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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #7
The Clue in the Diary
Nancy, Bess and George, returning from a country carnival, witness the malicious burning of a stately home. Fearing its occupants might be trapped in the fire, they rush to the rescue. Other motorists including handsome, Ned Nickerson, are also at the scene. Nancy notices a mysterious man running from the fire and finds a lost diary. Nancy learns the homeowner and the man who kept the diary are involved in a business transaction in which the latter was cheated. Despite strong evidence to the contrary, Nancy is convinced of this prime suspect's innocence. While working to exonerate the troubled man, Nancy is delighted by her new friendship with Ned. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1932) is similar with a major and some minor revisions.
174 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1932
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5209 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,020 books3,874 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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 - 30 of 682 reviews
May 25, 2021
The Clue in the Diary is a decent mystery but not one of my favorites from the series. As an adult reading this my first thought was “Oh boy! You really have to suspend disbelief with this one!” Our brilliant Nancy casually knows a bit of Swedish -- and not just to hear it and recognize Swedish words, but she can recognize written Swedish. It was a little too much to believe from even Nancy, who only picked up a few words from a former schoolmate.
As a child I probably found this story exotic and engrossing. It certainly is more sophisticated than the previous mysteries Nancy has taken on. Nancy was already pretty great in my book and her knowing Swedish would have just further cemented her supreme intelligence and overall excellence in my mind. Ah, Nancy, the heroine so many girls aspired to be!
This book is our first real introduction to Ned Nickerson, Nancy’s boyfriend in later books. His name came up briefly in an earlier book but here he has more than just a bit part in the story. The dynamic between the two is more youthful with Ned being flirty and Nancy being demure. I don’t remember this flirty Ned, so perhaps in the following books Ned becomes the steadfast and loyal boyfriend and Nancy the independent and down to earth gal we have come to idolize. Although I must say that Ned does also come across as quite charming. He’s quite the catch!
One other thing I noticed in this installment is that Nancy gets a keepsake at the end to remember the mystery by. I can’t recall if the previous books had her receiving something at the end, but I do know that the sentiment carries on in future books. With her sleuthing abilities, she’ll soon be amassing quite the collection of interesting objects as well as the stories to go with them.
A dependable read with good vocabulary although more likely better enjoyed by the younger reader.
As a child I probably found this story exotic and engrossing. It certainly is more sophisticated than the previous mysteries Nancy has taken on. Nancy was already pretty great in my book and her knowing Swedish would have just further cemented her supreme intelligence and overall excellence in my mind. Ah, Nancy, the heroine so many girls aspired to be!
This book is our first real introduction to Ned Nickerson, Nancy’s boyfriend in later books. His name came up briefly in an earlier book but here he has more than just a bit part in the story. The dynamic between the two is more youthful with Ned being flirty and Nancy being demure. I don’t remember this flirty Ned, so perhaps in the following books Ned becomes the steadfast and loyal boyfriend and Nancy the independent and down to earth gal we have come to idolize. Although I must say that Ned does also come across as quite charming. He’s quite the catch!
One other thing I noticed in this installment is that Nancy gets a keepsake at the end to remember the mystery by. I can’t recall if the previous books had her receiving something at the end, but I do know that the sentiment carries on in future books. With her sleuthing abilities, she’ll soon be amassing quite the collection of interesting objects as well as the stories to go with them.
A dependable read with good vocabulary although more likely better enjoyed by the younger reader.
January 28, 2024
I enjoyed this one.
October 2, 2023
Note. This is the book where Nancy meets Ned nickerson and they become girlfriend and boyfriend
Nancy and her friends are taking a drive out Of town when they see that a house is burning down. They decide to stop the car in rush over to the house to save any occupants that are inside. Instead, Nancy sees that a man is running from the house. She later sees that a book is lying on the ground, a diary written in Swedish. She picks up the diary and later tries to decipher it and to solve the mystery of who burned down the house. And where are its owners
Nancy and her friends are taking a drive out Of town when they see that a house is burning down. They decide to stop the car in rush over to the house to save any occupants that are inside. Instead, Nancy sees that a man is running from the house. She later sees that a book is lying on the ground, a diary written in Swedish. She picks up the diary and later tries to decipher it and to solve the mystery of who burned down the house. And where are its owners
November 14, 2025
3 stars ⭐️ Children’s Classic [Yellow Flashlight revised 1962 edition - Listened to Penelope Heaven’s audiobook of this on YouTube]
Nothing to really say about this one. Ned was introduced so that was cute & then Bess and George were as helpful as a screen door on a submarine as per usual.
Main Content notes for parents-
Dangerous Situation Counter: Being slapped; Being grabbed; Seeing an explosion/fire and the smoke; Car accident (fender bender).
Nancy exclaims about herself being stupid by missing something obvious.
Many mentions of the fire, explosion, arsonist, crimes, criminals, & arrests; Mentions of stolen items, stealing, thieves, & break-ins; Mentions of a missing father and his family struggling without him; Mentions of a possible death in a fire.
Bess is described as plump and eating her third sandwich.
Ned is introduced and Bess & George tease Nancy about his interest in her; Nancy goes on a date with Ned; Mentions of dates.
Some things that worked for the time period this book was written/revised in, but might raise eyebrows now: “gay” (happy) is used five or six times.
Nothing to really say about this one. Ned was introduced so that was cute & then Bess and George were as helpful as a screen door on a submarine as per usual.
Main Content notes for parents-
Dangerous Situation Counter: Being slapped; Being grabbed; Seeing an explosion/fire and the smoke; Car accident (fender bender).
Nancy exclaims about herself being stupid by missing something obvious.
Many mentions of the fire, explosion, arsonist, crimes, criminals, & arrests; Mentions of stolen items, stealing, thieves, & break-ins; Mentions of a missing father and his family struggling without him; Mentions of a possible death in a fire.
Bess is described as plump and eating her third sandwich.
Ned is introduced and Bess & George tease Nancy about his interest in her; Nancy goes on a date with Ned; Mentions of dates.
Some things that worked for the time period this book was written/revised in, but might raise eyebrows now: “gay” (happy) is used five or six times.
March 18, 2017
At last, book number 7 in the series and Ned Nickerson appears! (Nancy Drew's boyfriend who finally and bravely is written into the series.)
This mystery is fairly standard, like a paint-by-numbers book on how to write a mystery for twelve-year old girls born in the 1930s. Nancy comes upon a burning house, witnesses a man fleeing from it, does some 'sleuthing' and finds both a signet ring and diary near the house, but then she can't get away from the property due to all the fire trucks AND dozens of cars belonging to spectators who arrive to watch the fire burn. (Later in the book Nancy says there are very few houses near this one, and that there really are no neighbors. So where did everyone come from? I dunno.) Anyhow it's Ned-to-the-rescue who moves Nancy's car, a fancy convertible, away from the raging fire, and also serves as traffic cop to get everyone off and onto the road when it's over.
I DO tend to believe that everyone nearby would race to their car and to the fire. I believe it. I've seen newsreels from the 1930's and 40's where people are just jamming a famous person leaving a courtroom or scrambling over each other so they can talk to or touch a celebrity. And police officers? I don't know where they are. So I suppose it is plausible that in an area with a house in the middle of nowhere there would be dozens of spectators clamoring...
I'm off on a tangent! The most important part of this initial scene is NOT the fire, per se, but the arrival of Nick. Nick will now be the second man in Nancy's life, after father, prominent lawyer, Carson Drew. But Nick will surpass Nancy's father in importance because he will assume a real role in all her future mysteries. He will be the go-to guy, the one who can be with Nancy when she investigates some old building or factory or abandoned whatever. Even Mrs. Hannah Gruen, the Drew family housekeeper tells Nancy that she needs to have 'a man' with her when she goes off to do something which is dicey or dangerous.
(Sorry, Nancy, you could only go solo for six adventures because now you need a man.)
Too much digression. This mystery involves arson and the possible murder of a shady guy, Felix Raybolt, who steals inventors' ideas and sells them, keeping the profits to himself. There aren't really a lot of interesting twists and turns and Nancy is neither sideswiped by a car or grabbed by an ominous stranger or tied up or anything like that. She follows 'clues' one by one to discover what really was going on in the burned-down house and what Raybolt, if he's guilty, was up to. Along the way she and her friends (and Nick!) help yet (another) poor woman with a child to raise on limited income.
(Nancy and her friends buy the woman groceries, then later clothes for the child. Nancy is awesome, you know. She also cautions another character that if he goes to trial for the arson, etc., her dad, prominent lawyer Carson Drew, will defend him for no charge.)
But there's that theme, or trope again, which I mentioned in earlier Nancy Drew mystery reviews: the poor woman with children, or two older women, or young girls, etc., who have 'no means of support' unless Nancy can free their male relative, or prove that someone's stealing from them, or if she can find the hidden --- whatever --- which contains information which will provide (somehow) the poor woman with children an income or funds or jewels.
Women are so darn helpless in these books, except for our intrepid heroine, Nancy Drew, of course. And she does save the day. And party at a fraternity. And have lunch at a teahouse. (There are teahouses everywhere in Nancy's world.) And explore an abandoned shack. And meet the dream boyfriend of every-1930's-era-girl: tall, blond and charming Ned Nickerson.
This mystery is fairly standard, like a paint-by-numbers book on how to write a mystery for twelve-year old girls born in the 1930s. Nancy comes upon a burning house, witnesses a man fleeing from it, does some 'sleuthing' and finds both a signet ring and diary near the house, but then she can't get away from the property due to all the fire trucks AND dozens of cars belonging to spectators who arrive to watch the fire burn. (Later in the book Nancy says there are very few houses near this one, and that there really are no neighbors. So where did everyone come from? I dunno.) Anyhow it's Ned-to-the-rescue who moves Nancy's car, a fancy convertible, away from the raging fire, and also serves as traffic cop to get everyone off and onto the road when it's over.
I DO tend to believe that everyone nearby would race to their car and to the fire. I believe it. I've seen newsreels from the 1930's and 40's where people are just jamming a famous person leaving a courtroom or scrambling over each other so they can talk to or touch a celebrity. And police officers? I don't know where they are. So I suppose it is plausible that in an area with a house in the middle of nowhere there would be dozens of spectators clamoring...
I'm off on a tangent! The most important part of this initial scene is NOT the fire, per se, but the arrival of Nick. Nick will now be the second man in Nancy's life, after father, prominent lawyer, Carson Drew. But Nick will surpass Nancy's father in importance because he will assume a real role in all her future mysteries. He will be the go-to guy, the one who can be with Nancy when she investigates some old building or factory or abandoned whatever. Even Mrs. Hannah Gruen, the Drew family housekeeper tells Nancy that she needs to have 'a man' with her when she goes off to do something which is dicey or dangerous.
(Sorry, Nancy, you could only go solo for six adventures because now you need a man.)
Too much digression. This mystery involves arson and the possible murder of a shady guy, Felix Raybolt, who steals inventors' ideas and sells them, keeping the profits to himself. There aren't really a lot of interesting twists and turns and Nancy is neither sideswiped by a car or grabbed by an ominous stranger or tied up or anything like that. She follows 'clues' one by one to discover what really was going on in the burned-down house and what Raybolt, if he's guilty, was up to. Along the way she and her friends (and Nick!) help yet (another) poor woman with a child to raise on limited income.
(Nancy and her friends buy the woman groceries, then later clothes for the child. Nancy is awesome, you know. She also cautions another character that if he goes to trial for the arson, etc., her dad, prominent lawyer Carson Drew, will defend him for no charge.)
But there's that theme, or trope again, which I mentioned in earlier Nancy Drew mystery reviews: the poor woman with children, or two older women, or young girls, etc., who have 'no means of support' unless Nancy can free their male relative, or prove that someone's stealing from them, or if she can find the hidden --- whatever --- which contains information which will provide (somehow) the poor woman with children an income or funds or jewels.
Women are so darn helpless in these books, except for our intrepid heroine, Nancy Drew, of course. And she does save the day. And party at a fraternity. And have lunch at a teahouse. (There are teahouses everywhere in Nancy's world.) And explore an abandoned shack. And meet the dream boyfriend of every-1930's-era-girl: tall, blond and charming Ned Nickerson.
October 12, 2019
And we get Ned Nickerson in #7!!! Happy day the gang is all assembled 😁!
July 14, 2020
Returning home to Riverside Heights after attending a carnival in nearby Sandy Creek, teen sleuth Nancy Drew and her best friends Bess Marvin and George Faine are driving by when an explosion rocks the Raybolt mansion, and the building goes up in flames. The girls rush to the scene to see if help is needed, and Nancy witnesses a man running away. She picks up the diary he dropped, and immediately suspects that she has stepped into another mystery. So it proves, as Nancy seeks to identify the mystery man, and once she does, to determine whether he is guilty of arson, and possibly murder. Complicating matters is the fact that she has formed an attachment to the wife and daughter of her main suspect, inventor Joe Swenson, not to mention the reality that Felix Raybolt was an unscrupulous cheat who tricked many people out of their money and patents...
The seventh entry in the long-running Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series, which has been one of the great staples of American girlhood since it first began to appear in 1930, The Clue in the Diary was initially published by Grosset & Dunlap in 1932. In 1962 it was revised and condensed, like all the original Nancy Drew books - the vocabulary and settings updated, and particularly egregious social content (racism, classism, etc.) removed. Unfortunately, so too were five chapters of story, the period terms (roadsters, chums), and a great deal of the charm of the writing. As mentioned in some of my reviews of the other books in the series, although I did read Nancy Drew as a young girl, it was only when I discovered the originals as an adult reader, that I truly began to find the stories interesting. Somehow, the revised versions of the 1950s/60s always felt bland and uninspiring to me, when reading them as a girl. These original versions, by contrast, have more interesting historical settings, and are better written. The edition I read for my current rereading project was published by Applewood Books in 1995, and is a facsimile of the original first edition, and contains the full, unexpurgated text.
All in all, I found this an enjoyable entry in the series. There's plenty of coincidence, as always, and Nancy makes snap judgments about people's character after brief conversations with them, but overall the story is engaging. We meet Ned Nickerson for the first time - I believe he appears earlier in the series, in the revised versions - and Nancy is immediately smitten, which I found rather charming, given her complete indifference to romance in earlier books. I was amused, no doubt in ways not intended by the author, by Nancy's defiance of the forces of law and order here, as, having decided that Joe Swenson is innocent, she attempts to help him elude the police officers she knows are looking for him. Nancy knows best, after all, and one can't rely on these pompous bunglers to get it right! Somehow, I have a hard time imagining that being retained in the revised version. I'm quite interested to read the next entry in the series, Nancy's Mysterious Letter , as it was the first Nancy Drew book not written by Mildred Wirt Benson, who was the author of most of the first twenty-five books.
The seventh entry in the long-running Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series, which has been one of the great staples of American girlhood since it first began to appear in 1930, The Clue in the Diary was initially published by Grosset & Dunlap in 1932. In 1962 it was revised and condensed, like all the original Nancy Drew books - the vocabulary and settings updated, and particularly egregious social content (racism, classism, etc.) removed. Unfortunately, so too were five chapters of story, the period terms (roadsters, chums), and a great deal of the charm of the writing. As mentioned in some of my reviews of the other books in the series, although I did read Nancy Drew as a young girl, it was only when I discovered the originals as an adult reader, that I truly began to find the stories interesting. Somehow, the revised versions of the 1950s/60s always felt bland and uninspiring to me, when reading them as a girl. These original versions, by contrast, have more interesting historical settings, and are better written. The edition I read for my current rereading project was published by Applewood Books in 1995, and is a facsimile of the original first edition, and contains the full, unexpurgated text.
All in all, I found this an enjoyable entry in the series. There's plenty of coincidence, as always, and Nancy makes snap judgments about people's character after brief conversations with them, but overall the story is engaging. We meet Ned Nickerson for the first time - I believe he appears earlier in the series, in the revised versions - and Nancy is immediately smitten, which I found rather charming, given her complete indifference to romance in earlier books. I was amused, no doubt in ways not intended by the author, by Nancy's defiance of the forces of law and order here, as, having decided that Joe Swenson is innocent, she attempts to help him elude the police officers she knows are looking for him. Nancy knows best, after all, and one can't rely on these pompous bunglers to get it right! Somehow, I have a hard time imagining that being retained in the revised version. I'm quite interested to read the next entry in the series, Nancy's Mysterious Letter , as it was the first Nancy Drew book not written by Mildred Wirt Benson, who was the author of most of the first twenty-five books.
August 13, 2016
I seem to have run out of Laura Linney narrated Nancy Drew mysteries. It was fun while it lasted.
November 26, 2020
Nancy, Bess, and George are driving through when they see a house burst into flames. They rush there only to find that nothing can be done. But Nancy encounters a man running away from the scene and finds a diary on the scene. Filled with Swedish writing, it is incomprehensible to Nancy but she sets out to find a solution, to the burning house, to the mystery of the missing Raybolt and the missing Swenson. In the process, she also ends up helping a family. Typical Nancy Drew fare!
Ned Nickerson makes his first appearance in this book. He is smitten with a single look at Nancy and by the end of the book has worked up enough courage to ask her to go steady (if I interpreted it correctly!). I rather enjoyed this lovelorn persona and it was funny to see how everyone keeps teasing Nancy about it. It's almost like you know Stratemeyer Syndicate has decided to have Ned for keeps.
The mystery itself wasn't much of one. You just knew who was the evil person and how he was going to get his comeuppance. The random missing money orders sub-plot was far more interesting and should have been developed. However, it was the period setting and references which were the most fun. This was a new ND for me as I had not read this one before and I actually enjoyed it as much as I would have done when I was younger. So I would rate it a good book!
Ned Nickerson makes his first appearance in this book. He is smitten with a single look at Nancy and by the end of the book has worked up enough courage to ask her to go steady (if I interpreted it correctly!). I rather enjoyed this lovelorn persona and it was funny to see how everyone keeps teasing Nancy about it. It's almost like you know Stratemeyer Syndicate has decided to have Ned for keeps.
The mystery itself wasn't much of one. You just knew who was the evil person and how he was going to get his comeuppance. The random missing money orders sub-plot was far more interesting and should have been developed. However, it was the period setting and references which were the most fun. This was a new ND for me as I had not read this one before and I actually enjoyed it as much as I would have done when I was younger. So I would rate it a good book!
March 30, 2013
I have to point out that I read every Nancy Drew I could get my hands on back in the late 70s. I was about 10 years old. They were consistently interesting, with cool facts about geography, science, and history. They were not too scary or gory; they always ended well. Nancy had a steady boyfriend and two best female friends; she could drive and, though she didn't have a mother, had a loving mother-figure in her life, without the messiness of a stepmother or a parental divorce. At the time I attached no importance whatsoever to her having a boyfriend; I just knew, as I had been taught by my parents, that dating would have to wait until I was 16. I was okay with that restriction; it relieved me to know I did not have to worry about boys until then (I could either ignore them or be friends, without romance). That was the first extended series of books I ever read; I have not found any other series since then that was as fulfilling to me as those books were then. It was what I needed. Of course, part of the bliss was that I had relatively few books to compare them with; my love affair with books was new. I recently was at loose ends, wanting the ability to dip into a book and swim in it, uninterrupted, blissfully intrigued in the story. This book I found on my shelf; my daughters are reading Nancy Drew occasionally now. I reread it so I could remember and rate it, and felt again that Nancy's world is simpler and happier, though still challenging, than the adult world I now inhabit. There is a place for stories that do not challenge the frontiers of fiction, that encourage and refresh with the knowledge that sometimes things work out beautifully for everyone.
I also have to point out that my 1962 edition had been rewritten from the original Clue in the Diary, which I did not know until this time around. I've never read the original. I strongly suspect Nancy Drew is being rewritten yet again; I'd rather keep the ones I'm familiar with. The 'modern' paperbacks of Nancy Drew that I read in the mid-80s felt different, somehow; they didn't have the same 'everything will be fine' assumption. I missed it, and so for my children I've kept the older volumes.
I also have to point out that my 1962 edition had been rewritten from the original Clue in the Diary, which I did not know until this time around. I've never read the original. I strongly suspect Nancy Drew is being rewritten yet again; I'd rather keep the ones I'm familiar with. The 'modern' paperbacks of Nancy Drew that I read in the mid-80s felt different, somehow; they didn't have the same 'everything will be fine' assumption. I missed it, and so for my children I've kept the older volumes.
February 23, 2021
The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene. 1995 Printing. Hardcover edition. 174 pages. Published by Grosset and Dunlap. 5 Stars.
In book #7, Nancy and her friends, girl cousins George and Bess, witness an exploding mansion. Nancy finds a ring and a diary out back and sees a man fleeing the scene. An exciting fast-paced mystery which also features handsome Ned Nickerson, Nancy’s new beau. Highly recommend.
In book #7, Nancy and her friends, girl cousins George and Bess, witness an exploding mansion. Nancy finds a ring and a diary out back and sees a man fleeing the scene. An exciting fast-paced mystery which also features handsome Ned Nickerson, Nancy’s new beau. Highly recommend.
November 9, 2017
Oh boy here comes Ned Nickerson. Here's good boy Ned Niskerwhiskers. Here he is Fred Nienermeiser. He telephones Nancy five times a day, and he eagerly agrees when she tells him to drive old ladies around on their errands. He's gonna be yet another character getting underfoot during investigations.
The mystery in this book: Nancy sees a house explode. Of course she rushes directly toward it. Upon arrival she sees a man dive into the bushes and escape. He leaves behind Sweedish-looking things: a signet ring and a diary that is difficult to read because the language is . . . wait for it. . . Sweeedish! Luckily Nancy knows five-dozen Swedish speaking people in her little New England town, but none of them are home when she tries to find them.
The mystery in this book: Nancy sees a house explode. Of course she rushes directly toward it. Upon arrival she sees a man dive into the bushes and escape. He leaves behind Sweedish-looking things: a signet ring and a diary that is difficult to read because the language is . . . wait for it. . . Sweeedish! Luckily Nancy knows five-dozen Swedish speaking people in her little New England town, but none of them are home when she tries to find them.
June 4, 2016
Typical Nancy Drew, though is seems as though Nancy might have found herself a boyfriend in this one, if this Ned guy sticks around to help her with more mysteries! This girl has all the luck too! I mean, what are the odds that she would be driving by a remote house at the very second it is blown up by a bomb, and what are the odds that she would find the diary that leads to solving the mystery of who done it? Okay, okay, I know, that is what makes these stories Nancy Drew mysteries. But doesn't anyone else ever wonder just how this girl always is in the exact right spot at the exact right time, every single solitary time?
July 4, 2015
I spent many summers growing up reading and rereading nancy Drew and always loved these books! I picked up one at the library the other day feeling very nostalgic. The book was every bit as delightful and engaging as I remember! I picked the clue in the diary vaguely remembering it was one of my favorites and soon realized it's the book where we meet Ned--no wonder it was a favorite! I just love nancy. I wish I had "chums" and ate "luncheon" and drove a roadster and could pull off a beret....ah, you've still got it nancy!
June 20, 2022
This is a charming Nancy Drew Mystery. Published in 1932, this first edition was on a book shelf in my mother’s house in Narragansett, RI. As I turned to the last page, there in pencil and very childish handwriting from many years ago was, “I have liked this book!”
I agree!
I agree!
February 1, 2023
Better than I remembered! This was a suspenseful mystery where you didn’t know if the good guy’s name would get cleared, or if the bad guy would ever get found.
Onto book 8!
Onto book 8!
June 16, 2022
Originally published in 1932, I read the revised 1962 version which is the first novel in which Nancy Drew officially meets Ned Nickerson( one of the early books in the series which I re-read last year also mentions Ned gallivanting off in Europe, but I guess that revisionist never read book 7🤣). When Nancy, Bess and George stumble upon a burning house and spy person running off into the woods, they are once again drawn into a mystery.
Whenever I feel the tingling sense of a reading slump coming upon me, I retreat to books that I have read from my childhood. However, I can honestly say that this was my first ever read of The Clue in the Diary as neither the cover nor the storyline awakens any memory for me as its predecessors did. So as a first time reader, I quite enjoyed the mystery story and the interactions with all the characters. I liked the inclusion of Swedish into the mystery and I love Nancy and Ned.
Goodreads review published 16/06/22
Whenever I feel the tingling sense of a reading slump coming upon me, I retreat to books that I have read from my childhood. However, I can honestly say that this was my first ever read of The Clue in the Diary as neither the cover nor the storyline awakens any memory for me as its predecessors did. So as a first time reader, I quite enjoyed the mystery story and the interactions with all the characters. I liked the inclusion of Swedish into the mystery and I love Nancy and Ned.
Goodreads review published 16/06/22
July 1, 2023
Reading Nancy Drew as an adult, I expected to be bored, or reading a book mostly suited for kids. I was wrong - it's so much fun! This is Ned Nickerson's first appearance in the series, and he makes an impact. Nancy, Bess, and George do have a few lucky breaks in the case, but I'm still impressed by their bravery. Can't wait for the new Nancy Drew video game to finally come out after such a long hiatus, but this is a fun way to spend the time until the release date.
May 13, 2021
I think it is a good and better book from the previous ones. But still I dont like some things in this book.
Things that didn't make sense
The cousins and Nancy are always out in the car like they dont have any work and no school. Also they are spending a LOT of money and eating out in the restaurants everyday.
And I have also noticed that in the books there are some things that are repetitive. Like Nancy is out on a normal day, find someone mostly good and poor, and then she finds something of a clue mostly. Then she has it all sorted out in her mind. She helps the people. She has a hunch. She goes out investigating at night ALWAYS. And there she finds the answer, but get caught. And then her friends or someone comes always at the exact moment and saves her. Police comes. She makes friends with them. But in the other books she continues making friends but they are not mentioned in other books as if they dont even exist.
One more thing. She has a high influence. She never has to struggle. Why? Because her father is the leading lawyer of River Heights. She is friends with police, everyone treats her in a good manner. She just says something and the authorities believe her. It seems as if the authorities are fools because they believe her so easily. She might have changed her path and betray them. Also, if a person with parents who are not lawyers or any official authority would like to be a detective and are as good or even better than Nancy, no one would have believed him/ her. That's unfair. It just shows how partial the authorities are (yes, its the truth but all of it shouldn't go towards Nancy).
Stuff that was good
Those were some pretty big problems, but the book is great as a fiction. The plot, is as always really good, and the storyline keeps me guessing what is about to happen next. Its a simple, enjoyable book, kind of the one that someone wants when they just want to relax.
Things that didn't make sense
The cousins and Nancy are always out in the car like they dont have any work and no school. Also they are spending a LOT of money and eating out in the restaurants everyday.
And I have also noticed that in the books there are some things that are repetitive. Like Nancy is out on a normal day, find someone mostly good and poor, and then she finds something of a clue mostly. Then she has it all sorted out in her mind. She helps the people. She has a hunch. She goes out investigating at night ALWAYS. And there she finds the answer, but get caught. And then her friends or someone comes always at the exact moment and saves her. Police comes. She makes friends with them. But in the other books she continues making friends but they are not mentioned in other books as if they dont even exist.
One more thing. She has a high influence. She never has to struggle. Why? Because her father is the leading lawyer of River Heights. She is friends with police, everyone treats her in a good manner. She just says something and the authorities believe her. It seems as if the authorities are fools because they believe her so easily. She might have changed her path and betray them. Also, if a person with parents who are not lawyers or any official authority would like to be a detective and are as good or even better than Nancy, no one would have believed him/ her. That's unfair. It just shows how partial the authorities are (yes, its the truth but all of it shouldn't go towards Nancy).
Stuff that was good
Those were some pretty big problems, but the book is great as a fiction. The plot, is as always really good, and the storyline keeps me guessing what is about to happen next. Its a simple, enjoyable book, kind of the one that someone wants when they just want to relax.
December 29, 2016
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Basic Info
Format: Audio
Pages/Length: 3hrs 10mins
Genre: Middle School; Mystery
Reason For Reading: Continue series
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: No
Cliff Hanger: No
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 2 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 6
Plot: 5
Characters: 5
World Building: 4
Flow: 3
Series Congruity: 8
Writing: 6
Ending: 4
Total: 4
In Depth
Best Part: It was short
Worst Part: The ending was like scooby doo.
Thoughts Had: Bore, next!
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: Yes
Recommending: Sure
Short Review: This was the first Nancy Drew book to bore me. There was a fire in the first part, which was crazy exciting, then nothing really happens after that. Some guy keeps hiding in the bushes, they think someone faked the fire, they find explosives in someone's house, but it was just told in a crazy boring way. Then the ending, dull! Damn the wife thou, she needed to be put in her place. And the narrator did some offensive accents.
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: N/A
Best Friend Material: Pass.
Review in GIF Form:
November 28, 2024
It was far too long ago when I read this to do an in-depth review. I am mulling over the idea, rereading some of my favorite Nancy Drew mysteries from childhood because I read every single one. I can say that this ranked among the top five even though I can barely remember what it was about. The mystery of the ivory charm is my favorite of all time. I also liked lilac in and tapping heels, but I really enjoyed this one too.
I will come back to write a more in-depth review if and when I do a reread.
I will come back to write a more in-depth review if and when I do a reread.
December 16, 2018
'Say,' said Ned, 'I have a notion to start a diary of my own!'
'Why don’t you?' Nancy asked lightly.
She became conscious that Ned’s eyes were looking straight at her. 'I will if I can fill most of the pages with entries of dates with you.'
Hahahahaha! Oh, Ned... I don't know if I should be impressed with your forwardness or roll my eyes out of cheesy embarrassment.
'Why don’t you?' Nancy asked lightly.
She became conscious that Ned’s eyes were looking straight at her. 'I will if I can fill most of the pages with entries of dates with you.'
Hahahahaha! Oh, Ned... I don't know if I should be impressed with your forwardness or roll my eyes out of cheesy embarrassment.
October 14, 2024
I think this is the last of The Laura Linney audios and they have been very fun but also a lot of these are very rough, this one much less so than the last couple. And Ned and Nancy!! I am an avowed Nancy Drew/Frank Hardy shipper but they were very cute here. I see why people love them.
January 29, 2021
I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"The book you have will help"
uhh yeah
Ahh so this is the book where Nancy and Ned meet
and the raybolts disgust me
look what honey's family had to go through
i hate such kind of people
"The book you have will help"
uhh yeah
Ahh so this is the book where Nancy and Ned meet
and the raybolts disgust me
look what honey's family had to go through
i hate such kind of people
December 11, 2025
Can’t stop won’t stop
July 25, 2019
Book 7 was great!
February 10, 2019
A shitty week has to be compensated by a Nancy Drew. This arrangement goes well together. :D
I had probably read all these titles before, but had almost forgotten. Feels like I am reliving my childhood by re-reading them.
Happy reading! :)
I had probably read all these titles before, but had almost forgotten. Feels like I am reliving my childhood by re-reading them.
Happy reading! :)
November 21, 2012
The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene is the seventh book in the Nancy Drew mystery stories trilogy. While Nancy and her friends, George and Bess, are returning from a carnival, they witness an explosion in a beautiful mansion. Hoping that no one is in the blazing building, they run to the rescue and unexpectedly figure out that they are confronted in a mystery. As their interesting day goes on, Nancy finds a couple artifacts knowing that it is connected to the mystery. Finding these artifacts makes Nancy and her friends anxious and determined to figure out the mystery.
The clue in the diary has moments of brilliance especially in the Drue’s house. As well, a more courageous and clever Nancy is revealed. On the other hand, I believe that readers will be satisfied by the many mysteries that happen in the story and cannot wait to figure out the answers to all of them.
Nevertheless, I consider The Clue of the Diary as an interesting mystery leaving the reader in great suspense. I look forward to reading the rest of the book and anxious to figure out the exciting and interesting mystery.
The clue in the diary has moments of brilliance especially in the Drue’s house. As well, a more courageous and clever Nancy is revealed. On the other hand, I believe that readers will be satisfied by the many mysteries that happen in the story and cannot wait to figure out the answers to all of them.
Nevertheless, I consider The Clue of the Diary as an interesting mystery leaving the reader in great suspense. I look forward to reading the rest of the book and anxious to figure out the exciting and interesting mystery.
November 14, 2022
I'm rereading the series, and I think this one is probably one of my favorites in the original series! I loved that I got to find out, that this is the first appearance of Ned Nickerson (Nancy's boyfriend). The Mystery kept me intrigued from start to finish, a mysterious fire, a man who is found running away from the scene and a dropped diary will all lead Nancy Drew on an incredible mystery ride.
April 5, 2020
This is one of the earlier Nancy drew mystery books, involving a case which Nancy must solve with the help of her friends bess and george, her boyfriend ned, her father and their housekeeper hanna, with almost the only clue, a note in an old diary, join Nancy as she works to solve this case. I would recommend this entertaining book to young people who enjoy mystery and intrigue as well as fun
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