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Nancy Drew Files #100
Dance Till You Die
After her close friend Bess vanishes while working at the hot new Razor's Edge dance club, Nancy Drew risks her own life to find her missing friend, but the case soon becomes complicated by the murder of the club's DJ. Original.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,142 books3,994 followersCarolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 23, 2025
Fun 90s rave club setting (lots of outfit descriptions) with kind of an average mystery. I guessed the culprit early on.
-Bess dresses up as a mermaid and gets kidnapped!
-takes place in October. Kind of Halloween-ie. There’s a costume party.
-Ether instead of chloroform
-corded telephone as a weapon
-scalding steam
-random scenes at a rock quarry and the same guy was also into riding horses??
-yes the cover is accurate. Nancy does employ some karate moves. But still trying to figure out who that guy is looking over her shoulder.
-also would like to know what makes this a collector’s edition besides for being book 100.
Published in 1994
-Bess dresses up as a mermaid and gets kidnapped!
-takes place in October. Kind of Halloween-ie. There’s a costume party.
-Ether instead of chloroform
-corded telephone as a weapon
-scalding steam
-random scenes at a rock quarry and the same guy was also into riding horses??
-yes the cover is accurate. Nancy does employ some karate moves. But still trying to figure out who that guy is looking over her shoulder.
-also would like to know what makes this a collector’s edition besides for being book 100.
Published in 1994
October 19, 2017
A pretty good mystery! Suspenseful and very interesting. Nancy was pretty great in this book as well. Culprits were obvious though and the plot was a bit predictable, but still keeps you guessing. However, I want to know who the heck the guy is on the cover behind Nancy. None of the guys in the book match the description with the guy on the cover, so... who is that? Overall, a nice, fast paced mystery. 4 stars.
April 9, 2026
Was reading this during our class Christmas party in 1994, and I remember telling my friend Hatchet, "if only all the Nancy Drew books are like this". She asked what do you mean? I meant, that the title on the cover is embossed in foil-like shiny letters. Deep!
July 10, 2024
::doomp doomp doomp doodoomp doomp:: 90's RaVe MuRdEr ::wickawicka wow::
June 4, 2026
Fun one!
February 25, 2013
Nancy's friend Bess got a job at a club! Bess invited her cousin, George and Nancy to come to the costume party that night! In the middle of the party, there is a blackout, and Bess is missing. Nancy knows Bess didn't run away because Bess was wearing a mermaid coustume with a flipper at the feet!Can Nancy and George find Bess and her kidnapper, or will this end: to be continued?
September 16, 2012
I really liked this book.
May 4, 2013
Don't remember much but I liked Nancy and the mysteries.
November 27, 2019
Bess is a mermaid!!! And gets kidnapped! A new dance club, illegal aliens and a shady boss get Nancy and George into trouble after someone abducts Bess at a new nightclub
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews