A Crime for Christmas

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys: Super Mystery #2

by Carolyn Keene

AMERICA'S HOTTEST TEEN SLEUTHS TEAM UP WHEN TERROR THREATENS A CROWN PRINCE

NANCY DREW is in New York to join THE HARDY BOYS on an important case. They're conducting an intense manhunt for a pair of big-time cat burglars. And they're sure the daring criminal duo will try to scoop up a special prize--the spectacular Crown Jewels of Sarconne, which are on display at a museum.

Meanwhile...

Nancy's friend Bess is enjoying the holiday season with a dream date--a handsome and mysterious guy called John. To impress Bess, John takes the gang on a torrid tour of Manhattan's fabulous nightlife. Their fling includes everything from horse-drawn carriages in Central Park to drawn guns at their Park Avenue hotel.

But with political forces set to blow apart a gala U.N. dinner, Nancy, Frank, and Joe are suddenly trapped between hot rocks and a royal disaster...

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Christmas, Middle Grade, Childrens, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

224 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good Frank/Nancy book and that is all that matters.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

i can't believe frank and nancy are in LOVE

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

It may not be December, but Yuletide-themed stories are usually good any time of the year...including this one! Exciting and convoluted, I devoured this one in one sitting.

[Sana]

Started reading for the childhood nostalgia, stayed for the Francy ship.

[Eric Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good ND/HB book. My biggest complaint about this book though is the fact that the main cat burglar mystery is largely ignored for most of this book! Most of the story is focused on one of the characters, Prince Jean-Claude and the mystery of why he keeps getting kidnapped numerous times! I felt nothing much was happening in the first half of the book, and things just seemed to kept repeating itself(Jean-Claude numerously being kidnapped 3 times, the gang going out clubbing every few pages.) and it was a bit annoying. The romance for the first half was also bit too much for my taste. The plot was so predictable as well and the clues in this book come to Nancy and the Hardys by pure luck or accident! They hardly do any sleuthing in this book and solve the mysteries based on luck and random hunches without concrete evidence! However, the author did a good job on characterization in this book and most of the characters were interesting to read about! The second half of this book was very suspenseful and the action scenes were page turning! It's just too bad the mystery was ignored and weak throughout the book or else this could have been an excellent read. I will give it 3 1/2 stars.

[katy (taylor's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

frank & nancy at Christmastime w/ plenty of pining?! all i ever wanted, truly

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read this for the Christmas in NYC vibes but Bess and Jean-Claude almost made me quit the book because of all their idiotic decisions.

[Annie Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was genuinely painful at times... but I love Nancy and Frank together so I'll give it three stars :)

[steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

#2 on my Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Super Mystery re-read of 2012.

CHECKLIST:
A compelling and interesting mystery. √
Joe flirting with all the females. √ (+Bess)
Surprising twists. (ehhhh...I solved both mysteries halfway through so that gets half a check from me)
Nancy trying to ignore her attraction toward Frank due to the fact they are both seeing other people but still lusting after him anyways √√√ (yes, for this book, it was tripled checked)
GeorgeBess getting attached and then her heart (almost) broken by a new guy √
Joe or Frank or Nancy or George or Bess getting almost killed/murdered/maimed/kidnapped/locked away etc before being rescued at the last possible minute by one (or two or three) of the others √
A happy ending that wouldn't have come around if the teenage detectives hadn't figured it out. √

The mystery in this one wasn't my favorite but I did like interaction between all the characters and side people and adding it in with chocolate and the holiday season always makes me happy. Plus, at one point, ALL THREE COUPLES WENT ICE SKATING TOGETHER AND NANCY AND FRANK DID A LITTLE FLIRTING ON THE ICE AND IT WAS WONDERFUL. The Prince was a bit of a wuss however and I don't why Bess liked him, but he made Joe jealous and he added to the mystery so that was pretty good. I must say though, that the chemistry between Nancy and Frank in this particular book was OFF THE CHARTS. Seriously. I'm not even sure why Nancy is still denying it to herself....

[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.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2024 review: DNF. Tried this book again because I’ve been reading and liking more Nancy Drew lately. My original review stands. The writing is so chaotic but repetitive. 3 kidnappings of the same person and none of them are successful? Nothing makes sense. They don’t seem to do much sleuthing and just luck into clues and solving the mystery.

Set in NYC around Christmas time.
Stolen jewels
Royalty
Joe falls in a vat of chocolate
Hot dog vendor

I enjoyed the Regular Nancy Drew podcast episode more than the book.

2021 review: This was ok. A lot of action but it felt disjointed and I zoned out a lot. Lacking in characterization and holiday spirit.

Ghostwriter is Peter Lerangis.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good
Jean-claude was annoying af tho
but that FRANCY....

[Kal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sorry, but the prince is kind of an idiot.

[L.E. Fidler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welcome to the next stop on the nostalgia book tour.

This book pretty much gave ten year old me what I’ll lovingly call unrealistic expectations for what a trip to New York should be like.

Also well-read me would have seen through the unsubtle naming of the Count.

Also I forgot how much of this book was basically Bess hormones exploding everywhere. Jean or Joe...who will she pick? Who will want her?

And then of course there was the Nancy existential crisis involving her latent attraction to Frank. It’s Christmas and she can’t be bothered to think of her boyfriend’s eyes? Girl, that’s the sign you’re looking for.

And of course the mystery wasn’t so mysterious but the nostalgia was high.

That said, I had some pretty big concerns for the foursome left to not only save the heir to to Sarconne throne but also foil the nefarious wishes of two muppet jewel thieves.

Like, girls, don’t fall in love with a guy who scales walls and hangs outside your hotel room. At night. Through eel-infested waters...

Oh, and pretty sure consuming plastique warrants a call to poison control at the very least. Bess, girl, you in danger.

2.5 stars. Probably a five when I was ten, but well, I’m sadly not that anymore.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgia reading again. I try not to judge these books too harshly because they were published back in the eighties and for junior high/high school students. When I first read them back in 7th and 8th grade, I thought they were great I always loved when Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys joined forces on a case. Nowadays my enjoyment more comes from the comfort and nostalgia I get in rereading these books. Having said that although I did have a good time reading this book, I do not think it was one of the better ones in the series. This time Bess joins Nancy in New York City where they along with Frank and Joe were supposed to stop a known pair of cat burglars. Instead, Bess goes completely boy crazy over a prince and makes sooooo many stupid decisions that it got really annoying really fast. Having said that I'm glad I read it and hope to read more in this series in the future.

[TurningPages · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm actually really surprised that this book has so many positive reviews. Did we all read the same book? Because the book I read was extremely predictable and repetitive. The solutions to the mysteries were obvious from the get-go and the consistent incompetence of "America's hottest teen detectives" made reading this book a tedious and frustrating experience. On top of that, so much of the dialog in this book gave me second-hand embarrassment. What is the point of a Hardy Boys-Nancy Drew "Super" Mystery when the mystery is so obvious and uninspired? The original text Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books were longer and more compelling than this book was.

[August · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery was predictable, but Nancy Drew mysteries usually are for anyone over the age of twelve. It's nice to read Nancy Drew books where Nancy, you know...actually has a personality. I have a soft spot for boy-crazy '80s Nancy, and in that regard, this book did not disappoint. Besides, we all know Nancy and Frank are made for each other.

[Kathryn Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys and this was a blast from the past! This book was written in the 80's and it followed the classic formula where every chapter ends on a cliff hanger. Nancy, Bess, Joe, and Fred travel to New York City at Christmastime to try to catch jewel robbers. It was very fun to read this on a family vacation in a cabin.

[Amanda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kidnappings, museum heists, a royal prince, fancy U. N. galas, jealousy, dinosaurs, explosives, a “will they or won’t they” thing going on between Nancy and Frank, and frickin Joe gets pitched into a vat of melted chocolate
This was chaotically written and absurdly repetitive but it’s a 4 star for entertainment value

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was years ago when I read this book and can't remember very much about it but I'm sure I was enthralled.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether or not it's because this one reminds me of a Hallmark Christmas movie, I've always really enjoyed it.

[Roderick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgic fun, but sloppy end to second mystery (very accidental)

[Leslie Finkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this felt like I was watching and old school Scooby Doo episode.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually pretty good -- much better than the first edition original Nancy Drew I reread a few months ago. It was excruciatingly 80s but that's OK!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My recap/review (with spoilers/cursing):

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

[Fallon Ann Cribbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is good because Frank and Nancy. I enjoyed this one.

[Maddy Walock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was wild! Crazy premise and Christmas is just the backdrop for it all lol.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun!

It did kind of seem like the Hardy Boys were wasted here, though. Nancy solved all of the clues and figured everything out, and they just kind of stood around.

[Jeremiah (Star struck and VERY smitten Cowboy)]

No star.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I liked it because I like Nancy Drew. I enjoy the mix with the Hardy boys. But why aren't they calling the police?