Nancy Drew Diaries 14 – Riverboat Roulette

Carolyn Keene's Riverboat Roulette is a Nancy Drew mystery for 9 year olds where a charity night on an old paddle steamer turns into a race against the clock.

What happens

Every year Nancy, Bess and George go to a casino night that raises money for a dog and cat rescue. This time it's on the Delta Queen, a restored riverboat with chandeliers, lacy railings and a big red paddle wheel.

George is playing in the poker tournament for the first time. She's saved hard for the entry fee and counts the cash EIGHT times in the car (Bess is not impressed).

Then, partway down the river, the night's takings disappear from the safe. Every dollar of it, meant for a brand new shelter. Nobody can get off the boat, the security cameras don't work, and they dock in just under three hours.

So Nancy has until half past ten to find a thief among two hundred guests. Who doesn't love a ticking clock? She keeps checking her watch all the way through, and your reader probably will too.

There are plenty of people to wonder about. A couple from a rival pet charity, who the furious organiser Margot tried to turn away at the gangplank. A very nervous waiter who sends a tray flying at just the wrong moment. And a famous poker player with a letter in his coat pocket saying his sponsors have dropped him.

Nancy tells it all herself, so you're right there as she sneaks into the cloakroom (Bess creates a distraction with a pretend spill on her dress). Later she squeezes into a cupboard below deck and holds her breath while two suspects walk past.

The friendship is lovely too. Bess and George bicker about poker words and dress styles, then make up within minutes.

It's worth knowing that the whole story is set around a casino night. There's poker, roulette and lots of talk about chips and bets, though it's all for the animals. Nancy is also a fair bit older than your reader (she drives her own car and has a boyfriend, Ned). One of the organisers also has a mum in hospital having cancer treatment.

It's the fourteenth Nancy Drew Diaries book, but the opening introduces everyone from scratch, so it's an easy place to jump in. If your reader likes to line up the suspects and guess before Nancy does, this is a great pick.

What to read next

If this one goes down well, The Professor and the Puzzle comes straight after it. Another big party night for the three friends, this time a Greek fancy dress gala at a college in a thunderstorm.