Pit of Vipers

Nancy Drew: Girl Detective #18

by Carolyn Keene

There's been a snake-napping at the River Heights Zoo, and all clues about the thief seem to point in my good friend Charlie's direction. But why would Charlie want to steal a snake? I'm not convinced he's the perpetrator, but with all the circumstantial evidence that keeps popping up, the cops are on the other side of the fence.

Speaking of snakes, George's younger brother, Scott, has been slithering around a lot lately, all sneaky-like. He's not acting like himself, but his lips are sealed about what's wrong. Do these mysteries have anything to do with each other?

Stick around. I'm about to find out!

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

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was another thrilling adventure for Nancy Drew who was with her friends Bess and George when she accidentally comes across a mystery by popping a tire! she calls the garage to come and fix her tire they come pick her and her friends up and learns at the garage that one of her friends who works there was arrested for stealing a snake! this is a shocker for nancy drew, her friend charlie woudln hurt a fly! so she decides to take on the mystery read this book to find out what happens.

[Ahmad Hassan · Rating 5 out of 5]

there is a snake-napping at the river height zoo. Nancy Drew is on the case.Every clue point to the so call theif , his name is Charlie.Nancy talk to Charlie.He said that he did not do it . Nancy drew is convinced that he is not the pertetrator .Nancy look in to the case.All the evidence points to him. Read the book to see who the real theif is. I LIKE THIS BOOK I HOPE YOU LIKE IT TO!!

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

nancy has to solve this mystery. who could it be? many people seem suspicous and nancy can't seem to find who did it.

[Ethan Hulbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going through a few of my Nancy Drew books while I finally watch through the (great) tv show.

Wow, so this is the more modern, 2000s-style Nancy Drew, huh? First person, Nancy is a comically bad driver, Bess is suddenly all about charming boys, George loves gadgets? Pretty weird. The mystery was very small scale (someone stole a snake for a few hours) and like, Nancy pretty much just drove around River Heights and got stuck in rooms with reptiles a couple times. The villain reveal at the end was pretty corny. Not that good.

[Miss Ratatootee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Drew, a young sleuth who solves detective cases as her father, encounters with this case with a lot of snakes.

Her friend, the one who changes her tyres when getting flat, got blamed for being a murderer because he has a lot of snakes in his house as pets.

I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know if he really is the bad guy or just being blamed but thankfully, he isn't. Thanks to his friend and his regular customer in changing tyres solved the case.

[Akahayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this as a parting gift from my friend because I used to be obsessed with Nancy Drew as a preteen

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite good until the last little bit when Charlie was thanking Nancy. That was lame. Otherwise, with its twists and turns, it was a good read.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this one a lot!

[Sohila Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another riveting story.

[Grayce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book 📚 I enjoyed it!

[andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i collect nancy drew books

[nicolae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started: 11 AM
Finished: 2 PM

2.5/5

[Kriti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute ending

[Elle Hartford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this by accident and read it on a whim! It's not the original series by any stretch--modern, in first person, with some adjustments to characters/etc. A quicker read, too. But still fun!

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maddy suggested I read this book during a long plane ride recently. While we agreed that the plot had all the great twists and turns we enjoy in Nancy Drew's adventures, we had different reactions to the way characters are portrayed. Apparently, I am pretty old-school in my taste for Nancy Drew - I like her little convertible and the way Bess and George are depicted in the earlier books. These newer books are written for Maddy's generation - Nancy drives a cute hybrid car, and totes cell phones around. George is a techno-whiz, and Bess has apparently shed twenty pounds and is drop-dead gorgeous. Her role in the plot was that of distracting boys/men with her beauty so that Nancy could get on with her investigation. I mentioned to Maddy that this bugged me - and I loved her reply..."I think it's hilarious! Boys are so dumb and predictable!" OK - I hadn't thought of it that way :-)

[Cody Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I have read so far is about Nancy Drew trying to help her friend prove that he isn't guilty. She have been trying to find clues so her friend Charlie Adams is free to get out of jail. So far she thinks she has found a suspect that might have cause the incident. The book is about a snake being stolen and somehow Charlie has it in his apartment. Nancy is helping Charlie not to lose his job. Right now Nancy is at the zoo in the bathroom cleaning her shirt when a poisonious lizard follows her into the stall. A man had came to her rescue and helped her get the lizard away from her. She has found out who put the snake into Charlie Adams apartment. She never thought it was Lionel Charlie Adams friend who works at the car service. Charlie was very thankful for having her helping him on his case.

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading from the new Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Series. in 2006, Nancy now drives a hybrid, uses a cell phone, and narrates her books in the first person. Bess is still a flirt, but has a love for old cars. George now has a little brother and a love of gadgets. Ned, oddly enough, is almost exactly as I remember him: long suffering. His entrance into the sleuthing at the end was delightful.

While the mystery itself was extremely weak (even by Nancy Drew standards), I rather like this Nancy. She's an interesting contrast to the classic Nancy, but delightful in her own modern way. I'd be happy to read more of her adventures.

[Akankshya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book....for mostly reptile lovers>>...the way everything gets solved at the end by miss drew is really amazing. I also knew from the beginning that Charlie Adams was innocent. good book...try it out

[Arzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the very beginning of the book it was very slow but at very end it was getting better it also had a twist.I love Nancy Drew series the next book is Nancy Drew and The Orchid thief I look forward to reading it.

[Partridge Public]

Keene, Carolyn PB

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!! i highly recomend it

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read it for a mystery book report and it was really good, but mysteries really aren't my thing.

[Shweta · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book...one of the best new Nancy Drew mysteries

[Kelsey F · Rating 3 out of 5]

i enjoyed reading this book because it gave hints to who it was but just enough to leave you wondering.

[Paakhee Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is also one of the nancy mystery book.... as you have gusessed I really like mystery.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I think I'm getting too old for Nancy Drew. This is the second time in a row that a Nancy Drew ending has failed to impress me!

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

[Matthew Sadler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my 7 year old daughter and she loves the series. There are cliffhangers, drama and suspense perfect for her reading level. We check out one right after the other from the library.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for younger people, i still enjoyed reading it though.