Nancy Drew Mystery Stories

Series · 175

books · 1930-2003

By Carolyn Keene

Books in series

The Secret of the Old Clock

1930

Nancy, unaided, seeks to find a missing will. To the surprise of many, the Topham family will inherit wealthy Josiah Crowley's fortune, instead of deserving relatives and friends who were promised inheritances. Nancy determines that a clue to a second will might be found in an old clock Mr. Crowley had owned and she seeks to find the timepiece. Her search not only tests her keen mind, but also leads her into a thrilling adventure.

The Hidden Staircase

1930

After receiving a call from her friend Helen Corning, Nancy agrees to help solve a baffling mystery. Helen's Aunt Rosemary has been living with her mother at the old family mansion, and they have noticed many strange things. They have heard music, thumps, and creaking noises at night, and seen eerie shadows on the walls. Could the house be haunted?

The Bungalow Mystery

1930

While trying to help a friend out of a difficulty, Nancy has a perilous experience in and around a deserted bungalow, from which only her bravery and quick thinking save her.

The Mystery at Lilac Inn

1930

Teenage detective Nancy Drew finds herself in danger when she sets out to track a jewel thief.

The Secret of Shadow Ranch

1931

This cool paperback blank journal features one of the most memorable cover images from the classic Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. TM & 2006 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The Secret of Red Gate Farm

1931

When Bess Marvin purchased an expensive bottle of Oriental perfume, she never expected to stumble into a mystery. Now Bess, Nancy, George, and their new friend Jo are out to unravel the secrets of a mysterious conspiracy, a secretive cult, and a ring of counterfeiters in The Secret of Red Gate Farm.

The Clue in the Diary

1932

Nancy and her friends witness an explosion and the burning of a beautiful country mansion. Fearing its occupants may be trapped in the blazing building, they rush to the rescue—and unexpectedly find themselves confronted with a mystery that seems insoluble. The first clue is an anonymous diary—its entries in a handwriting difficult to decipher. Who dropped the diary? Was it the stranger Nancy saw running away from the fire? What was he doing there? Finding out how Nancy discovers the answers to these questions makes for another exciting Nancy Drew mystery. Praise for the Nancy Drew series on audio...

Nancy's Mysterious Letter

1932

Nancy receives a letter informing her that she is heir to a fortune. This story tells of her search for another Nancy Drew.

The Sign of the Twisted Candles

1933

Nancy, as mediator in a generation-old feud, divulges an unknown birthright.

#10

Password to Larkspur Lane

1933

A carrier pigeon furnishes Nancy with a clue to a mysterious retreat.

#11

The Clue of the Broken Locket

1934

Another vacation turns into a riddle for Nancy to solve while she visits a lakeside holiday area. Cecily Curtis seeks the girl sleuth’s help in solving two mysteries. One concerns her fiancé, a popular singer who believes his record company is cheating him. The other involves a hidden family treasure; the only clue is half of a gold locket. Strange circumstances provide Nancy with many opportunities to test her sleuthing skills and discover the astounding secrets of Pudding Stone Lodge. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1934) is different.

#12

The Message in the Hollow Oak

1935

Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE] ACE #1 Nancy Drew tackles a mystery professional detectives failed to solve—finding a valuable centuries-old message in a hollow oak tree in Illinois. The story is based on the original title of the same name first published in 1935. The plot is vastly different in this extensively revised and shortened version.

#13

The Mystery of the Ivory Charm

1936

What secret life-giving power does the exquisite ivory elephant charm contain? Can the trinket really protect its wearer from all harm? Nancy Drew finds out when the owner of the Bengleton Wild-Animal Show asks her to investigate one of the performers who may be involved in some mysterious illegal scheme. The girl detective's assignment becomes complicated when the elephant trainer's young assistant, Rishi, seeks refuge at the Drew home from his cruel foster father, Rai. While following clues to help the boy find his real father, Nancy learns about an eerie abandoned house. She is harassed by its strange owner, Anita Allison, and the fiendish Rai. How Nancy uses the ivory charm, reunites a maharaja with his son, and brings the evildoers to justice will mystify readers from beginning to end.

#14

The Whispering Statue

1937

Nancy is asked to solve a puzzling mystery then encounters a second case. The first concerns a valuable collection of rare books. Wealthy Mrs. Merriam has commissioned a supposedly reputable art dealer to sell it, but soon believes the man is a swindler. The second mystery involves the theft of a beautiful marble statue, rumored to whisper, has an uncanny resemblance to Nancy! As suddenly as it disappeared, the marble statue is returned and is discovered to be a reproduction! To solve both mysteries, Nancy adopts an alias and a disguise, becomes an employee of the suspicious dealer, gathering evidence against a clever ring of art thieves. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1937) is different.

#15

The Haunted Bridge

1937

Nancy Drew is visiting Deer Mountain Lodge to help her father with a case involving jewel thieves and while there, comes across another mystery involving a haunted bridge! How Nancy solves both mysteries and competes in a golf tournament despite her injurred arm is exciting and fun reading. l

#16

The Clue of the Tapping Heels

1939

CHALLENGING questions confront Nancy Drew when she attempts to solve the mystery of the strange tapping sounds in the house of a retired actress. Who is the tapper? How does he gain access to Miss Carter's house, despite securely locked doors and windows? Why do the tapping sounds come in Morse code? Is there a sinister motive behind the prowler's actions? While trying to learn the answers to these and other puzzling questions, Nancy finds her investigations complicated by the dishonest administrator of a will and by a thief who steals the actress' prize Persian cats. How Nancy communicates with the ghostlike intruder by tap dancing in code, how she outwits three criminals wanted by the police, and how she brings happiness to Miss Carter in a romantic reunion with the actress' former leading man will thrill the lively young detective's host of fans.

#17

The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk

1940

A trunk that Nancy receives from her father for a trip to Buenos Aires becomes the center of a mystery.

#18

The Mystery at the Moss-covered Mansion

1941

Nancy's father Carson Drew enlists her help in tracking down a missing heiress, and Nancy, Bess and George stumble upon a mysterious moss-covered mansion. The girls learn someone was murdered near the mansion and they hear strange noises coming from inside the building. Action bounds in this thrilling adventure involving gypsies, a missing heiress, a needy elderly lady, a reclusive artist, an airplane accident, and a forest fire

#19

The Quest of the Missing Map

1942

The nineteenth book in the Nancy Drew series. It was originally released in 1942. This facsimile of its original edition continues the series of Applewood editions.

#20

The Clue in the Jewel Box

1943

An antique dealer's revelation about a former queen's priceless heirloom starts Nancy on a trail of exciting adventures. Madame Alexandra, now living incognito in River Heights, asks Nancy to find her missing grandson. With only one clue to go on—a faded photograph of the prince at the age of four—the young detective begins her search, which rapidly involves her in a series of dangerous and harrowing adventures. When Nancy needs help, she calls on Bess, George, Burt, Dave, and her special friend, Ned. How Nancy's discovery of the heirloom's secret unmasks a slick imposter and reunites the long-separated family climaxes this suspense-filled mystery story.

#21

The Secret in the Old Attic

1944

Nancy Drew #21

#22

The Clue in the Crumbling Wall

1945

A sprawling estate was willed to a dancer who has vanished several years earlier. During their investigation at Heath Castle, Nancy, Bess and George realize that its crumbling walls contain a secret, but what is it? They search for clues in the neglected gardens of the vast estate, hoping to find a lead to the missing woman. Danger lurks in a castle tower and throughout the vine-tangled grounds as Nancy exposes a sinister plot to defraud the dancer of her inheritance. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1945) is similar with minor revisions.

#23

Mystery of the Tolling Bell

1946

Nancy becomes involved in a maze of mystery when she accepts an invitation from Mrs. Chantrey, a client of Mr. Drew, to vacation at her cottage in a picturesque seaside town. Carson Drew has promised to join his daughter, but fails to arrive. The alarming disappearance of Mr. Drew and the odd circumstances surrounding his rescue are only the start of a series of highly dangerous adventures for Nancy and her friends Bess and George. Mrs. Chantrey's story about a nearby cliffside cave reputedly inhabited by a ghost intrigues Nancy and she decides to investigate. Several frightened townspeople claim to have seen an apparition and heard the weird sounds of a tolling bell just before water rushes from the cave. What Nancy discovers and how she outwits a ring of swindlers will thrill all admirers of the courageous young detective

#24

The Clue in the Old Album

1947

Nancy witnesses a purse snatching and chases the thief. She rescues the purse, but not its contents. The owner, a doll collector, asks Nancy to do some detecting. The woman provides a mysterious note: "The source of light will heal all ills, but a curse will follow him who takes it from the gypsies." Nancy interprets this clue in her quest to find an old album, a lost doll, and a missing gypsy violinist. The girl detective’s valiant efforts bring happiness to a misunderstood child and her lonely grandmother. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1947) is similar with one major and other minor revisions.

#25

The Ghost of Blackwood Hall

1948

When Mrs. Putney seeks Nancy's help in recovering her stolen jewelry, the search for the thieves takes the girl detective and her friends, Bess and George, to an abandoned mansion in the River Heights vicinity known as Blackwood Hall and to the colorful French Quarter of New Orleans. When the quest is hampered by the strange behavior of Mrs. Putney and two young women who are being victimized by so-called spirits, Nancy must fight these unseen perpetrators of a cruel hoax! The resourceful young sleuth wants to help, but is hindered. The ghostly spirits have warned these gullible victims to not to have anything to do with Nancy Drew! This book is the original text. The plot of the revised story (©1967) is similar with minor revisions.

#26

The Clue of the Leaning Chimney

1949

A rare and valuable Chinese vase is stolen from a pottery shop and Dick Milton, the owner, asks Nancy for help. The young sleuth is tasked to find the thief, the missing ornament and to locate a leaning chimney. This chimney marks a discovery that will solve Dick’s financial problems. During her investigations, Nancy finds the leaning chimney, but it only leads her into more puzzles. Are there connections between the theft of the rare vase, a number of similar crimes and the strange disappearance of a Chinese pottery expert and his daughter? This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1949) is similar with minor revisions.

#27

The Secret of the Wooden Lady

1950

Adventure abounds on the Bonny Scot in Boston Harbor as Nancy helps Captain Easterly uncover the mystery of his ghostly visitors. From the moment, the clever young detective and her friends, Bess and George, stay on the old clipper ship they are confronted with fire, theft, unseen trespassers and other dangers. Nancy faces an additional challenge: to find a clue to the clipper’s missing figurehead. The lost “wooden lady” is needed establish a clear title to the ship. Nancy wonders why the prime suspect in the recent robbery at the Marvin home is in Boston and is easily entering and leaving the Bonny Scot without being seen! This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1950) is similar with minor revisions.

#28

The Clue of the Black Keys

1951

During an archaeological expedition in Mexico, two professors, the senior Dr. Joshua Pitt and young Terry Scott find a clue to buried treasure. The clue was a cipher carved on a stone tablet. Before the older professor had time to translate it, he and the tablet disappeared! Terry tells Nancy of his suspicions of a Mexican couple, posing as scientists, who vanished the same night as Dr. Pitt. Nancy follows a tangled trail of clues that lead to Florida and Mexico and a secret of antiquity that can only be unlocked by three black keys. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1951) is similar with minor revisions.

#29

Mystery at the Ski Jump

1952

When Nancy learns the Drews’ housekeeper has been duped by an elegantly dressed woman into buying a stolen fur piece, the young detective starts a search for the clever swindler. To Nancy’s astonishment, she discovers the woman is using the name Nancy Drew! The dishonest acts of the impostor point the finger of suspicion at Nancy herself! Following the trail of the clever fur thieves and stock swindlers to New York and into Canada, Nancy is tireless in her quest for justice, determined to clear her good name! This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1952) is similar with minor revisions.

#30

The Clue of the Velvet Mask

1953

A masquerade party quickly turns into a mystery when Nancy and Ned spy an enigmatic man in a black cloak and an exotic woman in a glittering Javanese costume. Are they members of the gang of wily thieves who sneak into parties hosted by wealthy citizens to rob jewels and painting treasures? Why is the owner of the black velvet hooded mask Ned found during the party desperate to retrieve it? To find the answers, Nancy and George switch identities. George soon discovers that it can be both exciting and dangerous to masquerade as Nancy Drew! This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1953) is similar with minor revisions.

#31

The Ringmaster's Secret

1953

Nancy Drew is given a beautiful gold bracelet and finds that one of the horse charms is missing. When she learns the unusual story behind the jewelry, she sets out to solve the fascinating mystery. This book is a condensed version of the original book which was first published in 1953.

#32

The Scarlet Slipper Mystery

1954

Nancy meets Helene and Henri Fontaine, refugees from Centrovia who run a dancing school in River Heights. Strange circumstances have brought the brother and sister to United States. When they receive an anonymous note threatening their lives, Nancy offers her help. But she encounters nothing but puzzles. Are the Fontaines involved with the Centrovian underground? Have they been threatened by their own countrymen? Why? Is a series of paintings by Henri Fontaine being used for a sinister purpose? Suddenly the Fontaines disappear. Have they been kidnapped? Nancy and her friends pursue the trail relentlessly, even though danger lurks around every corner. They are trapped by their enemies, and escape seems impossible. But Nancy's quick wit finally enables her to solve this intriguing and intricate mystery.

#33

The Witch Tree Symbol

1955

When a neighbor asks Nancy to accompany her to an old uninhabited mansion, she finds a witch tree symbol that leads her to Pennsylvania Dutch country in pursuit of a cunning and ruthless thief. The friendly welcome the girl sleuth and her friends receive from the Amish people soon changes to hostility when it is rumored that Nancy is a witch! Superstition helps her enemy in his attempt to get her off his trail, but Nancy persistently uncovers one clue after another to outwit her dangerous adversary. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1955) is similar with minor revisions.

#34

The Hidden Window Mystery

1956

Nancy is intrigued by a magazine article offering a large reward to anyone finding a missing medieval stained-glass window. She invites Bess and George to join her on a search in Charlottesville, Virginia. During the girls' investigation of Ivy Hall, an old rundown, southern mansion, rented by a superstitious actress, they encounter a hostile ghost. Eerie sounds come from a beautiful neighboring estate that is surrounded by a high brick wall. Could these mysterious noises and the ghost at Ivy Hall be connected? This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1956) is similar with minor revisions.

#35

The Haunted Showboat

1957

Nancy, Bess and George visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras. While on vacation for the festivities, the three friends become involved with pirates, ghosts, and investigating an old showboat, rumored to be haunted, that must be restored in time for the gala celebrations. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#36

The Secret of the Golden Pavilion

1959

Nancy is on the case, once again! Her father’s client, Mr.Sakamaki needs help. His deceased grandfather’s estate, Kaluakua has a mystery nobody knows. Its Golden Pavilion may be haunted, and two middle-aged suspects claim to be the grand children of Grandfather Sakamaki and are going to run and take over the estate. Nancy must prove them wrong and stop a terrible gang called the Double Scorps who are trying to steal the secret kings cape in the Golden Pavilion. Are the posing grandchildren part of the Double Scorps and are going to inherit the estate for all of the Double Scorps? What does a sacred king’s cape have to do with the Secret of the Golden Pavilion? And who is that ghost that dances by the Pavilion every night? Nancy is going to find out everything, from the Double Scorps, to perhaps two Grandfather Sakamaki. Could the Grandfather Sakamaki in California be the wrong one that owns the Kaluakua? Help Nancy Drew solve the mystery!

#37

The Clue in the Old Stagecoach

1960

While vacationing at Camp Merriweather near Francisville, Mrs. Strook, an elderly citizen, asks Nancy to find an old stagecoach her great-uncle had hidden. This stagecoach may contain a valuable treasure that would benefit the town that needs funding to build a new school. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#38

The Mystery of the Fire Dragon

1961

Eloise Drew asks her niece to investigate the disappearance of her neighbor, a young university student. In New York, Nancy, Bess and George are drawn into the intrigue and danger of a smuggling ring. Nancy plans a clever ruse: George is disguised as the missing Chinese girl! The girl detective is also suspicious of an unpleasant bookstore owner and his loud, overbearing female customer. A series of clues lead the girls to Hong Kong. Ned, who is studying in Hong Kong, joins them. The amateur detectives follow more clues to the international smuggling ring. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#39

The Clue of the Dancing Puppet

1962

When the eerie performances of a life-size puppet begin to haunt the old Van Pelt estate, where an amateur acting group – The Footlighters – have their theater, Nancy Drew is called upon to unravel the baffling mystery. From the moment the detective and her friends Bess and George arrive at the mansion, the dancing puppet puzzle is further complicated by Tammi Whitlock, the Footlighters’ temperamental leading lady, and Emmet Calhoun, a Shakespearean actor. Nancy’s search of the mansion’s dark, musty attic for clues to the weird mystery starts a frightening chain reaction. A phone call from a stranger with a witchlike, cackling voice warns her to “Get out!” Next an encounter with two jewel theft suspects adds another perplexing angle to the puzzle. When Nancy finally sees the life-size puppet flitting across the moonlit lawn and chases it, she learns that someone with a sinister motive is determined to keep her form solving the case. Is it one of the Footlighters? Or is it an outsider?

#40

The Moonstone Castle Mystery

1963

When Nancy Drew receives a valuable moonstone as a gift from an unknown person, she is amazed and puzzled. But it is only the first of several startling events in this complex mystery that challenge the ingenuity of the pretty sleuth. Why are the Bowens—a missionary couple who recently returned to the United States—having so much trouble finding their missing seventeen-year-old granddaughter?

#41

The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes

1964

Warnings not to go to Scotland can’t stop Nancy Drew from setting out on a thrill-packed mystery adventure. Undaunted by the vicious threats, the young detective – with her father and her two close friends – goes to visit her great-grandmother at an imposing estate in the Scottish Highlands, and to solve the mystery of a missing family heirloom. And there is another mystery to be solved: the fate of flocks of stolen sheep. Baffling clues challenge Nancy’s powers of deduction: a note written in the ancient Gaelic language, a deserted houseboat on Loch Lomond, a sinister red-bearded stranger in Edinburgh, eerie whistling noises in the Highlands. Startling discoveries in an old castle and in the ruins of a prehistoric fortress, lead Nancy closer to finding the solution to both mysteries.

#42

The Phantom of Pine Hill

1965

Nancy, Bess and George visit Emerson for the university’s summer festivities. The girls are guests in a historic mansion on Pine Hill. Upon arriving, their host tells about the phantom haunting the mansion’s library. He also relates his family’s decades old saga of a lost French wedding gown and valuable gifts that went to the bottom of a nearby cove in the sinking of the Lucy Belle. Is there connection between the phantom and the old ship disaster? Nancy and her friends work diligently to solve the mystery of Pine Hill and to find the long-lost wedding treasures. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#43

The Mystery of the 99 Steps

1966

Nancy must search for a flight of 99 steps to solve the mystery of a friend’s weird dream. Her search leads her to France, but before leaving the United States, a sinister man called Monsieur Neuf warns the young sleuth not to pursue her mission! While in France, Nancy and her father investigate a wealthy financier who has been frightened into selling large amounts of securities. Startling discoveries convince the girl detective that Carson Drew’s case and her own mystery are linked by the 99 steps! This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#44

The Clue in the Crossword Cipher

1967

Lovely young Carla Ponce, a resident of Peru, invites Nancy, Bess and George to visit her and solve a mystery that promises to lead to a fabulous treasure. A clue is carved on an intriguing wooden plaque belonging to Carla’s family. When a notorious gang headed by El Gato steals the priceless relic, Nancy quickly recovers the old plaque. Through clever deductions, perseverance, and dangerous adventures, Nancy and her friends help to capture a ring of vicious smugglers and make an astounding archaeological discovery. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#45

The Spider Sapphire Mystery

1968

Librarian's note: This is an earlier/alternative cover edition of ISBN 0448095459 (9780448095455) found here. Excitement is high when Nancy delves into the theft of a fabulous sapphire formed by nature millions of years ago. Her father’s client is Mr. Ramsey, a designer of beautiful and unusual synthetic gems. He is accused of stealing the magnificent spider sapphire and exhibiting it as his own creation. In River Heights and while on a safari with a group of college students, Nancy has several thrilling experiences. In Africa, she uncovers a nefarious scheme directed at Mr. Ramsey and locates a missing jungle guide. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#46

The Invisible Intruder

1969

"Nancy Drew, forget the ghost hunt!" a male voice rasps on the telephone. Despite the mysterious warning, the pretty teen-age detective and a group of friends start out on a ghost-hunting expedition to investigate five places reputed to be haunted. Danger strikes at once when Nancy tries to overtake the canoe that paddles itself on Lake Sevanee. Thrills and chills mount as the ghost hunters pursue a phantom horse and ghost rider racing across the field that surrounds the Red Barn Guesthouse. During these happenings and other weird events Nancy finds herself pitted against a dangerous adversary, clever enough to operate invisibly. In a dramatic climax Nancy outwits her enemy in an eerie mansion and traps him in the fantastic Room of Skulls. This unusually intriguing story will delight all Carolyn Keene fans.

#47

The Mysterious Mannequin

1970

The strange disappearance of a young Turkish client of Mr. Drew's and the gift of an Oriental rug with a coded message woven into its decorative border start Nancy on a difficult search for a missing mannequin. What happened to the attractive figure that Farouk Tahmasp used in the display window of his rug shop? Who is trying to keep Nancy from finding it - and why? Tracking down the intricate trail of clues takes Nancy and her friends Bess and George, Ned, Burt and Dave to Turkey. Their sleuthing leads them to the Grand Bazaar in the exotic city of Istanbul, where Bess mysteriously disappears. Suspense mounts when Nancy encounters a vengeful enemy at an ancient underground reservoir. Events move swiftly as Nancy and her friends try to solve this challenging mystery, and lead to an exciting climax that will delight and thrill all admirers of America's favorite girl detective.

#48

The Crooked Banister

1971

Nancy, Bess and George explore a peculiar house with its fantastically crooked staircase. A bizarre serpent picture, an unpredictable robot, a broken bridge over flaming water and a hidden room with poisoned portraits are among the unusual discoveries found on this strange property. The missing owner, an elusive swindler, is wanted by the police. Nancy is determined to solve the mystery of the weird house and discover its secrets. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#49

The Secret of Mirror Bay

1972

Eloise Drew invites her niece and the cousins to a cabin near Cooperstown, New York to solve the mystery of a woman who glides across the water. Upon arriving, Nancy becomes involved in a vacation hoax when she is mistaken for a woman in on the fraud. On the wooded mountain near the cabin, a weird luminescent green sorcerer appears, threatening to cast an evil spell on those investigating his strange activities. A lost treasure involving the gliding woman leads Nancy to uncover a cleverly concealed criminal operation in the woods. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#50

The Double Jinx Mystery

1973

A bird of ill omen is mysteriously left on the Drews’ front lawn. Did the person who put it there do so with the intent of jinxing Nancy and her father? This strange incident involves the girl detective in her father’s case concerning a rare bird farm threatened with destruction to make room for a high-rise apartment house complex. The use of jinxes to threaten those who oppose the construction leads Nancy to find the criminals behind the jinxing. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#51

Mystery of the Glowing Eye

1974

When Nancy Drew eagerly agrees to help her lawyer father solve the mystery of the glowing eye, she has no way of knowing that it will involve the kidnapping of her close friend Ned Nickerson. A puzzling note in Ned's handwriting sets Nancy and her friends Bess and George on a hazardous search for a bizarre criminal. From their base of operations, the Emerson College campus, the three girl detectives and Ned's college pals follow a maze of clues to locate the kidnapper's hideout and rescue Ned. Not only is Nancy greatly worried about Ned, but also she is alarmed by the high-handed methods of a woman lawyer who tries to take the case away from her. Every reader will thrill to Nancy's exciting adventures as she unravels this dangerous web of mystery.

#52

The Secret of the Forgotten City

1947

Gold! There are rumors that long ago a treasure was hidden in a city now buried under the Nevada desert. Nancy and her friends plan to join a dig sponsored by two colleges to hunt for the gold. Before she starts, the young sleuth receives an ancient stone tablet with petroglyphs on it. With this amazing clue, however, come a threat and danger from a thief who also wants the treasure. One harrowing adventure after another besets Nancy, Bess, George, Ned, Burt, and Dave in 102-degree temperatures as they pursue Nancy's hunches above and below ground. They are assisted by a find Indian woman and a young geology student, but both are unwilling participants in a strange plot. In the end Nancy and Ned nearly lose their lives, just after she has discovered the priceless hidden treasure of gold.

#53

The Sky Phantom

1976

Nancy goes to the Excello Flying School in the Midwest to take lessons, while her friends Bess and George perfect their horseback riding. At once the young sleuth is confronted with the mystery of a hijacked plane and a missing pilot. Then the rancher's prize pony, Major, is stolen. Nancy becomes a detective in a plane and on horseback to track down the elusive sky phantom and the horse thief. A lucky find - a medal with a message to be deciphered on it - furnishes a worthwhile clue. Romance is added to mystery when Bess becomes interested in a handsome cowboy. Readers will spur Nancy on as she investigates a strange magnetic cloud, hunts for the horse thief, and finally arrives at a surprising solution.

#54

The Strange Message in the Parchment

1974

A sheep farmer receives a mysterious telephone call shortly after he buys a series of pictures painted on parchment. "Decipher the message in the parchment and right a great wrong," the voice says. Puzzled, the owner asks Nancy to help. With Junie, his daughter, Nancy tracks down a kidnapper and a group of extortionists. Clues weave in and out of several puzzles, two of which are linked with Italy. Is there a connection between the message in the parchment and a boy artist on another farm? And who is responsible for the atmosphere of fear in the neighborhood? After several harrowing experiences, Nancy begins to tighten the net around a ruthless villain and calls on the assistance of her friends Ned, Burt, Dave, Bess and George to bring his nefarious schemes to a dead end.

#55

Mystery of Crocodile Island

1978

In a response to a friend's call for help, Nancy's father, a lawyer, asks her to travel to mysterious Crocodile Island with her friends Bess and George to study the reptiles and try to uncover a group of suspected poachers. Upon their arrival in Florida, the girls are kidnapped but cleverly escape to pursue their detective work. Dangers mount as they cope with reptiles, enemy boats, and exciting chases after the men who are responsible for a sinister racket that involves many unsuspecting victims. In the end, Nancy makes a bold move to untangle the mass of clues. She and Ned become imprisoned in the enemy's submarine and are held for ransom! How Nancy and Ned are saved and the tables turned on the owners of Crocodile Island are left for the reader to discover.

#56

The Thirteenth Pearl

1979

A pearl necklace that is unusual and valuable has been stolen. The girl detective soon learns strange and dangerous people are responsible for the theft. Nancy and Carson Drew travel to Japan in search of the necklace. Clues found near home and in Japan help her uncover a group of underworld jewel thieves hiding behind the front of a pearl worshipping cult. This book is the original text. A revised text does not exist.

#57

The Triple Hoax

1979

Aunt Eloise invites Nancy, Bess, and George to New York to help a friend who has been swindled out of a sizable sum of money. There, the girls see a performance of a magicians' group who stun their audiences with clever sleight-of-hand tricks. Because the magicians temporarily remove people's wallets and handbags, Nancy feels the actors aren't above suspicion. Her hunch is borne out and a whirlwind chase ensues.

#58

The Flying Saucer Mystery

1985

When Nancy and her friends ride deep into the Sawniegunk Forest in search of a flying saucer, they find themselves in the middle of more than one mystery. Wildcats, runaway horses, deadly snakes, and a disappearing Indian keep the sleuths tangled in danger and suspense.

#59

The Secret in the Old Lace

1980

Nancy Drew has entered a contest to solve an old mystery-the disappearance of a Flemish nobleman, a pair of lace cuffs, and a priceless treasure. In a thrilling story shadowed by a romance of the past, Nancy solves a mystery over a hundred years in the making.

#60

The Greek Symbol Mystery

1981

When she is told that a large inheritance from a Greek tycoon, meant for her friend Helen Nicholas, was stolen, Nancy agrees to find the culprit. A poisonous snake in a basket of apples and a strange symbol stamped on a rare Byzantine mask are clues in this mystery set in the beautiful and exotic country of Greece. These clues lead Nancy and her friends to a ring of art smugglers and to the secret of the Greek symbol.

#61

The Swami's Ring

1981

When Nancy searches through the knapsack of an amnesia victim, she finds an unusual ring. Before long, she is caught up in a second assignment from a beautiful harpist. Nancy's discoveries reveal an important connection between the hospital patient, the harpist, and enemies from abroad.

#62

The Kachina Doll Mystery

1981

When Nancy arrives at the McGuires’ fitness ranch in Arizona, she discovers that the future of the ranch is being threatened by unexplained accidents. Teaming up with a ghost, Nancy begins her search for a precious collection of ancient Kachina dolls and hunts for her elusive adversary, who is determined to prevent the ranch from operating.

#63

The Twin Dilemma

1980

When a star model disappears, Aunt Eloise insists that Nancy replace the model in a fashion show. Nancy reluctantly accepts the invitation, only to discover that several of the clothes for the show have been stolen! Once on the trail of her elusive enemies, Nancy discovers clue after clue pointing to a diabolical scheme that she must stop at all costs!

#64

Captive Witness

1980

On a student tour through Europe, Nancy discovers that their leader is on a secret mission to transfer ten refugee children from an iron curtain country to freedom! Before the mission is completed, Nancy receives an urgent message from her father concerning a missing entry in a foreign film festival. Undaunted and clever, Nancy pursues an intriguing clue found in a student's wheelchair and finds herself in great danger.

#65

Mystery of the Winged Lion

1982

While on vacation in Venice, Nancy and her entourage help clear her friends of smuggling charges and come to the aid of a local duchess whose nephew has been kidnapped.

#66

Race Against Time

1982

Nancy is asked to recover Shooting Star, a valuable race horse that has been stolen from Rainbow Ranch. Important: Not to be confused with A Race Against Time, Book #2 in the Nancy Drew Girl Detective series.

#67

The Sinister Omen

1984

Librarian's note: this is an alternative cover edition of ISBN 0671739387 (9780671739386). While on vacation in Fort Lauderdale, Nancy and her friends help a wealthy woman plagued with burglars who don't steal anything.

#68

The Elusive Heiress

1971

Librarian's note: An earlier/alternate edition with similar cover and same ISBN is listed here. Nancy's search for the long-missing daughter of an aging millionaire takes her to Cheyenne, Wyoming, during its annual Frontier Days celebration.

#69

Clue in the Ancient Disguise

1982

In searching through his recently deceased grandfather's effects, Pierre finds a letter from Louise Duval. Louise died only a short while after writing the letter, so Nancy tries to reconstruct what she had discovered.

#70

The Broken Anchor

1983

A quest for pirate treasure takes clever detective Nancy Drew and her friends to a small island in the Bahamas.

#71

The Silver Cobweb

1983

Nancy's latest mystery involves golf pros, opera stars, jewelry designers, and webs and spiders.

#72

The Haunted Carousel

1983

Nancy Drew finds more than one mystery to solve when she searches for the reason an amusement park carousel turns itself on during the night.

#73

Enemy Match

1984

Nancy helps an old friend, Nina Ford, learn what happened to her father. Mr. Ford was falsely accused of a crime, and while in police custody, he was swept away in a flood. Nancy acquires her very own assistant, a young girl named Midge who regards Nancy as a hero

#74

The Mysterious Image

1984

Nancy is asked to find a missing actress, Clare Grant.Nancy's father asks for Nancy's assistance in clearing his client, photographer, Dallas Curry, from serious accusations that he copied other people's advertisements.

#75

The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery

1984

Carson Drew asks Nancy to help an old friend, Jules Johnson. A ship carrying a valuable load of cargo for Johnson's textile company sank near Colombia. Nancy finds herself on a hacienda in Colombia, where with the help of two friends, she tries to unravel the mysterious connection between the sunken ships and the strange events at the hacienda.

#76

The Eskimo's Secret

1985

Nancy suspects that sabotage in a chain of West Coast shops selling imported art objects is connected with the theft of a valuable Eskimo sculpture

#77

The Bluebeard Room

1985

The young sleuth travels to Cornwall, England to uncover a mysterious coven of witches plaguing an old friend.

#78

The Phantom of Venice

1985

Nancy travels to Venice to investigate the kidnapping of a famous glassblower and the disappearance of an artist.

#79

The Double Horror of Fenley Place

1987

Nancy visits a movie set and finds terror on location!World-famous director Hank Steinberg is filming a horror flick in Nancy's hometown of River Heights. The movie tells a spine-tingling story about a haunted house. Most shocking of all, though, is what's going on across the street at an old Victorian mansion called Fenley Place. Whatever happens on the movie set is mysteriously duplicated in the mansion: red smoke billows from the chimney, a ghostly figure appears in the window, and blood oozes from the walls. The special effects are a real scream, but Nancy must find out who is behind them before the movie—and the mansion—reach the final, horrifying climax!

#80

The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds

1987

The daughter of mystery writer Beatrice Crown is convicted of stealing six diamonds, but when Beatrice tries to prove Karen had been framed, she disappears, leaving Nancy Drew to solve the puzzle

#81

The Mardi Gras Mystery

1988

What could be more fun than a masked Mardi Gras ball at a so-called haunted mansion? George brings her digital camera, insisting that she's going to bust some ghosts. I'm just looking forward to a night of dressing up and dancing with Ned and my friends. Soon the fun turns freaking, though—things go haywire and everyone starts to wonder if the ghost stories could actually be true. But when Deirdre Shannon's antique tiara is snatched, I'm certain the crook is a guest, not a ghoul.

#82

The Clue in the Camera

1988

What starts as a fun trip to San Francisco develops into a dangerous mystery when Nancy exposes some dark secrets.

#83

The Case of the Vanishing Veil

1988

A Boston Wedding...A Veiled Threat... A Dangerous Environment... When Nancy attends a wedding in Boston, she encounters a marriage marred by mischief. The groom may have stolen the bride's heart, but a thief has made off with her antique lace veil! From a mansion in Cape Cod to a museum of witchcraft in Salem, Nancy, Bess, and George follow a trail of intrigue and deceit across the New England countryside. They uncover the shocking story behind the wedding-day prank—and a $60 million mystery behind the vanishing veil!

#84

The Joker's Revenge

1988

Undercover as store employees to track a malicious practical joker in an exclusive department store, Nancy, Bess, and George are determined to discover who is wreaking havoc upon the store and its staff.

#85

The Secret of Shady Glen

1988

A cemetery of dark secrets... and Nancy's in the middle of it! Shady Glen was no different from any other cemetery—maybe a little spooky, but harmless nonetheless. At least that's what Nancy thought until she stumbled onto a treasure map... and stumbled into a world of trouble. The map leads Nancy into a network of underground passageways, where she uncovers a series of clues to a recent outbreak of robberies and the location of a long-lost fortune in gold. She follows the hidden tunnels into the cold, dark heart of the cemetery and comes face-to-face with the chilling secret of Shady Glen!

#86

The Mystery of Misty Canyon

1988

Nancy learns that Tammy Calloway, a former rodeo champion, has received threats that her horse Renegade will be destroyed if Tammy comes out of retirement to compete in the annual Fourth of July rodeo

#87

The Case of the Rising Star

1989

Nancy, George, and Bess attend the Mystery Lovers of America Convention and are called upon to investigate the apparent kidnapping of two TV stars scheduled to appear

#88

The Search for Cindy Austin

1989

When Cindy Austin, the mischievous daughter of two government scientists, disappears for a second time, Nancy is convinced that this time its not a prank and Cindy is in trouble

#89

The Case of the Disappearing Deejay

1989

When Dan Wildman, one of River Heights hottest rock 'n' roll DJs, is kidnapped, Nancy Drew.

#90

The Puzzle at Pineview School

1989

The Pineview girls’ soccer team attempts to raise money by selling a pair of brooches, but a thief who substitutes phonies may bring disgrace on the school if Nancy cannot solve the case.

#91

The Girl Who Couldn't Remember

1989

A trip to Wisconsin's Lake Minosha is supposed to be a relaxing vacation for Nancy, George and Bess—without any mysteries. But moments after they arrive a young woman, scratched and bruised, falls across their cabin's threshold.

#92

The Ghost of Craven Cove

1989

Nancy, Bess, and George have been invited by their former grade-school teacher June Braden to spend their vacation on the coast of Maine. Miss Braden's brother, Karl, was recently lost at sea and is presumed dead, but his daughter swears she has seen him lurking in the caves of Craven Cove. Nancy vows to help Laura Braden determine the truth about her father's fate, once and for all.

#93

The Case of the Safecracker's Secret

1990

Someone has broken into the safety depository at the Wilputte Bank & Trust, but nothing has been stolen. Nancy is called in to investigate and meets a couple of robbers comparable to Bonnie and Clyde.

#94

The Picture Perfect Mystery

1990

When a con artist switches contracts with famed local painter Lila Cramer, Nancy Drew has just four days to catch the crook, or Lila will have to forfeit her entire collection

#95

The Silent Suspect

1990

In San Francisco Nancy Drew helps an architect investigate the suspicious fires at his construction sites and tries to explain the evidence implicating his own daughter.

#96

The Case of the Photo Finish

1990

Nancy hunts for a saboteur when, upon the arrival of her guest, American track star Cheryl Pierce, a series of baffling accidents threaten to spoil the International Track and Field Games

#97

The Mystery at Magnolia Mansion

1990

Someone is trying to drive famed author Amelia Beaufort crazy—and Nancy and Bess have traveled to her moss-covered estate to help her out who.

#98

The Haunting of Horse Island

1990

Nancy gallops full speed into danger when she, Bess, and George spend a week at the Steadman Resort. The girls can't wait to join in the fun, but their plans are put on hold when the Steadmans ask Nancy to find out who is sabotaging the resort. Cabins have been set afire, rooms ransacked, and guests claim to have seen a ghost.

#99

The Secret at Seven Rocks

1991

Nancy, George, and Bess are looking forward to their vacation in the Colorado Rockies, but when the local wildlife refuge is plagued by a series of mysterious accidents, the sleuth and her friends decide to investigate

#100

A Secret in Time

1991

Working together with the police, Nancy Drew concocts a scheme to use her antique clock as bait, in order to trap the thief who stole a jewel-encrusted brooch from an antiques expo

#101

The Mystery of the Missing Millionairess

1991

Nancy Goes Undercover In A Case Of Upper-Case Crime Claudia Dixon invites Nancy to visit the Brookfield Academy, a prep school for the daughters of the rich and famous. The innocent invitation turns ominous when Claudia's roommate Veronica turns up missing—and a kidnapper demands a million dollars for her return! Veronica is the daughter of movie star Nicholas Armand. But by the time he sends his security force into action, Nancy's already close to cracking the case. With a million dollars at stake, the cost of learning the truth can be high. Posing as a student, Nancy's about to get an education in jet-set deception and danger.

#102

The Secret in the Dark

1991

Nancy must work fast to save her friend when she discovers that the concert hall hosting the Seattle music competition is the focus of a conspiracy and that Deirdre, a blind violinist in the competition, is in trouble

#103

The Stranger in the Shadows

1991

When Paula DeJagger, an exchange student staying with one of Nancy's friends, begins acting strangely, Nancy investigates and discovers that Paula and other exchange students are being blackmailed to commit crimes

#104

The Mystery of the Jade Tiger

1991

In this all-new adventure, Nancy travels to California to investigate a series of break-ins at the home of her father's old friend Terry Kirkland. A Vietnam vet, he came away from that country with a trunk full of memories, but unbeknownst to him, the trunk contains an exotic secret that now threatens to destroy his family.

#105

The Clue in the Antique Trunk

1992

In a town as pretty as a picture postcard, Nancy seeks the key to a picture-perfect crime!Nancy has come to White Falls, Massachusetts, to visit her former neighbor, Vera Alexander. The town is rich in history, and Vera wants to preserve a piece of its past. But her plan to convert the old Caulder Cutlery factory into a museum turns suddenly ominous when someone threatens her life. Why was Vera's antique trunk stolen? What dark secrets has she unwittingly disturbed? The answers are hidden in the past. Fifty years ago the owner of Caulder Cutlery was killed by his own knife—and Nancy knows that before she can solve the present-day case, she must first uncover the haunting truth behind an old-fashioned murder.

#106

The Case of the Artful Crime

1992

/MEGA-BOOKS In this brand-new Nancy Drew adventure, things are really heating up at the hottest restaurant in town. Nancy finds that the grease fires, vandalism, and poisoned food are linked to the vault of a nearby mansion and the Dragon's Eye Ruby. Someone is cooking up one of the most daring criminal schemes in River Heights history

#107

The Legend of Miner's Creek

1992

Carson Drew's old friend Charlie invites Nancy and her friends to his 800-acre Highland Retreat in the Cascade Mountains where a legend of an untapped gold mine theatens

#108

The Secret of the Tibetan Treasure

1992

DANGER RIDES A HORSE OF GOLD INTO NANCY'S HOMETOWN When Nancy investigates the theft of a Tibetan antiquity from a local museum, she discovers that there's more to the mystery than a simple case of burglary. The golden horse is a very special kind of prize, and it attracts a very special kind of horse thief—a crook as daring as he is elusive, as cunning as he is ruthless. Duplicity, sabotage, and death threats are the tools of this criminal's trade. Drawn into a cleverly crafted web of lies and deceptions, Nancy finds that the trail to the truth is littered with poisoned clues and hidden traps. And she knows only one thing for sure: in the run for the gold, she runs the risk of taking a fatal fall.

#109

The Mystery of the Masked Rider

1992

/MEGA-BOOKS In this new adventure, Nancy's friend Colleen is preparing to jump her beloved horse, Nightingale, in the Midwest International Horse Show. The prize-winning filly is worth a cool $200,000, and that kind of cash can breed plenty of greed, ambition, and danger. Soon Nancy has her hands full trying to stop a mysterious culpri

#110

The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery

1992

An evening of ballet leads Nancy into a dance with danger! Madame Dugrand's Dance Academy is in rehearsal for "The Nutcracker Ballet", and it could be a huge hit this year. Shana Edwards, a recent graduate who has made a big splash in New York, is returning to River Heights to star in the show. But the closer the dancers get to show time, the clearer it becomes that the stage is set for disaster. Someone is determined to bring the production down before the curtain goes up. Theft and arson threaten to darken the theater and doom the dance. But Nancy will have to conduct her investigation with extreme precision and agility. One false step, one wrong move, and "The Nutcracker" could come to a swift and bitter end.

#111

The Secret at Solaire

1993

While staying at the exclusive Spa Solaire outside Tucson, Arizona, Nancy and her friends witness a series of strange events, beginning with a sabotage and ending with a kidnapping. Original.

#112

Crime in the Queen's Court

1993

An Elizabethan festival has come to River Heights, and Nancy has joined the troupe as a lady to the queen's court.

#113

The Secret Lost at Sea

1993

When someone targets the seaport museum in Bridgehaven, Connecticut, destroying centuries-old nautical relics, Nancy takes times from her vacation to track down the vandal

#114

The Search for the Silver Persian

1993

When her friend's cat—named Purrfect—is kidnapped after entering a River Heights cat show, Nancy Drew investigates the case of the missing feline and uncovers a devious scam.

#115

The Suspect in the Smoke

1993

Nancy, Bess and George are heading up the youth campaign to save the recently fire-gutted River Heights recreation center. Nancy Suspects foul play and discovers missing insurance payments. Then someone begins sabatoging the fundraising and threatening the campaign leader, Mary McGregor.

#116

The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears

1993

On the trail of a teddy bear thief, nancy unwraps double-dealing and double crosses! Bess is working during the Christmas rush at Beary Wonderful, a toy and teddy bear shop, when the holiday season takes a sudden scary turn. The owner's prized collection of antique teddy bears—cute, cuddly, and worth a bundle—has been ripped off. But the break-in is only the beginning of a much bigger and more brazen teddy bear caper. The attempted theft of Bess' own bear—a replica of one of the antiques—leads Nancy to believe that more is at stake than a couple of burgled bears. For Nancy knows that even something as innocent as a teddy bear can be stuffed with intrigue!

#117

Mystery on the Menu

1994

Accompanying George to the Wolfe Culinary Institute in upstate New York, Nancy discovers that ambition, jealousy, and greed are also on the menu there. Original.

#118

Trouble at Lake Tahoe

1994

When someone tries to rig the Far West Regional Water-Skiing Championship, Nancy Drew and her old friend, Katie Cobb, who is favored to win the competition, search for a dangerous saboteur. Original.

#119

The Mystery of the Missing Mascot

1994

NANCY LOOKS INTO A SEEMINGLY HARMLESS PRANK AND FINDS EVIDENCE OF AN ARTFUL CRIMINAL COVER-UP! The River Heights High Wildcats are facing their bitter rivals, Red Rocks High, in a girls' softball play-off game. But before the first pitch is thrown, the spirit of foul play intrudes. Someone breaks into River Heights High and steals the school's prized trophies—a treasured portrait of a pioneering woman coach and the team mascot's cougar costume! Nancy, however, is convinced that the theft is not a simple case of bad sportsmanship. For the closer she comes to the truth, the more dangerous the game becomes. The burglar has already demonstrated a talent for disguise and deception. . . and has now decided to play true hardball, taking aim at Nancy Drew!

#120

The Case of the Floating Crime

1994

Volunteering on a hospital ship that brings medical care to South America, Nancy begins to suspect that someone is using the ship to transport illegal cargo and must track down the clues before her own health is risked. Original.

#121

The Fortune Teller's Secret

1994

When she learns that the recently widowed Mrs. Kittredge is making regular visits to a fortune-teller and turning over large sums of money to Madame Destiny, Nancy decides to investigate. Original.

#122

The Message in the Haunted Mansion

1994

When Nancy, Bess, George, and Nancy's housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, travel to San Francisco to help Hannah's friend renovate a charming old Victorian mansion, they encounter possible ghosts, a legend of hidden gold—and greed.

#123

The Clue on the Silver Screen

1995

While attending a film festival on Martha's Vineyard, teen detective Nancy Drew investigates the disappearance of a brilliant film, whose never-seen ending someone is murderously determined to keep secret. Original.

#124

The Secret of the Scarlet Hand

1995

Visiting the nation's capital for a sight-seeing vacation, Nancy is alarmed when a priceless Mayan artifact disappears from the Beech Hill museum and finds her only clue in a strange note containing a red handprint. Original.

#125

The Teen Model Mystery

1995

Traveling to the site of a commercial shoot, where her model friend Cindy will star, Nancy is alarmed by Cindy’s disappearance and launches an investigation that takes her into the shady side of teen fashion.

#126

The Riddle in the Rare Book

1995

When a series of rare-book thefts strikes the Bloom's Bookstore & Coffeehouse in River Heights, Nancy Drew finds her only clue in the handwriting of a dead woman.

#127

The Case of the Dangerous Solution

1995

When the customers of the River Heights pharmacy take seriously ill after being delivered their medicine, Nancy is convinced that sabotage is involved and searches for the deadly drug.

#128

The Treasure in the Royal Tower

1995

On a winter vacation in Wisconsin, Nancy and her friends stay in a two-hundred-year-old castle where there is the rumor of a hidden treasure.

#129

The Baby-Sitter Burglaries

1996

Nancy tries to prove that a babysitter is being framed when three houses in River Heights are robbed—and the only connection the police can find is that the babysitter was employed at each.

#130

The Sign of the Falcon

1996

After her father, Carson Drew, travels to New York to hear a friend's shocking deathbed confession, he disappears, and Nancy must uncover a murder mystery that is twenty years old. Original.

#131

The Hidden Inheritance

1996

Helping her father to inventory the contents of a 150-year-old log cabin, Nancy becomes involved in the investigation into their next-door neighbor, bluegrass performer Sassy, whose house has mysteriously burned down

#132

The Fox Hunt Mystery

1996

When Nancy's friend Laura's family stables are sabotaged and then Laura's favorite horse is stolen, Nancy must discover if Laura's spoiled rival is trying to hurt her or if the upcoming fox hunt has enraged animal activists who will stop at nothing to end this sport.

#133

The Mystery at the Crystal Palace

1996

Investigating the theft of a friend's inheritance, Nancy travels to a state-of-the-art skating arena in Minneapolis and finds suspects in a group of Olympic-class skaters who soon put Nancy on thin ice. Original.

#134

The Secret of the Forgotten Cave

1996

Nancy has come to Connecticut to visit George's aunt Elizabeth, and lands right in the middle of a controversy. George's aunt, among others, proposes a bicycle path instead of widening a dangerously winding country road, in order to save a rare speicies of bat. But a threatening phone call, a sinister warning hanging in the doorway, and a sabotaged car convince Nancy that much more than the bats are at stake.

#135

The Riddle of the Ruby Gazelle

1997

While helping raise money for a Brooklyn park, Nancy must track down the kidnapper who has abducted a performing band's lead singer and discovers a hidden motive buried deep in the city's past.

#136

The Wedding Day Mystery

1997

Helping her wedding-planner friends during a four-wedding weekend, Nancy is surprised when one of the weddings, which is being held at an old mansion, is targeted by someone who is trying to impersonate a ghost. Original.

#137

In Search of the Black Rose

1997

During a trip to England's Oxford University with her father, Nancy Drew is drawn into a investigation into the life and death of Dame Gwyneth Davies, a famous mystery writer, and uncovers a dark veil of family secrets and tragedy. Original.

#138

The Legend of the Lost Gold

1997

When her vacation cottage is ransacked, Nancy discovers that her vacation spot is riddled with crime and investigates the site of an alleged treasure, while an unknown assailant makes her search increasingly perilous. Original.

#139

The Secret of Candlelight Inn

1997

When Emmaline Whitby died, she bequeathed the historic Candlelight Inn to the Guiding Eyes foundation. Dedicated to helping the blind, the foundation plans to create a training center for Seeing Eye dogs. But as Nancy is about to discover, the inn is not only full of hope and history, it’s also packed with deep secrets and dark dangers…

#140

The Door-to-Door Deception

1997

When some of the junior high kids are accused in a series of house break-ins, Nancy investigates and encounters danger at the hands of the real burglars. Original.

#141

The Wild Cat Crime

1998

Working as an intern on the Channel 9 investigative news teams gives Nancy a chance to watch breaking stories unfold. The most exciting news comes from the zoo: A cougar, belonging to one of the world's endangered species, has given birth to four cubs. But the wondrous news takes a wicked turn when the priceless baby cats are stolen.

#142

The Case of Capital Intrigue

1998

Visiting the White House, where George is interning as a photographer's assistant, Nancy watches a photo session of a priceless gold statue, only to be attacked by a thief who makes off with the statue. Original.

#143

Mystery on Maui

1998

Nancy, Bess, and George are on Maui to check out a major international surfing competition. But there’s trouble in paradise—big money is at stake in the contest, and someone’s playing a dirty game.

#144

The E-Mail Mystery

1998

Another adventure of the plucky girl detective, Nancy Drew.

#145

The Missing Horse Mystery

1998

A SEARCH FOR A MISSING HORSE LEADS NANCY TO A DARK DISCOVERY! Nancy's attending the Midwest Grand Prix Dressage Championships, where many of the world's best riders and finest horses compete. But more than blue ribbons is at stake. As Nancy quickly learns, these horses generate big money, turning a friendly competition into a very nasty business. Discovering a fire in the stables, Nancy barely averts a terrible tragedy. But now she faces a new danger: a valuable horse has vanished, and it's up to Nancy to save it. She pursues the truth down a trail of greed, deception, and sinister secrets...only to find herself in jeopardy!

#146

The Ghost of the Lantern Lady

1998

AT A HAUNTED HISTORIC VILLAGE, NANCY SEES THE GHOSTLY SIGNS OF FOUL PLAY Nancy loves a good mystery. That's why she, Bess, and George are volunteering at Persimmon Woods Pioneer Village, a living history museum of the 1830s. Nancy's heard that a lot of weird things have been happening there, like the eerie sightings of the Lantern Lady—the ghost of an original settler. But as soon as Nancy starts investigating, she learns that even though the workers at Persimmon Woods are in costume, the danger isn't an act. Someone has concocted a cunning scheme to destroy the village, and if Nancy doesn't find the culprit, she could become history, too.

#147

The Case of the Captured Queen

1999

River Heights is the site of a major international chess tournament. Two of the best young players in the world—Greta van Leeuwen and Donna Winston—are set to face off in a battle of wits and nerves. But as Nancy soon discovers, the action isn’t just on the game board. First, someone deliberately ruins the opening ceremony. Then Greta’s sister mysteriously disappears! Greta must win if she wants to see her sister alive again, and as the tournament progresses, the tension builds. The kidnapper is a grand master of menace and deception, and it’s up to Nancy to make all the right moves in this deadly game.

#148

On the Trail of Trouble

1999

During a trip to Black Hills Buffalo Ranch near Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Nancy Drew and her friends, Bess and George, set out to discover who has stolen a baby buffalo from the ranch. Original.

#149

The Clue of the Gold Doubloons

1999

Nancy and George team up with twin brothers Andrew and Daniel to produce a low-budget pirate film aboard a reproduction of an old sailing ship, but the movie becomes plagued by a series of robberies and increasingly dangerous stunts.

#150

Mystery at Moorsea Manor

1999

"No room at the inn" means someone wants Nancy to check out—permanently! There's nothing like riding a horse across the beautiful English countryside, and Nancy has been looking forward to this vacation. But the danger begins even before she arrives at stately Moorsea Manor. Someone steals a road sign, sending Nancy down a dark, twisting road to nowhere. When she finally finds the inn, she's almost killed by a bronze statue dropped from a second-story window! The owners tell her that there have been other "pranks" as well. But someone's going to get hurt—and that means Moorsea Manor will be out of business. Now it's up to Nancy to find the culprit, before the guest list becomes a casualty list! Cover art by Ernie Norcia.

#151

The Chocolate-Covered Contest

1999

Nancy is about to learn the real meaning of "Death by Chocolate" Nancy can hardly believe it. While visiting an amusement park owned by the world-famous Royal Chocolates Company, her friend Bess tears open a million-dollar candy wrapper in a contest. But when they go to collect, they're told that someone else has won. And then they're accused of tampering with the winning wrapper! Something is rotten in chocolatetown. The proof comes when Nancy and her friends are treated to a near-death experience in the park's animal safari. Someone's pulling a million-dollar swindle, and getting Nancy and her friends out of the way seems to be the icing on the cake.

#152

The Key in the Satin Pocket

2000

When Nancy tries on an old brocade jacket in a vintage clothing store with Bess and George, she finds an old safe-deposit box receipt in the pocket and a key sewn into the lining. Soon the girls are tracing items from an old estate scattered in antiques shops across town—and are immersed in a mystery involving long-lost relatives, a missing will, and a hidden fortune .

#153

Whispers in the Fog

2000

TREACHEROUS FOG AND SNEAKER WAVES ARE JUST THE BEGINNING OF NANCY'S ADVENTURE! Katie Firestone, champion kayaker and owner of a whale-watching tour boat, has invited George, along with Nancy, Ned, and Bess, to vacation in Seabreak, north of San Francisco. But when Katie's boat is vandalized, suspicion falls on fisherman Holt Scotto, who may be trying to run Katie out of business. The menace doesn't stop a bike accident, a stalker, danger at an abandoned lighthouse, and a terrifying kayak trip lead Nancy to a hidden sea cave. Inside, Nancy discovers a dangerous secret. Soon her fearless instincts plunge her deeper into trouble—and it will take all her courage, daring, and wits to get herself and her friends out of it alive!

#154

The Legend of the Emerald Lady

2000

While visiting friends at their nineteenth-century plantation, Nancy, Bess, and Ned are greeted by a strange man dressed as a pirate and brandishing a cutlass, and Nancy abandons her vacation to investigate.

#155

The Mystery in Tornado Alley

2000

Nancy and her friends investigate the mystery surrounding a ransom note found in an old duffel bag, and when a charming tornado chaser offers to help, Nancy is lead into greater danger as she faces a monster storm.

#156

The Secret in the Stars

2000

#157

The Music Festival Mystery

2000

THE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP CLUB IS SPONSORING A FUN WEEKEND—BUT NANCY FINDS A MELTING POT OF SABOTAGE! For Nancy and her friends, Worldbeat Weekend at Emerson College is supposed to be fun. Nancy gets to spend time with her boyfriend, Ned, and everyone plans to enjoy music and food from around the world. But the two candidates running to be the next president of IFC, both from rival countries, accuse each other of smearing their campaigns with dirty tricks—and the chaos begins. Missing money and collapsing tents are just the start of the trouble. As tensions rise, the weekend spirals toward disaster. The local press is sniffing around. A public scandal would ruin IFC, and only Nancy can uncover the clues to track down the culprit in

#158

The Curse of the Black Cat

2001

"THE BLACK CAT CURSES YOU UNTIL THE DAY YOU DIE!" Exclusive Waverly Academy looks like a medieval castle, but the horrors there are up-to-date. The lead in the school play awakens with her long golden hair cut off, and the captain of the basketball team finds her lucky sneakers covered with tar. Each incident is accompanied by a curse note from the Black Cat, and soon everyone is spooked—even the teachers. At the headmistress' request, Nancy and George go undercover as teaching interns. But it isn't long before Nancy herself gets one of the menacing notes. Who's behind the pranks—an unhappy student? Or is a more sinister force at work? Lured to a scary cemetery in the middle of a blizzard, Nancy must stop the Black Cat from pouncing again! Cover art by Franco Accornero

#159

The Secret of the Fiery Chamber

2001

MAKING IT? OR FAKING IT? The ancient Japanese art of raku pottery is highly dramatic—the colorful one-of-a-kind pots are pulled from the kiln, glowing and red-hot. But when Nancy and her friends visit a local crafts village, Bess is the one who nearly goes up in flames when she's showered with sparks! And that's only the beginning. Nancy's been alerted by Theresa Kim, a rising young artist at the village, that someone is producing brilliantly made fakes and selling them as antiques—for lots of money. Now the pressure is on for others to join the illegal operation. When Nancy starts to investigate, she discovers that amid the beautiful treasures lurks a very clever—and dangerous—counterfeiter. If Nancy doesn't watch her step, she may be the one going up in smoke! Cover art by Franco Accornero

#160

The Clue on the Crystal Dove

2001

A cunning thief is desperate to wreck the opening of a historic landmark—and Nancy is his target! On Gramercy Park in New York City, the magnificent Van Hoogstraten mansion with its priceless collection of glass birds is about to open to the public. Nancy, Bess, and George are invited, but a series of sinister events puts everything in chaos. When the centerpiece of the collection, a beautiful crystal bird, is stolen, Nancy gets on the case. From family members with motives to keep the house, to an antiques dealer with a personal grudge, suspects abound. And when Nancy goes to the family's abandoned camp in the Adirondack forest, she zeroes in on the truth. In a violent nighttime thunderstorm on a solitary lake, Nancy confronts the culprit. The case is solved—if she can get to shore alive!

#161

Lost in the Everglades

2001

When Nancy and her friends visit the Florida Everglades, they join in the search for a missing park volunteer, Jade Romero, and for the sculpture of a panther said to be hidden in the backwoods.

#162

The Case of the Lost Song

2001

AT A TRAVELING ANTIQUES SHOW, NANCY'S APPRAISING BURGLARIES, FRAUD, AND A GREEDY THIEF! While visiting Chicago, Nancy, Bess, and George bring some items to the Old Can Be Gold show to see what they're worth, just for fun. In George's old tape recorder, a dealer finds a rare early tape by a famous rock group. But before George can get it insured, it's stolen—like many other items brought to the show! From a luxury condo on Lake Shore Drive to a hot blues club, Nancy discovers a mix of suspects. There's a seedy dealer, an ambitious publicist with access to the show's database, a talented singer in need of money, and drop-dead gorgeous twin brothers, one a top appraiser and the other a gifted photographer. Nancy's got to wind up the case—before a desperate con artist erases her for good!

#163

The Clues Challenge

2001

While Nancy and George visit Ned at college, they become embroiled in the Clues Challenge, an athletic treasure hunt, and Nancy must investigate after several accidents indicate that someone is desperate to win at any cost.

#164

The Mystery of the Mother Wolf

2002

While enjoying their vacation in Wyoming, Nancy, Bess, and George are plunged into a mystery when Rainbow, their lodge's pet tame wolf, suddenly disappears amidst controversy over the creation of a local wolf sanctuary.

#165

The Crime Lab Case

2002

Solving crimes with science is fascinating—until a pretend mystery becomes all too real! Nancy gets Bess, George, and Ned to help out with a special program for high school students, a "chemystery" camp. They'll visit a forensics lab, a drug company, and a university to see how science is used to solve crimes. Then they'll use what they've learned to work on a made-up case. But the mystery begins even before the program starts when the professor who runs it suddenly falls into a coma. Now Nancy's in charge—of the made-up case and the real one. Strange encounters of the dangerous kind and a list of promising suspects test all her talents of deduction. From the tiniest clue on a carpet to real menace in a quarry, Nancy's crime lab is bubbling with trouble!

#166

The Case of the Creative Crime

2002

After Rhoda Benton, the director of an arts colony on Pennington estate, is threatened, Nancy and Bess search for the perpetrator.

#167

Mystery by Moonlight

2002

A MOUNTAIN LAKE HARBORS A HIDDEN PAST! A charming lakeside cottage should be the perfect vacation spot for Nancy and her friends—until Bess becomes convinced that they're sharing the place with ghosts. Strange thumps in the attic put them all on edge—except there is no attic. Even worse, their living neighbors are giving them grief. A pair of bird-watching photographers sets dangerous traps in the woods, a summer camp director chases Nancy and Ned off his property, and the assistant curator of a nearby Native American museum warns them to stay away from an ancient burial ground. Then a surprising discovery reveals a long-lost mystery—and a family secret as black as night.

#168

The Bike Tour Mystery

2002

Riding uphill is hard—but going down can send you over the edge! Nancy, Bass, and George are all geared up for a bike tour in Ireland. They're looking forward to spectacular scenery, romantic ruins, local entertainment, and, at the end of the day, cozy inns to welcome them. But it isn't long before the three friends realize that they're riding with danger. From the moment they arrive at the airport, someone seems to be targeting the tour members, especially the two teen sisters from Australia. Even worse, not all the cyclists are what they appear to be. As the group bikes along sheep-filled roads and steep seaside cliffs, the menace mounts. Nancy knows that if she makes one wrong turn she'll be on a detour to disaster!

#169

The Mistletoe Mystery

2002

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE DOESN'T PROVE THE IDENTITY OF CRAFTY THIEVES! Nancy's friend Bess has been hired by Special Effects, a River Heights company, to decorate Albemarle's department store for the holidays. When Bess discovers that her friend Ali Marie is now working at the store, she's thrilled—the two of them can have lunch and try on clothes for fun! But when some dresses are swiped, Ali is accused of stealing, and the party's over. Sure of her friend's innocence, Bess calls in Nancy to help find the real thief. With all the suspects and misleading clues, Nancy and her friends are running in circles—and the holiday shopping rush isn't helping! Can they figure out the identity of a clothes-hungry kleptomaniac before the holiday season turns sour?

#170

No Strings Attached

2003

How Many Strings Will Fray Before A Family Business Falls Apart? Nancy, George, and Bess are going on a vacation to Paris, and Nancy's father pulled a few strings to get the girls some quaint a tiny top-floor flat in a small three-story house on the Ile Saint Louis. The first floor of the building is a puppet theater, museum, and shop, owned by twenty-seven-year-old Mimi Loiseau, who lives on the second floor. Mimi's great-grandmother had always hinted at a unique family treasure. She died before she could tell Mimi what, or where, it was. Now someone is stealing puppets and vandalizing apartments. Could this someone be looking for the long-lost treasure? Nancy's on the scene just in time to help save Mimi's business—and to make sure they all get home in one piece!

#171

Intrigue at the Grand Opera

2003

WHEN THE CURTAIN GOES DOWN, THE REAL DRAMA BEGINS The American Grand Opera has come to River Heights to perform "Tosca, Aida," and "The Marriage of Figaro," and Nancy's friend Bess is going to be a chorus extra. It's all so exciting for the girls; the costumes, the music, the glamor! Little do they expect, though, the drama that will take place backstage. When a falling sandbag from the scenery catwalk nearly misses the two female stars of the opera during a dress rehearsal, Nancy begins to suspect foul play. As it turns out, the falling sandbag isn't the first incident of the tour. In the dressing room, Nancy finds out that rival singers Rosacrucia Alba, the hot new soprano, and Marta Willentz, an older member of the company, have been involved in a few scary situations. As rehearsals continue and the threat to these singers increases, Nancy scrambles to determine why someone is trying to ensure that only one singer will be the star of these shows.

#172

The Riding Club Crime

2003

This Summer, Nothing's Safe At Green Spring—Not Even The Camp Itself Elsa, a friend of Nancy and George's and a counselor at Green Spring Pony Club's summer camp, invites the girls for a ride one afternoon. Along the way, Elsa gushes about how a team of campers will compete in a regional pony club rally. If they win, they'll go to the national competition! But Elsa's excitement quickly fades when Nancy's horse falls into a ditch, and it's clearly a case of sabotage. This prompts Elsa to tell Nancy about some sinister happenings on the camp's grounds. Is someone trying to hurt the campers—or the camp? Disguised as a counselor, Nancy tries to figure out who's behind the vicious accidents. And as they become more devastating, Nancy realizes she needs to move quickly. Will her sleuthing skills be enough to keep this camp's horses and their riders on track?

#173

Danger on the Great Lakes

2003

THERE'S MORE EXCITEMENT ON THIS CRUISE SHIP THAN NANCY BARGAINED FOR! Nancy, Bess, and George are going on a cruise around the Great Lakes for a fantastic end-of-summer vacation! As soon as the girls set foot on the ship, though, they smell something fishy. Their new friend Amber is upset because her boyfriend, Craig, is neglecting her. After a little investigating on her friend's behalf, Nancy learns that Craig is really a detective. He's been busy hunting for a mastermind diamond thief who may well be on the ship. And it turns out Craig can use some help. Soon Nancy's hunting for clues on land and offshore. Where there's stolen diamonds, though, there's danger—and Nancy and her friends are soon caught in the thick of it. Will Nancy be able to crack this case before her ship is sunk?

#174

A Taste of Danger

2003

This Resort Has The Recipe For Disaster! Nancy's thrilled that she, Bess, George, and Hannah will be attending the grand opening of the newly renovated Gourmet Getaway. Not only will they be able to eat four-star meals prepared by master chefs, they'll get to take cooking classes with them, too. But before the table's even set, problems start plaguing the resort, both in and out of the kitchen. Nancy can't believe it's just bad luck, but who's causing all the problems? Nancy puts her cooking on the back burner so she can devote her attention to solving the mystery. Can she manage to find out who's behind the trouble before more sabotage is served?

#175

Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland

2003

Things are hairy in River Heights this holiday season. Two wolves have disappeared from WildWolf, the federal wolf preserve just outside of town. Local farmers think the missing wolves are killing their sheep, but there are also rumors of werewolf sightings nearby. At the same time, the annual River Heights Winter Carnival is set to begin. When the first two days of the outdoor festival are full of tragic disasters, Nancy can't help but wonder—is there a link between the carnival's trouble and the missing wolves? After the carnival's beautiful ice palace is destroyed, Nancy's sure there's a wolf at River Heights' door. But is the leader of this pack of crimes human, or beast?

Author

Carolyn Keene

Author · 627 books

Carolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator. Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten. Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.