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Nancy Drew Files #60
Poison Pen
Sabotaged cars, suspicious accidents, and a desperate letter to an advice column figure into Nancy's summertime mystery.
147 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 1991
7 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,042 books3,879 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 26, 2021
Ok, what is this, yeah so the book was good, but they acted so immature sometimes, and shouldn't the police or the parents even be informed about it, most of this was rubbish
May 24, 2015
Its a nice book.
January 7, 2020
I tossed this book aside in disgust.
A car accident occurred - the police were not called, an ambulance was not called - the main character and her boyfriend pulled the people out of the crashed car and put them in the main character's car then they looked for sabotage under the bonnet of the crashed car. They then took the crash victims home to discuss the accident. One of the victims said his neck snapped back when he hit the tree... good grief, the man could have a spinal injury! Totally unrealistic!
The collective writers known as Carolyn Keene need a reality check and so do the editors and publishers of this series.
A car accident occurred - the police were not called, an ambulance was not called - the main character and her boyfriend pulled the people out of the crashed car and put them in the main character's car then they looked for sabotage under the bonnet of the crashed car. They then took the crash victims home to discuss the accident. One of the victims said his neck snapped back when he hit the tree... good grief, the man could have a spinal injury! Totally unrealistic!
The collective writers known as Carolyn Keene need a reality check and so do the editors and publishers of this series.
October 1, 2024
3 stars. This was so absurd but in the best way possible. Nancy handled everything wrong but Brenda was in the mix and that made it fun. I'm still laughing at how Brenda and ol' boy wrecked into a tree and Nancy and Ned just pull them out of the car and take them home. LOL. Absurd I tell ya.
June 7, 2020
I finished the book in 3 days. This new series lacks the suspense and humor that made Nancy Drew popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Definitely not worth it.
May 24, 2023
I have such a soft spot for Brenda!
June 7, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
Boken är inte särkilt realistisk eller så särskilt bra skriven, men den är väldigt nostalgisk vilket gör det bättre
Boken är inte särkilt realistisk eller så särskilt bra skriven, men den är väldigt nostalgisk vilket gör det bättre
August 9, 2024
3.5 rounded up.
Honest title: Nancy Drew Versus Brenda! Part 9000
Good title: The Man with the Mismatched Eyes
Honest title: Nancy Drew Versus Brenda! Part 9000
Good title: The Man with the Mismatched Eyes
May 25, 2013
Title: Poison Pen
Author: Carolyn Keene
Year: 1991 Pages: 147
Intended Audience: Mystery and action lovers
Main Issue: Brenda puts a letter in her news column that happens to be true and now someone's out to kill her.
Setting: With the setting of the story in her hometown it just makes sense than having it anywhere else.
Characters: Nancy Drew - amateur detective; Bess Marvin - Nancy's best friend; George Fayne - other best friend, Bess's cousin; Ned Nickerson - Nancy's boyfriend; Brenda Carlton - news writer
Summary: On a hot summer day, Nancy, Bess, and George run into Brenda Carlton at the mall, and Brenda starts talking about her new column in the paper. When it leads to a letter about someone thinking her husband is trying to kill her and now someone's out to kill Brenda! Which has Nancy plunging into a whole new mystery.
Like/dislike: I liked the suspense and adventure in the book.
Quotes: "Why would Uncle Bill want to kill her?" -pg. 74
"She gasped a bitter, acrid stench assaulted her nostrils. Then, abruptly, there was blackness." -pg. 120
Theme: One lie and be carried a long ways and get you into trouble.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes the Nancy Drew series or mystery and action book in general.
In a way this book kind of resembles out lives, because there is always that one person who tries to show us up. In Nancy's case that's Brenda.
Rate: 5
5/25/13
Author: Carolyn Keene
Year: 1991 Pages: 147
Intended Audience: Mystery and action lovers
Main Issue: Brenda puts a letter in her news column that happens to be true and now someone's out to kill her.
Setting: With the setting of the story in her hometown it just makes sense than having it anywhere else.
Characters: Nancy Drew - amateur detective; Bess Marvin - Nancy's best friend; George Fayne - other best friend, Bess's cousin; Ned Nickerson - Nancy's boyfriend; Brenda Carlton - news writer
Summary: On a hot summer day, Nancy, Bess, and George run into Brenda Carlton at the mall, and Brenda starts talking about her new column in the paper. When it leads to a letter about someone thinking her husband is trying to kill her and now someone's out to kill Brenda! Which has Nancy plunging into a whole new mystery.
Like/dislike: I liked the suspense and adventure in the book.
Quotes: "Why would Uncle Bill want to kill her?" -pg. 74
"She gasped a bitter, acrid stench assaulted her nostrils. Then, abruptly, there was blackness." -pg. 120
Theme: One lie and be carried a long ways and get you into trouble.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes the Nancy Drew series or mystery and action book in general.
In a way this book kind of resembles out lives, because there is always that one person who tries to show us up. In Nancy's case that's Brenda.
Rate: 5
5/25/13
November 22, 2013
These are surprisingly easy to blow through. I finished this one within an hour. I like Nancy Drew better than the Hardy Boys (I have since I was a kid). What I never noticed about the 'Files' books are that the 'modern updates' mean that Nancy and her friends are obsessed with boys and fashion. I think I like the older ones better.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews