Nancy Drew Diaries 17 – Famous Mistakes

Carolyn Keene's Nancy Drew Diaries Famous Mistakes is a mystery for 9 year olds that starts with a hotel room turned completely upside down.

What happens

Ned, Nancy's boyfriend, runs a podcast called NED Talks, and he's landed a huge interview. Brady Owens is a stand-up comedian in serious trouble online. Nancy's come along to carry the recording kit and keep Ned calm (he's so nervous he's hardly touched his breakfast, which for Ned is saying something).

But when Ned knocks on Brady's hotel door, it swings open on its own. Clothes everywhere. Lamps smashed. Even the paintings are off the walls. And no Brady.

He turns up safe and well, eating lunch downstairs. What's gone is his notebook, a whole year of new jokes, ripped into tiny pieces. Brady's sure the protesters are behind it. Nancy isn't so sure. The director of the new Arts Complex gives her until six o'clock to find whoever did it, or he'll bring in extra security for that night's show.

The fun is in the team. Bess knows everything about clothes, which is handy when the only clue is a gold blazer button with an anchor on it. George is the tech genius. And Ned turns out to be brilliant at jigsaws, which matters more than you'd think!

Because it's Nancy telling the story, you get all her detective thinking as she goes. She trusts her gut, spots the thing everyone else walked past and isn't afraid to tell a grown man he owes someone an apology.

The story is built on some quite grown-up stuff, so it's good to know what's in there. Brady's trouble started with a clip of him telling a comedy club audience to mug a woman who heckled him (as a joke, he says). Since then people have called him awful names online, and someone has even made fake emergency calls so the police surrounded his house. Nancy thinks he should say sorry. The book gives both sides of the free speech argument a fair go.

For a younger reader some of that may need a chat. For one who likes to talk things through, there's plenty to discuss over tea.

What to read next

If they're after more of Nancy, Bess and George together, The Ghost of Grey Fox Inn takes all three to a wedding in Charleston, at an inn that's supposed to be haunted.