Nancy Drew
We begin with the most densely cerebral book series: Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene, a nearly 100-year old franchise about a girl detective, written for children who don’t mind the idea of a tartan-print skirt.
Nancy Drew has sleuthed her way through mystery books the traditional way. In her long life, though, she has also made it to the silver screen, as well as the computer screen in a series of point-and-click adventure games developer HeR Interactive has been releasing since 1999. As of 2019, the game series is 33 games deep, but audiences have always bemoaned the games’ tendency toward plot holes and spotty graphics.
Since Hot Book Summer is all about aesthetics, you’re better off trying out this Nancy Drew: Treasure in the Royal Tower fan remakefrom graphic designer Julia Holdnack. The remake, which is available to download for free on itch.io, is brighter, 3D, and interactive, giving Nancy, and you, some deserved glamor.
