Carolyn Keene

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About this 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 A. Wirt Benson, 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 Strate...more

combine editions
Books by Carolyn Keene

Average rating: 3.86 · 219,034 ratings · 5,433 reviews · 704 distinct works

	The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, #1) by Carolyn Keene, Mildred A. Wirt Benson (Ghostwriter) 3.90 avg rating — 15,336 ratings — published 1930 — 22 editions	My rating:
	The Hidden Staircase (Nancy Drew, #2) by Carolyn Keene, Mildred A. Wirt Benson (Ghostwriter) 3.87 avg rating — 10,523 ratings — published 1930 — 22 editions	My rating:
	The Secret of Shadow Ranch (Nancy Drew, #5) by Carolyn Keene, Mildred A. Wirt Benson (Ghostwriter) 3.86 avg rating — 6,032 ratings — published 1931 — 18 editions	My rating:
	The Bungalow Mystery (Nancy Drew, #3) by Carolyn Keene, Mildred A. Wirt Benson (Ghostwriter), P.M. Carlson (Introduction) 3.84 avg rating — 6,150 ratings — published 1930 — 23 editions	My rating:
	The Mystery at Lilac Inn (Nancy Drew, #4) by Carolyn Keene, Mildred A. Wirt Benson (Ghostwriter) 3.89 avg rating — 6,199 ratings — published 1930	My rating:
	The Sign of the Twisted Candles (Nancy Drew, #9) by Carolyn Keene, Walter Karig (Ghostwriter) 3.89 avg rating — 4,768 ratings — published 1933 — 15 editions	My rating:
	The Clue of the Broken Locket (Nancy Drew, #11) by Carolyn Keene, Mildred A. Wirt Benson (Ghostwriter) 3.88 avg rating — 4,713 ratings — published 1934 — 12 editions	My rating:
	The Secret in the Old Attic (Nancy Drew, #21) by Carolyn Keene, Mildred A. Wirt Benson (Ghostwriter) 3.88 avg rating — 4,357 ratings — published 1944 — 9 editions	My rating:
	Password to Larkspur Lane (Nancy Drew, #10) by Carolyn Keene, Walter Karig (Ghostwriter) 3.89 avg rating — 4,222 ratings — published 1933 — 14 editions	My rating:
	The Clue in the Diary (Nancy Drew, #7) by Carolyn Keene, Mildred A. Wirt Benson (Ghostwriter), Amanda Cross (Introduction) 3.86 avg rating — 4,510 ratings — published 1932 — 15 editions	My rating:

More books by Carolyn Keene…

Series by Carolyn Keene

Nancy Drew (175 books)
by Carolyn Keene, Mildred A. Wirt Benson (Ghostwriter), Amanda Cross (Introduction)

3.86 avg rating — 158,925 ratings

Nancy Drew Files (124 books)
by Carolyn Keene

3.73 avg rating — 9,095 ratings

Nancy Drew: Girl Detective (47 books)
by Carolyn Keene

3.87 avg rating — 6,051 ratings

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: Super Mystery (36 books)
by Carolyn Keene, Franklin W. Dixon, Anne Greenberg (Editor), Ann Greenberg (Editor)

3.86 avg rating — 4,143 ratings

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew (31 books)
by Carolyn Keene, Macky Pamintuan (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)

4.03 avg rating — 1,820 ratings

More series by Carolyn Keene…

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Quotes by Carolyn Keene

“Do act mysterious. It always keeps them coming back for more.”
― Carolyn Keene, Nancy's Mysterious Letter

tags: nancy-s-mysterious-letter

90 people liked it

“I love Nancy Drew!”
― Carolyn Keene, The Clue of the Tapping Heels

30 people liked it

“Nancy, every place you go, it seems as if mysteries just pile up one after another.”
― Carolyn Keene, The Message in the Hollow Oak

tags: mystery

27 people liked it

See all Carolyn Keene's quotes »

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