A series of three books by Mabel Maney that parodies Nancy Drew stories by turning all the likeable characters gay. And by aping the style almost perfectly.
In the first book, The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse, Nurse Cherry Aimless, a long-time Nancy Clue fan, is shocked to hear that Nancy's maid, Hannah Gruel, has shot Carson Clue in a fit of pique. And she's even more shocked when one of her patients, who resembles Lana Turner, just up and vanishes from the hospital. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't have much time for sleuthing: her holiday starts soon, and she's off to visit her aunt Gert in San Francisco.
But before she does so, her head nurse, Peg Marstad, gives Cherry a book to give to Butch Lesbian Midge Fontaine, whose girlfriend Velma Pierce happens to look just like Cherry. It turns out the book is a clue to Lana's whereabouts, and the three, plus tomboyish teen Lauren Rooney and policewoman Jackie Jones set out to look for Nancy Clue herself. It's not long before they're swept up in a conspiracy, with a bunch of evil priests who wish to buy a nunnery.
The second book picks up where the first left off, with Nancy's admission to the crew that Hannah is in fact wrongfully accused, and she shot her own father. The group set off for Nancy's hometown of River Depths to clear Hannah's name, but finds out that it is not so easy.
The third book in the series, The Hardly Boys in "A Ghost in the Closet", introduces Frank and Joe Hardly, while still featuring Midge, Cherry, Jackie, Nancy, Velma and Lauren in prominent roles.
This book series contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Carson Clue.
- Affectionate Parody: Of three popular detective series
- Alliterative Name: Margaret "Peg" Marstad, Jackie Jones, Ted Tickerson and Midge's real name, Hallie Hoover.
- Amateur Sleuth: The main cast.
- Badass Crew: All of them turn out to be quite capable.
- Big Damn Heroes
- Bratty Half-Pint: Lauren.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance: The series is set in The '50s.
- Have a Gay Old Time: Parodied, of course.
- Identical Stranger: Cherry and Velma, also Midge and Frank Hardly.
- Kissing Cousins: Bess and George
- Parody Names: All over the place.
