Most Likely to Die

Nancy Drew Files #27

by Carolyn Keene

Most Likely to Die

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime

154 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the 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 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.

Reviews

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how they added details from the original Nancy Drew series in this book.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of fun and excitement, as usual for this series.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered the Nancy Drew Case files at an antique market. Apparently they did a spin-off of the original ND books in the 80s and 90s geared toward teens? I loved the 80s covers and had to read them for myself. I actually really enjoyed them! Gave me all the nostalgia feels with a weird 80s spin? Fast, easy read - fun for longtime ND readers:)

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Most Likely To Die
Author: Carolyn Keene
Series: Nancy Drew Files, #27
Format: ebook
Length: 160 pages
Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis: Nancy's high school class reunion provides a mysterious opportunity when former cheerleader Wendy Harriman finds her room ransacked and a horrifying death threat is left among the mess.

Favourite character: George
Least favourite character: Wendy

Mini-review: I thought this was a pretty good Nancy Drew book. I always like reading the ones I’ve never read before, because then I don’t know the ending ahead of time. I didn’t guess this one, surprisingly. But I wasn’t really shocked. I can’t actually remember the last time a Nancy Drew shocked me.

Fan-cast:
Nancy Drew - Katherine McNamara
Bess Marvin - Abigail Breslin
George Fayne - Brianna Hildebrand
Ned Nickerson - Ansel Elgort
Carson Drew - Paul Rudd
Wendy Harriman - Madelaine Petsch
Patrick Emmons - Luke Benward
Don Cameron - Timothée Chalamet
Monica Beckwith - Amy Forsyth
Celia Quaid - Haley Lu Richardson
Judd Reese - Justice Smith

[Jimena Patiño · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun it was very different than the original Mystery series and kept me on the edge till the very end. It's funny that it has some kind of PLL going on because Wendy's character was a bit Alison di laurentis. I wanted something i could finish in One sitting and found it .

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first time reading a book in the Nancy Drew Files series, though I have read several of the original Nancy Drews. While I was at first disappointed with the updates to Nancy's character, overall, the essence of Nancy still remains the same. You can tell the Files series was adapted to fit the times of the Sweet Valley High era: the pastel colors and Nancy's more revealing clothing on the covers, which most usually feature a hunky man in the background while Nancy looks frightened...but that's a different discussion.

Having read other female detective series like Kay Tracey, Nancy, despite her updates, still keeps her intelligence and quick thinking in this book. The main detriment to this particular case is that while there are definitely several different characters/suspects (and as short as the book is, they're not badly developed), the culprit's motive reads as very weak. I suppose any novel that focuses on someone bent on high school revenge is going to be somewhat, well, childish, but the extremes the culprit goes to seem slightly ridiculous. That's mainly the reason why I didn't rate this book higher.

This book also raised several questions that weren't ever answered. Why is Nancy going to a high school reunion when she seems to have graduated a year or two prior to the novel? Why do people want to hang out with Wendy, when she seems like a total idiot? Where did the culprit find clothesline on such a short notice? Why is Nancy really not as bothered by her stalker ex-boyfriend? Do those tunnel of love boats even really exist anymore?

Overall, not necessarily a bad Nancy Drew book, just easily forgettable.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series!

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. This was a lot of fun. I liked the plot and the mystery itself was executed really well. At this point I know exactly what I’m getting with this series. They’re nothing amazing but they are such a good time.

[SadyeReads]

I really used to read these books from ages 11-13 and looking back now I cannot believe how dark they actually are. Not going to rate this but it was fun to remember the amount I used to love these and it was a fast read to help my goal.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My recap/review (includes spoilers/cursing):

https://anchor.fm/nancy-drew-nickerso...

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. It was an entertaining nostalgia read. I liked learning more about Nancy and the gang's high school years.

[Valerie Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this beauty up at a thrift store for kind of a joke-read, but, the joke's on me because I actually really liked it.
My problem with traditional Nancy Drew is that Miss Drew must serve too many masters. She's a detective, yes, but she's also beholden to the very traditional feminine behavior of the time she was initially written (the first four titles were published in 1930).
I recently read an old title (The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, 1946) where eminent lawyer Carson Drew has to hurry away to see about--I don't know--something, and he asks Nancy to pack his bag. Not because he's too busy or is otherwise incapable of doing it himself, but because that's just something she would do as a dutiful daughter. The lack of explanation in his request is, frankly, way more chilling than that tolling bell. But that's just the thing. Nancy's good at solving mysteries, but she's always having to do a bunch of other things--changing for dinner, helping with the luncheon dishes, going on dates with Ned--and it slows her down.
In Most Likely to Die, written in 1988, she's relieved of those responsibilities, and frankly, it makes a big difference. Narratively, the story just moves a lot faster without Nancy constantly checking in with her dad (eminent River Heights lawyer Carson Drew) and Hannah for permission to go sleuthing. It's also a little darker. The story begins at an informal high school reunion and centers around Nancy's old classmates being robbed and terrorized by an unknown villain. The attacks are personal, so Nancy knows it's someone they went to school with, and there's actual tension and suspense.
Though, when we find out the assailant is the golden boy, Patrick Emmons, who's had some sort of mental break because he was caught stealing and/or flunked out of his ivy league school, all I could think was that he was never going to be properly punished because of golden boy justice (#readingin2019probs).
There are enough hints, but not too many giveaways, so the end was kind of a surprise, which felt fun.
Despite the changes, Ned still went to Emerson College, Bess and George were still around but basically useless, and Nancy was still perfect, so, there was enough of the classic, too.
And, not once did anyone ask Nancy to pack their bag.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[K.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this even though the motive was dodgy. I have a thing for high school reunions. When Nancy and the girls go to a party thrown by their old classmates, the hostess is threatened and a BBQ blows up in a guys face. Other students are threatened as well, and Nancy uncovers old secrets and rivalries before getting to the bottom of the mystery.

[Partridge Public]

Keene, Carolyn PB

[Makenna Pound · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read book. Intense. LOVE mystery books! Great book! I would have given it 4.5 stars.

[Rianna *Hermione* B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way more violent than other Nancy Drew mysteries I've read. Wooah. Twisted culprit.

[V. Arrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good, solid Nancy Drew story. I do wish that it had more of Bess & George.