As a voracious pre-teen reader, I cut my teeth on Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Dana Sisters and Encyclopedia Brown mystery series. I loved the idea of someone who was close to being my age solving a mystery that had the adults in the story stumped. I loved them so much that I actually…
Many of us, me included, were first drawn to mysteries by the bravery and the independence of Nancy Drew. Our intrepid heroine prevailed over robbers, forgers, kidnappers and organized crime to help those who couldn’t help themselves. But as I caught up with episodes so far in this season’s, The Closer, it hit me: Brenda…
Do you wear your fandom on your sleeve? On your wrist? In your ears? Pick your favorite classic mystery writer or character and do an Etsy search and I can pretty much guarantee you’ll be surprised by the results. Like Agatha Christie? You can have an e-reader cover, pins, earrings, pendants, teacups, even Christmas tree…
She’s tough. She’s violent. And mystery readers can’t seem to get enough of her. Over the past six decades, female sleuths have gone from sweet (think Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple or Nancy Drew) to tough-minded (Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone, Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect) to borderline psychopathic, preternaturally talented uber-predators. Versions of the hard-as-nails woman detective…
I’m a reader because of Nancy Drew. Back in the Dark Ages when young adult fiction consisted of Sweet Valley High and Judy Blume, it was Nancy who got me reading. I liked the puzzle. I liked following the story and trying to unravel the mystery right along with Nancy, even if she did get…
