The Classic Series

     Today, I realized that I have never really talked about all of the different Nancy Drew series. I really want to do this, so I have decided to break it up and post about one series at a time. I will do them in the ordered they were published, starting with the Classic series.

     The classic series was written from 1959 to 1979 by 8 different ghostwriters under the pseudonym of Carolyn Keene. The 56 books in the series were meant for children ages 8-12. Because of this, most of the mysteries in this series were theft, arson, hidden wills and inheritances, or the occasional kidnapping. Nancy never solved a murder case and no one ever used inappropriate language.

     Nancy's friend, Helen Corning, helped her solve the first four mysteries in the series. After that, cousins Bess Marvin and George Fayne became Nancy's best friends and sleuthing companions. Ned Nickerson was Nancy's boyfriend (although he was usually referred to as her "special" friend), and Bess and George dated Dave Evans and Burt Eddleton. Many of the mysteries came to Nancy through her father, who was a criminal lawyer.

     Below is a list of all the books in the series. If you would like to see the illustrations or descriptions, please visit this link. I own all of the books in this series, so if you would like more information, or if you want me to write a review of one of the books, please let me know in the comments section!

~Sienna

1. The Secret of the Old Clock       29. Mystery at the Ski Jump

2. The Hidden Staircase       30. The Clue of the Velvet Mask

3. The Bungalow Mystery       31. The Ringmaster's Secret

4. The Mystery at Lilac Inn       32. The Scarlet Slipper Mystery

5. The Secret of Shadow Ranch       33. The Witch Tree Symbol

6. The Secret of Red Gate Farm       34. The Hidden Window Mystery

7. The Clue in the Diary       35. The Haunted Showboat

8. Nancy's Mysterious Letter       36. The Secret of the Golden Pavilion

9. The Sign of the Twisted Candles       37. The Clue in the Old Stagecoach

10. The Password to Larkspur Lane       38. The Mystery of the Fire Dragon

11. The Clue of the Broken Locket       39. The Clue of the Dancing Puppet

12. The Message in the Hollow Oak      40. The Moonstone Castle Mystery

13. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm      41. The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes

14. The Whispering Statue       42. The Phantom of Pine Hill

15. The Haunted Bridge       43. The Mystery of the 99 Steps

16. The Clue of the Tapping Heels       44. The Clue in the Crossword Cipher

17. The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk    45. The Spider Sapphire Mystery

18. Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion    46. The Invisible Intruder

19. The Quest of the Missing Map       47. The Mysterious Mannequin

20. The Clue in the Jewel Box       48. The Crooked Banister

21. The Secret in the Old Attic       49. The Secret of Mirror Bay

22. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall      50. The Double Jinx Mystery

23. Mystery of the Tolling Bell 51. Mystery of the Glowing Eye

24. The Clue in the Old Album 52. The Secret of the Forgotten City

25. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall        53. The Sky Phantom

26. The Clue of the Leaning Chimney   54. The Strange Message in the Parchment

27. The Secret of the Wooden Lady 55. Mystery of Crocodile Island

28. The Clue of the Black Keys 56. The Thirteenth Pearl

Note: It is believed that the upcoming Nancy Drew computer game, The Silent Spy, is loosely based on the 41st book in this series, The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes!