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Nancy Drew Files #39
The Suspect Next Door
When Nancy Drew's new neighbor, Nikki Masters, is questioned in her boyfriend Dan's murder, Nancy, convinced of her friend's innocence, investigates the crime.
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
9 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
948 books3,855 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 5, 2022
Intensity! Excitement! Mystery! That's what this series always has...and that's why I love it!
February 7, 2020
Loved it.
May 11, 2023
I have been in such a slump, I have a feeling I'll be reading A LOT of Nancy Drew this year. With The Nancy Drew Files basically being novellas, I feel like that's all I can commit to reading and actually finishing. Plus I hit the jackpot thrifting a month ago and found like 20 of these books (I've been searching for these for years!)
I decided to start with "The Suspect Next Door" because it is the start of a Nancy Drew spin-off series called "River Heights" starring Nikki Masters. Since this is the start of that spin-off I feel like the case was much more predictable and focused pretty heavily on Nikki and her friends, but I still very much enjoyed the story.
I don't really have much else to say since the story is so short, but I personally love the ND files as a series, I love that the series was much more action packed, and somewhat scandalous for a Nancy series. Well, as scandalous as a series can be when it was written for teens in the 80s that is!
On to the next!
I decided to start with "The Suspect Next Door" because it is the start of a Nancy Drew spin-off series called "River Heights" starring Nikki Masters. Since this is the start of that spin-off I feel like the case was much more predictable and focused pretty heavily on Nikki and her friends, but I still very much enjoyed the story.
I don't really have much else to say since the story is so short, but I personally love the ND files as a series, I love that the series was much more action packed, and somewhat scandalous for a Nancy series. Well, as scandalous as a series can be when it was written for teens in the 80s that is!
On to the next!
July 21, 2017
You can tell these books are written for kids. Most of the time I found myself eye rolling to the way the dialogues or actions were written - NONE of it seemed real or authentic to me. Then again, I suppose it's not ment to be authentic. It's suppose to be a quick, interesting and suspense detective story for kids.
It's a cute book, with some colourful characters. I was very confused by the names though, but I'm not sure if it was because of the Swedish translation. "Nikki" and "Kitty" sounds so similar when you read them fast, and "Dan" and "Ned" were also two separate characters which made me confused from time to time. I guess it's only me though, since I have such a huge problems with names.
As it is, it's okay, though I really felt like an adult while reading it - and I don't like that, haha!
It's a cute book, with some colourful characters. I was very confused by the names though, but I'm not sure if it was because of the Swedish translation. "Nikki" and "Kitty" sounds so similar when you read them fast, and "Dan" and "Ned" were also two separate characters which made me confused from time to time. I guess it's only me though, since I have such a huge problems with names.
As it is, it's okay, though I really felt like an adult while reading it - and I don't like that, haha!
December 28, 2022
3 stars. Really enjoyed this one. Nancy’s neighbor, Nikki, is being questioned about the death of her boyfriend and it was all very interesting and entertaining. Easy to guess but it was a read nonetheless. One of the better installments in the series for sure.
July 4, 2024
Why were the '80s so chill with teenage girls dating grown men? I know this is a book series where an 18-year-old girl is given free reign to handle evidence at crime scenes and interview suspects, so it's not, like, Real Teenagers who exist in this world, but still.
October 18, 2021
Another perfectly adequate Nancy Drew Files! She's done it again! Nothing to complain about.
December 8, 2021
Stupid delays lead to death of teenaged boy
May 10, 2025
Book #48 of 2025
Nancy helps a local shop deal with a large amount of theft when her neighbor reveals she's in a toxic and abusive relationship. When it seems like these two things may be related, the crew helps her narrow down the clues.
Nancy helps a local shop deal with a large amount of theft when her neighbor reveals she's in a toxic and abusive relationship. When it seems like these two things may be related, the crew helps her narrow down the clues.
February 20, 2016
De som har läst några Kitty-böcker känner kanske igen att det är en del nära-döden-upplevelser när det är någon som tycker att Kitty ska sluta att lägga näsan i blöt, men det är första Kitty-boken jag läst med ett faktiskt mord i. Jag plockade upp den här boken för att jag har läst första boken i en spin-off serie som handlar om grannen Nikki - som kommer från just den här boken.
Read
December 31, 2008well its sort of interesting in first but the last part in so-not-facsinating.
September 17, 2013
It's sad that once again a case took Nancy away from Ned, but it's amazing how Nancy and Ned make the best of what they can. I can't help but be jealous of Nancy who have such a supporting boyfriend.
March 28, 2016
Reliving my youth by reading a Nancy Drew book I found in a local charity shop
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews