Nancy Drew Diaries Series

Dear diary... The good news: Bess, George, and I are on a train bound for Denali National Park, gazing at majestic Mount McKinley as we speed along. It's truly awesome! The bad news: Someone - a creepy passenger or a disgruntled employee? - is still causing major trouble on the Arctic Star cruise ship, and now that we're sightseeing on land, the danger has followed. Whoever it is has got even me in their sights - but I've been working undercover, so I have no idea how anyone discovered I'm a detective. With every step I take, I'm looking over my shoulder. The forty-ninth state sure is proving to be treacherous territory.

Dear diary... Who would want to harm a horse? I kept asking myself that question while watching the beautiful jumpers at the annual River Heights Horse Show. The top riders from all over the country are here, and one of them, Payton Evans, is a close friend of Ned's family. She's been training for years, and Ned said she might even make the Olympic team. But just when Payton was supposed to compete in this show, everything went horribly wrong: Her horse, Midnight, tested positive for drugs! What kind of person would ever give drugs to a horse? And why?

Dear Diary... Who knew a sports field could cause so much drama? That's what Bess, George, and I are investigating. Ever since George's cousin Carrie Kim announced her candidacy for city council, along with her platform of building a new football field and a state-of-the-art sports complex, someone has been trying to sabotage the campaign! I think the Green Club may be behind this. I understand being concerned about the environment, but someone is taking it too far. Carrie has been getting threatening notes and even some more . . . sinister warnings. I need to figure out how to stop this before someone gets hurt.

Dear Diary... Bess, George, and I are actually in Alaska! Everywhere you look, there are massive mountains and sparkling deep-blue waters. We're on the maiden voyage of the Arctic Star luxury cruise ship, and my old friend Becca Wright, the assistant cruise director, needs our help. She received threatening e-mails before even setting sail; then, a bloody body turned up in the swimming pool. And when a chandelier came crashing down in the dining room, we thought the Arctic Star may be cursed! There are so many passengers on board, I don't know where to begin. But I better hurry; if I don't act fast, this might be everyone's final - and fatal - voyage!

Dear Diary... All I wanted to do was buy a new book, read, and relax. But when Bess, George, and I visited the local bookstore in Avondale, we found it in flames, and before we knew it, we were in the middle of another mystery. Or was it the middle of one of the best-selling author Lacey O'Brien's books? I know it sounds really strange, but it seemed like mysteries in her books were coming alive: first, the fire; next, a sinking boat; and then, a missing statue. Were these innocent coincidences or chilling crimes?

Dear Diary... I thought a trip to Nantucket with Bess and George would be a simple vacation, but of course mysteries seem to follow me everywhere! We're on this fun, end-of-summer trip because our friend Jenna has an awesome exhibit opening at the local Nantucket Nautical Museum and we wanted to support her. She was really excited about it until some creep vandalized her welcome banner.  Now it's become clear that someone is out to sabotage the whole exhibit. I really need to find the culprit to help Jenna and to return some of the priceless artifacts that have gone missing from the museum. I'm pretty sure this is one beach vacation that won't be just fun in the sun.

Dear Diary, When Bess asked George and me to be counselors at her old camp, I thought I was in for a relaxing week.  But trouble always finds me. I heard about a camper who had drowned in the lake years ago and dismissed it as a ghost story. But then something pulled me under during a swim lesson. And then our cabin's sleeping bags disappeared!  You would think after solving so many cases involving ghosts, I wouldn't believe in them. But these scary events are making it hard not to. All I know is that I have to make sure my campers are safe at Camp Cedarbark.

A film is being made in River Heights, and there’s sabotage on the set! Nancy’s old friend – and former paralegal to Carson Drew – Alex Burgess is making a movie…and it’s filming in River Heights! On the first day of shooting, Alex invites Nancy, Bess, and George on set for a behind-the-scenes peek at how a movie is made. George is excited for a closer look at the cameras and special effects, and Bess is mostly around to get a glimpse of the film’s leading man: handsome actor Brian Newsome! But right before the camera starts rolling there’s an explosion in the catering area. Turns out someone put firecrackers in the coffeemaker. Not too long after that, Brian’s costume is found streaked with blood. And threatening notes show up scrawled on the scripts: SHUT IT DOWN OR YOU’LL BE SORRY. Can Nancy track down the set saboteur before the film’s dangerous final scene? Or will the entire production go up in flames first?

A few nights in nature take a nasty turn for Nancy and her friends. To celebrate her birthday, George is taking Nancy and Bess on a three-day bike tour around the scenic Mystic Lake. They can’t wait to spend time exploring the gorgeous landscape by day and camping under the stars at night. What they didn’t count on was sabotage! First someone steals food and supplies from their packs. Then tour guide Caitlin vanishes overnight, and the entire group finds their tires slashed to bits. Now Nancy is cycling for clues instead of soaking up the scenery. Can Nancy track down the culprit before she and her friends are lost in the woods forever?

Nancy and her friends must try to figure out why a girl is acting strangely after visiting a haunted house in this sixteenth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to the classic mystery series. Nancy's classmate, Willa, needs her help. Willa is convinced something is terribly wrong with her friend Izzy, but everyone has dismissed Willa's concerns, saying it's just teen angst. But Willa thinks it's more than that; she thinks Izzy is possessed. It all started when Willa and Izzy snuck into an abandoned house with some of their friends. After running around and exploring, Willa went in to the basement and found Izzy staring into space. Izzy was conscious, but she was acting weird—she wouldn't speak and she didn't seem to recognize Willa. And when Izzy finally woke up from her trance, she had no memory of the previous few hours. Since then, Izzy's continued to act strangely. She's usually funny and easygoing, but now she's high strung and has intense fits. Once she even threatened to hurt Willa. Nancy is sure there's a rational explanation for all of this and has a feeling she'll find it at the "haunted" house. But what she finds has her questioning her resolve. Could Willa be right? Is Izzy possessed by the ghost of Heliotrope Lane?

Dear diary... I'm not exactly a farm girl, but even I was excited to meet farmers Sam and Abby Heyworth. Through their CSA (that's Community Supported Agriculture), they supply most of River Heights with fresh fruits and veggies. But lately, Black Creek's food has been making people sick. Really sick. In fact, tests revealed that their fruits and vegetables are crawling with deadly bacteria! The Heyworths swear that someone is contaminating their food on purpose. I can't imagine why anyone would want to sabotage a farm . . . but I'm going to find out!

Dear Diary... "Magic is a mystery that doesn't need solving." That's what illusionist Drake Lonestar told me when I saw him perform. I was skeptical that the famous magician could really make the River Heights courthouse disappear, but I was wrong.  It turns out that the courthouse wasn't the only thing that vanished. So did important evidence relating to a jewel heist - and all signs point to Lonestar as the thief! Now the magician himself has disappeared into thin air - and all of River Heights is looking at me to track him down. I just hope I can do it soon, because I have a feeling Lonestar has one last trick up his sleeve....

Nancy, Bess, and George must find the truth behind a photographic mystery in this 19th book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to the classic mystery series. Nancy and her friends are spending the weekend in a small mountainside town called Shady Oaks. The local museum is displaying a never-before-seen collection from famous nature photographer, Christopher DeSantos. So the usually sleepy town is now filled with tourists. But it's not just the dramatic lighting of the old black and white photographs that people have come to see. Newspapers all over the country have picked up the story of two visitors who went missing in Shady Oaks only to turn up in the old DeSantos photographs, seemingly frozen in time. What's more, there was a rumor that DeSantos was cursed by his former partner after a disagreement. Now everyone is wondering if the legend is real. Nancy, Bess, and George are convinced that there is another explanation to be found. But it quickly becomes clear that someone is making sure they don't find it. Can these three teenage sleuths solve this mystery before it's too late?

Dear Diary... Bess and I were thrilled to bump into our old buddy Maggie Rogers, a promising young dancer who is in River Heights to perform a lead role in Sleeping Beauty.  But someone's out to get Maggie. First, her phone was tampered with, making her late for rehearsal. Then, her face was violently scratched out on the show's posters, and her dressing room was trashed beyond belief.  I'm determined to find out who's trying to sabotage my friend's career. But I have to crack this case before the big show - or it could wind up being Maggie's last dance!

I do have an idea. The most important thing, though," I said to Margot, Mrs. Marvin, and Catherine, "is for you to act completely normal. Our big advantage is that the thief doesn't think that anyone will check the safe until we're already back in River Heights and he or she is off the boat. The culprit has no idea that we're looking for him or her." Margot, Mrs. Marvin, and Catherine all nodded. I turned to Buddy. "What time are we due back at the dock?" "Ten thirty on the dot," he said. I checked my watch. "Just under three hours," I said. I'd never solved a case that fast before, but the dogs and cats of River Heights were counting on me!

The gang is on an epic quest to discover the identity of a treacherous Greek scholar! Nancy, Bess, and George are excited to attend Oracle College's annual Greek mythology themed gala. But the festive spirit turns troubled when a student falls from the balcony mid-speech. Nancy's investigations quickly reveal this was a case of collegiate sabotage. Can she find the campus menace before someone else gets hurt?

It felt like only minutes had passed when I woke up with a start. I glanced over at the digital clock I had placed on the nightstand; it read 3:19 a.m. I had been fast asleep for hours - what had woken me up? I raised my head to look around the room, and my heart leaped into my throat. There, standing at the foot of my bed, was a figure, looming in the darkness.

Nancy, Bess, and George’s Jiu-Jitsu lessons turn into a takedown of another sort in the twenty-first book in the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to a classic series. After a close call, Mr. Drew insists that if Nancy’s going to be an amateur detective, she needs to be able to defend herself. So Nancy, Bess, and George decide to check out a Jiu-Jitsu class at Iron Dragon MMA. The technique is hard, but before she knows it, Nancy’s having a lot of fun. And then, just as class ends, the students are shaken by a disturbing sight—someone’s left a dead rat on the front desk and spray-painted “traitor” on the wall. With a big competition coming up soon, is a rival academy trying to stir up trouble to throw the Iron Dragon team off their game? Nancy agrees to help the team get to the truth, but as her investigation takes some unexpected and increasingly dangerous turns, has River Heights’s finest sleuth been outmatched?

Nancy, Bess, and George race to catch an international jewel thief in this eighteenth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to the classic mystery series. Nancy is helping out her Dad's friend, Louise Alain, and her dog, Marge, at an upcoming dog show in Montreal. Marge is a professional and needs someone she can trust to handle her at the biggest show of the season. Nancy is happy to oblige, especially since Louise invited Bess and George as well! Of course, the three friends are investigating a crime within hours of their arrival. One of the show dogs was drugged and a giant wad of gum was matted into its hair. Louise asks Nancy to investigate and gives her a useful tip: look at the dogs-their temperaments and styles are often a good window into the hearts and minds of their owners. But instead of solving a case of competitor sabotage, Nancy discovers jewel thieves have been using the dog show circuit as a smuggling operation. The thieves are not comfortable with the teenage sleuth who's asking too many questions. And when they make some serious threats, Nancy, Bess, and George quickly find themselves in dangerous territory. Can Nancy discover the thieves' identity and take home the trophy? Or is this one case where the bite is worse than the bark?

Nancy, Bess, and George must find a stolen statue in this twentieth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to the classic mystery series. Nancy is beyond excited when she receives an invitation to an elite celebration of the arts hosted by the Duchess Strickland, a woman once renowned for her collection who hasn’t been seen in years. With Bess and George at her side, Nancy’s certain it will be an evening she’ll never forget. Then just days before the party, a priceless sculpture is stolen! Still, the Duchess vows the party will go on as planned—and Nancy is determined to use the opportunity to sniff out the thief. But on the big night, as creatives, collectors, and connoisseurs—all with their own motives—converge, it quickly becomes clear that crime, like art, is all about the illusion, and a stolen statue may be the least of Nancy’s troubles.

Nancy and her sleuthing friends race to find out who is responsible for sabotaging a controversial comedian's upcoming performance at River Heights's new arts complex, where an exhibition of Dutch Masters is being installed.

Sabotage at Willow Woods Dear Diary... Who knew a sports field could cause so much drama? That’s what Bess, George, and I are investigating. Ever since George’s cousin Carrie Kim announced her candidacy for city council, along with her platform of building a new football field and a state-of-the-art sports complex, someone has been trying to sabotage the campaign! I think the Green Club may be behind this. I understand being concerned about the environment, but someone is taking it too far. Carrie has been getting threatening notes and even some more . . . sinister warnings. I need to figure out how to stop this before someone gets hurt.   Secret at Mystic Lake Dear Diary... To celebrate her birthday, George invited Bess and me on her dream trip: a three-day bike tour around the beautiful Mystic Lake Park. I’m not exactly outdoorsy, but I was excited to explore the gorgeous landscape by day and camp under the stars at night. But the tour has been nothing short of a nightmare! First, someone stole our tents. Then our trip leader, Caitlin, vanished overnight. Now we can’t find the way back to civilization, and no one in our group can agree on the next move. I’m starting to think someone is out to sabotage this trip. Could it be one of our fellow cyclists?

Nancy finds herself a Christmas mystery in this super special eighteenth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries series, a fresh approach to the classic mystery series. Nancy Drew's dad surprises her with a trip to a beautiful New England ski resort for Christmas break. Nancy is so excited. What could be better than a whole week of skiing and five-star dining? But no vacation can go smoothly when Nancy is involved. On her very first run down the slopes, Nancy hits a bad patch of ice and takes a serious tumble. A doctor sends her back to the hotel in a cast and mandates twelve days of bed rest. That means no long car trips back to River Heights and twelve days of sitting around. Luckily, there's still the five-star dining and beautiful views. Just hours into her convalescence, Nancy witnesses something very suspicious through another hotel room window. And when she presses the concierge she learns there have been mysterious break-ins throughout the hotel. It's clear someone has been going into guest's rooms but, as far as anyone can tell, nothing has been taken. Nancy can't resist-she has to investigate. Only trouble is, she's still bed bound. Taking some cues from Home Alone's Kevin McCallister, Nancy devises some clever schemes to get her investigating done from her bed. But for all her plans, Nancy still can't find the source of the break-ins. Or the purpose. What's worse the mood of the hotel has turned decidedly un-merry. People are leaving in droves and the jolly hotel owner is worried about the hotel's success. With all the odds stacked against her, can Nancy solve this crime in time to save Christmas? Or is this one Yuletide she'll wish to forget?

The Phantom of Nantucket Dear Diary... I thought a trip to Nantucket with Bess and George would be a simple vacation, but of course mysteries seem to follow me everywhere! We’re on this fun, end-of-summer trip because our friend Jenna has an awesome exhibit opening at the local Nantucket Nautical Museum and we wanted to support her. She was really excited about it until some creep vandalized her welcome banner. Now it’s become clear that someone is out to sabotage the whole exhibit. I really need to find the culprit to help Jenna and to return some of the priceless artifacts that have gone missing from the museum. I’m pretty sure this is one beach vacation that won’t be just fun in the sun.   The Magician’s Secret Dear Diary... "Magic is a mystery that doesn’t need solving.” That’s what illusionist Drake Lonestar told me when I saw him perform. I was skeptical that the famous magician could really make the River Heights courthouse disappear, but I was wrong. It turns out that the courthouse wasn’t the only thing that vanished. So did important evidence relating to a jewel heist — and all signs point to Lonestar as the thief! Now the magician himself has disappeared into thin air — and all of River Heights is looking at me to track him down. I just hope I can do it soon, because I have a feeling Lonestar has one last trick up his sleeve....

Ned and Nancy track down a ghostly saboteur in the twenty-third book in the Nancy Drew Diaries series, a fresh approach to a classic series. Nancy and Ned are visiting Coffin Hall, an estate turned rare books library, doing research on the library’s rumored ghost for an episode of the NedTalks podcast when a fire breaks out in the records room. One of the library’s security guards accuses Ned of arson—after all, he was the only one in the room when the fire started—but Ned swears it wasn’t him. He was trying to stop the fire. He tells Nancy he saw a lady in blue right before the incident, and thinks it was Henrietta Coffin, the ghost of Coffin Hall! Nancy is confident her boyfriend is innocent, and she’s determined to identify the real culprit, though she’s pretty sure it wasn’t of the paranormal sort. When she investigates further, she learns that the fire was just the latest in a string of recent strange and inexplicable incidents plaguing Coffin Hall. It’s increasingly apparent that someone has more than a passing interest in shutting down the library. But who—or what—is responsible? And why?

Nancy, Bess, and George look for Nancy’s missing father in the twenty-second book in the Nancy Drew Diaries series, a fresh approach to a classic series. While Nancy’s dad is away at a conference in Washington, DC, she invites Bess and George over for a slumber party. The girls are having a great time until Nancy gets a call from a number she doesn’t recognize. Her dad never showed up for his panel and he isn’t in his room. No one’s seen him since the night before, and he isn’t answering his phone. Worried, Nancy and the gang hop the next flight to DC to investigate. The girls scour the hotel for clues with little luck until Nancy finds her dad’s cell phone in the hotel basement. She’s pretty sure he left her a message on the home screen, if only she could figure out what it means. The hunt takes them across the US capital, retracing Mr. Drew’s steps to figure out what went wrong or who might be out to do him harm. If they don’t solve this mystery, it may cost Mr. Drew his life.

The Clue at Black Creek Farm Dear diary... I'm not exactly a farm girl, but even I was excited to meet farmers Sam and Abby Heyworth. Through their CSA (that’s Community Supported Agriculture), they supply most of River Heights with fresh fruits and veggies. But lately, Black Creek’s food has been making people sick. Really sick. In fact, tests revealed that their fruits and vegetables are crawling with deadly bacteria! The Heyworths swear that someone is contaminating their food on purpose. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to sabotage a farm . . . but I’m going to find out!   A Script for Danger Dear Diary... Imagine my surprise when I heard that my old friend Alex Burgess was finally making his first movie — right here in River Heights! And he was sweet enough to invite George, Bess, and me for an inside glimpse behind the scenes. Of course, George wants to get a closer look at the cameras, and Bess is dying for a peek at the film’s leading man. But since the moment Alex yelled “action,” some strange things have been happening: explosions in catering, costumes streaked with blood, and threatening notes scrawled on scripts. I’ve always thought it would be exciting to visit a movie set, but I never imagined that the real drama would be behind the camera . . .

Nancy’s sailing trip to Vermont turns into a hunt for a ghostly saboteur’s lost treasure in the twenty-fourth book in the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to a classic series. When a family friend, Grace, opens a sailing club on Lake Champlain at the former site of the Gemstone Islands Resort, Nancy, Bess, and George are invited to enjoy a few days of boating before the club’s official grand opening. But when they arrive, they learn there have been some strange things happening on the property, from missing items to holes dug all over the yard. Is someone trying to sabotage the club, and could it have anything to do with the fire that destroyed the old resort twenty years ago? As Nancy tries to pry information from the tight-lipped locals, all clues lead back to Captain Richard Stone, the enigmatic Revolutionary War–era pirate whose tavern once stood on the same site as the resort and sailing club. Legend has it that Captain Stone’s ghost still haunts the property, guarding the treasure he buried there. But it isn’t a ghost that punches a hole in Nancy’s sailboat, leaving her and the girls to sink in the middle of the lake when an unexpected summer storm rolls in. Unraveling the mystery of Captain Stone’s treasure will be the key to finding out who’s been sabotaging Grace’s club. But first, Nancy and her friends will have to make it back to shore in one piece…

Curse of the Arctic Star Dear Diary... Bess, George, and I are actually in Alaska! Everywhere you look, there are massive mountains and sparkling deep-blue waters. We’re on the maiden voyage of the Arctic Star luxury cruise ship, and my old friend Becca Wright, the assistant cruise director, needs our help. She received threatening e-mails before even setting sail; then, a bloody body turned up in the swimming pool. And when a chandelier came crashing down in the dining room, we thought the Arctic Star may be cursed! There are so many passengers on board, I don’t know where to begin. But I better hurry; if I don’t act fast, this might be everyone’s final — and fatal — voyage!   Strangers on a Train Dear Diary... Bess, George, and I are actually in Alaska! Everywhere you look, there are massive mountains and sparkling deep-blue waters. We’re on the maiden voyage of the Arctic Star luxury cruise ship, and my old friend Becca Wright, the assistant cruise director, needs our help. She received threatening e-mails before even setting sail; then, a bloody body turned up in the swimming pool. And when a chandelier came crashing down in the dining room, we thought the Arctic Star may be cursed! There are so many passengers on board, I don’t know where to begin. But I better hurry; if I don’t act fast, this might be everyone’s final — and fatal — voyage!

Mystery of the Midnight Rider Dear diary... Who would want to harm a horse? I kept asking myself that question while watching the beautiful jumpers at the annual River Heights Horse Show. The top riders from all over the country are here, and one of them, Payton Evans, is a close friend of Ned’s family. She’s been training for years, and Ned said she might even make the Olympic team. But just when Payton was supposed to compete in this show, everything went horribly wrong: Her horse, Midnight, tested positive for drugs! What kind of person would ever give drugs to a horse? And why?   Once Upon a Thriller Dear Diary... All I wanted to do was buy a new book, read, and relax. But when Bess, George, and I visited the local bookstore in Avondale, we found it in flames, and before we knew it, we were in the middle of another mystery. Or was it the middle of one of the best-selling author Lacey O’Brien’s books? I know it sounds really strange, but it seemed like mysteries in her books were coming alive: first, the fire; next, a sinking boat; and then, a missing statue. Were these innocent coincidences or chilling crimes?