Nancy Drew Girl Detective Mystery Books

35. Identity Revealed (2009-03-24)
by Carolyn Keene

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34. Identity Theft (2009-01-27)
by Carolyn Keene

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33. Secret Identity (2008-12-16)
by Carolyn Keene

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"Everyone knows about the online group BetterLife. But what starts out as a fun virtual reality site turns into a living nightmare for Bess's 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! "

32. Perfect Escape (2008-10-07)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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! "

31. Perfect Cover (2008-07-29)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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! "

30. Pageant Perfect Crime (2008-06-03)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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! "

29. Stolen Bones (2008-04-22)
by Carolyn Keene

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I'm hunting for something other than clues for a change: 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.

28. Mardi Gras Masquerade (2008-02-05)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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. "

27. Intruder! (2007-12-26)
by Carolyn Keene

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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.

26. Fishing for Clues (2007-10-23)
by Carolyn Keene

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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.

25. Trails of Treachery (2007-08-21)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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! "

24. Murder on the Set (2007-05-08)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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."

23. Troubled Waters (2007-04-24)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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."

22. Dressed to Steal (2007-02-27)
by Carolyn Keene

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Nancy investigates a break-in at a fashion boutique in River Heights with the help of friends George, Bess, and Ned. Although Rebecca Rogers has a lovely lilting voice, one is at times confused as to who is speaking. Further, aspects of this production, which updates the series, can be jarring for earlier generations of readers. The new Nancy breaks into an apartment and hacks into a computer! On the package she is a young tween-ager yet Rogerss Nancy sounds older and has friends in college. Boyfriend Ned sounds slightly condescending and too sultry. The audience for this listening experience would typically be younger than its story or delivery allows. DRESSED TO STEAL lacks the wonderful campiness that makes Nancy Drew appealing to generations.

21. Close Encounters (2006-12-26)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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.... "

20. Getting Burned (2006-10-24)
by Carolyn Keene

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19. The Orchid Thief (2006-08-22)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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."

18. Pit of Vipers (2006-06-20)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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! "

17. En Garde (2006-04-25)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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... "

16. Dangerous Plays (2006-02-28)
by Carolyn Keene

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"Dad, Bess, and I are all set for London when Ned's Shakespeare professor asks us to do a simple favor: 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. "

15. Framed (2005-12-20)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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""? "

14. Bad Times. Big Crimes (2005-11-01)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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..."

13. Trade Wind Danger (2005-08-30)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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? "

12. Stop the Clock (2005-07-05)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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.... "

11. Riverboat Ruse (2005-04-26)
by Carolyn Keene

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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.

10. Uncivil Acts (2005-03-01)
by Carolyn Keene

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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?

9. Secret of the Spa (2005-01-06)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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.... "

8. The Scarlet Macaw Scandal (2004-10-26)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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!"

7. The Stolen Relic (2004-09-07)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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. "

6. Action! (2004-07-06)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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.... "

5. Lights, Camera (2004-05-04)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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. "

4. High Risk (2004-02-24)
by Carolyn Keene

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"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. "

3. False Notes (2004-02-24)
by Carolyn Keene

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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 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. 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!

2. A Race Against Time (2004-02-24)
by Carolyn Keene

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Nancy Drew with a cell phone? George an avid Web surfer? Yes, folks, the girl detective has arrived in the 21st century, just in time for a whole new crop of tween readers. In A Race Against Time, Nancy takes on a particularly mean-spirited crime: in the middle of a River Heights bike race for charity, thieves steal tens of thousands of dollars of pledge money. Torn between her desire to finish her leg of the relay and her commitment to solving crimes, our heroine decides she'll do the most good on the case. And off she goes--on bike--to investigate leads all up and down the river. Whether she's trapped in the middle of the night in a shack full of snakes, searching for her missing boyfriend (Ned Nickerson, of course!), or trying to pry information out of the crusty police chief (again), the new and improved Nancy Drew never spins her wheels.

1. Without a Trace (2004-02-24)
by Carolyn Keene

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Eggs and zucchini may sound like a special Sunday omelet to most, but for Nancy Drew, it means it's time to roll up her sleeves and start solving mysteries. In this first book of the "modernized" series featuring the whip-smart girl detective, Nancy is called upon to solve not one but two whodunits, simultaneously. Someone has been smashing the neighborhood zucchini patches and the disgruntled gardeners are starting to point fingers at one another. Meanwhile, a new resident in Nancy's Midwestern town is frantic when she discovers that her old and precious Faberge egg has been stolen. Can our favorite not-so-hard-boiled detective unscramble both these cases before it's too late?