Nancy Drew Mysteries

The Nancy Drew mysteries have been around for nearly a century, the character having been created in 1930 by Edward Stratemeyer, who also outlined the series in detail. Mildred A. Wirt Benson was a ghostwriter for 23 manuscripts, which were edited by Stratemeyer’s daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. The character Nancy Drew is a high school graduate and a teen detective, whose independent and inquisitive nature always helps her get to the bottom of things. She lives with her father, Carson Drew, who is a prominent attorney in the fictional town of River Heights. Her mother died during Nancy’s formative years, which is probably why she is so independent.

Nancy, a blue-eyed blonde, drives a blue convertible, originally described as a roadster, as she travels about collecting clues. In the 2007 film, she owns a blue Nash Metropolitan convertible. She courageously sneaks into homes and buildings, opening locked doors, lockers and drawers to find the information and articles she needs to solve each case. Nancy has several friends who help her. They include Helen Corning, George Fayne (a young woman, not a man) and Bess Marvin, her cousin. Nancy has a boyfriend named Ned Nickerson, a college sophomore who adores her and desires marriage, but Nancy would rather pursue her clues than settle down.

The Nancy Drew mysteries have entertained and inspired several generations of teenaged and adolescent girls and boys. The appeal of the series seems to be timeless and universal. A TV series based on the Nancy Drew books aired for 3 seasons on ABC. It was called “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.” The books, “Nancy Drew Mystery Stories – volumes 1 – 56,” remain in print today, slightly revised from the original versions, but every bit as loved. They're available in bookstores, and on eBay and amazon.com.