Nancy Drew Diaries 10 – A Script for Danger

Carolyn Keene's A Script for Danger is the tenth Nancy Drew Diaries book, a mystery for 9 year olds set on a real film set in Nancy's home town.

What happens

Alex Burgess used to work in Nancy's dad's law office. Now he's back in River Heights to direct his very first movie, about a run-down hotel that might be haunted. And he's invited Nancy, Bess and George along to watch.

Bess is beside herself. The star is Brian Newsome from a hit TV hospital show, and she's determined to get his autograph (and a photo, and a handshake). George mostly wants breakfast.

Then, just as everyone lines up for the newspaper photo, there's a hiss and a deafening bang. Someone has stuffed fireworks into the coffee machine! Not long after, Brian's costume turns up dripping with something red. Is somebody trying to stop this film from being made?

Alex doesn't want the police slowing everything down. So Nancy, Bess and George go undercover as journalists writing about the shoot.

There are LOTS of suspects. The grumpy man who runs the snack table. Alex's younger sister Cora, who's making a documentary and won't let anyone see her footage. A local woman who's furious that the filming has pushed the Fourth of July carnival off the fairgrounds. Your reader can keep their own list and see who they cross off first.

Half the fun is the peek behind the cameras. You find out what a call sheet is, what the crew mean by "sides" and why nobody dares whisper while the camera's rolling. There's even a tent called video village where people watch the scene on a monitor. Has your reader ever wondered how a film actually gets made? They'll love all of this.

Nancy tells it all herself, so you're right beside her as the hunches pile up. Bess going weak at the knees every time Brian walks past is very funny. George teasing her about it is even funnier.

It's worth knowing that Nancy has a boyfriend who takes photos for the local paper, and nearly everyone around her is a grown-up film crew. So it feels a touch older than some mysteries. The pranks are noisy rather than nasty, though. Nobody is hurt and the "blood" is ketchup mixed with chocolate syrup.

What to read next

If they enjoy a big show coming to River Heights, try The Magician's Secret. This time a famous magician plans to make the town's own courthouse vanish in front of a crowd, and Nancy has tickets.