The Picture Perfect Mystery

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #94

by Carolyn Keene

When a con artist switches contracts with famed local painter Lila Cramer, Nancy Drew has just four days to catch the crook, or Lila will have to forfeit her entire collection

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

152 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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) · Rating 4 out of 5]

These later books have a different feel than the old-school Nancy Drew novels. Still, the mystery was intriguing and good fun. I'm glad I recently got my hands on several others in the series.

[Michelle Villmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice well paced mystery involving vengeance and grudges in the art world. Nancy worked with Bess on this one and Nancy's long time friend Lea Ann to find out why someobe would try to sabotage a lical artist and her gallery days before an important exhibition. A solid read thar comes together nicely in the end.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to read these books when I was a kid, so I am glad I got to reread it again.

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly a little anticlimactic, but it was fun that I guessed the culprit, and I liked the whole operation at the end.

[Lakshmi Vijayakumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy mystery with familiar characters and intriguing plots. Is a little predictable, but still pretty enjoyable.

[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.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This section of ND Mysteries has some interesting settings, this one a local art gallery. The mystery was clever and required Nancy to do some shoe leather to the pavement sleuthing. I enjoyed the reference to her childhood and the relationships among the clients and suspects.

[Prami{reader and dreamer} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't remember much but I liked Nancy and the mysteries.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.