Bonfire Masquerade

Nancy Drew: Girl Detective and the Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers Super Mystery #5

by Carolyn Keene, Franklin W. Dixon

Nancy Drew and her friends are going to New Orleans for a vacation -- she even promises not to solve any mysteries while she's down there! But, when she runs into Frank and Joe Hardy, there can't be a mystery too far away. Nancy and the Hardys begin to investigate a crooked real estate scheme admist the glitz and splendor of New Orleans during party season. Throw in a dead body and intrigue, and there's no time for a vacation.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Young Adult, Middle Grade

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2011

About the author

Carolyn 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.

Reviews

[Marla · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I started to read this new version of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Super Mysteries I found myself wondering if I was too old for Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Then I re-read one of my copies of the 90's version and decided it wasn't me but the book. =)

It just felt more. . . juvenile? dumbed down? The characters just felt more immature I guess.

Early in the book Nancy thinks something about how the police just get in the way, which seemed more disrespectful and dismissive than she used to. Granted she might not heed them telling her to not get involved but this new version just came off as disrespectful and not like her at all.

All of the characters seemed younger than they used to as well. I don't remember it ever being mentioned that Nancy was say in high school. It was like she had graduated but wasn't in college. Here, at least Frank and Joe, were still in high school, as evidenced by their parents talking to their teachers about missed school work. Which makes them running off and solves cases more improbably than in the previous version of the Super Mysteries. I guess they are trying to appeal to a young audience, but I liked the books just fine when I was the target age, no dumbing down needed.

The age thing was also an issue because, when they are all in New Orleans, Bess goes out on several, unchaperoned, dates with a real estate developer. And unless he gradated high school at fifteen and has been developing real estate since then he'd be inappropriately, and perhaps even illegally, older than her. So that struck me as odd.

I had more I could go on about, but I think you can get the drift on my thoughts on the book, despite it being placed in New Orleans. =) Definitely like the previous Super Mysteries and Nancy Drew's better.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUTHOR Keene, Carolyn and Dixon, Franklin
TITLE Bonfire Masquerade
DATE READ 03/20/20
RATING 4/B
FIRST SENTENCE I watched as the couple drew closer and closer to my position.
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF YA Mystery/2011/Alladin/164 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #5 Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys Super Mystery
CHALLENGE Good Reads 2020 Reading Goal 44/120;
GROUP READ ND
TIME/PLACE 2011/New Orleans, LA
CHARACTERS Nancy Drew, her friends Bess & George ; Frank and Joe Hardy
COMMENTS My first exposure to the Hardy Boys…never too late. Enjoyed the joint venture of Nancy and the Hardy Boys combining forces and added bonus of New Orleans as the backdrop.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's time for Mardi Gras in New Orleans! Nancy is approached by her father Carson to come with him and her mother to solve a case for an old friend, which is when the party begins. There have been robberies and buildings being burned to cover up what's been stolen. Daniel Brumfield is the old friend and victim of a recent fire at his warehouse. Suspected gang Krewe de Crude has been pegged as the culprit of the thefts and burnings. Nancy, George and Bess are treating this case special and are supported by the ATAC, but it will also be somewhat of a vacation, especially during Mardi Gras. On their first night in town a murder occurs right under their noses. They were attending a party given by their client Daniel Burmfield, in honor of them. He is found strangled which thickens the plot of their mystery. Witnesses of some of the fires stated that the arsonists are young people in costume and are running from the scene. The police have no leads and they only strike during festivals. During the investigation Nancy and her crew run into Frank and Joe, the Hardy Boys. Together they team up to solve the mystery. As more suspects pile up, some existing ones team up to help solve the burglaries, and fires that threaten the famed New Orleans. A quick and exciting read Keene and Dixon keep the reader turning the pages and trying to guess who the bad guys are. Fun clues, extreme costumes add to the fun of solving the mysteries.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm disappointed in the Girl Detective and Undercover Brothers series. Whomever wrote these obviously never read the original series because they never get the personalities correct. Nancy is now a wimp who can't do anything on her own without needing to be rescued; Frank is an uber-dork who, again, can't do anything without his laptop; and, strangely enough, Joe remains relatively the same, albeit dumbed down to the point of annoyance. I stopped reading the individual books after Nancy turned into a wimp and the Hardy Boys broke their cover which would NEVER happen. I had hopes that the super mysteries would be better, but that hope was broken. I will not be reading any more of the first-person books but will remain forever faithful to the original books.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This one, much like the previous one, felt disconnected from the previous series. There were mentions of other cases that I liked, but I felt like a lot of the characters’ actions just didn’t make much sense based on who they have been in previous books.

It was neat to see Lenni (from the Galaxy X trilogy) pop up in this one, but also so strange that ATAC would have just let Frank and Joe bring her in. They also give George a badge to get her clearance to things, and it doesn’t feel like the rules about ATAC are the same anymore.

I thought the mystery was okay, but it felt more like the characters were just running around and stumbling upon clues. The New Orleans setting is one I always enjoy.

This was a fast and easy read and it was decently entertaining.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, so, this one....not great. Which is fine — not all books in a series measure up to each other. This one suffers not only from its own problems (of which there are many — too many side characters, deus ex machina, and a distinctly younger tone than the rest of the series, which is younger still than the 90s super mysteries, among others).

The beginning two chapters are enjoyable, especially as we see Nancy cracking a case versus the Hardy Boys getting into an end-of-case fist fight (as per usual), but after that...you should probably just skip this one.

[libby · Rating 1 out of 5]

blud i couldnt finish reading this book it got me into a huge reading slump i honestly dint like this book im tryna get thru it but what will i even do by reading this, i feel like im too old for this book i dont know why did i even go walk up to the bookstore and buy this and wasted my money like blud what?!?!??

[Rujula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing Book!!!!

[Jai Jeet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book,a must-read!

[Kamalika Talukdar · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are suffering from a reading block , this is one of the books you could go for.

[Trish boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

Great book my 9 year old loved this book. It took her a few days to read it aloud to me

[V. Arrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hardy Boys remain UNSPEAKABLY lame, but this book was actually very fun and exciting! The bananas unreality of the final confrontation was a delight to read.

[Kristin]

DNF page 25 or so.

The writing felt young, at least middle grade if not late elementary. Also it didn’t feel realistic like the old ND books, very Spy Kids or something.

[GoatRobe]

There is a lot going on here, most of which, sadly, gets wrapped up in the space if about a page at the end.

[Julesy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys join forces in New Orleans during Mardi Gras to solve a string of burglaries. The mystery was okay, but didn't care that this book included guns, breaking and entering by Nancy, Frank and Joe, and some crudeness. Totally unnecessary for the 8-12 year old audience in which this book was geared.

[Nancye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long been a Nancy Drew fan and then a fan of the Super Mysteries with the Hardy Boys. These new ones just aren't living up to the originals. I'll probably still read them, but I'm going to have to adjust my expectations. I feel like the original Super Mysteries were written for young adult and now it seems more appropriate for pre-teen. Still a fun, easy brain break.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not what I expected. The previous series of modern Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys mysteries were witty, hilarious, and plausible. This new series is full of younger, more immature characters, weird inconsistencies, and unbelievable plot lines. I feel like I'm too old for these.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly not as good as the other 4 super mysteries in the series. Maybe it was the length of the book that peeved me off. Still I love Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys!

[Rakshita]

Amazing book!!!!!!
Love it!!! <3

[Aishah Q. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, it was a pretty nice book. Kinda short and obvious. But some of the earlier books were better.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice but predictable

[Julian]

it was perfect