic...just my type

[Prami{reader and dreamer}]

3 stars