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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #163
The Clues Challenge
While Nancy and George visit Ned at college, they become embroiled in the Clues Challenge, an athletic treasure hunt, and Nancy must investigate after several accidents indicate that someone is desperate to win at any cost.
150 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2001
13 people are currently reading
848 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,075 books3,895 followersCarolyn 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.
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 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 30, 2021
Loved it!
Couldn't put this down once I began reading 🔥
Couldn't put this down once I began reading 🔥
October 5, 2022
Not my favorite case for Nancy and her friends. An okay read for me.
July 5, 2022
This book had a very bizarre concept.
Basically Nancy and her friends enter into a "Clues Challenge" at Emerson College, where Ned attends. It's touted as a sports competition (which is why George and a bunch of other athletes are competing), but the real gist of the challenge seems to be locating clues based on really convoluted riddles. The clues are hidden at various points around campus, so each clue (in a snowflake shaped container) tells you where the next one is, until a team finds the banner declaring them the winner.
The athletic portion seems to be that the kids have to ski from place to place, with the implication that whoever can ski the fastest gets to the clue first. But really, it seems to me that whoever solves the riddle fastest gets to the clue first. So actually the braniacs would have the advantage, not the athletes. Furthermore, I don't really see a college campus as a prime location for skiing. If the kids avoided the skis altogether and maybe drove around in a car, or something, they would be safer and get to the clues faster. The Clues Challenges also involves kids climbing up tall trees and bell towers and investigating old buildings. Lots of liability there for the sponsors. Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
What's even worse is the mystery itself. See, Nancy and her friends are conveniently sabotaged at every single clue along the way. It turns out that the coordinator of the Clues Challenge, Mr. Lorenzo, is actually a criminal on the run from the police. His crime was point-fixing in college sports and then disappearing, letting the students take the fall (if I understood correctly). So this other kid in the Clues Challenge, Dennis, figured that out and is blackmailing Mr. Lorenzo. He knows Nancy and her friends are onto him so he sabotages their team for "extra insurance." Okay but like...the sabotage occurred from the very beginning, before Nancy had any idea about Mr. Lorenzo's secret identity and the blackmailing and whatever. What motive does Dennis have for trying to skewer her teammate with an icicle for example? If this kid had simply let them alone, they would probably have never tried to solve the mystery at all.
(There is a subplot where Dennis is jealous of one of the teammates for "stealing" his girlfriend, so I get the revenge motivation, but he still called unnecessary attention to himself in the process. Didn't seem worth it to me, especially when he already knew where all the clues were. Speaking of which, you'd think Mr. Lorenzo would have tried to lay low after changing his identity, so he brought all the suspicion on himself by managing a sports competition.)
I'm used to ND mysteries having explanations that make no sense, but the concept of the book was so weird in the first place. I'd really like to have a chat with whomever came up with the idea for this book and figure out what they were even going for.
Basically Nancy and her friends enter into a "Clues Challenge" at Emerson College, where Ned attends. It's touted as a sports competition (which is why George and a bunch of other athletes are competing), but the real gist of the challenge seems to be locating clues based on really convoluted riddles. The clues are hidden at various points around campus, so each clue (in a snowflake shaped container) tells you where the next one is, until a team finds the banner declaring them the winner.
The athletic portion seems to be that the kids have to ski from place to place, with the implication that whoever can ski the fastest gets to the clue first. But really, it seems to me that whoever solves the riddle fastest gets to the clue first. So actually the braniacs would have the advantage, not the athletes. Furthermore, I don't really see a college campus as a prime location for skiing. If the kids avoided the skis altogether and maybe drove around in a car, or something, they would be safer and get to the clues faster. The Clues Challenges also involves kids climbing up tall trees and bell towers and investigating old buildings. Lots of liability there for the sponsors. Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
What's even worse is the mystery itself. See, Nancy and her friends are conveniently sabotaged at every single clue along the way. It turns out that the coordinator of the Clues Challenge, Mr. Lorenzo, is actually a criminal on the run from the police. His crime was point-fixing in college sports and then disappearing, letting the students take the fall (if I understood correctly). So this other kid in the Clues Challenge, Dennis, figured that out and is blackmailing Mr. Lorenzo. He knows Nancy and her friends are onto him so he sabotages their team for "extra insurance." Okay but like...the sabotage occurred from the very beginning, before Nancy had any idea about Mr. Lorenzo's secret identity and the blackmailing and whatever. What motive does Dennis have for trying to skewer her teammate with an icicle for example? If this kid had simply let them alone, they would probably have never tried to solve the mystery at all.
(There is a subplot where Dennis is jealous of one of the teammates for "stealing" his girlfriend, so I get the revenge motivation, but he still called unnecessary attention to himself in the process. Didn't seem worth it to me, especially when he already knew where all the clues were. Speaking of which, you'd think Mr. Lorenzo would have tried to lay low after changing his identity, so he brought all the suspicion on himself by managing a sports competition.)
I'm used to ND mysteries having explanations that make no sense, but the concept of the book was so weird in the first place. I'd really like to have a chat with whomever came up with the idea for this book and figure out what they were even going for.
May 24, 2015
I'd read this book as a kid, and I remember being on the edge the whole while I read it. It was truly suspenseful, and fun!
I would still read such books any day. :D
These you can always bank on ;)
I would still read such books any day. :D
These you can always bank on ;)
August 15, 2023
HEALTHY COMPETITION SHOULD ALWAY BE IDENTIFIED AS SUCH.
UNDERTONES BEWARE. Undertones of animosity always have an explanation. Idetifying something like that clearly and then doi ng your research is SOO important. This is why letting dangerous personal feelings about winning/losing) should always be kept down to a safe and unconfusing level.
UNDERTONES BEWARE. Undertones of animosity always have an explanation. Idetifying something like that clearly and then doi ng your research is SOO important. This is why letting dangerous personal feelings about winning/losing) should always be kept down to a safe and unconfusing level.
July 27, 2017
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
October 5, 2017
Standard Nancy Drew fare, a lot of the character descriptions were similar and there were a few typos referring to CJ as Randy and some other errors that should have been caught in proof reading.
September 14, 2018
Rating: 5 🌟’s
February 24, 2021
Clever settings and a quick moving story. The story has well written characters.
February 10, 2022
Not the best. No verisimilitude. Why would the college sponsor something that involves students climbing up the sides of the buildings IN WINTER? HeR did it better.
January 27, 2026
Have always liked NDMs set amidst Emerson College students and their campus, and this one had a nice kernel of an idea. A few continuity errors in the execution.
September 7, 2021
Nancy and her friend George are visiting Emerson College, courtesy of Nancy's boyfriend, Ned. His fraternity is eager to win the Clues Challenge, an athletic treasure hunt sponsored by a local sporting goods store, so the girls join Ned's team. But accidents, dirty tricks, and computer warnings threaten to shut down the whole event.
Nancy suspects that someone has cheated by giving out the answers to the clues. Now she's investigating a pushy reporter, a jealous star athlete, a nervous store owner, and a snooty sorority president. Someone's got a secret agenda to win at any cost -- and Nancy's skiing right into an avalanche of trouble!
Nancy suspects that someone has cheated by giving out the answers to the clues. Now she's investigating a pushy reporter, a jealous star athlete, a nervous store owner, and a snooty sorority president. Someone's got a secret agenda to win at any cost -- and Nancy's skiing right into an avalanche of trouble!
September 25, 2016
This was another book that I'd read a long time ago and didn't really remember, but this one didn't hold up quite as well to memory. Somehow, it actually felt more dated than the classic Nancy Drew stories.
Full review at Get A Clue to come soon!
Full review at Get A Clue to come soon!
May 4, 2013
Don't remember much but I know I liked it.
September 20, 2016
Really good
It was mr. Lorenzo
It was mr. Lorenzo
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews