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Nancy Drew Files #17
Stay Tuned for Danger
Imagine-a chance to work as extra's on TV's top soap opera, with America's heartthrob, Rick Arlen! Bess is dazzled when she and Nancy are invited on the show by Rick's beautiful co-star Mattie Jensen. She's alarmed because the handsome actor has received some nasty threats-from a slashed photo to doctored chocolates.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
11 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
948 books3,854 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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 36 reviews
August 3, 2023
Like usual, this series delivers. I had missed reading these; hopefully, I can get back to reading them regularly like I had been doing.
January 26, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised by this book! The plot was engaging, the writing wasn't bad at all, and it even closely resembled the Nancy Drew computer game it inspired! This was fun to read.
April 28, 2020
Nancy Drew along with a friend Bess Marvin travels to New York to visit her Aunt Eloise for a vacation but before she’s even unpacked Eloise reveals that her neighbour is the soap actress Mattie Jensen who is very worried about her co-star and ex-boyfriend Rick Arlen who has received death threats. Bess is ecstatic at the idea of meeting the hearthrob of her favourite soap and insists Nancy takes the case.
The story feels all a bit of a rush. There is not as much detail in the description and background information in the storyline as in the previous Nancy Drew I read. It seems that the older stories in the series are of a better quality. But there is still plenty of derry do and danger for the characters to get into. The setting for the story is all in New York including West Side Pier; Trump Tower; Empire State Building and Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
The story feels all a bit of a rush. There is not as much detail in the description and background information in the storyline as in the previous Nancy Drew I read. It seems that the older stories in the series are of a better quality. But there is still plenty of derry do and danger for the characters to get into. The setting for the story is all in New York including West Side Pier; Trump Tower; Empire State Building and Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
January 11, 2016
Definitely way more PG-13 than most ND books. The culprit is actually insane, and tells Nancy they're recording her death to watch over and over. A bit more twisted than most of these culprits.
But still, good book.
But still, good book.
February 21, 2019
Nancy and Bess are off to New York to spend a relaxing weekend with Nancy's Aunt Eloise. But where Nancy goes, mystery follows. Aunt Eloise asks Nancy to help out a neighbor. Nancy is reluctant at first, but is persuaded by Bess to investigate.
By Bess, you ask, astonished! Well, don't worry, there's a good reason behind it. The client is a famous actress! Mattie Jensen is worried about the death threats that he co-lead on a popular show is serious. This takes the two to a TV set and Bess (once again!) falls in love with the wrong man, complicating the case for Nancy.
TV and movie stars leave me cold, so I didn't enjoy the setting as much. But the story was well-crafted and the mystery quite plausible. I also managed to guess the murderer wrong, even after the final clue! That's rare for a Nancy mystery! Guess this rates a four star.
By Bess, you ask, astonished! Well, don't worry, there's a good reason behind it. The client is a famous actress! Mattie Jensen is worried about the death threats that he co-lead on a popular show is serious. This takes the two to a TV set and Bess (once again!) falls in love with the wrong man, complicating the case for Nancy.
TV and movie stars leave me cold, so I didn't enjoy the setting as much. But the story was well-crafted and the mystery quite plausible. I also managed to guess the murderer wrong, even after the final clue! That's rare for a Nancy mystery! Guess this rates a four star.
August 16, 2021
Always a fun read. This is better than some of the other Nancy Drew Files I've read, though still with moments of ridiculousness.
August 23, 2019
August 2019: I read this book quite awhile ago, but decided since I have been reading Nancy Drew books that inspired the games, I should pull this one out again, since this game is one of my absolute favorites. I think I enjoyed the book more the second time around. I gave it four stars back in 2011, but part of me feels like I would up that rating now. Now that I've played through the entire series several times and have had time to analyze the characters, plots, settings, etc. I have decided that Stay Tuned for Danger is one of the most advanced in the series when it comes to characters, backstory, and subplots. I can't tell you how many times I've played through this game, and it seems each time I do, I find some subplot I either forgot all about, or hadn't discovered until then. So reading the book again was really fun, because the characters and settings are so familiar. I have said it before, but Mattie Jensen is probably my favorite character in the series. She's so genuine and sincere, and I feel like the book establishes this fact. The other characters that are in both the game and book including Dwayne, Rick, Lillian, and Papas are also so great in their own ways. I found it fun reading about Rick and Bess. I felt like I was reading fanfiction instead of an actual Nancy Drew case. All of that to say, this is a really fun read, if only because it adds to the gameplay.
July 2011: After playing the computer game about ten times, I finally decided to try the book. Having played the game ahead of time made reading easier and harder. It was easier, because I could picture the characters and settings in my mind, but it was also hard because things were different in the book. The whole mystery idea was a great one. It all took place on a Soap Opera set. It was pretty short, but I really enjoyed it. I would read it again.
July 2011: After playing the computer game about ten times, I finally decided to try the book. Having played the game ahead of time made reading easier and harder. It was easier, because I could picture the characters and settings in my mind, but it was also hard because things were different in the book. The whole mystery idea was a great one. It all took place on a Soap Opera set. It was pretty short, but I really enjoyed it. I would read it again.
February 11, 2021
3 stars. This one was a lot of fun as it deals with a famous actor who is receiving threatening messages and someone is trying to kill him. There was some good action and I liked how it all was revealed in the end though it was super obvious but that wasn't a bad thing. This is one of the better ones in the series for sure.
October 6, 2022
Didn't expect a scene where an adult man takes two teenage girls on a date to the Trump Towers but I guess that's the 80's.
June 2, 2025
Has plenty of the drama of a soap opera (fitting I suppose), and I can see clearly how HeR Interactive got from this to their game. Good to know either version of Dwayne is just living to be ridiculous. 😂
December 27, 2024
This one moved quickly and is a fun, simple read. However, the character Bess will likely drive you nuts in this one! The setting for this one is New York City and Nancy and Bess stay at her famous Aunt Eloise's brownstone.
March 3, 2022
This novel is fortunately a fast paced Nancy Drew mystery (not all of them are!). The culprit is obvious and has lost their mind, I liked Nancy's problem solving decisions at the end of the book.
However, Bess is very annoying in this book. Generally she is written as being kinda ditzy but not a complete idiot. Nancy wasn't a ton better though, as she just rolled her eyes and thought about how dumb Bess was being rather than confront her friend about it.
But I think a lot of the heightened drama of the book was because of the soap opera setting, so I suppose it all fit.
However, Bess is very annoying in this book. Generally she is written as being kinda ditzy but not a complete idiot. Nancy wasn't a ton better though, as she just rolled her eyes and thought about how dumb Bess was being rather than confront her friend about it.
But I think a lot of the heightened drama of the book was because of the soap opera setting, so I suppose it all fit.
May 12, 2025
Nancy Drew can never go on vacation even to see her Aunt in NYC. A mystery always finds her and this one was pretty fun being in the set of a tv show. I loved this Pc game and seeing how they took things from the book! Such a fun read!!
July 29, 2019
Good plot, nicely written. This is the first of this series I’ve read. And it got me interested to read more.
October 17, 2019
Boyfriend was surprised I never read a Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew book sooo I read one. I’m obviously not the target demographic since this is middle grade but this was just messy.
February 11, 2020
What can I say? Typical Nancy Drew, with adoring Ned in the background. A slightly interesting glimpse into the sets of a soap opera
July 4, 2020
More of a mystery, but not really solved by her at the end (actress also makes mistake in pining after slutty actor)
July 15, 2020
I liked the story, but Nancy was super bitchy and judgmental. Game was definitely better. Lol
November 30, 2020
I am just loving reading these books.
March 22, 2021
wow the video game was pretty true to the book! was very wild seeing bess and rick have a romance but v good mystery
April 30, 2022
My summary/review:
https://anchor.fm/nancy-drew-nickerso...
(Spoilers! And cursing.)
https://anchor.fm/nancy-drew-nickerso...
(Spoilers! And cursing.)
July 3, 2024
Given the major change between this book and the game -- Bess being present changes so many of the character dynamics! -- I was surprised that they didn't also change the ending. Bummer.
July 3, 2024
This is a very biased 5 star review DO NOT TRUST IT I just have a Stay Tuned for Danger hyperfixation atm but I gotta tell ya... seedy Rick Arlens gotta go
November 17, 2025
I was always a big fan of the computer game version of this book so I was excited to read the source material!
November 27, 2019
Nancy and Bess go to work as extras on a popular soap when the lead actor is sent threatening notes. Quite enjoyable
November 9, 2020
Stay Tuned for Danger by Carolyn Keene
Series: Yes Nancy Drew Files #17
Format: Softcover
Stars: 3 1/2
Recommend: Yes
Would Reread: Yes
I give honest reviews and all my opinions are my own.
For more of my reviews go to Heavenly High Seas Books
https://heavenlyhighseasbooks.blogspo...
Series: Yes Nancy Drew Files #17
Format: Softcover
Stars: 3 1/2
Recommend: Yes
Would Reread: Yes
I give honest reviews and all my opinions are my own.
For more of my reviews go to Heavenly High Seas Books
https://heavenlyhighseasbooks.blogspo...
July 5, 2021
I am loving these books so far. They are honestly so ridiculous, but they are just pure fun.
This was VERY similar to the PC game. Many of the quotes were lifted directly from the book. The biggest difference is that Bess plays a major role here; she falls head over heels in love with Rick, and much of the book consists of Nancy trying to steer her away from a relationship with him. I found Nancy less obnoxious in this one than I did in Secrets Can Kill. She rebuffs Rick's amorous attempts because she wants to stay loyal to Ned (unlike with Daryl). I liked how Bess was the boy-crazy one; it was more true to form. I also liked how the plot, with its love dodecahedron, mirrored an actual soap opera. That was a nice stylistic touch.
One interesting tidbit is that Dwayne (whose last name is Casper) is very much portrayed as being in love with Mattie. This is only hinted at in the game, but here it's very much a case of "Rick stole my girl and now he must die." I must point out that the entire ending scene was almost word-for-word identical to the game.
I am ashamed (but also not) of how much I ship Mattie and Rick. I reread this utterly cheesy passage about twenty times:
Yeah I ate it up. At the end of the book, Rick's character is killed off on the show and he gets engaged to Mattie, so happy endings! Also Mattie is my best girl and I loved her just as much here as I do in the game. I can't that they described her as "lonely" because she kept hanging out with Aunt Eloise and Nancy. She is too sweet to be lonely! I would be her best friend.
If I had one issue, it was that Nancy didn't seem like she made much progress in sleuthing throughout the book. By the end, it was like Lillian had basically figured out everything for her, and Nancy merely assisted in taking down the culprit.
Last note: Millie Strathorn is male, and there is no Ralph Guardino.
This was VERY similar to the PC game. Many of the quotes were lifted directly from the book. The biggest difference is that Bess plays a major role here; she falls head over heels in love with Rick, and much of the book consists of Nancy trying to steer her away from a relationship with him. I found Nancy less obnoxious in this one than I did in Secrets Can Kill. She rebuffs Rick's amorous attempts because she wants to stay loyal to Ned (unlike with Daryl). I liked how Bess was the boy-crazy one; it was more true to form. I also liked how the plot, with its love dodecahedron, mirrored an actual soap opera. That was a nice stylistic touch.
One interesting tidbit is that Dwayne (whose last name is Casper) is very much portrayed as being in love with Mattie. This is only hinted at in the game, but here it's very much a case of "Rick stole my girl and now he must die." I must point out that the entire ending scene was almost word-for-word identical to the game.
I am ashamed (but also not) of how much I ship Mattie and Rick. I reread this utterly cheesy passage about twenty times:
Bess stepped back, staring anxiously at the half-open door. Through it, she could hear Rick's voice. And it was not the voice of a confident TV star.
"Mattie! Oh, Mattie, I'm so scared. Someone really is trying to kill me!"
"Don't worry, my darling," she replied in a soft voice. "The police are here. They'll protect you."
"You know Mattie, you were right all along. You were the only one who saw the truth. Mattie, if I come out of this mess alive, I swear I'm going to make everything up to you. I need you, Mattie, I need you so badly-no one else ever meant a thing to me! You're the only one I've ever loved!"
Yeah I ate it up. At the end of the book, Rick's character is killed off on the show and he gets engaged to Mattie, so happy endings! Also Mattie is my best girl and I loved her just as much here as I do in the game. I can't that they described her as "lonely" because she kept hanging out with Aunt Eloise and Nancy. She is too sweet to be lonely! I would be her best friend.
If I had one issue, it was that Nancy didn't seem like she made much progress in sleuthing throughout the book. By the end, it was like Lillian had basically figured out everything for her, and Nancy merely assisted in taking down the culprit.
Last note: Millie Strathorn is male, and there is no Ralph Guardino.
December 9, 2024
2.0 stars. This book felt like a cheesy action movie. Not a cool foreign one, but one you would catch on Hallmark. While that certainly appeals to certain people, it's not my thing. It gets 1 star for being able to finish it. It gets the second star free for simply featuring great characters like Nancy and Bess, though George is missing for the majority of it, and would've given the book a sliver more free stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews