At All Costs

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys: Super Mystery #33

by Carolyn Keene

While Nancy visits a friend at the University of Utah, Frank and Joe work undercover outside Salt Lake City at the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics, where they investigate acts of sabotage by ecoterrorists and worse. Original.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens

214 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 23, 2008

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now admittedly, I was a child/teenager in the 90s and I don't remember everything politically, but this series has a weird amount of ecoterrorism in it that I can't quite square with reality. Anyway, definitely not my favorite, but it does end with Frank's arm around Nancy's shoulders, so it wasn't all bad.

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.

[Eric Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty great book! I loved the suspense that built up as the story progressed and the action scenes in this were page turning! The mystery was a bit confusing though, as there were many different connections popping up and the solution could have been explained a bit more in detail. However, this was a really fun book to read and I give it 4 stars.

[Seema M. Fazil · Rating 4 out of 5]

In At All Costs, the Hardys and Nancy solve a mystery in Utah!

While Nancy visits an old friend, Allison Fernley, at the University of Utah, the Hardys are working undercover outside Salt Lake City at the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics to investigate acts of sabotage that could be done by ecoterrorists.

At All Costs was intriguing, with intense scenes and every chapter ending on a cliffhanger!

Full review @ My Blog

[Alicat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot was a little confusing, but very dramatic.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super fun.

[Kristin]

DNF 30%. Lost interest.