Carolyn Keene


Carolyn Keene is the pseudonym of the authors of the Nancy Drew mystery stories and The Dana Girls mystery stories, both produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate. In addition, the Keene pen name is credited with the Nancy Drew spin-off, ''River Heights, and the Nancy Drew Notebooks.
Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of the Syndicate, hired writers, beginning with Mildred Wirt, later Mildred Wirt Benson, to write the manuscripts for the Nancy Drew books. The writers initially were paid $125 for each book and were required by their contract to give up all rights to the work and to maintain confidentiality.
Benson is credited as the primary writer of Nancy Drew books under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Harriet Adams rewrote the original books and added new titles after the withdrawal of Benson.
Other ghostwriters who used this name to write Nancy Drew mysteries included Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Walter Karig, Nancy Axelrad, Patricia Doll, Charles S. Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., Margaret Fischer, and Susan Wittig Albert. Also involved in the Nancy Drew writing process were Harriet Stratemeyer Adams's daughters, who gave input on the series and sometimes helped to choose book titles; the Syndicate's secretary, Harriet Otis Smith, who invented the characters of Nancy's friends Bess and George; and the editors at Grosset & Dunlap.
In 1979, the Stratemeyer Syndicate changed publishers to Simon & Schuster, a move that the former publishers, Grosset and Dunlap, went to court to prevent, claiming a breach of contract. The decision was made in favor of the Syndicate, stating that they could choose which publisher they would like to use for subsequent entries in the series.
In 1985, the Syndicate was bought by publishers Simon & Schuster; the Drew books are now handled by Mega-Books, a New York book packager.

Ghostwriters

Nancy Drew

#WriterStoryYear
36Harriet AdamsThe Secret of the Golden Pavilion1959
37Harriet AdamsThe Clue in the Old Stagecoach1960
38Harriet AdamsThe Mystery of the Fire Dragon1961
39Harriet AdamsThe Clue of the Dancing Puppet1962
40Harriet AdamsThe Moonstone Castle Mystery1963
41Harriet AdamsThe Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes1964
42Harriet AdamsThe Phantom of Pine Hill1965
43Harriet AdamsThe Mystery of the 99 Steps1966
44Harriet AdamsThe Clue in the Crossword Cipher1967
45Harriet AdamsThe Spider Sapphire Mystery1968
46Harriet AdamsThe Invisible Intruder1969
47Harriet AdamsThe Mysterious Mannequin1970
48Harriet AdamsThe Crooked Banister1971
49Harriet AdamsThe Secret of Mirror Bay1972
50Harriet AdamsThe Double Jinx Mystery1973
51Harriet AdamsMystery of the Glowing Eye1974
52Harriet AdamsThe Secret of the Forgotten City1975
53Harriet AdamsThe Sky Phantom1976
54Harriet AdamsThe Strange Message in the Parchment1977
55Harriet AdamsMystery of Crocodile Island1978
56Harriet AdamsThe Thirteenth Pearl1979

#WriterStoryYear
57Harriet AdamsThe Triple Hoax1979
58Harriet AdamsThe Flying Saucer Mystery1980
59Nancy AxelradThe Secret in the Old Lace1980
60Nancy AxelradThe Greek Symbol Mystery1980
61Nancy AxelradThe Swami's Ring1981
62Sharon WagnerThe Kachina Doll Mystery1981
63Nancy AxelradThe Twin Dilemma1981
64Richard BallardCaptive Witness1981
65Nancy AxelradMystery of the Winged Lion1982
66James Duncan LawrenceRace Against Time1982
67Richard BallardThe Sinister Omen1982
68Sharon WagnerThe Elusive Heiress1982
69James Duncan LawrenceClue of the Ancient Disguise1982
70Sharon WagnerThe Broken Anchor1983
71James Duncan LawrenceThe Silver Cobweb1983
72James Duncan LawrenceThe Haunted Carousel1983
73James Duncan LawrenceEnemy Match1984
74James Duncan LawrenceThe Mysterious Image1984
75Sharon WagnerThe Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery1984
76Sharon WagnerThe Eskimo's Secret1985
77James Duncan LawrenceThe Bluebeard Room1985
78James Duncan LawrenceThe Phantom of Venice1985