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Author photo. Harriet (Stratemeyer) Adams was head of the Stratemeyer Syndicate (running it with her sister, Edna) from her father's death in 1930 until her own death in 1982. She wrote many of the books in the Nancy Drew series, in addition to writing outlines, editing, and revising many of the Syndicate works.

Harriet (Stratemeyer) Adams was head of the Stratemeyer Syndicate (running it with her sister, Edna) from her father's death in 1930 until her own death in 1982. She wrote many of the books in the Nancy Drew series, in addition to writing outlines, editing, and revising many of the Syndicate works.

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153,696 (153,731)1,04639 (3.69)71
Carolyn Keene was the pseudonym that Mildred Wirt Benson and Walter Karig used to write Nancy Drew books. The idea of Nancy Drew came from Edward Stratemeyer in 1929. He also had other series, that included the Hardy Boys, but he died in 1930 before the Nancy Drew series became famous. His daughters, Harriet and Edna, inherited his company and maintained Nancy Drew having Mildred Wirt Benson, the original Carolyn Keene, as the principal ghostwriter. During the Depression, they asked Benson to take a pay cut and she refused, which is when Karig wrote the books. Karig's Nancy Drew books were Nancy's Mysterious Letter, The Sign of the Twisted Candles, and Password to Larkspur Lane. He was fired from writing more books because of his refusal to honor the request that he keep his work as Carolyn Keene a secret. He allowed the Library of Congress to learn of his authorship and his name appeared on their catalog cards. Afterwards, they rehired Benson and she wrote until her last Nancy Drew book (#30) was written in 1953, Clue of the Velvet Mask. Harriet and Edna Stratemeyer also contributed to the Nancy Drew series. Edna wrote plot outlines for several of the early books and Harriet, who claimed to be the sole author, had actually outlined and edited nearly all the volumes written by Benson. The Stratemeyer Syndicate had begun to make its writers sign contracts that prohibited them from claiming any credit for their works, but Benson never denied her writing books for the series. After Harriet's death in 1982, Simon and Schuster became the owners of the Stratemeyer Syndicate properties and in 1994, publicly recognized Benson for her work at a Nancy Drew conference at her alma mater, the University of Iowa. Now, Nancy Drew has several ghostwriters and artists that have contributed to her more recent incarnations. (Bowker Author Biography) — biography from The Secret of the Old Clock… (more)
Disambiguation Notice

Do NOT combine this page with that of "C. Keene", as there are other authors on LT who share that surname and intial. Thank you.

This author is a nom de plume of the several authors of the Nancy Drew and The Dana Girls series. It is a pseudonym owned originally by the Stratemeyer Syndicate (now a name used by Simon and Schuster). Authors of books in the former series include Mildred Wirt Benson, Harriet Adams, James Duncan Lawrence, Walter Karig, Nancy Axelrad, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller, Jr., Margaret Scherf, and Susan Wittig Albert. Authors of books in the latter series include Leslie McFarlane, Mildred Wirt Benson, and Harriet Adams.
Note that Caroline Quine is the Dutch and French name of this author.

Please do not combine the individual authors with Carolyn Keene; They may have written under the name Carolyn Keene, but many of them also wrote other books under their own name.

The Secret of the Old Clock 6,634 copies, 109 reviews
The Hidden Staircase 5,105 copies, 50 reviews
The Bungalow Mystery 4,216 copies, 29 reviews
The Mystery at Lilac Inn 3,940 copies, 27 reviews
The Secret of Shadow Ranch 3,795 copies, 28 reviews
The Secret of Red Gate Farm 3,203 copies, 24 reviews
The Clue in the Diary 2,668 copies, 22 reviews
Nancy's Mysterious Letter 2,539 copies, 20 reviews
The Sign of the Twisted Candles 2,492 copies, 19 reviews
The Password to Larkspur Lane 2,292 copies, 14 reviews
The Clue of the Broken Locket 2,283 copies, 14 reviews
The Message in the Hollow Oak 1,988 copies, 12 reviews
The Whispering Statue 1,874 copies, 10 reviews
The Haunted Bridge 1,766 copies, 8 reviews
The Mystery of the Ivory Charm 1,751 copies, 11 reviews
The Clue of the Tapping Heels 1,628 copies, 9 reviews
The Secret in the Old Attic 1,578 copies, 11 reviews
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk 1,575 copies, 12 reviews
The Clue in the Jewel Box 1,543 copies, 10 reviews
The Quest of the Missing Map 1,527 copies, 8 reviews
The Ghost of Blackwood Hall 1,503 copies, 8 reviews
The Clue in the Crumbling Wall 1,430 copies, 4 reviews
Mystery of the Tolling Bell 1,405 copies, 6 reviews
The Clue in the Old Album 1,394 copies, 4 reviews
Mystery at the Ski Jump 1,359 copies, 6 reviews
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney 1,345 copies, 7 reviews
The Mystery of the 99 Steps 1,332 copies, 3 reviews
The Secret of the Wooden Lady 1,292 copies, 8 reviews
The Scarlet Slipper Mystery 1,284 copies, 4 reviews
The Clue of the Velvet Mask 1,262 copies, 7 reviews
The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes 1,232 copies, 5 reviews
The Clue of the Black Keys 1,227 copies, 6 reviews
The Haunted Showboat 1,188 copies, 4 reviews
The Witch Tree Symbol 1,180 copies, 4 reviews
The Ringmaster's Secret 1,174 copies, 3 reviews
The Clue of the Dancing Puppet 1,158 copies, 4 reviews
The Spider Sapphire Mystery 1,149 copies, 6 reviews
The Hidden Window Mystery 1,148 copies, 3 reviews
The Moonstone Castle Mystery 1,146 copies, 2 reviews
The Secret of the Forgotten City 1,132 copies, 2 reviews
The Clue in the Old Stagecoach 1,113 copies, 4 reviews
Mystery of the Glowing Eye 1,108 copies, 3 reviews
The Clue in the Crossword Cipher 1,079 copies, 4 reviews
The Invisible Intruder 1,072 copies, 5 reviews
Mystery of Crocodile Island 1,054 copies, 4 reviews
The Mysterious Mannequin 1,038 copies, 3 reviews
The Crooked Banister 1,026 copies, 6 reviews
The Phantom of Pine Hill 1,019 copies, 3 reviews
The Strange Message in the Parchment 1,016 copies, 4 reviews
The Secret of Mirror Bay 1,002 copies, 3 reviews
The Sky Phantom 998 copies, 5 reviews
The Double Jinx Mystery 951 copies, 1 review
The Thirteenth Pearl 891 copies, 2 reviews
The Secret in the Old Lace 553 copies, 2 reviews
The Triple Hoax 507 copies, 2 reviews
Without a Trace 485 copies, 5 reviews
The Flying Saucer Mystery 477 copies, 4 reviews
Captive Witness 414 copies, 7 reviews
A Race Against Time 380 copies, 4 reviews
The Greek Symbol Mystery 377 copies, 1 review
The Twin Dilemma 368 copies, 3 reviews
Secrets Can Kill 350 copies, 7 reviews
The Kachina Doll Mystery 348 copies, 2 reviews
The Slumber Party Secret 345 copies, 4 reviews
The Swami's Ring 324 copies, 2 reviews
Nancy Drew Ghost Stories 300 copies, 3 reviews
False Notes 271 copies
The Lost Locket 271 copies, 1 review
Deadly Intent 267 copies, 1 review
Double Crossing 263 copies, 1 review
High Risk 255 copies
The Lost Files of Nancy Drew 240 copies, 2 reviews
Hit and Run Holiday 233 copies, 2 reviews
Murder on Ice 232 copies, 4 reviews
Smile and Say Murder 220 copies, 1 review
The Case of the Lost Song 218 copies, 3 reviews
Pit of Vipers 216 copies
By the Light of the Study Lamp 205 copies, 1 review
The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery 192 copies, 1 review
False Moves 189 copies, 1 review
The Teen Model Mystery 189 copies, 1 review
Bad Day for Ballet 188 copies, 1 review
The Fox Hunt Mystery 187 copies, 2 reviews
Two Points to Murder 187 copies, 2 reviews
Strangers on a Train 180 copies, 4 reviews
White Water Terror 179 copies, 3 reviews
The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage 178 copies, 2 reviews
The Sinister Omen 177 copies, 2 reviews
Trade Wind Danger 177 copies, 1 review
Lights, Camera... 176 copies, 1 review
A Model Crime 175 copies
The Haunted Carousel 174 copies, 3 reviews
Trial By Fire 174 copies
Deadly Doubles 172 copies, 2 reviews
The Secret Santa 169 copies, 1 review
Action! 168 copies, 2 reviews
Mystery of the Winged Lion 167 copies, 1 review
The Silver Cobweb 167 copies, 2 reviews
The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery 166 copies, 1 review
Danger on the Great Lakes 166 copies, 2 reviews
Buried Secrets 164 copies, 2 reviews
The E-Mail Mystery 162 copies, 1 review
The Secret of Shady Glen 156 copies, 1 review
The Case of the Vanishing Veil 155 copies, 1 review
The Treasure in the Royal Tower 154 copies, 2 reviews
The Final Scene 153 copies, 1 review
The Stolen Relic 151 copies, 2 reviews
Operation: Titanic 150 copies, 1 review
Enemy Match 148 copies, 3 reviews
Mystery Train 147 copies
The Clue in the Antique Trunk 147 copies, 2 reviews
The Bluebeard Room 146 copies, 3 reviews
Vanishing Act 146 copies, 2 reviews
New Year's Evil 146 copies
Shock Waves 145 copies, 1 review
The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book 145 copies, 2 reviews
The Phantom of Venice 143 copies, 2 reviews
Fatal Attraction 142 copies, 1 review
The Missing Horse Mystery 142 copies, 1 review
The Ice Cream Scoop 141 copies, 1 review
In the Shadow of the Tower 141 copies, 3 reviews
The Baby-Sitter Burglaries 140 copies, 1 review
High Survival 139 copies
The Scarlet Macaw Scandal 138 copies, 1 review
Uncivil Acts 138 copies
Riverboat Ruse 135 copies
Heart of Danger 133 copies, 1 review
The Eskimo's Secret 132 copies, 2 reviews
Stop the Clock 132 copies, 2 reviews
Where's Nancy? 132 copies, 1 review
Secret of the Spa 131 copies, 1 review
The Black Widow 129 copies, 1 review
Buried in Time 129 copies, 3 reviews
The Mysterious Image 129 copies, 1 review
Bad Medicine 129 copies, 1 review
Dangerous Plays 128 copies, 1 review
The Last Resort 128 copies
Sisters in Crime 126 copies, 1 review
Rich and Dangerous 124 copies, 2 reviews
The Double Horror of Fenley Place 123 copies, 2 reviews
Scent of Danger 122 copies
Wings of Fear 120 copies, 1 review
Pool Party Puzzler 120 copies, 2 reviews
The Chocolate-Covered Contest 120 copies, 2 reviews
Most Likely to Die 120 copies, 1 review
Dangerous Games 120 copies
Pure Poison 119 copies
The Riddle in the Rare Book 119 copies, 2 reviews
Danger in Disguise 118 copies, 1 review
Never Say Die 118 copies
The Crime Lab Case 118 copies, 2 reviews
Framed 117 copies
The Winking Ruby Mystery 117 copies, 2 reviews
High Marks for Malice 117 copies, 1 review
Fatal Ransom 117 copies
Hits and Misses 116 copies
Circle of Evil 115 copies
Don't Look Twice 115 copies
The Haunted Lagoon 114 copies, 2 reviews
Spies and Lies 113 copies, 1 review
Out of Bounds 113 copies
The Case of the Floating Crime 111 copies, 2 reviews
Mystery at Moorsea Manor 111 copies, 2 reviews
Terror on Tour 111 copies, 3 reviews
The Suspect Next Door 110 copies, 1 review
A Three-Cornered Mystery 110 copies, 2 reviews
Best of Enemies 110 copies
The Paris Connection 108 copies, 1 review
The Secret at Solaire 108 copies, 1 review
Tour of Danger 107 copies
Playing With Fire 107 copies, 1 review
The Stranger in the Shadows 106 copies, 3 reviews
Dressed to Steal 106 copies, 2 reviews
Bike Tour Mystery 105 copies, 2 reviews
Death by Design 105 copies, 2 reviews
The Circle of Footprints 104 copies, 4 reviews
Final Notes 103 copies
Win, Place or Die 103 copies, 1 review
En Garde 102 copies, 1 review
Trail of Lies 102 copies, 1 review
The Ghost in the Gallery 102 copies, 1 review
The Puzzle at Pineview School 102 copies, 1 review
The Secret at the Hermitage 97 copies, 1 review
Mystery on Maui 97 copies
Trouble at Lake Tahoe 96 copies, 1 review
Making Waves 96 copies
Last Dance 95 copies
Mystery by Moonlight 95 copies, 1 review
Swiss Secrets 94 copies, 1 review
The Mystery of the Locked Room 94 copies, 1 review
Mistletoe Mystery 94 copies, 1 review
Troubled Waters 94 copies, 2 reviews
The Ghost of Craven Cove 93 copies, 3 reviews
Trouble at Camp Treehouse 93 copies, 2 reviews
A Star Witness 92 copies, 1 review
Close Encounters 92 copies, 1 review
In Search of the Black Rose 91 copies, 3 reviews
The Case of the Artful Crime 91 copies, 3 reviews
A Taste of Danger 91 copies, 1 review
The Orchid Thief 90 copies, 1 review
Secrets of the Nile 90 copies, 2 reviews
Mixed Signals 90 copies, 1 review
Running Scared 90 copies
The Curse of the Black Cat 89 copies, 2 reviews
Getting Burned 89 copies, 1 review
Cold as Ice 88 copies, 1 review
The Secret of the Fiery Chamber 88 copies, 2 reviews
Tropic of Fear 88 copies
Deep Secrets 88 copies
Not Nice on Ice 88 copies
The Riding Club Crime 88 copies, 1 review
The Portrait in the Sand 87 copies, 2 reviews
Danger Overseas 87 copies, 1 review
The Legend of the Emerald Lady 87 copies, 3 reviews
The Clue in the Cobweb 84 copies, 3 reviews
The Case of the Captured Queen 84 copies, 1 review
The Secret at Seven Rocks 83 copies, 2 reviews
The Girl Who Couldn't Remember 83 copies, 2 reviews
Squeeze Play 83 copies
The Riddle of the Ruby Gazelle 82 copies, 1 review
Danger for Hire 81 copies
The Mystery at Magnolia Mansion 81 copies, 2 reviews
The Case of the Creative Crime 80 copies, 2 reviews
Secret Cargo 79 copies, 1 review
Over the Edge 79 copies
Easy Marks 78 copies, 1 review
The Clue of the Rusty Key 78 copies, 2 reviews
The Mystery of Misty Canyon 77 copies, 1 review
High Risk 75 copies, 1 review
Greek Odyssey 74 copies
Into Thin Air 74 copies, 2 reviews
The Picture-Perfect Mystery 74 copies, 1 review
Passport to Danger 73 copies, 1 review
The Ghost of the Lantern Lady 73 copies, 2 reviews
The Case of the Photo Finish 72 copies, 1 review
Natural Enemies 72 copies
Poison Pen 71 copies, 2 reviews
Lost in the Everglades 71 copies, 1 review
Make No Mistake 71 copies, 1 review
Hot Tracks 71 copies, 1 review
The Clue of the Black Flower 70 copies, 1 review
The Clue on the Crystal Dove 69 copies, 1 review
The Silent Suspect 68 copies, 2 reviews
The Legend of Miner's Creek 68 copies, 2 reviews
Cutting Edge 68 copies
False Pretenses 67 copies, 1 review
Date with Deception 67 copies, 2 reviews
Hot Pursuit 67 copies
Choosing Sides 67 copies
Mardi Gras Masquerade 67 copies, 1 review
Club Dread 66 copies
Moving Target 66 copies
Perfect Cover 65 copies, 1 review
Diamond Deceit 64 copies
The Clue in the Ivy 63 copies, 2 reviews
The Secret in the Dark 63 copies, 1 review
Once Upon a Crime 63 copies, 1 review
Nancy Drew Set - Books 1-10 62 copies, 3 reviews
Crosscurrents 62 copies, 1 review
The Wrong Track 62 copies, 2 reviews
Secret Identity 62 copies
The Perfect Escape 61 copies, 2 reviews
Portrait in Crime 61 copies, 1 review
Stage Fright 60 copies
An Instinct for Trouble 60 copies, 1 review
The Sign in the Smoke 60 copies, 2 reviews
Love Notes 59 copies
Pets on Parade 59 copies
The Fortune-Teller's Secret 59 copies, 1 review
If Looks Could Kill 58 copies, 1 review
Last Lemonade Standing 58 copies, 1 review
Let's Talk Terror 58 copies, 1 review
Island of Secrets 56 copies, 1 review
Counterfeit Christmas 55 copies, 2 reviews
Candy is Dandy 54 copies, 1 review
Sweet Revenge 54 copies
Dead on Arrival 53 copies
The Mystery of the Mother Wolf 53 copies, 4 reviews
The Hidden Inheritance 52 copies, 1 review
New Lives, New Loves 52 copies, 1 review
The Clue on the Silver Screen 52 copies, 1 review
High Stakes 51 copies
At All Costs 51 copies
Power of Suggestion 50 copies, 1 review
Fishing for Clues 50 copies, 1 review
Out of Control 49 copies
Big Top Flop 49 copies, 1 review
Update on Crime 48 copies
The Cheating Heart 48 copies, 1 review
Captive Heart 47 copies
Identity Theft 47 copies
Mountain-Peak Mystery 47 copies, 1 review
Real Fake 46 copies, 1 review
Model Crime 46 copies
Heart of Ice 46 copies
Kiss and Tell 46 copies
Intruder 46 copies, 1 review
Candy Kingdom Chaos 45 copies, 1 review
The Lemonade Raid 45 copies, 1 review
Wicked Ways 45 copies, 1 review
Royal Revenge 44 copies
Movie Madness 43 copies, 1 review
Model Menace 41 copies
Hidden Meanings 41 copies
Gold Medal Murder 40 copies, 1 review
Anything For Love 40 copies, 1 review
Model Suspect 37 copies
The Ski Slope Mystery 37 copies, 1 review
Dangerous Loves 35 copies
Skipping a Beat 35 copies, 2 reviews
Flying Too High 35 copies
Flower Power 35 copies
Secret Sabotage 34 copies
The Haunting on Heliotrope Lane 34 copies, 2 reviews
Nancy Drew Ghost Stories #2 33 copies, 1 review
Riverboat Roulette 33 copies, 1 review
The Stolen Kiss 32 copies
On Her Own 32 copies
The Apple Bandit 31 copies, 1 review
The Professor and the Puzzle 31 copies, 2 reviews
The Witch's Omen 31 copies, 1 review
Boo Crew 31 copies
Green With Envy 30 copies
The Secret in the Spooky Woods 29 copies, 1 review
Danger on Ice 29 copies
Bonfire Masquerade 28 copies, 1 review
Seeing Green 27 copies
Whose Pet is Best? 27 copies, 1 review
The Crook Who Took the Book 26 copies, 1 review
Hannah's Secret 26 copies
Serial Sabotage 25 copies, 1 review
Don't Look Back 24 copies
Guilty Secrets 24 copies, 1 review
The Day Camp Disaster 24 copies, 2 reviews
New Beginnings 22 copies
Stage Fright 21 copies
Under His Spell 21 copies
False Friends 21 copies
Secret Rules 20 copies
The Scarytales Sleepover 19 copies, 1 review
Stolen Kisses 19 copies
Space Case 19 copies
Snowbound 19 copies
Getting Closer 19 copies
Party Weekend 19 copies
Hard to Get 19 copies
A Capitol Crime 18 copies
Lessons in Love 18 copies
Going Home 18 copies
Turkey Trouble 18 copies
Going Too Far 18 copies
Mystery of the Lost Dogs (Author) 17 copies
Dinosaur Alert! 17 copies
Broken Promises 17 copies
Broken Hearts 16 copies
Keeping Secrets 16 copies
Circus Act 16 copies
Love On-Line 15 copies
Lights! Camera! Clues! 15 copies, 1 review
It's No Joke! 15 copies
Mixed Emotions 13 copies
Zoo Clue 13 copies, 1 review
The Purple Fingerprint 13 copies, 1 review
Cheating Hearts 13 copies
Hard to Handle 13 copies
Love and Games 10 copies
The Big Island Burglary 9 copies, 1 review
Nancy Drew 7 copies
Kidnappad 3 copies
20th century (363) adventure (347) Carolyn Keene (310) chapter book (635) childhood (182) children (1,133) children's (2,013) children's books (315) children's fiction (433) children's literature (769) classic (458) classics (215) Dana Girls (714) detective (891) dust jacket (149) fiction (7,815) girls' series (313) hardcover (400) Hardy Boys (147) juvenile (700) juvenile fiction (520) kids (222) middle grade (258) mysteries (305) mystery (14,687) Nancy Drew (14,045) Nancy Drew Cameo Lib Ed (187) Nancy Drew Files (589) Nancy Drew Mystery Stories (153) Nancy Drew Series (677) novel (256) own (270) picture cover (131) read (1,130) series (2,062) to-read (863) YA (618) young adult (2,179) youth (282) z (254)
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Disambiguation notice
Do NOT combine this page with that of "C. Keene", as there are other authors on LT who share that surname and intial. Thank you.

This author is a nom de plume of the several authors of the Nancy Drew and The Dana Girls series. It is a pseudonym owned originally by the Stratemeyer Syndicate (now a name used by Simon and Schuster). Authors of books in the former series include Mildred Wirt Benson, Harriet Adams, James Duncan Lawrence, Walter Karig, Nancy Axelrad, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller, Jr., Margaret Scherf, and Susan Wittig Albert. Authors of books in the latter series include Leslie McFarlane, Mildred Wirt Benson, and Harriet Adams.
Note that Caroline Quine is the Dutch and French name of this author.

Please do not combine the individual authors with Carolyn Keene; They may have written under the name Carolyn Keene, but many of them also wrote other books under their own name.

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