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Nancy Drew Diaries #20
The Vanishing Statue
Nancy, Bess, and George must find a stolen statue in this twentieth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to the classic mystery series.
Nancy is beyond excited when she receives an invitation to an elite celebration of the arts hosted by the Duchess Strickland, a woman once renowned for her collection who hasn’t been seen in years. With Bess and George at her side, Nancy’s certain it will be an evening she’ll never forget.
Then just days before the party, a priceless sculpture is stolen! Still, the Duchess vows the party will go on as planned—and Nancy is determined to use the opportunity to sniff out the thief.
But on the big night, as creatives, collectors, and connoisseurs—all with their own motives—converge, it quickly becomes clear that crime, like art, is all about the illusion, and a stolen statue may be the least of Nancy’s troubles.
Nancy is beyond excited when she receives an invitation to an elite celebration of the arts hosted by the Duchess Strickland, a woman once renowned for her collection who hasn’t been seen in years. With Bess and George at her side, Nancy’s certain it will be an evening she’ll never forget.
Then just days before the party, a priceless sculpture is stolen! Still, the Duchess vows the party will go on as planned—and Nancy is determined to use the opportunity to sniff out the thief.
But on the big night, as creatives, collectors, and connoisseurs—all with their own motives—converge, it quickly becomes clear that crime, like art, is all about the illusion, and a stolen statue may be the least of Nancy’s troubles.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 16, 2020
40 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,015 books3,871 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 - 30 of 57 reviews
September 3, 2021
Disappointed....got to 40% and had to stop...kind of shocked me that was in there, but oh well.
July 12, 2021
I'm here for Hannah Gruen inclusion and the mental image of George in a very dapper tuxedo.
Upon rereading for analysis purposes, I am further delighted by George and her fabulous tuxedo. The mystery is fun and pretty solid, the characters are all so colorful and enjoyable, and the descriptions of the party, paintings, and other art are all really beautiful. Plus, I think we might have our very first explicitly gay couple in a ND book (Palace of Wisdom is of course fantastic, but it's not really considered canon)? Even if they're just background characters who never get mentioned again, I'm happy progress is being made!
Upon rereading for analysis purposes, I am further delighted by George and her fabulous tuxedo. The mystery is fun and pretty solid, the characters are all so colorful and enjoyable, and the descriptions of the party, paintings, and other art are all really beautiful. Plus, I think we might have our very first explicitly gay couple in a ND book (Palace of Wisdom is of course fantastic, but it's not really considered canon)? Even if they're just background characters who never get mentioned again, I'm happy progress is being made!
June 22, 2020
book 45 out of 75
audiobook
Honestly I only read this because I follow the series and they're quick to get through. They're a little boring and pretty predictable but it's a fun time nevertheless.
➼ 3 stars
audiobook
Honestly I only read this because I follow the series and they're quick to get through. They're a little boring and pretty predictable but it's a fun time nevertheless.
➼ 3 stars
September 25, 2021
This book was so incredibly bizarre that I can't even believe it's a part of this awesome series.
First off, every single person was out of character here, and the dialogue was not even close to the way they usually talk. We also had completely strange things happen like Bess eating cake while everyone watches and cheers for her and says it's amazing art. I felt stupid even writing that, so imagine how weird it was to read it.
I'm just going to pretend like this book never existed.
First off, every single person was out of character here, and the dialogue was not even close to the way they usually talk. We also had completely strange things happen like Bess eating cake while everyone watches and cheers for her and says it's amazing art. I felt stupid even writing that, so imagine how weird it was to read it.
I'm just going to pretend like this book never existed.
December 14, 2021
This one was weird tbh. An extra star for making George low key gay.
May 13, 2021
Read to my daughter - she liked it.
March 29, 2025
I am appalled. The original “Carolyn Keene” would be too. This book went from bad to worse. DNF at 39% when I practically lost the ability to drive during my audiobook listening because I couldn’t believe my ears. I don’t even know how this book made it into the series. Why change an established series from the 1930s to fit a woke agenda almost a century later? In a children’s book no less. George should not be misrepresented in any Nancy Drew book, and hadn’t been to my knowledge until this book’s publication in 2020. The real George would not dress in a tuxedo or go to a party as the date of a best friend who has a boyfriend. Ridiculous. Cringey. Disturbing. I have found that 99% of Nancy Drew books are wholesome and fun and safe to read for anyone- I’m sad to know that the 1% of unsafe ND books- this one- exists. This edgy Nancy Drew might as well have been a completely different character:/ the one redeeming feature of the books was the mention of various delicious sounding foods. I now want French toast and lobster mac and cheese.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2021
Also not good. I wasn't entirely sure what the whole mystery here was - was it a stolen statue? Is it art theft? Forgery? Who knows! Bess appears to be semi-dating a complete weirdo performance artist (in fact all the arty people are portrayed as total whack-jobs) and George seems to be coming out of the closet!
July 12, 2020
I didn't like it as much as I liked others. First of of all title of the book is misleading I felt. Secondly some new characters just got to my nerves. Had they been given proper arc for them, then that would have been different thing. Whole mystery seemed rushed and to be honest Nancy didn't do much to solve it.
#BookwithApurva
#BookwithApurva
April 7, 2025
Pretty good!
January 24, 2021
I dunno if it's because I've not read one of these in a while or what, but I didn't hate this one. Decently written for the most part, though the mystery is lacking... well, mystery. And there's this completely insane character of Sven who is written as an overly eccentric "artist" who is so artsy that he apparently even WALKS a different way every time Nancy sees him (i.e. backwards or duck-walking). The book perpetuates the stereotype that all artists are crazy misunderstood eccentrics unappreciated by the wider public. For some reason, Bess is dating him which makes no sense because she's not supposed to be a moron. The pair put on some sort of performance that, as far as I understand, is Sven hanging upside down from a chandelier while Bess eats cake. The audience find this incredibly fantastic perhaps because Bess eats so "daintily" and doesn't smudge her lip gloss. Sven gets stuck somehow and then Bess dumps him in a scene we don't read and immediately moves on to the first boy who smiles at her.
What I did like about this one is that, whoever this version of Carolyn Keene is, has decided to dive into some Nancy/George romantic subtext. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, there is a lot of romantic tension between these two this book which is quite refreshing. Especially given that the only other "romance" angle we get in these books is Nancy's doormat boyfriend Ned who does literally nothing other than pop up to remind the reader that Nancy has a boyfriend. Seems somewhat confirmed when George is given a replica painting by Artemisia Gentileschi who (Google assures me) is considered one of the first lesbian artists of history. Everyone in the town is given a piece of art for some reason, except Nancy who is given a blank canvas because the Duchess (rich artist lady) claims she feels Nancy is creative.
This is not to say it's good, it's not. Just in the context of all other Nancy Drew Diaries this will rank as one of the better ones. But it has moments of weirdness that I just didn't get. It made me think the author asked their children what they would want to see in a book and wrote it in to appease them. Case and point - the bizarre scene where Nancy is walking down a hallway of portraits and decides to re-enact the pose/expression of each one in turn. I assume this is to facilitate the person she's walking with to have a perfunctory reason to call her "copycat" thereby adding a reference to the plot at large (which is about art forgery). But it's so randomly weird I kept thinking about it after I'd finished the book.
What I did like about this one is that, whoever this version of Carolyn Keene is, has decided to dive into some Nancy/George romantic subtext. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, there is a lot of romantic tension between these two this book which is quite refreshing. Especially given that the only other "romance" angle we get in these books is Nancy's doormat boyfriend Ned who does literally nothing other than pop up to remind the reader that Nancy has a boyfriend. Seems somewhat confirmed when George is given a replica painting by Artemisia Gentileschi who (Google assures me) is considered one of the first lesbian artists of history. Everyone in the town is given a piece of art for some reason, except Nancy who is given a blank canvas because the Duchess (rich artist lady) claims she feels Nancy is creative.
This is not to say it's good, it's not. Just in the context of all other Nancy Drew Diaries this will rank as one of the better ones. But it has moments of weirdness that I just didn't get. It made me think the author asked their children what they would want to see in a book and wrote it in to appease them. Case and point - the bizarre scene where Nancy is walking down a hallway of portraits and decides to re-enact the pose/expression of each one in turn. I assume this is to facilitate the person she's walking with to have a perfunctory reason to call her "copycat" thereby adding a reference to the plot at large (which is about art forgery). But it's so randomly weird I kept thinking about it after I'd finished the book.
February 17, 2025
This one is pretty bad imo 😂
June 15, 2021
The story is very predictable, and moves slowly. That, added to the unnecessary agenda thrown in, make this book rather disappointing.
December 14, 2021
honestly 2.5, this one was another weak link
May 31, 2021
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Reading the Nancy Drew Diaries are hit or miss for me. For every one that is good, there’s one that isn’t. What would be the case with The Vanishing Statue, the 20th Nancy Drew Diaries entry?
I really wanted to like The Vanishing Statue, I really did. But ultimately, the book failed to capture my attention fully. The mystery was mediocre at best. Nancy spends more time trying to decide what she’s going to wear to the celebration as she does looking for the stolen statue. In fact, the vanishing statue is not even the main part of the story.
This book was unusual in that there were some not-so-subtle hints that George might be a lesbian or bi-sexual. Of course, there has been speculation for years about George, mainly because of the stereotypes that she’s got short hair and in both the original books and the Diaries, she’s a tomboy. I never believed the stereotypes because I always felt a close connection to George; I played lot of sports and had short hair, too, and I’m heterosexual. The ghostwriter really drives it home at the end of the book when George is gifted a replica painting by Artemisia Gentileschi who is considered one of the first documented lesbian artists in history. If the publishers want to make George a lesbian, so be it. It matters to young girls reading the books who look up to Nancy and the gang and may be afraid to embrace their own sexuality. I just wish the powers that be were more direct about it and would come right out and say it one way or another.
In fact, this whole book is full of stereotypes about artistic people. Sven only wears loudly colored or glittery leotards and always walks unconventionally; sometimes he skips, sometimes he walks backwards. And for some reason, Bess is crazy for him for most of the book, until she isn’t. Bess is not supposed to be some sort of flake. Sven convinces her do do some performance art. The duchess leaves the first party she’s had in ten years to go painting on the same canvases she’s giving away the same evening.
As I mentioned, Nancy does very little sleuthing and what she does comes during the party, which doesn’t happen until the last half of the book. And Nancy doesn’t so much as solve the mystery as the answer is revealed to her. Ultimately, an unsatisfying book in an uneven series. Chances are the next book will be much better.
Reading the Nancy Drew Diaries are hit or miss for me. For every one that is good, there’s one that isn’t. What would be the case with The Vanishing Statue, the 20th Nancy Drew Diaries entry?
I really wanted to like The Vanishing Statue, I really did. But ultimately, the book failed to capture my attention fully. The mystery was mediocre at best. Nancy spends more time trying to decide what she’s going to wear to the celebration as she does looking for the stolen statue. In fact, the vanishing statue is not even the main part of the story.
This book was unusual in that there were some not-so-subtle hints that George might be a lesbian or bi-sexual. Of course, there has been speculation for years about George, mainly because of the stereotypes that she’s got short hair and in both the original books and the Diaries, she’s a tomboy. I never believed the stereotypes because I always felt a close connection to George; I played lot of sports and had short hair, too, and I’m heterosexual. The ghostwriter really drives it home at the end of the book when George is gifted a replica painting by Artemisia Gentileschi who is considered one of the first documented lesbian artists in history. If the publishers want to make George a lesbian, so be it. It matters to young girls reading the books who look up to Nancy and the gang and may be afraid to embrace their own sexuality. I just wish the powers that be were more direct about it and would come right out and say it one way or another.
In fact, this whole book is full of stereotypes about artistic people. Sven only wears loudly colored or glittery leotards and always walks unconventionally; sometimes he skips, sometimes he walks backwards. And for some reason, Bess is crazy for him for most of the book, until she isn’t. Bess is not supposed to be some sort of flake. Sven convinces her do do some performance art. The duchess leaves the first party she’s had in ten years to go painting on the same canvases she’s giving away the same evening.
As I mentioned, Nancy does very little sleuthing and what she does comes during the party, which doesn’t happen until the last half of the book. And Nancy doesn’t so much as solve the mystery as the answer is revealed to her. Ultimately, an unsatisfying book in an uneven series. Chances are the next book will be much better.
July 19, 2023
I want to emphasize that this edition had promise but did not meet my expectations like some of the other diaries and Nancy Drew adventures. What started out interestingly was that a chapter was entirely unnecessary, which was unexpected. Nancy took Bess and George on the adventure, and we saw the characters in an additional perspective which is always refreshing. A stolen piece of art was taken, and Nancy Drew is determined to find the piece and comes across the Dutchess, who pays no attention to the piece and wants the party to go as planned. It comes together to emphasize her reasoning behind her actions which was a nice turn of events. Nancy, of course, discovers the secret after finding herself on an adventure. Overall, this storyline was not my favorite, and I personally found it a bit more confusing than necessary. The redeeming quality was the writing towards the end that brought it all together and made the characters we love come to life.
January 30, 2023
Nancy Drew and her friends have been invited to an elite art event in River Heights hosted by Duchess Strickland who has not been seen in years. Typical of Nancy Drew books, there is a mystery, a missing statue, part of Strickland's collection has vanished. Nancy and her friends, Bess and George, work together to find out what happened to the missing statue and unveil even more than they expected with fraudulent art and a fractured family. The Vanishing Statue has mystery, adventure, and a kind message in the end. I highly recommend Nancy Drew Diaries' fans and to readers that love art combined with mystery.
January 19, 2025
With only three more books left to finish off this diary series, I could not resist to returning to Nancy Drew in River Heights. Are the books cliched, yes. Are they geared toward teen or adolescent readers, of course. Will Nancy and Ned ever move past the peck on the cheek stage, no way. But the books are fun and I love the teammate and friendship between Nancy, Bess, and George so there’s no way I’m leaving this series unfinished with just a few left. And at least I’m reading something to combat the January doldrums. On to the next one.
3.75 stars
3.75 stars
April 14, 2022
The Nancy Drew Diaries are a weird series to me; they seem for a much younger grade than the mainline stories they're meant to replace. However, I did rather like this one; as stated, the plot was a little all over the place, but in a fun way. Also, great representation of diverse characters that was awesome to see in Nancy Drew. To the folks who have a problem with that kind of thing, remember: In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.
December 2, 2024
I've really enjoyed listening to this series, and while usually pretty predictable, the books still capture my imagination and interest every time.
This one, The Vanishing Statue, is an exception. I found the storyline confusing and.... odd. It seemed to jump into a story, and I had no idea why some fancy party was happening, or what the point was of the entire plot.
While I will be continuing on with the series, I am glad to be putting this particular book behind me.
This one, The Vanishing Statue, is an exception. I found the storyline confusing and.... odd. It seemed to jump into a story, and I had no idea why some fancy party was happening, or what the point was of the entire plot.
While I will be continuing on with the series, I am glad to be putting this particular book behind me.
July 22, 2022
It was a fun Nancy Drew mystery, I didn't really guess who it was until near the end, but even then there were more plot twists involved which made it fun. Giving it 5 stars instead of 4 because it's hilarious to me that people called Nancy and George going to a party together a same-sex couple all because George wore a suit, that instantly gave me a full stars worth of joy.
August 11, 2022
This installment in the series had another interesting plot but if I'm being honest, I didn't really pay that much attention to the story. I just remember vaguley reading about
Solid read but also forgettable.
Solid read but also forgettable.
January 30, 2023
I dont know how to start...this book is nice but so weird. The chapter where it took the scene at Duchess Strickland's party, there are some of the parts that didnt just make any sense. The weirdest part was when Nancy met the Duchess while she was painting...I think that was too direct. But anyways, who says that its not a five star book?
August 26, 2025
eh. not my favrite.
espailly all the stearotype artist scenes, and how the performance is just bess eating cake while her boyfreind hangs from the light peice.
just bad.
dont mess with established charectors!
the mystery just got side tracked and never really was born.
i listened to the adio book
espailly all the stearotype artist scenes, and how the performance is just bess eating cake while her boyfreind hangs from the light peice.
just bad.
dont mess with established charectors!
the mystery just got side tracked and never really was born.
i listened to the adio book
December 30, 2025
Nancy Drew Diaries-The Vanishing Statue
This one was super fun. I've avoided the more modern Nancy Drew books, but took a chance on this one. It was cute with lots of little ups and downs, craziness with Ned, Bess, and George, and of course a fun twist at the end. Nobody dies, and everything turns out okay in the end, but it's a Nancy Drew Novel, after all.
This one was super fun. I've avoided the more modern Nancy Drew books, but took a chance on this one. It was cute with lots of little ups and downs, craziness with Ned, Bess, and George, and of course a fun twist at the end. Nobody dies, and everything turns out okay in the end, but it's a Nancy Drew Novel, after all.
June 25, 2020
I didn't like this one as much as the others, but it was still enjoyable. I personally think that the book wasn't as good because of the eccentric characters which were super "artsy" (Sven, who only wore leotards!).
November 2, 2023
Def not the best of the series. It was trying hard to be artsy, and just ended up being weird and confusing.
Points for Georage having and awesome outfit tho! And More points for the first LGBTQ+ characters I've hear mention in 20+ books.
Points for Georage having and awesome outfit tho! And More points for the first LGBTQ+ characters I've hear mention in 20+ books.
June 3, 2024
Just no. Absolutely not. Asinine and ridiculous. Not real, not accurate. The ghostwriter shouldn't misappropriate or miswrite an established character. Real Nancy Drew readers know the straight truth.
January 13, 2026
This mystery is comparatively dumb when putting it next to the other books in this series, but I think the author had fun coming up with obnoxious, pretentious arteest types, especially when it comes to performative art.
June 21, 2020
These are always such super quick and fun reads. Can’t really complain about them
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews