Nancy's Mysterious Letter

“I don’t promise to forget the mystery, but I know I’ll have a marvelous time.” - Carolyn Keene

Carolyn Keen is the pseudonym for the author(s) of the Nancy Drew mystery series. Mildred Wirt Benson was the original Carolyn Keene and wrote twenty three of the original Nancy Drew books including Nancy's Mysterious Letter. She set the voice of the main character and inspired those who took the name after her death. In the novel, Nancy undertakes a search for a missing young woman that goes by the same name; it later becomes obvious that a ruthless, dangerous man is determined to prevent her from finding the lost woman or himself. The designer takes this knowledge and depicts it in a way that sets the letters as being larger than Nancy Drew. Nancy is depicted much smaller in the foreground while the letters are enlarged in the background to emphasize their importance to the story’s plot line. The distinct type leads the viewer's eyes across the cover, down the illustrations, and lands on the author's perceived name. The illustrations found in the inside of the book cover are what make the design style truly remarkable. Joseph Nappi intentionally chose to illustrate parts of the storyline rather than utilize a pattern or solid color. This particular edition is what makes this the perfect example of early preteen book jacket design.