Deep Secrets

Nancy Drew Files #50

by Carolyn Keene, Anne Greenberg (Editor)

As Nancy's summer vacation in the Hamptons draws to a close, she struggles to choose between Ned, her longtime beau, and the handsome dancer Sasha, and she investigates the kidnapping of a millionaire's daughter

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Summer, Childrens, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library)]

A good mystery...but a bit too much romantic drama.

[Zora]

The stars are a rating for the intended audience of 11-14 y.o. girls. For adults, skip it. Nancy is 18-ish in this book. (She was 18 for something like 70 years, which is nice work if you can get it.) She's away from home in this one, so no dad or Hannah, but some George and Bess and Ned screentime. The cover tells you the setting.

I've read a few of these "Files" books as my library inexplicably gets random ones from time to time. This entry moved me to review for two points. 1) it's not a bad mystery. There are 3 suspects, and there is real danger, and while the motivation for the criminal is a little off in that Drew/Hardy/Scooby-Do sort of way, it serves.

2) The other thing of note is these "Files" books have minor romantic subplots, and Nancy sometimes crushes on some guy who isn't Ned. A three-book romance (I haven't read all three, just this, the culminating one), with a Soviet ballet star, Sasha, comes to a head when Ned arrives, sees what's been happening, and there's a very tepid love triangle that lasts, oh, 48 hours. A lack of communication is supposed to make it more dramatic, but a ten-minute conversation could have solved the tension, so that device didn't work all that well, and Nancy comes off as a little bit of a tease. Poor Nancy only feels a tingle in her belly or sternum if she kisses Ned. For adults this sounds like the prelude to a miserable marriage, but for 12-year old readers, it's no doubt the right code to use. These days, I assume most 14 year old girls are having sex. I'd hope not, mind you, but I assume so. For them, this asexual romance would result in eye-rolling, so what I'm saying is the audience needs to be sexually naive for the romance part to work. But I don't know that a 9-year-old girl would be interested in this level of romantic content. It is 85% mystery, only 15% relationship stuff.

My understanding is that the Nancy Drew on Campus series, which I've never read, includes even more romance, plus issues of social consequence, with very little mystery.

[K.L.]

Finally this trilogy is at an end
I cant remember the plot, but Ned finally shows up and fights for Nancy's love. Spoiler. He keeps it. Sasha retires behind the Iron Curtain and leavea Nancy alone😂

[Annabelle]

hmm

nancy drew was very annoying in this

for one: i don't like romance mixed in with my mystery. (especially this much of it; basically everyone had a partner.) for another: the romance was pretty bad. nancy was definitely in the wrong the whole time. my guy ned did not deserve her.

the mystery was fine, i guess. not anything top notch, but i was expecting that.

also, i was very confused in the beginning, because there's gary and george, and nancy and sasha. this sounds like two gay couples. they are not. george is a woman and sasha is a man.

overall, not horrible, but i've read much better books, and i think that checks out.

[V. Arrow]

Honestly, Files!Ned is kind of a wiener. He's the worst Ned, by far, of all the different Neds in this franchise. Diaries!Ned is a great malewife. Classic Ned is also a great malewife. HER!Ned? A great malewife!

Files!Ned is just... kind of a wiener.

That said, Nancy was totally in the wrong in this case -- she was absolutely emotionally cheating on Ned all summer and he was valid and correct to have big feelings about it -- but. Ugh. I hate the romantic subplots. Please just give me mysteries without romance. Romance NEVER makes mysteries better.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader)]

3 stars. Ned Nickerson is the worst but I was on his side in this book. He was rightfully upset about Nancy spending so much time with Sasha and while I’m not a fan of the NancyxNed pairing they were kinda cute here. Relationship drama aside I really liked this ending to this mini trilogy. It was action packed and entertaining and everything wrapped up.

[Hillary]

Straddles the line between being frustrated at Nancy for being ridiculous about whether she should choose Sasha or Need as the boyfriend, and acknowledging that she's being pretty reasonable and logical about her relationship angst. The mystery was fine, though.

[Chris Comden]

Deep Secrets by Carolyn Keene
Series: Yes Nancy Drew Files #49
Format: Softcover
Stars: 4
Recommend: Yes
Would Reread: Yes


I give honest reviews and all my opinions are my own.

For more of my reviews go to Heavenly High Seas Books
https://heavenlyhighseasbooks.blogspo...

[Summer]

Enjoyable story that i would again

[Sandra Matthews]

Sandra review

This was another great book to read,good job Nancy's drew and friends found out who kidnap Emily and he got caught again and he was arrested for it

[Darinda]

Nancy Drew Files #50. Nancy gets involved in a new mystery, plus she meets a new guy. Light and entertaining.

[dawn]

thank god that’s over

[geneva ☆]

First romance/mystery ish book I ever read when I was like 12. It's very nice. Easy to read and interesting :)

[Alex]

Considering this is only book 50 in the series, it's pretty obvious who Nancy will choose. I can't believe we wasted 3 books on this love triangle.

[The Curious Reader]

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.

[Jen]

It truly does warm my heart how often Nancy ups sticks and just leaves Ned Nickerson behind. Seriously, almost every book in the Nancy Drew: Files series involved Nancy cheating on Ned with some other dude, and she never even feels guilty about it!

I want to live in Nancy's world.

[Leah]

Ned is such a great guy

[Prami{reader and dreamer}]

3 stars