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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #55
Mystery of Crocodile Island
In a response to a friend's call for help, Nancy's father, a lawyer, asks her to travel to mysterious Crocodile Island with her friends Bess and George to study the reptiles and try to uncover a group of suspected poachers.
Upon their arrival in Florida, the girls are kidnapped but cleverly escape to pursue their detective work. Dangers mount as they cope with reptiles, enemy boats, and exciting chases after the men who are responsible for a sinister racket that involves many unsuspecting victims. In the end, Nancy makes a bold move to untangle the mass of clues. She and Ned become imprisoned in the enemy's submarine and are held for ransom!
How Nancy and Ned are saved and the tables turned on the owners of Crocodile Island are left for the reader to discover.
Upon their arrival in Florida, the girls are kidnapped but cleverly escape to pursue their detective work. Dangers mount as they cope with reptiles, enemy boats, and exciting chases after the men who are responsible for a sinister racket that involves many unsuspecting victims. In the end, Nancy makes a bold move to untangle the mass of clues. She and Ned become imprisoned in the enemy's submarine and are held for ransom!
How Nancy and Ned are saved and the tables turned on the owners of Crocodile Island are left for the reader to discover.
180 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
79 people are currently reading
2409 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,016 books3,872 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 119 reviews
May 7, 2021
4.5 stars! I love this series... trust me, you do not want to know how many books this series has added to my tbr (actual) shelf and the clutter in my room.
RECOMMENDED FOR EVERYONE!
RECOMMENDED FOR EVERYONE!
March 16, 2024
What can I say that I haven't already said about this series? It's great fun.
February 13, 2016
I was really hoping someone would get eaten by an alligator.
June 9, 2018
Oddly disappointing. As the next-to-last book in the Nancy series, Crocodile Island falls flat, even though the story formula is calculated to win. The girls go on location to Florida. Usually on-location Nancy Drew has more chance for adventure! And lots of people enjoy Florida. But here it just seems like it's happened all before: day trips on motor boats, and threats by mean-looking unclean men. Absolutely pick up this book anytime regardless, because come on, it's Nancy Drew! And who knows, maybe it needs a second read, especially if you need to remind yourself of the difference between alligators and crocodiles, because without a doubt, explanations are here!
One odd memorable bit for me: a person's name is mentioned, but he never really appears in the plot. His name is "Noly Reareck." It doesn't sound so much like a name, but rather like what noises a person might make after surviving a concussion.
One odd memorable bit for me: a person's name is mentioned, but he never really appears in the plot. His name is "Noly Reareck." It doesn't sound so much like a name, but rather like what noises a person might make after surviving a concussion.
June 4, 2024
'The Mystery of Crocodile Island' (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #55) by Carolyn Keene.
Rating: 3.25/5.
Review:
Mr. Gonzales, a shareholder in the Crocodile Ecology Company, suspects his two business partners of shady dealings in their joint venture. He asks his friend, Mr. Carson Drew, to investigate the matter. As a result, Nancy and her two friends, Bess and George, find themselves entangled in a new case on the picturesque Florida Keys – a case full of thrills and dangers.
Unfortunately, The Mystery of the Crocodile Island isn't one of the best stories in the original Nancy Drew series. It is still a decent read, but it fails to meet the high standards set by some of the previous Nancy Drew books. The mystery was okayish – the entire time, you knew that some underhanded dealings were going on at the Crocodile Island, but it isn't exactly revealed what it is until the end of the book. The plot twists and the action moments are the only things that kept me invested enough to finish the book.
There are certain continuity errors as well. Earlier in the book, Nancy mentions that she has never been to the Florida Keys before, but that isn't the actual case. She does so in The Clue of the Black Keys. It's a minor detail, and I do know that these books are written in such a minor that they can be enjoyed as individual books without worrying about the continuity or the reading order. But, it still feels weird to selectively not acknowledge an event from an earlier Nancy Drew Mystery while making references to her past cases in the same book. Another issue regarding the lack of continuity is with the origins of George's name. It is mentioned in the earlier books that her real name is George, and she is named after her grandfather, but this book, like some of the other revised texts, alters the origin of her name by stating it to be Georgia. This is a discrepancy that is prevalent in a majority of the later original and revised texts, so I won't be holding the author responsible for this, but the continuity team should have done better.
Let's go back to some of the laudable aspects of this book. The progressive attitude towards crocodiles and the efforts towards their conservation is commendable. This focus on ecology and conversationism might be highly impressionable on younger readers and thus help to raise awareness about such important issues. Ned Nickerson and his two friends do arrive at the end to play a part in the mystery, but thankfully, they aren't introduced just to save the girls from certain mishaps. It was also a great delight to see Bess and George play an active role towards the end of the story rather than being silent side characters, as observed in most of the Nancy Drew books that I have read so far.
While I was fairly entertained by the events that unfolded as the story went on, the ending undid the entire mystery for me. In the final chapter, Nancy and Ned are found spying on the criminals on a submarine, and they are subsequently caught by these rogues. Although their rescue might have added a certain thrill to the ending, we never get to witness their rescue first-hand. Their rescue is mentioned offscreen on the penultimate page, and on the last page, we see Nancy and Ned back with the rest of their gang talking about the resolution of the case. What a bummer!
In conclusion, while I didn't find The Mystery of the Crocodile Island to be one of the better Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, I did have a fun time reading it. These books aren't complex literature, and nostalgia does play a great role in my enjoyment of these, but even by standards set by the juvenile mystery stories, this book falls short of the mark.
George chuckled. "How come you're turning down food?"
Bess blushed. "As I said, I'm on a diet!"
George and Nancy laughed. "'Best joke I've heard in years!" George exclaimed. "'If he had been young and handsome, Bess would have eaten three banana splits!"
Rating: 3.25/5.
Review:
Mr. Gonzales, a shareholder in the Crocodile Ecology Company, suspects his two business partners of shady dealings in their joint venture. He asks his friend, Mr. Carson Drew, to investigate the matter. As a result, Nancy and her two friends, Bess and George, find themselves entangled in a new case on the picturesque Florida Keys – a case full of thrills and dangers.
Unfortunately, The Mystery of the Crocodile Island isn't one of the best stories in the original Nancy Drew series. It is still a decent read, but it fails to meet the high standards set by some of the previous Nancy Drew books. The mystery was okayish – the entire time, you knew that some underhanded dealings were going on at the Crocodile Island, but it isn't exactly revealed what it is until the end of the book. The plot twists and the action moments are the only things that kept me invested enough to finish the book.
There are certain continuity errors as well. Earlier in the book, Nancy mentions that she has never been to the Florida Keys before, but that isn't the actual case. She does so in The Clue of the Black Keys. It's a minor detail, and I do know that these books are written in such a minor that they can be enjoyed as individual books without worrying about the continuity or the reading order. But, it still feels weird to selectively not acknowledge an event from an earlier Nancy Drew Mystery while making references to her past cases in the same book. Another issue regarding the lack of continuity is with the origins of George's name. It is mentioned in the earlier books that her real name is George, and she is named after her grandfather, but this book, like some of the other revised texts, alters the origin of her name by stating it to be Georgia. This is a discrepancy that is prevalent in a majority of the later original and revised texts, so I won't be holding the author responsible for this, but the continuity team should have done better.
Let's go back to some of the laudable aspects of this book. The progressive attitude towards crocodiles and the efforts towards their conservation is commendable. This focus on ecology and conversationism might be highly impressionable on younger readers and thus help to raise awareness about such important issues. Ned Nickerson and his two friends do arrive at the end to play a part in the mystery, but thankfully, they aren't introduced just to save the girls from certain mishaps. It was also a great delight to see Bess and George play an active role towards the end of the story rather than being silent side characters, as observed in most of the Nancy Drew books that I have read so far.
While I was fairly entertained by the events that unfolded as the story went on, the ending undid the entire mystery for me. In the final chapter, Nancy and Ned are found spying on the criminals on a submarine, and they are subsequently caught by these rogues. Although their rescue might have added a certain thrill to the ending, we never get to witness their rescue first-hand. Their rescue is mentioned offscreen on the penultimate page, and on the last page, we see Nancy and Ned back with the rest of their gang talking about the resolution of the case. What a bummer!
In conclusion, while I didn't find The Mystery of the Crocodile Island to be one of the better Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, I did have a fun time reading it. These books aren't complex literature, and nostalgia does play a great role in my enjoyment of these, but even by standards set by the juvenile mystery stories, this book falls short of the mark.
November 4, 2021
I am coming to the end of my Nancy Drew adventures. . .#55 brings Nancy, George, Bess, Ned & the boys all to Florida, amongst the keys, in mangrove swamps and dodging crocodiles! Ned and Nancy end out caught in a submarine and held for hostage (for a few minutes?), but at least they were together.
She saved lives, solved the mystery, fought for a woman's presence in a man's world/profession and always makes the right decision - all within about 180 pages.
It is true - the thoughts I think as I walk away from a finished Nancy Drew are very different in my present decade rather than the first one. . .then I thought of her as who I could be, clever, witty and fearless. Now? I wonder - did she and Ned last? Kids? Was she the kind of detective that worked her life away after her Dad moved on to whatever he moved on to? How did Bess do? George? I kind of see George as going into enforcement somehow. . . and what about that faithful Hannah - I always wanted Carson Drew to finally see Hannah for what she was - in love with him. But I suspect he ran off with a 20-year Vegas star for a few months until Nancy had to track him down and drag him home.
Anyway. I digress.
She saved lives, solved the mystery, fought for a woman's presence in a man's world/profession and always makes the right decision - all within about 180 pages.
It is true - the thoughts I think as I walk away from a finished Nancy Drew are very different in my present decade rather than the first one. . .then I thought of her as who I could be, clever, witty and fearless. Now? I wonder - did she and Ned last? Kids? Was she the kind of detective that worked her life away after her Dad moved on to whatever he moved on to? How did Bess do? George? I kind of see George as going into enforcement somehow. . . and what about that faithful Hannah - I always wanted Carson Drew to finally see Hannah for what she was - in love with him. But I suspect he ran off with a 20-year Vegas star for a few months until Nancy had to track him down and drag him home.
Anyway. I digress.
Read
March 15, 2025This one did not make a lot of sense
May 8, 2017
This time, Nancy Drew is off to Crocodile Island in Florida with her friends, Bess and George. The three attempt to find out the mystery behind a crocodile farm, in which Carson Drew's friend is a major stakeholder.
Of course, they get kidnapped, chased by crooks, and almost become crocodile food. And ultimately, they rescue the poor people and get the criminals caught. Yippee!
I didn't really like this book much, though. Nancy doesn't seem to do anything much in this story and all their sleuthing are basically for nothing because it's the authorities who ultimately catch the criminals. Even Bess manages to subdue a dangerous smuggler by doing basically nothing. Nah, not fun at all.
Of course, they get kidnapped, chased by crooks, and almost become crocodile food. And ultimately, they rescue the poor people and get the criminals caught. Yippee!
I didn't really like this book much, though. Nancy doesn't seem to do anything much in this story and all their sleuthing are basically for nothing because it's the authorities who ultimately catch the criminals. Even Bess manages to subdue a dangerous smuggler by doing basically nothing. Nah, not fun at all.
April 2, 2020
read this back in February. not my favorite but pretty good.
June 6, 2020
I saw this book at an Antique Store and decided to give it a quick read. It was great fun and I enjoyed it. The big surprise came for me when I looked up Carolyn Keene to see how many books she had written, only to find out her name is a psuedonym! All these years I thought Carolyn Keene was for real. As a child I loved Nancy Drew and often pretended to be her. I believe I probably had the first 20 or so of the books, but knew I had never read Crocodile Island. I am glad I did and will try to find #56 which would be the last book under the publishers Grosset and Dunlap. After that the books got a little too modern for my taste.
August 8, 2020
3 stars & 3/10 hearts. I've read several Nancy Drew mysteries, and this one was pretty... blah. I didn't know what was happening, but I didn't really care. And almost nothing was explained. The plot/storyline just wasn't;t interesting/fun enough to cover the poor writing style. I really just feel "meh" about it. There's a mention that Bess, George, & Nancy kiss Drew, Burt, and Ned, but no romance. It's not a violent or graphic mystery at all; really pretty ho-hum; so it's appropriate for even kids with that line whited out. So yeah. Don't hate it, don't love it. I liked the part about the sailors. ;P
September 30, 2011
Nancy Drew returns in another thrilling addition to the classic book series.
November 9, 2024
3.5 stars ✨✨✨⭐️
A decent and somewhat exciting mystery! There was another reference to a previous story in this one which really ups the enjoyment for me, as the characters feel more “real.”
The entire crocodile island bit was an annoyingly developed red herring, so the solution felt extremely rushed and anticlimactic.
I enjoyed the boating around to different keys, and of course Nancy had to help discover some random buried treasure along the way.
A decent and somewhat exciting mystery! There was another reference to a previous story in this one which really ups the enjoyment for me, as the characters feel more “real.”
The entire crocodile island bit was an annoyingly developed red herring, so the solution felt extremely rushed and anticlimactic.
I enjoyed the boating around to different keys, and of course Nancy had to help discover some random buried treasure along the way.
December 18, 2025
Easily one of the worst in the series. The fat-shaming is at an all time high, not to mention Bess gets receives some unwanted attention from a guy at the beach and apparently “it’s her fault”. Fucking ugh. To top it off, the mystery itself is stupid.
June 12, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
June 7, 2025
I used to love these as a kid, the obsession is coming back
December 29, 2018
Mr. Gonzales suspects his business partners of shady dealings regarding their joint Crocodile Ecology Company so he asks his old college friend, Mr. Drew, to investigate. Naturally, Nancy is asked to help. So she and Bess and George fly out to Florida to investigate.
Early on in their adventure, the 3 girls are kidnapped. But resourceful as ever, they manage to escape. They decide to use aliases as they investigate, to thwart anymore problems that may arise from their sleuthing. With the help of their hosts’ teenage son, the girls quickly uncover many important clues.
This was an okay mystery. The whole time you know something illegal is going on at the crocodile island but you’re not exactly sure what. It did actually keep me guessing for a while. And bonus points when the boys show up and don’t rescue one of the girls.
The thing about these books though, is the lack of continuity. It’s something I think I’ve talked about before. And will mention once again here. In this book, Nancy states that she’s never been to the Florida Keys before. But. She has. In The Clue of the Black Keys. I remember because I really enjoyed that book. A minor detail. Still, though. Because uncharacteristically, this book makes reference to another Nancy Drew book. It mentions something that happened in that book. So we can recall the events that happened in book #15 but not in book #28? Okaaay…
Another thing is George’s name. Books and books ago, George states that her parents initially thought they were having a boy. Then they had her, a girl. And her parents decided to keep the name they had originally chosen: George. So she’s always had a traditional boy name. Now, in this book, that story is being altered.
Georgia was her cousin’s real name, but she would never allow anyone to call her by it.
No! No, no, no!! I remember very distinctly George saying her parents named her George. She never once said it was altered. And I remember one instance where her parents’ choice of name was criticized by someone. So why try to change her name now?? What’s the point?
Anyway, the book was alright. Not a favorite but definitely an improvement from the last few books, I guess.
Early on in their adventure, the 3 girls are kidnapped. But resourceful as ever, they manage to escape. They decide to use aliases as they investigate, to thwart anymore problems that may arise from their sleuthing. With the help of their hosts’ teenage son, the girls quickly uncover many important clues.
This was an okay mystery. The whole time you know something illegal is going on at the crocodile island but you’re not exactly sure what. It did actually keep me guessing for a while. And bonus points when the boys show up and don’t rescue one of the girls.
The thing about these books though, is the lack of continuity. It’s something I think I’ve talked about before. And will mention once again here. In this book, Nancy states that she’s never been to the Florida Keys before. But. She has. In The Clue of the Black Keys. I remember because I really enjoyed that book. A minor detail. Still, though. Because uncharacteristically, this book makes reference to another Nancy Drew book. It mentions something that happened in that book. So we can recall the events that happened in book #15 but not in book #28? Okaaay…
Another thing is George’s name. Books and books ago, George states that her parents initially thought they were having a boy. Then they had her, a girl. And her parents decided to keep the name they had originally chosen: George. So she’s always had a traditional boy name. Now, in this book, that story is being altered.
Georgia was her cousin’s real name, but she would never allow anyone to call her by it.
No! No, no, no!! I remember very distinctly George saying her parents named her George. She never once said it was altered. And I remember one instance where her parents’ choice of name was criticized by someone. So why try to change her name now?? What’s the point?
Anyway, the book was alright. Not a favorite but definitely an improvement from the last few books, I guess.
August 12, 2019
Unfortunately, Mystery of Crocodile Island is definitely not among the best stories in the original Nancy Drew series. It was decent as a light distraction, and the progressive attitude towards crocodiles and their conservation is laudable. Kids who like Nancy Drew and show an interest in ecology will probably enjoy it. But the story was too repetitive with too many silly moments to hold up to older readers' scrutiny. There is an implausible mix-up between . Also, Ned looks like a wrinkly version of George in the snakes-falling-from-trees illustration(this has nothing to do with the actual story, but it bothered my artistic sensibilities).
I know the Nancy Drew books are hardly deep and complex literature, and nostalgia does account for much of my enjoyment of them. But even by the rather middling standards set by ghostwritten children's series, Mystery of Crocodile Island falls short of the mark.
I know the Nancy Drew books are hardly deep and complex literature, and nostalgia does account for much of my enjoyment of them. But even by the rather middling standards set by ghostwritten children's series, Mystery of Crocodile Island falls short of the mark.
Read
June 1, 2015This is one of my favorite Nancy Drew books! There was more humor in this one than there is in the other books of the series, which I enjoyed. It helped the lighten the mystery. This book also did a good job of keeping the reader interested. Carolyn Keene included plenty of suspense. From almost being attacked by crocodiles to receiving mysterious phone calls, Nancy and her friends encounter plenty of surprises on their trip to Florida. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the Nancy Drew series, or mystery books in general.
June 9, 2012
I read Nancy Drew as a girl, and still read them to my kids. We have read straight from #1 through to Crocodile Island. Many of them have been wonderfully written, exciting and usually a little predictable. Crocodile Island was not one of my favorites, a bit choppy and the last chapter had a contradictory wrap-up with a certain detail not jiving with info from a couple pages previous! That said I am certain to recommend the series, just not this particular book to a new reader of Nancy.
December 31, 2017
I confess I squeezed this fast read in this afternoon to get my year-end total up (success!). I haven't read a Nancy Drew in years. I was struck by the utter lack of mystery and plot twists, and, for an 180-page book, a staggering amount of loose ends. But it was a very fun read, and it comes from a defiantly pre-helicopter-parenting era when a lawyer would think nothing of sending his teenage daughter down to the Florida Keys on her own to battle homicidal smugglers.
November 24, 2018
I found this book in a beautiful vintage bookshop in Galway, Ireland when I went there with school.
This book follows Nancy and her friends as they're trying to solve the mystery of the crocodile island in Florida.
It was very entertaining, but unfortunately not as clever as I had imagined.
Still, I really had a great time reading it and I'm going to continue reading Nancy Drew books.
This book follows Nancy and her friends as they're trying to solve the mystery of the crocodile island in Florida.
It was very entertaining, but unfortunately not as clever as I had imagined.
Still, I really had a great time reading it and I'm going to continue reading Nancy Drew books.
January 1, 2022
Nancy seemed more of a busybody than detective in this story, and the police were actually the ones that discovered a lot of the key details. I really didn't enjoy this mystery, and considering there's (legitimately) only one left, I was extra disappointed.
I recommend to die-hard fans of Nancy Drew, this is not a good introduction to Nancy's prowess as a detective.
I recommend to die-hard fans of Nancy Drew, this is not a good introduction to Nancy's prowess as a detective.
May 25, 2023
Don't love how they referred to mixed brown people as half breeds....also really don't love how the bad guys were supposed to be ecologists while there's a solid chapter dedicated to a Navy base tour...but also it was just kind of boring...I guess these are minor compared to other books I've read in this series though
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2018
Don't be fooled by the great cover art! This is the worst of the Drew novels I have read this far. The author clearly ran out of paper and doesn't even explain how the critical action resolves! Skip this amputated adolescent novel.
January 2, 2019
This was not the best in the Nancy Drew mystery series....black market cameras? Employees that couldn't leave the island....ever....submarines with periscopes, kidnapping, assaults...too too far fetched. Nancy now has strawberry blonde hair.
August 6, 2023
Fun to get back into Nancy drew mysteries and read this one in an hour or so, but this book is so full of racism that I couldn’t get past it. The mystery fell a little flat too, but the setting was fun. Hoping other Nancy drew mysteries have aged a little better
May 26, 2014
This one is weird because Nancy doesn't even solve the mystery. Her and her friends see the police go by on their way to bust the bad guys and they just follow them. Seriously, it's weird.
May 17, 2017
This one ended rather abruptly.
August 23, 2017
Nancy and her friends, Bess and George, go to Florida to solve a case. Another fun Nancy Drew mystery.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews