The Nancys - the first Nancy Drew-Inspired Mystery

This book came recommended through a Facebook group to which I belong. I am a huge Nancy Drew fan, as anyone who knows me can attest, so any books that feature Nancy Drew heavily in them, I am more than excited about picking up and reading. So, when I heard about this book, I immediately went to Amazon to buy it - only problem is, I couldn't find it on Amazon. In fact, I couldn't find it on any American site. Come to find out, it was only published overseas. Sooooo, a good friend who was ordering a copy for herself went ahead and ordered a copy for me, too! I got it some time ago, and with this wonderful quarantine in effect, I've been catching up on so many books, and this happens to be one of them.

The Nancys, written by R.W.R. McDonald, is the story of 11-year old Tippy Chan, who not-so-long-ago lost her father in a tragic accident. As Christmas approaches (the first one without her father), Tippy's Uncle Pike (her mother's brother) and his boyfriend, Devon come for a visit to watch Tippy while her mothers goes on a two-week cruise, and suddenly, Tippy's life is turned upside down. First, one of her good friends, Todd, falls from a bridge and is in the hospital in a coma (just as her father was before he died). Then, she witnesses two teachers from her school get into a nasty fight outside of the hospital where Todd is. Then, the body turns up - without a head and without any clothes! And if all of this weren't enough, her uncle and his boyfriend are busy helping her rebellious next door neighbor, Melanie, win the local beauty pageant. What's an 11-year old girl to do?

Why, take up the mantle of her favorite sleuth, Nancy Drew, and solve the mystery of who murdered her headless teacher?!?!

Before going any further, I should warn you - this book is not for the faint-at-heart, nor for anyone who is easily offended. The characters are not afraid to express their feelings with expletives (including the f-bomb), and the book is replete with sexual innuendoes and references. In addition, Uncle Pike and Devon are over-the-top stereotypes of a bear and a flamboyant interior decorator, respectively, who always refer to one another as "she" and "her." Now, these things could be taken in two ways - one, as offensive and stereotypical, or two, as poking a bit of fun at reader's expectations and having a blast with it. For me, it was definitely the second choice! The curse words and sexual references in the first couple of pages nearly turned me off of the book (considering the main character is only 11-years old!!!), but the further I read into the book, the more I realized it was meant to be over-the-top, and the author carefully plays the innuendoes so that while we adult readers may get the joke, 11-year old Tippy doesn't get the meaning.  And Devon often enough says, "Inapprops!" at Uncle Pike's off-color comments.

All that being said, the mystery itself is quite a doozy! Someone has killed Tippy's teacher. Now, mind you, this teacher was a bit of a witch (with a "b') and did not exactly treat anyone with kindness, so her death may not be as much of a loss to the community as it otherwise could have been; however, to leave the poor woman headless and with no clothes (except for one shoe) is a bit too far. The prime suspect is the other teacher with whom she had a fight with in front of the hospital, and soon enough, the dead woman's scalp is found on Sally Homer's house, it is enough for the police to arrest her.  Case closed! Or, is it?

Tippy sees this murder (and her mom's absence) as a chance to be her hero, Nancy Drew. She has read all of her uncle's Nancy Drew books that were handed down to her, and she is ready to find out the truth and solve the mystery! With the help of Uncle Pike and Devon, the three form "The Nancys," and they set out to find clues and uncover the truth behind her teacher's death. But this is not a typical Nancy Drew mystery, and true danger abounds at every turn. Everyone is a suspect, and the one eyewitness, a five-year old girl who is nothing but a spoiled brat, may be the only one who can offer the clue needed to find the true murderer.  Of course, when Tippy's mom comes home early and they accuse the wrong person of the crime, Tippy's days as a sleuth may be at an end.

But what about those white origami flowers...?

McDonald writes a fun-filled, through-provoking mystery filled with humor, plenty of red herrings, and even some heart-touching moments.  Every character has his or her moment, and it seems everyone has secrets that come to light over the course of the book.  The book is nearly 400 pages long, but trust me - it is so engaging, you'll be turning page after page to get to the end, and once there, you'll be wishing there was more!  In two words:  highly recommend!

RATING:  10 plastic snail cellotape dispensers out of 10 for giving us a group of sleuths that definitely break the stereotype and offer some humor and drama along the way!