Scan barcode
A review by sarahreadsthings
Nancy Drew Files Vol. I: Secrets Can Kill; Deadly Intent; Murder on Ice by Carolyn Keene
3.0
I stumbled upon this cute edition of the Nancy Drew Files while in Barnes and Noble, and promptly had to read it. With the current season, it's a great simple read to pick up! (Also, the new show airing on the CW isn't that bad, either.)
These novels take on a slightly older Nancy Drew, who is eighteen. Although she is older, the writing style feels a bit young for the age and the characters mindsets seem a little too young to be around eighteen-years-old. (Nancy doesn't even consider making money off of her detective work!) Some of the things that happen in these stories are a little outdated from today, like with the mention of VHS's and phone books. These aren't bad stories and still will make you think, but they aren't tip-top amazing.
[b:Secrets Can Kill|439418|Secrets Can Kill (Nancy Drew Files, #1)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266555003l/439418._SY75_.jpg|3002896]: 3 Stars
[b:Deadly Intent|1013312|Deadly Intent (The Nancy Drew Files, #2)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1180235180l/1013312._SY75_.jpg|2227709]: 3 Stars
[b:Murder On Ice|48775|Murder On Ice (Nancy Drew Files, #3)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387667407l/48775._SY75_.jpg|47717]: 4 Stars
Average: 3.33 Stars
The first case in this collection is called [b:Secrets Can Kill|439418|Secrets Can Kill (Nancy Drew Files, #1)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266555003l/439418._SY75_.jpg|3002896], where Nancy is brought back to a high school on the precipice of finding a thief. This was an interesting one to determine the suspect, but I didn't feel like it was that shocking. Also, there's a side romance that I definitely found GROSS (not in a overly mushy way - Nancy Drew stories are too pure for that) in this one. The romance definitely decreased my rating, but this story was a good page-turner.
The second case, [b:Deadly Intent|1013312|Deadly Intent (The Nancy Drew Files, #2)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1180235180l/1013312._SY75_.jpg|2227709], was my least favorite. It was a little boring to get through, and there were far too many things going on in the plot for the reader to maintain any accurate guesses. The ending, however, was pretty good because the stakes were pretty high. I liked the subtle transition between this one and the first, because we got to see characters having to navigate and work out their relationships like adults.
The last case was the best. [b:Murder On Ice|48775|Murder On Ice (Nancy Drew Files, #3)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387667407l/48775._SY75_.jpg|47717] had a great plot that constantly made me guessing. The stakes felt high throughout this one; every time Nancy went out of the cabin I felt worried for her. The aesthetics of this one was nice too, I think it'd be a great mystery to read in cold weather. The only reason why this one wasn't a complete five stars was because I felt like this didn't have a good transition (or subtle one, since you can read them out of order) after the second installment.
These novels take on a slightly older Nancy Drew, who is eighteen. Although she is older, the writing style feels a bit young for the age and the characters mindsets seem a little too young to be around eighteen-years-old. (Nancy doesn't even consider making money off of her detective work!) Some of the things that happen in these stories are a little outdated from today, like with the mention of VHS's and phone books. These aren't bad stories and still will make you think, but they aren't tip-top amazing.
[b:Secrets Can Kill|439418|Secrets Can Kill (Nancy Drew Files, #1)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266555003l/439418._SY75_.jpg|3002896]: 3 Stars
[b:Deadly Intent|1013312|Deadly Intent (The Nancy Drew Files, #2)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1180235180l/1013312._SY75_.jpg|2227709]: 3 Stars
[b:Murder On Ice|48775|Murder On Ice (Nancy Drew Files, #3)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387667407l/48775._SY75_.jpg|47717]: 4 Stars
Average: 3.33 Stars
The first case in this collection is called [b:Secrets Can Kill|439418|Secrets Can Kill (Nancy Drew Files, #1)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266555003l/439418._SY75_.jpg|3002896], where Nancy is brought back to a high school on the precipice of finding a thief. This was an interesting one to determine the suspect, but I didn't feel like it was that shocking. Also, there's a side romance that I definitely found GROSS (not in a overly mushy way - Nancy Drew stories are too pure for that) in this one. The romance definitely decreased my rating, but this story was a good page-turner.
The second case, [b:Deadly Intent|1013312|Deadly Intent (The Nancy Drew Files, #2)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1180235180l/1013312._SY75_.jpg|2227709], was my least favorite. It was a little boring to get through, and there were far too many things going on in the plot for the reader to maintain any accurate guesses. The ending, however, was pretty good because the stakes were pretty high. I liked the subtle transition between this one and the first, because we got to see characters having to navigate and work out their relationships like adults.
The last case was the best. [b:Murder On Ice|48775|Murder On Ice (Nancy Drew Files, #3)|Carolyn Keene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387667407l/48775._SY75_.jpg|47717] had a great plot that constantly made me guessing. The stakes felt high throughout this one; every time Nancy went out of the cabin I felt worried for her. The aesthetics of this one was nice too, I think it'd be a great mystery to read in cold weather. The only reason why this one wasn't a complete five stars was because I felt like this didn't have a good transition (or subtle one, since you can read them out of order) after the second installment.