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Nancy Clue & Cherry Aimless #1
The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse
Nurse Cherry Aimless’s first vacation from her hectic career in a big-city hospital takes her to visit her spinster Aunt Gertrude in thrilling San Francisco. Wistfully trading her starched white cap and dress for a bright yellow poplin frock with a flared skirt, young Cherry takes to the highway, never imagining the gay adventures that await her. Imagine her surprise to learn that Aunt Gertrude has been kidnapped! Armed only with the contents of her purse, and with the help of new chums Midge, Velma, and a dashing female police officer named Jackie, the plucky but innocent Cherry must save her aunt, find a gaggle of missing nuns, and stop an illegal land grab — all under the warm gaze of her hero, girl detective Nancy Clue. And when the queer caper has ended, will there be a chance for Nancy and Cherry?
Mabel Maney’s camp classic The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse has been beloved by readers since it was first published in 1993. This sparkling parody of 1950s girl adventure stories will make you laugh out loud and long for a lemon Jell-O mold. Golly, it’s a good time!
Mabel Maney’s camp classic The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse has been beloved by readers since it was first published in 1993. This sparkling parody of 1950s girl adventure stories will make you laugh out loud and long for a lemon Jell-O mold. Golly, it’s a good time!
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
8 people are currently reading
584 people want to read
About the author
Mabel Maney
8 books67 followersMabel Maney is an artist and author from San Francisco, California known for her lesbian pulp fiction. She is the author of the Nancy Clue series, a lesbian parody of the Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, and Hardy Boys series. More recently, she is the author of the "Jane Bond" novels, a series of parodies of James Bond. Mabel's short fiction can also be found the humor anthology "May Contain Nuts".
Maney is famous for the quote "For a long time I thought I wanted to be a nun. Then I realized that what I really wanted to be was a lesbian."
Mabel was born in New Jersey. Her family moved to the midwest where was educated and permanently scarred by dour nuns. She was one of four children in an Irish Catholic family in Appleton, Wisconsin where she worked in her family's paper hat factory. She graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and received a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Francisco State University.
Maney is famous for the quote "For a long time I thought I wanted to be a nun. Then I realized that what I really wanted to be was a lesbian."
Mabel was born in New Jersey. Her family moved to the midwest where was educated and permanently scarred by dour nuns. She was one of four children in an Irish Catholic family in Appleton, Wisconsin where she worked in her family's paper hat factory. She graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and received a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Francisco State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
January 19, 2019
Well, that was fun.
Mabel Maney does an excellent job writing a parody of old Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames books while spinning a decent mystery with likable characters. Who wouldn't be interested in solving the mystery of a convent of disappearing nuns?
Most of the book is through the eyes of Cherry Aimless, a naive and super positive nurse that likes solving crimes on the side. The charm of the read is in the innocence of Cherry, the time in which the story takes place, and the nearly all female and all lesbian cast. It's quite entertaining for such a clean read.
The mystery unravels in a satisfying way and the adventure in the book builds to a good climax with a great cast of characters made all the more fun by Nancy Clue and Cherry Aimless becoming a couple.
I quickly bought the other two books in the series even before I was finished. Unfortunately, these are not available as ebooks so it's old school paperback reading which pairs well with the experience.
Mabel Maney does an excellent job writing a parody of old Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames books while spinning a decent mystery with likable characters. Who wouldn't be interested in solving the mystery of a convent of disappearing nuns?
Most of the book is through the eyes of Cherry Aimless, a naive and super positive nurse that likes solving crimes on the side. The charm of the read is in the innocence of Cherry, the time in which the story takes place, and the nearly all female and all lesbian cast. It's quite entertaining for such a clean read.
The mystery unravels in a satisfying way and the adventure in the book builds to a good climax with a great cast of characters made all the more fun by Nancy Clue and Cherry Aimless becoming a couple.
I quickly bought the other two books in the series even before I was finished. Unfortunately, these are not available as ebooks so it's old school paperback reading which pairs well with the experience.
January 24, 2018
The Case Of The Not-So-Nice Nurse (Nancy Clue & Cherry Aimless #1) sure was a barrel of laughs. Mabel Maney did a wonderful job doing a parody on the 50ies girl adventure books. Very tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted, campy fun!
Everyone is gay, or clueless… or in case of Cherry Aimless both! But you have to love naïve nurse Cherry. Always doing her duty, impeccably dressed in her starched uniform, not a curl out of place under her little nurse’s cap, incredibly sweet-natured and gayer than a handbag full of rainbows.
Be prepared for a great mystery involving the kidnapping of a mysterious patient with amnesia, a book that holds an important clue, being followed by a man in a dark trench coat, a trip to San Francisco, the disappearance of a whole convent full of nuns and Cherry’s aunt Gertrude, the search for Nancy Clue and much more.
There are parts where the story turns serious , but overall the tone is light and silly and should be read with that in mind.
f/f sex is implied but never on camera, it’s good clean fun, folks! ;-)
Themes: golly! everyone is gay, Cherry’s clueless mom is a hoot, Nurse Aimless and her chums, there’s more to Nurse Peg Marstad than meets the eye, the nuns of the Sisters of Mercy convent are unlike any nuns I’ve ever encountered (not that I’ve met that many), the ending of the book is the continuation of their adventure (not really a clif hanger, but it's not over yet).
4 stars
Everyone is gay, or clueless… or in case of Cherry Aimless both! But you have to love naïve nurse Cherry. Always doing her duty, impeccably dressed in her starched uniform, not a curl out of place under her little nurse’s cap, incredibly sweet-natured and gayer than a handbag full of rainbows.
Be prepared for a great mystery involving the kidnapping of a mysterious patient with amnesia, a book that holds an important clue, being followed by a man in a dark trench coat, a trip to San Francisco, the disappearance of a whole convent full of nuns and Cherry’s aunt Gertrude, the search for Nancy Clue and much more.
There are parts where the story turns serious , but overall the tone is light and silly and should be read with that in mind.
f/f sex is implied but never on camera, it’s good clean fun, folks! ;-)
Themes: golly! everyone is gay, Cherry’s clueless mom is a hoot, Nurse Aimless and her chums, there’s more to Nurse Peg Marstad than meets the eye, the nuns of the Sisters of Mercy convent are unlike any nuns I’ve ever encountered (not that I’ve met that many), the ending of the book is the continuation of their adventure (not really a clif hanger, but it's not over yet).
4 stars
November 29, 2020
I found this available for purchase on EBook format through googleplay books, at least here in Australia, since it isn't available on my kindle app.
I did enjoy it for the most part - but I have to admit to it becoming a slog, for me. It just felt like we were getting nowhere fast, and had a lot of 'side quests' so it seemed and they were introducing a lot of characters.
It is very amusing, Cherry is incredibly naive, but non-judgemental, which in itself is refreshing. She's just like "oh golly gosh, I'm naked in bed with a woman! Wherever did my pantyhose go?" lol.
But at some point I kind of got over the tone, and all the 'in' jokes and absurdity and started feeling like a bit of a third wheel along with an in-crowd of people who all knew eachother and had their own special language of communication and in-jokes, while I just kinda lurked on the periphery without not really knowing what was going on feeling awkward and left out. Hope that makes sense.
Extra points for the drawn image inside the book of Nancy Clue and Cherry Aimless making out behind the bar.
I did enjoy it for the most part - but I have to admit to it becoming a slog, for me. It just felt like we were getting nowhere fast, and had a lot of 'side quests' so it seemed and they were introducing a lot of characters.
It is very amusing, Cherry is incredibly naive, but non-judgemental, which in itself is refreshing. She's just like "oh golly gosh, I'm naked in bed with a woman! Wherever did my pantyhose go?" lol.
But at some point I kind of got over the tone, and all the 'in' jokes and absurdity and started feeling like a bit of a third wheel along with an in-crowd of people who all knew eachother and had their own special language of communication and in-jokes, while I just kinda lurked on the periphery without not really knowing what was going on feeling awkward and left out. Hope that makes sense.
Extra points for the drawn image inside the book of Nancy Clue and Cherry Aimless making out behind the bar.
March 15, 2012
This book hits so many of my reading kinks it's not even funny. For one, it's a gentle, but loving, poke at the Nancy Drew novels I inhaled growing up. For two, it's a fun satire on 1950s culture (you can spend the whole book playing "spot the unnamed celebrity"). For three? It's just fun! Nurse Cherry Aimless is a delightful and darling heroine, and her exploits with her cadre of lesbian adventurers in the wonderland of San Francisco are a blast to read.
I think what really made this book work for me is the obvious love Mabel Maney has for the source material. Too many parodies are simply mean-spirited takes on the original - Case Of the Not-So-Nice Nurse is the equivalent of a gentle ribbing from a friend, instead of the cutting remark from a total stranger. You can enjoy this book as an adult, while remembering the sense of delight and wonder you had reading Nancy Drew as a child, without the book trying to make that childhood enjoyment come off as unseemly or immature.
I think what really made this book work for me is the obvious love Mabel Maney has for the source material. Too many parodies are simply mean-spirited takes on the original - Case Of the Not-So-Nice Nurse is the equivalent of a gentle ribbing from a friend, instead of the cutting remark from a total stranger. You can enjoy this book as an adult, while remembering the sense of delight and wonder you had reading Nancy Drew as a child, without the book trying to make that childhood enjoyment come off as unseemly or immature.
January 2, 2008
Hilarious send-up of Cherry Ames, Nancy Drew and every lesbian Harlequin-type romance all rolled into one delightfully twisted package. I laughed all the way through it.
December 27, 2016
I laughed so hard for most of the book! This is what the closeted lesbian me needed as a kid.
February 9, 2020
Parody of Nancy Drew. Entertaining characters, all the goodies - females and males are gay. The baddies are going straight to hell for Nunnapping.
October 6, 2009
This is an extremely clever lesbian parody of the traditional 1950's novel featuring Cherry Aims, senior nurse. I read the 1950's versions that were my mothers, and always felt let down that Cherry or Nancy Drew was into guys. Reading Maney's books on Nancy Clue and Cherry Aimless give me the childhood stories (in cheeky adult format) that I always craved at 12. Thank you, Mabel Maney!
The two criticisms I have of Maney's books are that many of the characters have experienced sexual abuse, and that's not always typical of lesbians I know or for myself. Also, though I can appreciate the butch-femme dynamic, I wish it weren't so pronounced in Maney's books. Other than that, this (like her other books) was a great read: fun, suspenseful, playful writing, and funny!
The two criticisms I have of Maney's books are that many of the characters have experienced sexual abuse, and that's not always typical of lesbians I know or for myself. Also, though I can appreciate the butch-femme dynamic, I wish it weren't so pronounced in Maney's books. Other than that, this (like her other books) was a great read: fun, suspenseful, playful writing, and funny!
May 14, 2012
This book was hilarious. I loved how everyone was gay. I loved how Cherry's mom was totally clueless about her son's "roommate". I loved how "Doris Day" was outed in this book. I loved every single page.
This book is obviously a spoof of the Nancy Drew series. It's supposed to be comical and I thought it was. People are are seeking eroticism from this are in the wrong section of the store.
I say read it with an open mind, not expecting anything at all. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. If you are biased against gays, lesbians, black people, butchy females, nuns, preachers, feminine females, cops, criminals, nurses and humor, you will not enjoy this and probably shouldn't read it.
This book is obviously a spoof of the Nancy Drew series. It's supposed to be comical and I thought it was. People are are seeking eroticism from this are in the wrong section of the store.
I say read it with an open mind, not expecting anything at all. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. If you are biased against gays, lesbians, black people, butchy females, nuns, preachers, feminine females, cops, criminals, nurses and humor, you will not enjoy this and probably shouldn't read it.
January 6, 2014
As a feminist and big fan of Nancy Drew, a friend recommended this to me. I remember holding up the book, reading the first chapter, and going, "Give me ... two hours and I'll have this read."
Sure enough, I gobbled up this book. It's an amazingly quick read, especially if you're familiar with the books being spoofed.
The only complaint I have is that it... well, wasn't smutty enough for my tastes! This is more of a social commentary on the genre, tame enough to give your teenage daughter (if you're a progressive mother, at least).
Sure enough, I gobbled up this book. It's an amazingly quick read, especially if you're familiar with the books being spoofed.
The only complaint I have is that it... well, wasn't smutty enough for my tastes! This is more of a social commentary on the genre, tame enough to give your teenage daughter (if you're a progressive mother, at least).
March 7, 2012
This wasn't a literary masterpiece in terms of beautiful writing, but once I realized that it was a calculated and accurate parody of a Nancy Drew book (hey, it's been 15+ years!) set in a revamped America where everyone is a lesbian, it was SO MUCH FUN to read.
I'd recommend this for people who read Nancy Drew as kids and are in the mood for a silly quick read.
I'd recommend this for people who read Nancy Drew as kids and are in the mood for a silly quick read.
November 26, 2007
This book was awesome. It was a quick, juvenile book. Its like it was written for the youth but it's slightly twisted with affairs and theme. But, it was fun. I've given it to a couple people to read and have heard only good things.
September 22, 2012
I have just restarted reading these three books with my wife. I love how cheeky they are in innocent yet slightly sexual in that girls first crush you make be blush kind of way. This book is an easy read and a wonderful change if you would like to get away from the day to day gay/lesbian book.
July 16, 2019
I love pulp fiction and turning it on it's head with humor and style this book hit the mark. I've never read any Cherry Ames or Nancy Drew stories but I feel confident that fans of those will really enjoy this story.
April 17, 2020
Brilliant, tongue-in-cheek humor, with plenty of queer asides for those in the know.
January 7, 2017
7/10 story
7/10 amusing
11/10 lesbians
7/10 amusing
11/10 lesbians
March 26, 2017
The mystery in this book was pretty fantastical and out there, but that's what made it so 50s. It's not like any of those mysteries were really 'plausible', but they were always fun, and always campy. Just like in this book. It really feels like a book from that era, where what Nancy Drew (or in this case, Clue) was wearing was just as or even more important than what mystery she was actually solving. The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse also brought all that homoeroticism full circle and gave it a full spotlight. As if nobody could see all the tension between Nancy, Bess and George. :p
October 22, 2007
Another campy romp through 1950s girl-sleuthing with Cherry Aimless and Nancy Clue. While the gay stereotypes are all present and accounted for, the hilarious situations and dialogue is enough to keep you turing the pages. The meticulous descriptions of the clothes the characters wear, along with the penchant for the primary characters to creelingly ogle other women just adds spice to this quick, harmless read.
September 11, 2008
This is the first in the series featuring the ever-perky Cherry Aimless and the famous girl detective, nancy Clue. I'd definately read this before THE GOOD-FOR-NOTHING GIRL FRIEND, because it introduces the main characters and sets up the story for the other title. They have fun with the conventions of the story, making most of the characters gay or lesbian, but it's a gentle fun. It can get a bit silly a times, but never nasty or trashy. Good entertainment reading.
May 20, 2008
This series is a favorite of mine. The setting is fetchingly 50s and 'normal people' are queer while the odd ones are straight. It made me laugh out loud every time I picked it up. If you are a queen or like queens....read it. It's sure to put a smile on your face!! Great therapy! It is a spoof of Nancy Drew style mysteries!
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March 6, 2009hell yeah - i will never get sick of terribly written lesbian fiction. especially when the characters have names like cherry aimless and cassie case and nancy clue! i'll be hanging out with my right hand tonight ...
November 27, 2007
These Mabel Maney books just get better and better.
February 8, 2008
Mabel Maney is a hoot!
Not only are her characters wonderful hybrids of the girl detective genre and oh-so-gay pulp novels, but her mysteries are a scream!
Not only are her characters wonderful hybrids of the girl detective genre and oh-so-gay pulp novels, but her mysteries are a scream!
August 20, 2008
Another fun parody from Mabel Manly...one of the better ones. She is camp-o-liscious.
May 8, 2008
Cheesy but cute.
June 18, 2008
Clever send-up of Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames books. I never read them but the Maney books are great fun.
September 22, 2008
This is hilarious, what a fun book!!
December 29, 2009
The style was so delightfully familiar from all my childhood Nancy Drew reading but with added super gayness--it was a great quick read to distract me from the stress of finishing college.
December 5, 2008
I read this years ago and found it to be much in the era of the original Nancy Drew's. It's very tongue-in-cheek.
December 28, 2008
Fun fun fun! If you ever read serial fiction as a kid, you'll enjoy the Mabel Maney books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews