Dorky details (Yes, someone asked. 😜) This collection is intended to be the books in the print run on sale when I got my very first Nancy Drew book. For the most part I've only ever associated this with the yellow spine. But in looking at a collectors site I have a general description for what I'm collecting.
Desired features:
- The spine of the book is yellow.
- A matte cover with illustration
- Name, author, volume number, publisher (Grosset & Dunlap), and a symbol of Nancy's profile are on the spine.
- Back covers have either a list of the books, at that time, or an ad for The Nancy Drew Cookbook.
- The date on the inside cover runs (approximately) from late sixties until at about 1975. But note that they dates don't always reflect the printed dates. I owned Number 1 and the date on it's page is 1959
- The story number is on the cover illustration. It's either just printed above the title [see #8] or has a small box around it (and is still above the title) [see #53]. This seems to have officially varied given the collectors page I found.
Jennise
1The Secret of the Old Clock
Publication Year: 1959 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Sixteen-year-old Nancy Drew wishes to help the Turners, who are struggling relatives of the recently deceased Josiah Crowley, by finding a missing will that can give them claim to Crowely’s estate. | ||
2The Hidden Staircase
Publication Year: 1959 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy’s friend Helen Corning, calls her about a possible mystery to be solved. Helen introduces Nancy to her great-grandmother, Mrs. Flora Turnbul. Mrs Turnbull believes that their home, Twin Elms, is haunted. | ||
3The Bungalow Mystery
Publication Year: 1960 Number Owned: 3 copies Have Preferred: |
While driving a motorboat around the Twin Lakes, Nancy and her friend Helen get caught in a dangerous storm. Luckily, they are rescued by another teenage girl, Laura Pendleton, in a rowboat. Laura has come to meet up with her new guardians, but something isn’t quite right. | ||
4The Mystery At Lilac Inn
Publication Year: 1961 Number Owned: 3 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy and her friend Helen visit their friend Emily Willouby at the Lilac Inn, to help her plan her wedding. However, Nancy soon learns that someone has been impersonating Emily and making expensive purchases under her name. | ||
5The Secret of Shadow Ranch
Publication Year: 1965 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy Drew arrives in Phoenix, Arizona, eagerly looking forward to a fun-filled vacation at Shadow Ranch, but abruptly finds herself involved in a baffling mystery. The ranch is being haunted by an unknown enemy. | ||
6The Secret of Red Gate Farm
Publication Year: 1961 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy and her friends, Bess and George, meet Joanne Byrd on a train ride home. Joanne lives at Red Gate Farm with her grandmother. If they do not raise enough money to pay the mortgage, they will soon lose the farm! Nancy’s investigation helps to uncover a ring of counterfeiters in town! | ||
7The Clue In The Diary
Publication Year: 1962 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Nancy and her friends, George and Bess, are returning from a country carnival when they witness the explosion and 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 to be insoluble. | ||
8Nancy’s Mysterious Letter
Publication Year: 1968 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
By mistake Nancy Drew receives a letter from England intended for an heiress, also named Nancy Drew. When Nancy undertakes a search for the missing young woman, it becomes obvious that a ruthless, dangerous man is determined to prevent her from finding the heiress or himself. | ||
9Sign of the Twisted Candles
Publication Year: 1968 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
In the course of solving the mystery of an old man’s disappearing fortune, Nancy both starts and ends a family feud and reveals the identity of an orphan. | ||
10Password to Larkspur Lane
Publication Year: 1966 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy Drew discovers a hidden message in a library book that leads her to Larkspur Lane. This secluded neighborhood holds a dark secret, and Nancy is determined to uncover the truth. | ||
11The Clue of the Broken Locket
Publication Year: 1965 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
A ghostly launch appears on a nearby lake, and two twin children are missing! The mysterious Pudding Stone Lodge seems to harbor many secrets that have a lot to do with the cousins and are very important to Nancy. Nancy invites Ned and his friends to come to the lake to help. | ||
12The Message in the Hollow Oak
Publication Year: 1972 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy Drew, along with her friends Bess and George, find themselves entangled in a new mystery when they stumble upon a hollow oak tree with a hidden message inside. | ||
13The Mystery of the Ivory Charm
Publication Year: 1974 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
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. | ||
14The Whispering Statue
Publication Year: 1937 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy’s friend, Helen Archer, seeks her help in unraveling the mystery behind a broken locket found at the scene of a car accident. | ||
15The Haunted Bridge
Publication Year: 1972 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Mr. Drew is on the trail of an international ring of jewel thieves and asks Nancy to assist him. Before Nancy has a chance to start work on her father’s case, a golf caddy tells her a frightening tale—in the dense woods nearby is an old wooden footbridge guarded by a ghost! Intrigued, Nancy decides to investigate. | ||
16The Clue of the Tapping Heels
Publication Year: 1969 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Challenging questions confront Nancy Drew when she attempts to solve the mystery of the strange tapping sounds in the house of a retired actress. | ||
17The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk
Publication Year: 1976 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
From the moment Nancy Drew boards an ocean liner leaving for New York, she becomes involved in a new and dangerous mystery. | ||
18The Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion
Publication Year: 1971 Number Owned: 3 copies Have Preferred: |
A friend of Carson Drew’s has been arrested and charged with sending a truck loaded with explosive oranges into the Space Center complex at Cape Kennedy. Knowing that Mr. Billington could not possibly be guilt of sabotage, Nancy and her father rush to the defense of the accused man. | ||
19The Quest of the Missing Map
Publication Year: 1969 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Prompted by the concerns of a young child, Nancy investigates a small studio on the Chatham estate. She discovers that there is a connection between the mysterious occurrences at Ship Cottage and her search for a treasure island. | ||
20The Clue in the Jewel Box
Publication Year: 1972 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
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. | ||
21The Secret in the Old Attic
Publication Year: 1970 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Nancy Drew races against time to unravel the clues in a dead man’s letters. If she succeeds, Philip March and his little granddaughter can be saved from financial ruin. | ||
22The Clue in the Crumbling Wall
Publication Year: 1973 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
When Nancy is asked to find a professional dancer who disappeared several years before, the young detective becomes involved in a mystery reaching far beyond a missing-person’s case. | ||
23Mystery of the Tolling Bell
Publication Year: 1973 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy becomes involved in another mystery when she accepts an invitation from Mrs. Chantrey, a client of Mr. Drew, to vacation at her cottage in a picturesque seaside town. The alarming disappearance of Mr. Drew is only the start of a series of highly dangerous adventures for Nancy and her friends Bess and George. | ||
24The Clue in the Old Album
Publication Year: 1977 Number Owned: 3 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy Drew witnesses a purse snatching and runs after the thief. She rescues the purse, but not its contents, then is asked by the owner, a doll collector, to do some detective work. | ||
25The Ghost of Blackwood Hall
Publication Year: 1967 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
When Mrs. Putney seeks Nancy Drew’s help in recovering her stolen jewelry, the search for the thieves takes the teen-age detective and her friends Bess and George to the colorful French Quarter of New Orleans. | ||
26The Clue of the Leaning Chimney
Publication Year: 1967 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Nancy Drew and her friend Bess discover that a rare and valuable Chinese vase has been stolen from the pottery shop owned by Bess’ cousin, Dick Milton. He tells Nancy that if he can find “the leaning chimney,” it will solve his financial problems. Nancy finds the leaning chimney, but it only leads her into more puzzles. | ||
27The Secret of the Wooden Lady
Publication Year: 1967 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Adventure abounds on the Bonny Scot in Boston Harbor as Nancy Drew helps Captain Easterly uncover the mystery of his ghostly visitors. | ||
28The Clue of the Black Keys
Publication Year: 1968 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Terry Scott, a young archaeology professor, seeks Nancy’s help in unearthing a secret of antiquity which can only be unlocked by three black keys. | ||
29Mystery at the Ski Jump
Publication Year: 1971 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
When Nancy learns that the Drews’ housekeeper has been duped by an elegantly dressed woman, the young detective starts a search for the clever swindler. To Nancy’s astonishment, she discovers that the woman is using the name Nancy Drew. | ||
30The Clue of the Velvet Mask
Publication Year: 1969 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
A masquerade party at the Hendricks’ mansion quickly turns into a mystery when Nancy and her favorite date, Ned Nickerson, spy a stranger about to climb the rose trellis to the second story. | ||
31The Ringmaster’s Secret
Publication Year: 1974 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Nancy is given a beautiful gold bracelet and finds that one of the charms is missing. When she learns the unusual story behind the jewelry, she sets out to solve the fascinating mystery. | ||
32The Scarlet Slipper Mystery
Publication Year: 1974 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Nancy meets Helene and Henri Fontaine, refugees from Centorvia who run a dancing school in River Heights. When the siblings receive an anonymous note threatening their lives, Nancy offers her help. | ||
33The Witch Tree Symbol
Publication Year: 1974 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
When a neighbor asks Nancy Drew to accompany her to an old uninhabited mansion, a new mystery opens up, and danger lurks on the second floor. Nancy finds a witch tree symbol that leads her to Pennsylvania Dutch country in pursuit of a cunning and ruthless thief. | ||
34The Hidden Window Mystery
Publication Year: 1975 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
A magazine article offering a large reward to anyone who can find a missing medieval stained-glass window intrigues Nancy. She asks Bess and George to join her on a search in Charlottesville, Virginia. | ||
35The Haunted Showboat
Publication Year: 1957 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Bess and George invite Nancy on a trip to New Orleans, to help their relatives solve a mystery. Their uncle wants to restore an old showboat, the River Princess, but no one will go near it! Mysterious occurrences are making everything believe the boat is haunted. | ||
36The Secret of the Golden Pavillion
Publication Year: 1959 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
One of Mr. Drew’s new clients, Mr. Sakamaki, requests Nancy’s help solving a mystery. Mr. Sakamaki recently inherited his grandfather’s estate in Hawaii, but two strangers arrive, claiming to also be the grandchildren of his deceased grandfather. Can Nancy uncover the truth? | ||
37The Clue in the Old StageCoach
Publication Year: 1960 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Mrs. Strook requests Nancy’s help finding an old stagecoach she believes her uncle hid in her hometown of Francisville. Mrs. Strook believes the stagecoach houses a clue that will be valuable for the town! Can Nancy help her find the missing stagecoach? | ||
38The Mystery of the Fire Dragon
Publication Year: 1961 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Nancy receives an urgent call from her Aunt Eloise in New York, requesting her help in solving a mystery. Her neighbor’s granddaughter, Chi Che Soong, has gone missing! Nancy and her friends fly to New York to help track down the missing girl. | ||
39The Clue of the Dancing Puppet
Publication Year: 1962 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
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. | ||
40The Moonstone Castle Mystery
Publication Year: 1963 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
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. | ||
41The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes
Publication Year: 1964 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Warnings not to go to Scotland can’t stop Nancy Drew from setting out on a thrill-packed mystery adventure while visiting her great-grandmother at an imposing estate in the Scottish Highlands, and to solve the mystery of a missing family heirloom. | ||
42The Phantom of Pine hill
Publication Year: 1965 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
When Nancy Drew and her two close friends arrive for the Emerson University June Week celebration and learn there has been a mix-up in their motel reservations, the confusion leads to a baffling mystery. | ||
43The Mystery of the 99 Steps
Publication Year: 1966 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Nancy Drew 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 she leaves the United States, an unknown person calling himself Monsieur Neuf warns the young sleuth not to pursue her mission. | ||
44The Clue in the Crossword Cipher
Publication Year: 1967 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Lovely young Carla Ponce, who lives in Peru, invites Nancy and her friends Bess and George to visit her and solve her “monkey mystery,” which promises to lead to a fabulous treasure. | ||
45The Spider Sapphire Mystery
Publication Year: 1968 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
Thrilling, dangerous adventures confront Nancy Drew while on a safari in East Africa with a group of American college students. Excitement runs high as the teen-age detective delves into the theft of a fabulous sapphire formed by nature millions of years ago. | ||
46The Invisible Intruder
Publication Year: 1969 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
“Nancy Drew, forget the ghost hunt!” a male voice rasps on the telephone. Despite the mysterious warning, the teenage detective and a group of friends start out on a ghost-hunting expedition to investigate five places reputed to be haunted. | ||
47The Mysterious Mannequin
Publication Year: 1970 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
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. | ||
48The Crooked Banister
Publication Year: 1972 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Nancy and her friends Bess and George spend an exciting week exploring a mysterious zigzag house with its fantastically crooked staircase, its bizarre serpent picture, and an unpredictable robot that nearly causes the young detective to lose her life. | ||
49The Secret of Mirror Bay
Publication Year: 1972 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Aunt Eloise Drew invited Nancy and her friends to Mirror Bay Bide-a-Wee cabin near Cooperstown, New York, for a visit and a chance to solve the mystery of the woman who glides across the water. Upon their arrival, Nancy becomes mixed up in a vacation hoax and is nearly arrested for fraud. | ||
50The Double Jinx Mystery
Publication Year: 1973 Number Owned: 2 copies Have Preferred: |
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? | ||
51Mystery of the Glowing Eye
Publication Year: 1974 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
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. | ||
52The Secret of the Forgotten City
Publication Year: 1975 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Gold! There are rumors that long ago a treasure was hidden in a city now buried under the Nevada desert. Nancy and her friends join a dig sponsored by two colleges to hunt for the gold. | ||
53The Sky Phantom
Publication Year: 1976 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Nancy goes to the Excello Flying School in the Midwest to take lessons while her friends Bess and George perfect their horse riding. At once, the young sleuth is confronted with the mystery of a hijacked plane and a missing pilot. | ||
54Strange Message in the Parchment
Publication Year: 1977 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
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. | ||
55Mystery of Crocodile Island
Publication Year: 1978 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
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 Bes and George to study the reptiles and try to uncover a group of suspected poachers. | ||
56The Thirteenth Pearl
Publication Year: 1979 Number Owned: 1 copy Have Preferred: |
Nancy is asked to locate a stolen pearl necklace that is unusual and very valuable. She soon learns that strange and dangerous people are responsible for the theft. They harass her at home and intensify it when she and her father go to Japan |