Books in series
#1
Without a Trace
2004
Hi, I'm Nancy Drew, and I've got a case to crack. Actually make that two cases. First a gorgeous Fabergé egg has been stolen. Who would have the heart to snatch such a precious family heirloom from someone new to town? Some housewarming that is!
And if this isn't enough to keep me busy, someone's running through gardens and stomping on all the zucchinis. Needless to say, it's a big mess—in more ways than one. Especially for Mr. Safer, who is suspected of squishing the squash. I'm pretty sure Mr. Safer's innocent. But who's the real vegetable vandal?
#2
A Race Against Time
2007
If I'm in the game, I play to win. So as captain of my team in the River Heights Biking for Bucks charity road race, my goals are to bring my team over the finish line first—and to catch a thief along the way!
See, all of the money we raised before the race has been stolen—and I know I can find it. With two days, practically no clues, and a bike race to win, I've got my work cut out for me. But with Bess, George, and Ned on my team, what could stand between us and the gold?
#3
False Notes
2004
I'm always up for a good mystery, but when the big question is what I should get Dad for his birthday, I don't have a clue! And then another mystery comes my way—one that involves Heather Simmons, a leading candidate in the upcoming election for mayor of River Heights. My friends and I are pretty sure that her daughter Leslie, musician extraordinaire, has been kidnapped. But the thing is, nobody is saying a word about it! It's hard to crack a case like this when no one will even admit that one exists. But I won't let a little thing like that stop me when I smell trouble....
#4
High Risk
1991
It looks like Evaline Waters, a River Heights resident, is knee-deep in trouble. A huge corporation is suing her for her land; they want to tear down her house and put up a warehouse. And documentation of the zoning law that would protect Evaline's right to keep her land is missing. Figures! I've got to find that document, but it's hard to focus on the land when I'm cruising at ten thousand feet. See, Ned and I are taking flying lessons, him with Colonel Lang, a friend of his family, and me with Frank Beltrano, an instructor at our local airport. It's a good thing I'm good at juggling more than two balls at once. Too bad I'm not the only one.
#5
Lights, Camera…
2004
I'm a detective,not an actor, so who would think I'd be involved in a crime both offscreen and on? A producer has come to River Heights to film a reenactment of the heist that gave our town it's name, and he thinks I'm perfect for the part of Esther, the sister of the thieving Rackham boys. So I figure, why not give it a try?
But once the cameras start rolling, the trouble begins. Food poisoning. Broken generators. And worse! If I don't sniff out some suspects soon, this might be my final act.
#6
Action!
2004
So I agreed to play the part of Esther Rackham in a film about the heist that gave River Heights its name, and there was all this trouble on the set, and I figured out who was behind it. Case closed, right? Wrong!
Once the camera starts rolling, a huge fire breaks out on the set, setting back production again. We're running out of time and funds. At least the fire turns up a key clue about who started it, but I'll have to continue juggling acting and sleuthing. Because it might be up to me to save this film from going up in flames....
#7
The Stolen Relic
2004
My friends and I knew before we got to Arches National Park that it's full of red cliffs arches, and rock formations—plenty of places for hiking, biking, and getting lost. It's a good thing there are park rangers and guides to help tourist like us find our way. Or at east that's what we thought, until of the guilds left for a second to investigate some noise, and never came back. It seems unlikely that a respected tour guide who knows the area like the back of her hand could just get lose. Something's fishy. And you can bet I'm going to get to the bottom of this before I find my way home.
#8
The Scarlet Macaw Scandal
2004
Bess, George, and I volunteered to go to Costa Rica for some R&R: rest and research. See, Corcovado Ecologica, a popular resort and preserve, isn't only a beautiful getaway; it's also a great place to study three species of monkeys. Or so we thought. When we arrived on the scene, we found the place in a shambles, and the monkeys were few and far between. And if the problem gets worse, the resort's going to be in trouble. Clearly my friends and I won't have much time for "monkeying around" on this trip—we've got a case to crack!
Catch my next case:
Secret of the Spa
#9
Secret of the Spa
2005
When I scored tickets to the grand opening of a new spa in town, I knew I had to take Bess. George came along, too, but she's been acting so weird. I knew this wouldn't be her idea of a total blast, but she's just been no fun at all. It's unlike her to be such a grouch! But then, this new spa isn't turning out to be much fun, either. Deirdre's here, for starters. And someone's tampering with the food, and trying to take the "luxury" out of this otherwise luxurious place. Something stinks in this spa, and if I can't sniff it out, my name's not Nancy....
#10
Uncivil Acts
2005
A Civil War reenactment should be fun, right? Not in our town! It feels like war fever's taken over. The tension started to build when we all chose sides. Confederate and Union sympathizers never did mix. And if that wasn't enough to heat things up, someone started to secretly dig large holes in the battlefield. Pretty odd—and very suspicious. Is someone waging a little war of their own, and trying to cheat? And if so, the bigger question is why?
#11
Riverboat Ruse
2005
How about a seat at a mystery dinner on a riverboat? Yes, please! I jumped at the invitation to go along with Bess, George, and George's mom, who was hired to cater the dinner. It's all fun until there's an actual theft, and there's nothing like a good crime to stop a party. Since I've got the magnifying glass, it's up to me to catch "sticky fingers" before this dinner's sunk.
#12
Stop the Clock
2005
Just as I'm gearing up to help plan the Mahoney Library's seventy-fifth anniversary celebration, the beautiful old clock, the very centerpiece of the library, is stolen. There's nothing like a good theft to stop a party! Naturally, I throw down the streamers and get to work. Turns out lots of people wanted that clock—and what's inside. If I don't hustle, this might become two crimes instead of one....
#13
Trade Wind Danger
2005
San Francisco has tons to offer tourists like Bess, George, and me. Fresh crabs, cable cars, hikes—and stalkers! Well, maybe stalkers! is a little harsh, but this older couple, Ed and Harriet, keeps popping up everywhere.
Coincidental or not, Ed and Harriet's appearances are smelling fishier than San Francisco Bay to me. So the investigation begins. But who knew it'd lead to more sleuthing—in Hawaii?
#14
Bad Times, Big Crimes
2005
So I was sitting with Ned in a lecture, and then bam, Ned's in a three-piece suit, and I'm in a city hall meeting on how to get through the beginning of the Great Depression. As in the Depression, in the 1930s.
What's more, there's a thief to track down. Someone's robbing local banks of what little money they have. Everyone's panicked about their money, so the thief could be just about anyone. But after spending just a little time in this odd place, I have a hunch there's more to it...
Bad Times, Big Crimes
#15
Framed
2005
A prince is in River Heights. A prince! Granted, he's from a relatively minor royal family, but still. This is big news. The headlines get even bigger once the prince is found toting a painting for his family's good friend, Mrs. Mahoney—because within hours of his arrival, the federal authorities arrest him. They suspect he stole the painting from his family. Dad and I aren't buying it. We have a hunch there's more to this—ahem—picture. But can we save the prince before he's wrongfully crowned "criminal"?
#16
Dangerous Plays
2006
Dad, Bess, and I are all set for London when Ned's Shakespeare professor asks us to do a simple to take a look at his townhouse while we're there, since he can't seem to locate the housekeeper and fears something's wrong. Sounds easy enough, so I take the key.
Eager to cross the favor off our list, we stop by 53 Banbury Square shortly after we land. And let's just say things in the townhouse aren't quite tip-top. And the key? Well, it unlocks a Pandora's box of serious trouble.
#17
En Garde
2006
If I told you I was worried about George's health because she's taken up fencing, you's laugh. Foils today are totally safe, and the gear is padded besides. Right? Well, if so, why did I see blood at George's first meet? Skewering isn't in the legal fencing repertoire—but it soon becomes apparent to me that someone's too fired up to care...
#18
Pit of Vipers
2006
There's been a snake-napping at the River Heights Zoo, and all clues about the thief seem to point in my good friend Charlie's direction. But why would Charlie want to steal a snake? I'm not convinced he's the perpetrator, but with all the circumstantial evidence that keeps popping up, the cops are on the other side of the fence. Speaking of snakes, George's younger brother, Scott, has been slithering around a lot lately, all sneaky-like. He's not acting like himself, but his lips are sealed about what's wrong. Do these mysteries have anything to do with each other?
Stick around. I'm about to find out!
#19
The Orchid Thief
2006
Bess, George, and I are heading down to Key Largo, Florida, to enjoy some fun in the sun with my old friend, marine biologist Delia Duke. But it seems that Delia's state park is clouded over with mystery: Someone has been poaching the park's rare butterfly orchids. Their future depends on us! George seems more interested in searching for treasure in the Catalina, an old sunken Spanish galleon, than in hunting for an orchid thief. My hope is that George, Bess, Delia, and I can save two priceless treasures in one fell swoop.
#20
Getting Burned
2006
When the animal shelter where Nancy volunteers burns down, she and her friends put on a concert to raise funds for rebuilding the shelter. Someone's trying to foil their plans, however—but they picked the wrong gal to mess with.
#21
Close Encounters
2006
When George, Bess and I headed to Brody's Junction, Vermont, to help George's cousin with her café's website and enjoy a brief vacation, we were looking forward to some downtime—not to landing in the middle of a media circus.
Hundreds of tourists have invaded the town to watch purported UFO sightings. Odder still are reports of townspeople being abducted, and the strange clues that seem to point to little green men as the culprits. All this speculation has the town going wild, and I hope to have a close encounter with some hard facts before things spin entirely out of control....
#22
Dressed to Steal
2007
I don't normally care about clothes, but when my friend Charlie Adams' sister Alicia opened a boutique right here in River Heights, of course I wanted to be at the opening. Turns out it was a pretty popular event. Way more people than expected showed up, and then the store window was smashed, and people were injured! Later I found out that Alicia's most expensive dress was destroyed and her store had been vandalized.
Sounds like more than one-day-sale damage to me. I may not be a fashion expert, but this is one case I'm ready to size up.
#23
Troubled Waters
2012
When heavy rains washed out the low-lying towns around River Heights, my friends and I knew we had to help. That's when we hooked up with Helping Homes to build apartments. Then the two-time state champion basketball team, the Lowell University Bullets, showed up—and the waters, so to speak, turned murky.
While George couldn't be happier about working close to J. C. Valdez, the Bullets' star forward, not everyone around us is a fan. Take the person who is destroying our work and spray painting threats to J. C. on the walls, for starters. Is this the product of some basketball feud, or something much larger? I may be up to my elbows in sheet rock, but that won't slow my sleuthing...
#24
Murder on the Set
2007
To my friend Bess, the major Hollywood production coming to River Heights is her chance for fame as an extra. To me it's a chance to get involved in a big mystery. Looks like the drama on this set really kicks up when the camera's not rolling.
Since Chief McGinnis wanted to hire a "professional" (in other words, not me) to look into the problems that have been plaguing this production, I'll be working undercover as a stand-in. I have no idea who this detective will be, and fortunately, I'm not in this for the credit. But I am determined to crack this case faster than any professional can say "Cut!"
#25
Trails of Treachery
2007
My friend George is competing in a grueling three-day mountain-bike race in Costa Rica, and her cousin Bess and I will be there as her support team. But when I find out someone's taking dangerous steps to make sure top U.S. cyclist Derek Woodhall doesn't win, I realize George may not be the only rider I need to help.
Could last year's winner be the culprit? He was freaking out when Derek took an early lead. Or maybe Derek's publicist? She seems a little too psyched about the press her client's misfortune is generating.
I've got a lot on my plate, and not much time to sort it all out. But I know how to keep my eye on the prize. Whoever the culprit is, they picked the wrong race to sabotage!
#26
Fishing for Clues
2007
Something fishy is going on in River heights—and this time I really mean it! First a burglar breaks into the Nickersons' home and snatches Ned's digital camera, and then a few days later his laptop is stolen. Ned is super bummed—there's no replacing the hilarious photos he snapped of his dad falling out of the boat on their fishing trip. I have a hunch this is more than a run of bad luck and I'm determined to reel in the crook—hook, line, and sinker.
#27
Intruder!
2007
When George's mom asks Bess, George, and me to help her cater a benefit for the library, we're all on board. The event is a Jane Austen-themed party, and George even agrees to wear a dress for the occasion. It seems like the party isn't everyone's cup of tea. The bed-and-breakfast where the event is being held has been plagued by vandalism. Someone is breaking teapots, making a mess, booby-trapping the staircase, and generally terrorizing the old couple that runs the place. No one can figure out how the mysterious intruder is getting in and out of the house—and that's where I come in. I plan on solving this faster than I can get to the bottom of a cup of Darjeeling.
#28
Mardi Gras Masquerade
1988
What could be more fun than a masked Mardi Gras ball at a so-called haunted mansion? George brings her digital camera, insisting that she's going to bust some ghosts. I'm just looking forward to a night of dressing up and dancing with Ned and my friends.
Soon the fun turns freaking, though—things go haywire and everyone starts to wonder if the ghost stories could actually be true. But when Deirdre Shannon's antique tiara is snatched, I'm certain the crook is a guest, not a ghoul.
#29
The Stolen Bones
2008
I'm hunting for something other than clues for a dinosaur bones! Bess, George, and I travel out to the desert to join a paleontology dig. The other volunteers are a pretty quirky bunch, but we're all having a great time...until an important find goes missing. It turns out fossils can be worth millions. I'm making no bones about it - the thief is going down.
#30
Pageant Perfect Crime
2008
Ned's classmate Portia Leoni won last year's Miss Pretty Face River Heights Beauty Pageant. But after Portia was accused of shoplifting dresses from a local boutique, her crown was taken away from her. Portia claims that she's innocent, but why would someone want to frame her?
To find out more, I'm going undercover—as a pageant contestant! But going undercover in Miss Pretty Face may be my toughest challenge yet. Everyone seems to have a motive!
Who knew it was so hard to walk, smile, and wave? I have to find out the truth before someone finds out that I'm anything but a beauty queen!
#31
Perfect Cover
2008
My friends and I are headed to the Big Apple!
George, Bess, and I continue our investigation of the Miss Pretty Face Beauty Pageant in New York City, where the next round of competition is being held. When I get there, Pretty Face Cosmetics seems creepier than ever!
Suspicious security men, animal rights protesters, and a mysterious scientist make this the craziest case I've ever investigated. And when someone suddenly goes missing, I realize it just might be the most dangerous!
#32
The Perfect Escape
Book Three in the Perfect Mystery Trilogy (Nancy Drew
2008
This time, I may be in way over my head. What started out as a simple undercover mission at a beauty pageant in New York City has turned into complete chaos! The pageant's sponsor, Pretty Face Cosmetics, knows that I've uncovered a big secret about their product, and now I'm in serious trouble. They want to keep me quiet - no matter what it takes.
Now I'm being held hostage by two supercreepy bad guys, without a phone, and worse, without my friends! I know that Bess and George are doing everything they can to find me, but time is running out. I have to figure out a way to get back to that pageant so I can reveal Pretty Face's secret...before it's too late for the next Miss Pretty Face, and millions of other girls!
#33
Secret Identity
2008
Everyone knows about the online group BetterLife. But what starts out as a fun virtual reality site turns into a living nightmare for Bess' twelve-year-old sister and her friends when one of them becomes a target of cyberbullying!
I create my own BetterLife profile to investigate how the program works and find out who could be targeting the girl and why. But nothing online is what it seems—everyone is hiding behind their virtual identities. It's almost impossible to track down who is behind anything!
Is this a simple case of middle school girls being mean to each other, or could it be something scarier? It's up to my friends and me to do some cyberdigging and unmask the secret identities of the BetterLife bullies!
#34
Identity Theft
2009
With George and Bess' help, I joined the online group BetterLife to unmask the identities of some nasty cyberbullies who were harassing a friend of Bess' sister online. Little did I know that my sleuthing would lead me into even more trouble!
Now the cyberbullies are after me. Someone has hacked into my BetterLife account and manipulated my avatar to do things I would never do in real life.
Now this case is personal. My friends and I need to do some major cybersleuthing to identify the bullies before it's too late!
#38
Model Suspect
2009
I'm beginning to think Sydney and Vic's marriage was doomed from the start. First Sydney's best friend, Candy, tried to sabotage the wedding. Then Vic's onscreen beau brought a knife to the ceremony—and it wasn't just for cutting the cake. Luckily, we caught her before any damage was done.... But is she the real culprit? Or does someone else have it in for these two newlyweds?
Strange things kept happening on the happiest day of Sydney and Vic's lives—and now trouble has followed them on their honeymoon! Some things just don't add up, and I need to get to the bottom of it before Sydney—or Vic—is seriously hurt.
#39
Green-Eyed Monster
2009
George, Bess, and I were so excited when we won an amazing vacation at an eco-resort in Costa Rica. Fun, sun, surf—all in the name of ecology and helping to keep our planet clean. But, as always, dirty business seems to follow me wherever I go, and this resort isn't as spic 'n' span as we originally thought.
After a string of increasingly dangerous "accidents," it seems that there is a jealous predator staying at the resort, making trouble for the management and the guests. Against the urging of my friends, I know that I need to take this case and get to the bottom of it before our entire week at Casa Verde is ruined—or worse. Can I uncover who is sabotaging the press tour before it's too late? Or will our vacation come to an unhappy end?
#42
Secret Sabotage
Book One in the Sabotage Mystery Trilogy (Nancy Drew
2010
Carolyn Keene's iconic girl detective Nany Drew's cases are more mysterious than ever with three-book arcs!
#43
Serial Sabotage
2010
When the cash box is stolen from the local carnival, all signs point to Ned as the thief. He couldn’t possibly have done this—or could he? But, as with all of Nancy’s cases, this goes much deeper than a few missing bucks as she uncovers a plot involving financial mismanagement and finger-pointing. Nancy manages to solve the mystery of the missing cash, but uncovers more trouble along the way. Read on in book #44 for the stunning conclusion to the Sabotage Mystery Trilogy!
#44
Sabotage Surrender
Book Three in the Sabotage Mystery Trilogy (Nancy Drew
2011
It's time for the final ceremony of the River Heights Celebration, where four candiates are going for the Mahoney Scholarhip. All four are equally qualified—and equally worthy suspects behind the strange occurances that have been happening at the carnival. Arson, theft and threatening notes all combine to provide a stunning conclusion to the Sabotage Mystery Trilogy. Can Nancy finally figure out the saboteur—before it's too late?
#45
California Schemin'
2011
Nancy's cases are more mysterious than ever with exciting three book plot arcs!
#46
Mystery at Malachite Mansion
2011
Nancy Drew and her friends aren't having the most restful Malibu vacation. After noticing pollution on the shores of their beautiful beachfront condo, they check into the shady "holistic spa" next door to investigate a motivational guru who could be tied to ocean garbage dumping! An environmental, ripped-from-the-headlines adventure, with some Kardashian sister look-alikes thrown in. Book two in the Malibu Mystery Trilogy.
#47
Stalk, Don't Run
Book Three in the Malibu Mayhem Trilogy (Nancy Drew
2012
Malibu Mayhem follows Nancy Drew back to River Heights in this conclusion to the latest mystery arc!After an unforgettable vacation on the exclusive beaches of California, Nancy, Bess, and George are glad to be back in down-to-earth River Heights. But just as they’re settling into a boring summer routine, Malibu excitement follows them home: the superstar Casabian Sisters show up, convinced River Heights is the perfect setting for their newest reality show. And where the Casbians go, drama—and now danger—is never far behind. Quiet River Heights and nearby Camp Athena is turned upside down with a terrifying mix of midnight phone calls, missing Casabians, and a menacing nighttime stalker. But this isn’t a reality show, this is real life—and Nancy and her friends need to find out real fast just who is out to destroy their home… and their lives.
Author
Carolyn Keene
Author · 627 books
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.
