Files #112 For Love or Money

In the last few Files I have read, Nancy is solving mysteries on behalf of some super wealthy patrons - what ever happened to helping out the poor and downtrodden? Mostly this gimmick is used to describe the opulent mansions and lifestyles of her clients, which would appeal to the target teenage audience of the Files. So far Nancy has helped a famous Hollywood director (Files #120), a Long Island heiress (Files #118) and in this story, a software magnate.

The artwork to the left by Cliff Miller was commissioned for this title (#112) but was superceded by a photo cover from the Canadian Nancy Drew TV series, which premiered around the time this book was released (Dec 1995). The published cover featured a generic photo of Bess, Nancy and George with flashlights. George does not even appear in this story, so the cover really has no relevance at all. I much prefer Miller's cover featuring Nancy flirting with the rich and handsome Philip Pierce.

File #120 Dangerous Loves

Nancy and George live the lifetsyles of the rich and famous in Hollywood for this adventure. They go undercover as extras on the set of the movie Dangerous Loves, set in the 1940's around the time of the end of World War II. I kept imagining Tandy Nancy in one of her smart suits during these scenes.

Spoiler Alert
In an unusual twist, Nancy is attracted to the guy who ends up being the perpetrator, and even has a romantic moment with him, complete with smooching. It must be the first instance of our favorite sleuth kissing the bad guy!

File #16 Never Say Die

In this case, George is a contender in an international track cycling competition. She attempts to befriend a Soviet cyclist, but is dissuaded from further contact by the girl's KGB chaperones, who do not want her to have any Western contacts. This book was published in 1987, when glasnost was apparently not yet in full swing. It was funny to see Nancy & George come up against an international organization of that magnitude.