Part of Series
The Berlin Wall has come tumbling down, and a major American agent—code-named the Swallow—wants to come home. On a top-secret mission for the Network, THE HARDY BOYS head to Memphis, where a mystery man named Pritchiff has promised to turn the agent over for a price. But a ruthless German spymaster, known only as Klaus, has vowed to beat Frank and Joe to the punch—and shoot the Swallow out of the sky. Meanwhile . . . NANCY DREW comes to the aid of Beau Davis, a guy with a bad case of the Memphis blues. Accused of stealing a guitar once belonging to Elvis, he is now a prime suspect in a more ominous matter—the murder of Pritchitt! In a case as twisty and treacherous as a Mississippi River current, Frank and Joe and Nancy are headed for a stunning rendezvous and revelation . . in "Best Of Enemies."
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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.
