Girl Sleuth

Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her

By: Melanie Rehak

Narrated by: Melanie Rehak

The true story behind the iconic fictional detective is “a fascinating chapter in the history of publishing” (The Seattle Times).

An Edgar Award Winner for Best Biography and a Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year

The plucky “titian-haired” sleuth solved her first mystery in 1930 - and eighty million books later, Nancy Drew has survived the Depression, World War II, and the sixties (when she was taken up with a vengeance by women’s libbers) to enter the pantheon of American culture. As beloved by girls today as she was by their grandmothers, Nancy Drew has both inspired and reflected the changes in her readers’ lives. Here, in a narrative with all the page-turning pace of Nancy’s adventures, Melanie Rehak solves an enduring literary mystery: Who created Nancy Drew? And how did she go from pulp heroine to icon?

The brainchild of children’s book mogul Edward Stratemeyer, Nancy was brought to life by two women: Mildred Wirt Benson, a pioneering journalist from Iowa, and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, a well-bred wife and mother who took over her father’s business empire as CEO. In this century-spanning, “absorbing and delightful” story, the author traces their roles - and Nancy’s - in forging the modern American woman (The Wall Street Journal).

“It’s truly fun to see behind the scenes of the girl sleuth’s creation.” - Publishers Weekly

“As much a social history of the times as a book about the popular series.... Those who followed the many adventures of Nancy Drew and her friends will be fascinated with the behind-the-scenes stories of just who Carolyn Keene really was.” - School Library Journal

“Sheds light on perhaps the most successful writing franchise of all time and also the cultural and historic changes through which it passed. Grab your flashlights, girls. The mystery of Carolyn Keene is about to begin.” - Karen Joy Fowler

Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. NANCY DREW MYSTERY SERIES® NANCY DREW and all related characters and images from the frontispieces of The Clue in the Diary, Mystery at the Moss Covered Mansion, and Mystery at the Ski Jump, the 1973, 1969, 1946 book covers from The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, and photograph of Harriet S. Adams are © and registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Material from the Mildred Augustine Wirt Benson Papers reprinted by permission of the Iowa Women’s Archives, University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City. Material from Stratemeyer Syndicate Records reprinted courtesy of Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscripts Library, Yale University. Material from the Wellesley College Archives reprinted courtesy of the Wellesley College Archives, Margaret Clapp Library, Wellesley, MA. Material from the Toledo Blade and the Toledo Times reprinted by permission of the Toledo Blade.

©2005 Melanie Rehak. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"A feat of daring worthy of Nancy herself." (Los Angeles Times)

"Such an engrossing read that it made me hungry for some Nancy Drews. Rehak writes with gusto and intelligence. Nancy would be so proud." (Chicago Tribune)

"A proper sleuth for grown-up girls. Prose [that is] steely, lovely, and precise." (The Atlantic Monthly)

Fascinating deep dive into the history of...

...well, a few topics!

First, if you're a die-hard Nancy Drew fan, hang in there past the first few chapters that lay the groundwork and put the Nancy books into context. I was really interested in the history of the Stratameyer's and the syndicate as well as other historical info, but others may find it less interesting than the the subject of Nancy.

My mom bought me some Nancy books in the early 1970s when I was 11 or 12. I liked them but remember immediately thinking how old-fashioned they seemed. I decided they must have been written long before I was born and enjoyed them for what they were. Though I confess to liking Trixie Belden much better, those books have not endured. Nancy has.

I really loved that all those letters between the Stratmeyers and Mildred were around for the author to include in the book. Listening to it the day before the 2024 election, I kept thinking how much more polite and genteel things were back then. And everyone sounds so educated. But I digress...

If you like the "how the sausage is made" sort of books, you'll enjoy this one even if you aren't a huge Nancy fan.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Nancy

Actually purchased this not knowing what to expect. Each chapter held your interest. Learning all about not only the owners of the stories ( Nancy Drew ) but all about the Ghost writers who wrote them ! A must listen for any Nancy Drew fan ... young or old !

Nancy ?

If you loved Nancy Drew as a kid or still as an grown-up you will love this book.

Interesting Publishing History

Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her is a fascinating story of not only the Nancy Drew series but also of the Stratemeyer syndicate. The Stratemeyer patriarch was actually the developer of Nancy Drew (along with the Hardy Boys, the Bobsie Twins, and other nickel-serial novels. Mr. Stratemeyer created characters, wrote story outlines and hired ghost writers to produce the story. Ultimately, he, and eventually his daughter, Harriet, were the most significant contributors the character we know as Nancy Drew.

It was fascinating to learn of Mr. Stratemeyer’s business plan of using ghost writers to take his creative genius to fruition. While some authors graciously accepted the work, others became very attached to the characters they wrote about and eventually ignored the nondisclosure agreement they signed when becoming a writer for Mr. Stratemeyer’s characters and series.

A strong sub-story is that of Harriet being a working mother when it was rare for women to be working as a manager/executive and even more rare for a married woman with children to work. That story line becomes a conduit for the author to present her opinions about women in the workforce and women’s liberation before (and after) it was a movement.

Girl Sleuth is a fascinating story for anyone interested in the literary world and/or Nancy Drew.

Interesting for Nancy Drew Fans

While I typically enjoy when an author narrates their own work for audible I struggled a bit with Rehak's slower cadence and lack of inflections. I did love all of the historical context and explanation of the publishing world. I also had no idea of the legal trials which occured in later year. Worth the read.

The narrator, who is also the author sounds bored.

Why do authors insist on reading their books when they have absolutely no talent as a reader. This should have been a fun read and a 5-star review, but it was really quite disappointing. Buy the book and read it yourself.