Dead on Arrival

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys: Super Mystery #23

by Carolyn Keene

Nancy hears a muffled message on a friend's answering machine that leads her to the dead body of Pam Harter, ace investigative reporter. The Hardy boys are working undercover on the River Heights Rescue Squad as EMTs. Their very first call is to the site of Pam Harter's murder.

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

215 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Coralie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved all of the books in this series. This one was much more involved with Brenda Carlton and Ned Nickerson than usual. All of the characters are well-written and the plot was intriguing. I enjoyed the way this one ended quite a bit. It seemed...different somehow. I never guessed what was actually going on (not that I normally do, but I never would have guessed this time). This book took place in River Heights, which was also refreshing, though I do love it when they travel and meet up by accident. All in all, I am both excited to trudge forward and sad because I am finally nearing the end of this blissful series.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in my collection of recently found YA reading books! This time the Hardys are in River Heights, which is Drew territory, to solve the mystery of missing bodies. Of course the boys are undercover as EMTs, and of course Nancy's newest case is linked to theirs! What's not to love, you know exactly where you stand with these! I loved them as a youngster, and still have a soft spot for Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is one of those cases where the ages of the detectives in question is completely implausible (high school student EMTs!) and the book suffers for that, but there's good teamwork and lots of on page jealousy from Ned which I personally appreciated. (I will be a hypocrite about the age thing very, very shortly, I do not apologize for it.) But overall enjoyable to read, even if the Brenda parts were completely annoying.

(I am not 100% sure if I had read this one before, I am pretty sure it was part of my original collection which suggest yes but it was not familiar to me in the way that some of these are.)

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a book about Nancy, her two boyfriends having a ruler contest, and organ harvesting <3

Seriously though I spent the whole book terrifically and horrifically delighted. Nancy is MESSY y’all.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun murder mystery teenie novel.

Moral Note: Murder scene, not graphic.