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Nancy Drew Files #76
The Perfect Plot
Nancy's weekend at the former estate home of the late, great mystery writer Dorothea Burden turns out to be much more than an innocent exercise in fictional felonies when several jewel-encrusted figurines are stolen.
160 pages, Library Binding
First published October 1, 1992
4 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,041 books3,877 followersCarolyn 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 18, 2020
Fun nostalgia. I see some complained about the ending, but considering the age group this was written for, it works well enough. Yes, cheesy and predictable, but the mystery mansion was enjoyable ambience and the book spent it's time celebrating the mystery genre in its entirety - clues, mystery themed parties, mystery novelists, true crime stories, editors and agents of mysteries, police investigations, it was hard not to enjoy. It's not classic lit, but it's a good intro to the middle school aged Mystery crowd. Older teens, not so much.
September 10, 2023
Fun set-up, and the mystery was actually pretty clever for a Nancy Drew book.
July 7, 2020
I mean, come on! Nancy Drew solving mysteries at a mystery convention at Mystery Mansion, home of a famous mystery writer? How fabulous!
October 12, 2016
What can I say about this series that I haven't already said?
August 10, 2014
This one sucked and the end was stupid. Who would have a dungeon with walls that actually move in built into their house. Who would even build that in someone house, I mean wouldn't the people hired to do that think it's a little odd and maybe that persons a murder or something.
November 27, 2019
Nancy and George attend a convention for fans of a famous mystery novelist but strange things start happening revolving around the authors author's posthumous unpublished manuscript. The end scene was ridiculous though
August 15, 2024
Yoooo! I had been procrastinating on this title because the synopsis made it seem kinda meh, but this was GREAT. So much more like the classic Nancy Drew books than most of the Files are -- secret passages and all.
October 23, 2023
Fun as always.
April 4, 2019
I read Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys throughout my school and college days.
Nancy Drew is an amateur detective who solves crimes with occasional help from her best friends, Bess and George and, her boyfriend Ned. She also has occasional help from her father Carson Drew who runs a private law practice. From finding stolen goods to missing persons and solving mysterious happenings, Nancy is a force of nature.
Until I discovered that Carolyn Keene is a pen name for a whole bunch of ghostwriters, I used to feel confused about the slight differences in each character from books to book over the many series of Nancy Drew mysteries. I like the character of Nancy best in the original books written by Mildred Wirt Benson where Nancy is truly a character to root for – an independent and street smart girl with a penchant for trouble.
Nancy Drew is an amateur detective who solves crimes with occasional help from her best friends, Bess and George and, her boyfriend Ned. She also has occasional help from her father Carson Drew who runs a private law practice. From finding stolen goods to missing persons and solving mysterious happenings, Nancy is a force of nature.
Until I discovered that Carolyn Keene is a pen name for a whole bunch of ghostwriters, I used to feel confused about the slight differences in each character from books to book over the many series of Nancy Drew mysteries. I like the character of Nancy best in the original books written by Mildred Wirt Benson where Nancy is truly a character to root for – an independent and street smart girl with a penchant for trouble.
June 2, 2016
It wasn't great but I'd love to spend a few days in the mystery mansion of a favourite crime writer!
March 28, 2011
One of my favorites.
July 15, 2015
I think that this book was very good but the house structure was too outdated
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews