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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #157
The Music Festival Mystery
THE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP CLUB IS SPONSORING A FUN WEEKEND -- BUT NANCY FINDS A MELTING POT OF SABOTAGE! For Nancy and her friends, Worldbeat Weekend at Emerson College is supposed to be fun. Nancy gets to spend time with her boyfriend, Ned, and everyone plans to enjoy music and food from around the world. But the two candidates running to be the next president of IFC, both from rival countries, accuse each other of smearing their campaigns with dirty tricks -- and the chaos begins. Missing money and collapsing tents are just the start of the trouble. As tensions rise, the weekend spirals toward disaster. The local press is sniffing around. A public scandal would ruin IFC, and only Nancy can uncover the clues to track down the culprit in
160 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2000
7 people are currently reading
755 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,018 books3,873 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 7, 2022
Man, Bess is really cringey in this one. "Why don't you sound more Australian?" "Why isn't your name more Asian?" Yikes.
March 17, 2017
So, first off, this is a digest book. (The original 56 Nancy Drews were continued afterward, in paperback, for a long time, but the tone is a little different in the digests. I can't remember why they're called "digests.") I prefer the Files for my paperback Nancy Drews, but this one is set at Emerson, and Ned's on the cover, so WHY NOT.
The Notorious NBG are at Emerson to attend the titular World Music Festival. Ned's a member of the International Friendship Club, which is planning the weekend and scheduling everything. The president of the club is Cyril (and every time I read that, I pictured Cyril Figgis, the ISIS Comptroller, from Archer, which is totally wrong because this guy is a blond Australian). But someone's trying to start shit! And Nancy's on the case. Also, holy shit, students from like every fucking country in the world go to Emerson. It's insane. A DAISHIKI IS MENTIONED. A DAISHIKI.
The suspects:
-Joann, who is Chinese and who adopted an "American" name, has just found out that her financial aid was cut off and her visa revoked if she can't pay for school. It's a huge mess. She needs a bunch of money or she can't keep going to Emerson.
-Dina, who is from a fake formerly-Russian European country. She wants to be president of the club and totally hates...
-Vlad, who is from Dina's rival country, and who is of course also pretend-Russian. He wants to be president too.
-Lance, the club treasurer, who is suddenly acting like he's walking around with a fat roll, thanks to "an inheritance from an uncle." He's also pushing this European bike tour; if he gets enough people to sign up, he can go for free.
-Cyril. Maybe he's started all the drama to stay president another year?
-Um... occasionally other random people, but that's it.
There's a bunch of irritating stuff: someone sends an email slamming Dina and saying she's bankrolling terrorists back home, a stabbed heart is drawn on her door whiteboard, she gets creepy phone calls, someone sends her a computer virus from "Vlad's" account that ruins the club account files. I thought Lance was club treasurer. Whatever. He's an officer on the club, and/or he handles money a lot of the time. Also, Dina's dish for the cultural heritage buffet is ruined.
But so is Vlad's. And someone swaps out the cultural tape for his country with a cartoon, and... I don't know what else happens with him. He seems to get off pretty easy on the sabotage/threat front.
Immediately Lance's "hey do the bike tour!" thing made me think, "Hmm, he's probably the guy." That stuck out as odd. Then Lance is collecting the entry fee (which must be significant because damn) at the world music dance and the money is stolen and it's apparently thousands of dollars! What the shit! And Joann and Dina also had the chance to steal it! And they can't call the cops because a lot of the foreign exchange students come from places that make them not trust cops... which, okay, I can buy that.
Then NBG discover Joann with a STACK OF MONEY and they're like "...?" and she's like "it's not what it looks like!" Her brother found a way to smuggle her some money. (Apparently something has happened that means no one from her country can send her money. Made me think that apparently the author was anticipating our current administration.)
And the good stuff! Nancy and Ned share "some quiet alone time," FULL OF MAKING OUT I'M SURE, and after the dance, when Ned says "I hope you don't hold being involved in an unexpected mystery against me," Nancy says, "The only thing I'm going to hold against you is me," and I'm like YES, MORE OF THIS, PLEASE MORE OF THIS. All she does is "go on to demonstrate," and I'm like GO BACK TO HIS ROOM WITH HIM AND GIVE IN TO THE PASSION.
Anyway. The villain tries to throw Nancy off some stage rigging, and she manages to catch herself and Ned helps her down, and she figures out it's Lance thanks to his aftershave. That inheritance from his uncle? Well, it hasn't exactly come through yet, and Lance has been embezzling and borrowing against it, including the registration fees for the bike trip and the entrance fee from the party. Dick.
So, happy world music festival, everyone!
The Notorious NBG are at Emerson to attend the titular World Music Festival. Ned's a member of the International Friendship Club, which is planning the weekend and scheduling everything. The president of the club is Cyril (and every time I read that, I pictured Cyril Figgis, the ISIS Comptroller, from Archer, which is totally wrong because this guy is a blond Australian). But someone's trying to start shit! And Nancy's on the case. Also, holy shit, students from like every fucking country in the world go to Emerson. It's insane. A DAISHIKI IS MENTIONED. A DAISHIKI.
The suspects:
-Joann, who is Chinese and who adopted an "American" name, has just found out that her financial aid was cut off and her visa revoked if she can't pay for school. It's a huge mess. She needs a bunch of money or she can't keep going to Emerson.
-Dina, who is from a fake formerly-Russian European country. She wants to be president of the club and totally hates...
-Vlad, who is from Dina's rival country, and who is of course also pretend-Russian. He wants to be president too.
-Lance, the club treasurer, who is suddenly acting like he's walking around with a fat roll, thanks to "an inheritance from an uncle." He's also pushing this European bike tour; if he gets enough people to sign up, he can go for free.
-Cyril. Maybe he's started all the drama to stay president another year?
-Um... occasionally other random people, but that's it.
There's a bunch of irritating stuff: someone sends an email slamming Dina and saying she's bankrolling terrorists back home, a stabbed heart is drawn on her door whiteboard, she gets creepy phone calls, someone sends her a computer virus from "Vlad's" account that ruins the club account files. I thought Lance was club treasurer. Whatever. He's an officer on the club, and/or he handles money a lot of the time. Also, Dina's dish for the cultural heritage buffet is ruined.
But so is Vlad's. And someone swaps out the cultural tape for his country with a cartoon, and... I don't know what else happens with him. He seems to get off pretty easy on the sabotage/threat front.
Immediately Lance's "hey do the bike tour!" thing made me think, "Hmm, he's probably the guy." That stuck out as odd. Then Lance is collecting the entry fee (which must be significant because damn) at the world music dance and the money is stolen and it's apparently thousands of dollars! What the shit! And Joann and Dina also had the chance to steal it! And they can't call the cops because a lot of the foreign exchange students come from places that make them not trust cops... which, okay, I can buy that.
Then NBG discover Joann with a STACK OF MONEY and they're like "...?" and she's like "it's not what it looks like!" Her brother found a way to smuggle her some money. (Apparently something has happened that means no one from her country can send her money. Made me think that apparently the author was anticipating our current administration.)
And the good stuff! Nancy and Ned share "some quiet alone time," FULL OF MAKING OUT I'M SURE, and after the dance, when Ned says "I hope you don't hold being involved in an unexpected mystery against me," Nancy says, "The only thing I'm going to hold against you is me," and I'm like YES, MORE OF THIS, PLEASE MORE OF THIS. All she does is "go on to demonstrate," and I'm like GO BACK TO HIS ROOM WITH HIM AND GIVE IN TO THE PASSION.
Anyway. The villain tries to throw Nancy off some stage rigging, and she manages to catch herself and Ned helps her down, and she figures out it's Lance thanks to his aftershave. That inheritance from his uncle? Well, it hasn't exactly come through yet, and Lance has been embezzling and borrowing against it, including the registration fees for the bike trip and the entrance fee from the party. Dick.
So, happy world music festival, everyone!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2020
New setting and premise for this series. Two students from rival (fictional) countries vie for presidency of the International Friendship Club at Emerson College make Nancy's visit with Ned tense and fraught with politics and problems during their World Music festival--or is something else afoot? More characters than usual to keep track of and plenty of blind nationalistic rivalry to remind one of real life politics which usually is not the case for NDMS.
August 13, 2020
I’ve been re-reading Nancy Drew books in lockdown and skipped to this one, as it was one of my childhood favourites. I have fond memories reading this (for the second or third time)at my grandparents house. I like how it combines some more modern day political issues with the typical Nancy Drew values & mystery.
July 27, 2017
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
March 14, 2016
I've always enjoyed the Nancy Drew series. I read quite a few when I was younger, collected some of the older editions from my step-mom when I was in middle school, and now I’ll pick up a Nancy Drew book when I need a break from heavier college reading. But this time I was disappointed with Carolyn Keene's The Music Festival Mystery. Maybe it's because I was busy with an intense summer class and didn't really get to read the book as quickly as I would have hoped. Or maybe it's just because it wasn't as good as some of the other Nancy Drew books.
There were fifty-six books in the original series, and there have been countless others written since then. All of the books have been written by various writers under the name of Carolyn Keene. For the longest time, I didn’t realize that Carolyn Keene wasn’t an actual person. Stupid, I know—especially since that would have meant Keene had been writing the books for eighty-two years. I’m not really sure why I was so convinced that Keene was an actual person. Oh well. You learn something new every day.
In The Music Festival Mystery, super-sleuth Nancy Drew travels to Emerson College for a music festival with her friends, Bess and George, and stumbles upon yet another mystery. There seems to be a lot of drama unfolding between the two presidential candidates for the International Friendship Club--almost too much drama, which is suspicious to Nancy and her friends. Naturally, the IFC puts Nancy on the case. Other incidents ensue while Nancy's on the path to solving the crime. And she's got to solve this mystery before someone gets hurt.
This mystery isn't too predictable, with twists and turns that did surprise me and kept me motivated to finish reading the book. And every once in a while, a really good line would creep up in the story--something that would tingle my writer's sense and make me stop to say, "Hey, that's really good." Since this is a children's book, Keene also did well to disguise those good lines that could have implied more adult themes. For example, scenes between Nancy and her boyfriend, Ned, sometimes included dialogue that had the potential to lead to the bedroom if read by an adult. But if children were reading the line, he or she probably wouldn't have second-guessed it.
However, the plot line did seem a little slow for me, which is ironic since this is a children's book, and children's books are usually shorter, and therefore, quicker to read. But perhaps it seemed this way to me since I wasn't reading it all that quickly. Maybe Keene could have cut a few pages of stagnant plotline to accelerate the pace of the book. I was also concerned by the amount of clichés and unnecessary details that were included in the book. Keene easily could have avoided the clichés. She could have also deleted the scenes where she describes what each character is eating. So what if Nancy's eating an apple pie? I want to know what just happened in the case.
If you liked the other Nancy Drews and are an older reader like me, I would recommend that you skip this one. Pick up one of the older books, like The Secret of Shadow Ranch--those don't disappoint.
There were fifty-six books in the original series, and there have been countless others written since then. All of the books have been written by various writers under the name of Carolyn Keene. For the longest time, I didn’t realize that Carolyn Keene wasn’t an actual person. Stupid, I know—especially since that would have meant Keene had been writing the books for eighty-two years. I’m not really sure why I was so convinced that Keene was an actual person. Oh well. You learn something new every day.
In The Music Festival Mystery, super-sleuth Nancy Drew travels to Emerson College for a music festival with her friends, Bess and George, and stumbles upon yet another mystery. There seems to be a lot of drama unfolding between the two presidential candidates for the International Friendship Club--almost too much drama, which is suspicious to Nancy and her friends. Naturally, the IFC puts Nancy on the case. Other incidents ensue while Nancy's on the path to solving the crime. And she's got to solve this mystery before someone gets hurt.
This mystery isn't too predictable, with twists and turns that did surprise me and kept me motivated to finish reading the book. And every once in a while, a really good line would creep up in the story--something that would tingle my writer's sense and make me stop to say, "Hey, that's really good." Since this is a children's book, Keene also did well to disguise those good lines that could have implied more adult themes. For example, scenes between Nancy and her boyfriend, Ned, sometimes included dialogue that had the potential to lead to the bedroom if read by an adult. But if children were reading the line, he or she probably wouldn't have second-guessed it.
However, the plot line did seem a little slow for me, which is ironic since this is a children's book, and children's books are usually shorter, and therefore, quicker to read. But perhaps it seemed this way to me since I wasn't reading it all that quickly. Maybe Keene could have cut a few pages of stagnant plotline to accelerate the pace of the book. I was also concerned by the amount of clichés and unnecessary details that were included in the book. Keene easily could have avoided the clichés. She could have also deleted the scenes where she describes what each character is eating. So what if Nancy's eating an apple pie? I want to know what just happened in the case.
If you liked the other Nancy Drews and are an older reader like me, I would recommend that you skip this one. Pick up one of the older books, like The Secret of Shadow Ranch--those don't disappoint.
January 19, 2016
The International Friends Committee is having a festival. There are problems, though.
There are two people running for president from two different countries that hate each other. That hatred is shown in the action of both candidates.
Problems arise with stolen money, a collapsed tent, sabotage and various other difficulties. It's up to Nancy, Bess, George and Ned to try to solve the problem before the IFC falls totally apart and two countries get torn even more apart.
It's not an easy task since various people have the opportunity and/or motive to cause the trouble This one does not depend so much on Nancy as it seems that all four of the young adults fulfill important roles in preventing an international incident.
There are two people running for president from two different countries that hate each other. That hatred is shown in the action of both candidates.
Problems arise with stolen money, a collapsed tent, sabotage and various other difficulties. It's up to Nancy, Bess, George and Ned to try to solve the problem before the IFC falls totally apart and two countries get torn even more apart.
It's not an easy task since various people have the opportunity and/or motive to cause the trouble This one does not depend so much on Nancy as it seems that all four of the young adults fulfill important roles in preventing an international incident.
February 23, 2013
I'm still reading this book and i know the whole story will be great..
Nancy Drew, Bess, George and Ned... I'm Excited to finish it..
Nancy Drew, Bess, George and Ned... I'm Excited to finish it..
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews