Nancy Drew Mystery Stories
The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories is the long-running "main" Nancy Drew series, which was published under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. There are 175 novels — plus 34 revised stories — that were published between 1930 and 2003 under the banner; Grosset & Dunlap published the first 56, and 34 revised stories, while Simon & Schuster published the series beginning with volume 57.
A spinoff, The Nancy Drew Files, ran concurrently from 1986 to 1997. In 2003, Simon & Schuster announced that Nancy Drew Mystery Stories would end and be replaced by a new, more contemporary series titled Nancy Drew: Girl Detective. Launched in 2004, the series was panned in comparisons to its predecessor, and ended in 2012. The Nancy Drew Diaries was launched in its place in 2013, and has received mixed reviews.
Publishing history
is credited with writing 23 of the first 30 novels in the series. Other authors contributed, as well, but in 1959, Edward Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Adams, began rewriting the earlier books in the series, sometimes substituting entirely new plots while retaining the same title.In the Harriet Adams revisions, Nancy is depicted as a less impulsive, less headstrong girl of Stratemeyer and Mildred's vision, to a milder, more sedate and refined girl— "more sugar and less spice", with an extensive wardrobe and a more charitable outlook. Helen Corning appears older, perhaps in preparation for her "write-out" after volume 4 of the revised series and to introduce Bess and her cousin George. Perceived racial stereotypes — and, arguably, characters of color period — were omitted. Action increased significantly and became faster-paced. Greater developmental detail was given to Nancy and her home.
In 1979, after a court battle between the Stratemeyer Syndicate and Grosset & Dunlap, the original publishers of the first 56 Nancy Drew titles, publication rights to new stories were granted to Simon & Schuster. Titles from #57, The Triple Hoax, were thereafter published primarily in paperback.
Books #57-78 were initially printed under Simon & Schuster's Children's imprint Wanderer as digest sized paperbacks. Limited numbers of hardback editions are also known to have been produced, mostly for libraries.
The titles were initially presented in set cover format referred to as the "Arch" design, with most covers drawn by Ruth Sanderson. The 22 titles were also reprinted under the Wanderer imprint in a new "checkerboard" design before the series moved, from #79 on, to the new Minstrel imprint, whereupon they received still newer covers in the "checkerboard" design. The series ultimately moved again to Simon & Schuster's Aladdin Paperbacks imprint beginning with #164, undergoing two further cover revamps, "White" and "Paint".
Titles
Grosset & Dunlap
The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories were first published in the United States in 1930 by Grosset & Dunlap in a series of hardbacks. Revision of all titles through Volume 34 began in 1959.# | Title | Pub. | Outline | Manuscript | Editor | Rev. | Revised By |
1 | The Secret of the Old Clock | 1930 | Edward Stratemeyer | Mildred Wirt | Edward Stratemeyer | 1959 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams |
2 | The Hidden Staircase | 1930 | Edward Stratemeyer | Mildred Wirt | Edward Stratemeyer | 1959 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams |
3 | The Bungalow Mystery | 1930 | Edward Stratemeyer | Mildred Wirt | Edward Stratemeyer | 1960 | Patricia Doll |
4 | The Mystery at Lilac Inn | 1930 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Elp | 1961 | Patricia Doll |
5 | The Secret Of Shadow Ranch | 1931 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1965 | Grace Grote |
6 | The Secret of Red Gate Farm | 1931 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1961 | Lynn Ealer |
7 | The Clue in the Diary | 1932 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1962 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams |
8 | Nancy's Mysterious Letter | 1932 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Walter Karig | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1968 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams |
9 | The Sign of the Twisted Candles | 1933 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Walter Karig | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1968 | Patricia Doll |
10 | The Password to Larkspur Lane | 1933 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Walter Karig | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1966 | Patricia Doll |
11 | The Clue of the Broken Locket | 1934 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1965 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams & Grace Grote |
12 | The Message in the Hollow Oak | 1935 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1972 | Grace Grote |
13 | The Mystery of the Ivory Charm | 1936 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1974 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
14 | The Whispering Statue | 1937 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1970 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams |
15 | The Haunted Bridge | 1937 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1972 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
16 | The Clue of the Tapping Heels | 1939 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1969 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams |
17 | The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk | 1940 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1976 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams |
18 | The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion | 1941 | Edna Stratemeyer Squier | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1971 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams |
19 | The Quest of the Missing Map | 1942 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1969 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
20 | The Clue in the Jewel Box | 1943 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1972 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
21 | The Secret in the Old Attic | 1944 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1970 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
22 | The Clue in the Crumbling Wall | 1945 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1973 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
23 | The Mystery of the Tolling Bell | 1946 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1973 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
24 | The Clue in the Old Album | 1947 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1977 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
25 | The Ghost of Blackwood Hall | 1948 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1967 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
26 | The Clue of the Leaning Chimney | 1949 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | George Waller, Jr. & Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1967 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
27 | The Secret of the Wooden Lady | 1950 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Margaret Scherf | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1967 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
28 | The Clue of the Black Keys | 1951 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Wilhelmina Rankin & Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1968 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
29 | The Mystery at the Ski Jump | 1952 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Alma Sasse | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1968 | Ann Shultes |
30 | The Clue of the Velvet Mask | 1953 | Andrew Svenson | Mildred Wirt | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1969 | Priscilla Baker-Carr |
31 | The Ringmaster's Secret | 1953 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1974 | June Dunn |
32 | The Scarlet Slipper Mystery | 1954 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Charles Strong | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1974 | Ann Shultes |
33 | The Witch Tree Symbol | 1955 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1975 | Ann Shultes |
34 | The Hidden Window Mystery | 1956 | Patricia Doll & Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | 1975 | Mary Fisher |
35 | The Haunted Showboat | 1957 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | June Dunn & J. Sanderson | - | - |
36 | The Secret of the Golden Pavilion | 1959 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | June Dunn & J. Sanderson | - | - |
37 | The Clue in the Old Stagecoach | 1960 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
38 | The Mystery of the Fire Dragon | 1961 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
39 | The Clue of the Dancing Puppet | 1962 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
40 | The Moonstone Castle Mystery | 1963 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
41 | The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes | 1964 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
42 | The Phantom of Pine Hill | 1965 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
43 | The Mystery of the 99 Steps | 1966 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
44 | The Clue in the Crossword Cipher | 1967 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
45 | The Spider Sapphire Mystery | 1968 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
46 | The Invisible Intruder | 1969 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
47 | The Mysterious Mannequin | 1970 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
48 | The Crooked Banister | 1971 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
49 | The Secret of Mirror Bay | 1972 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
50 | The Double Jinx Mystery | 1973 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
51 | Mystery of the Glowing Eye | 1974 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
52 | The Secret of the Forgotten City | 1975 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
53 | The Sky Phantom | 1976 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
54 | The Strange Message in the Parchment | 1977 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
55 | Mystery of Crocodile Island | 1978 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
56 | The Thirteenth Pearl | 1979 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | - | - |
Simon & Schuster
In 1979, the Nancy Drew books began to be published by Wanderer Books Simon & Schuster in paperback format. Though formatted differently from the original 56-volume series which continued under Grosset & Dunlap's control, these new books were published under the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories banner. These books feature increasingly contemporary cover illustrations and some books have multiple versions of the cover art.To collectors of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books, books in the original series published at Simon & Schuster are called "Digests". This is due to the books resembling Digest-size paperbacks, differing from Grosset & Dunlap's hardcover books.
In 2005, the first eight volumes from the Wanderer section were republished by Grosset & Dunlap, as a special promotion for the celebration of Nancy Drew's 75th anniversary. These republications went out of print in 2013.
Wanderer editions
The Triple Hoax was originally listed as the next book at the end of The Thirteenth Pearl. Grosset & Dunlap continued to list this until they lost a court case against the Syndicate and Simon & Schuster in May 1980. The book was later revised to eliminate The Triple Hoax. However, they later published this book — and the seven after that — in 2005, with the permission and collaboration of Simon & Schuster, in celebration of Nancy Drew's 75th anniversary.The main plot, formula, and continuity of the books remained similar to the original Grosset & Dunlap books still being published at the time. Harriet Adams was still involved in the Syndicate, even after she stopped writing the books in 1980. Simon & Schuster rejected her original manuscript for The Secret in the Old Lace, with the story being rewritten by Nancy Axelrad. After she died in 1982, the Syndicate continued with five of its partners, until its sale to Simon & Schuster in 1987.
During this period, the Syndicate began to hire new, younger writers, including Sharon Wagner, Richard Ballad, and James Duncan Lawrence. Ballad's books — Captive Witness and The Sinister Omen — were all originally written for The Hardy Boys, but were rewritten for unknown reasons. The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery also falls in this category.
The final two books were "backdoor pilots" for the spin-off The Nancy Drew Files, which began in 1986. Due to this, and the sale of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the series went on a two-year hiatus to retool the series.
# | Title | Pub. | Outline | Manuscript | Editor |
57 | The Triple Hoax | 1979 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams/Lilo Wuenn |
58 | The Flying Saucer Mystery | 1980 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Lilo Wuenn |
59 | The Secret in the Old Lace | 1980 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams | Nancy Axelrad | Lilo Wuenn |
60 | The Greek Symbol Mystery | 1980 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams & Nancy Axelrad | Nancy Axelrad | Lilo Wuenn |
61 | The Swami's Ring | 1981 | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams & Nancy Axelrad | Nancy Axelrad | Lilo Wuenn |
62 | The Kachina Doll Mystery | 1981 | Sharon Wagner | Sharon Wagner | Nancy Axelrad |
63 | The Twin Dilemma | 1981 | Nancy Axelrad | Nancy Axelrad | Lilo Wuenn |
64 | Captive Witness | 1981 | Richard Ballad | Richard Ballad | Nancy Axelrad |
65 | Mystery of the Winged Lion | 1982 | Nancy Axelrad | Nancy Axelrad | Nancy Axelrad |
66 | Race Against Time | 1982 | James Duncan Lawrence | James Duncan Lawrence | Nancy Axelrad |
67 | The Sinister Omen | 1982 | Richard Ballad | Richard Ballad | Nancy Axelrad |
68 | The Elusive Heiress | 1982 | Sharon Wagner | Sharon Wagner | Nancy Axelrad |
69 | Clue in the Ancient Disguise | 1982 | James Duncan Lawrence | James Duncan Lawrence | Nancy Axelrad |
70 | The Broken Anchor | 1983 | Sharon Wagner | Sharon Wagner | Nancy Axelrad |
71 | The Silver Cobweb | 1983 | James Duncan Lawrence | James Duncan Lawrence | Nancy Axelrad |
72 | The Haunted Carousel | 1983 | James Duncan Lawrence | James Duncan Lawrence | Nancy Axelrad |
73 | Enemy Match | 1984 | Richard Ballad, per Release in Beinecke Collection of Yale University. Working title: Tennis Story. | Nancy Axelrad | |
74 | The Mysterious Image | 1984 | James Duncan Lawrence | James Duncan Lawrence | Nancy Axelrad |
75 | The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery | 1984 | Nancy Axelrad | ||
76 | The Eskimo's Secret | 1985 | Sharon Wagner | Sharon Wagner | Nancy Axelrad |
77 | The Bluebeard Room | 1985 | James Duncan Lawrence | James Duncan Lawrence | Nancy Axelrad |
78 | The Phantom of Venice | 1985 | James Duncan Lawrence | James Duncan Lawrence | Nancy Axelrad |
Minstrel editions
After volume 78, the series took a -year hiatus due to the sale of the Stratemeyer Syndicate to Simon & Schuster, and to begin The Nancy Drew Files spin-off. At this point, book packager Mega-Books took over the series, and hired different ghostwriters for the job. The ghost writers who are known are ones who have either been discovered through other resources, or have publicly revealed themselves as a ghostwriter for the series. The series also gained Anne Greenberg as the series' new editor; Greenberg would oversee the series for the next 16 years, and become one of the most influential Nancy Drew editors that helped the books continue until the 21st century.Due to the cancellation of The Nancy Drew Files in 1997, Simon & Schuster rewrote several unpublished manuscripts into books for the original series. These books include: The Wild Cat Crime, The E-mail Mystery, and The Case of the Captured Queen.
The writing style of these books took a different direction than the books of the Syndicate; modern technology is mentioned, continuity errors are common, and the books become shorter. Characters Burt Eddleton and Dave Evans are eliminated completely, and Nancy mostly has a habit of rotating between George, Bess, and Ned. This setup creates a more realistic setup, rather than having all six drop everything to join Nancy. In the late 1990s, continuity errors and text errors became more common.
# | Title | Pub. | Outline | Manuscript | Editor |
79 | The Double Horror of Fenley Place | 1987 | Anne Greenberg | ||
80 | The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds | 1987 | Anne Greenberg | ||
81 | The Mardi Gras Mystery | 1988 | Anne Greenberg | ||
82 | The Clue in the Camera | 1988 | Anne Greenberg | ||
83 | The Case of the Vanishing Veil | 1988 | Anne Greenberg | ||
84 | The Joker's Revenge | 1988 | Eileen Hehl | Eileen Hehl | Anne Greenberg |
85 | The Secret of Shady Glen | 1988 | Anne Greenberg | ||
86 | The Mystery of Misty Canyon | 1988 | Anne Greenberg | ||
87 | The Case of the Rising Stars | 1988 | Anne Greenberg | ||
88 | The Search for Cindy Austin | 1988 | Nancy Bush | Nancy Bush | Anne Greenberg |
89 | The Case of the Disappearing Deejay | 1989 | Carol Gorman | Carol Gorman | Anne Greenberg |
90 | The Puzzle at Pineview School | 1989 | Anne Greenberg | ||
91 | The Girl Who Couldn't Remember | 1989 | Anne Greenberg | ||
92 | The Ghost of Craven Cove | 1989 | Anne Greenberg | ||
93 | The Case of the Safecracker's Secret | 1990 | Anne Greenberg | ||
94 | The Picture-Perfect Mystery | 1990 | Carol Gorman | Carol Gorman | Anne Greenberg |
95 | The Silent Suspect | 1990 | Anne Greenberg | ||
96 | The Case of the Photo Finish | 1990 | Anne Greenberg | ||
97 | The Mystery of Magnolia Mansion | 1990 | Alison Hart | Alison Hart | Anne Greenberg |
98 | The Haunting of Horse Island | 1990 | Carol Gorman | Carol Gorman | Anne Greenberg |
99 | The Secret at Seven Rocks | 1991 | Ellen Steiber | Ellen Steiber | Anne Greenberg |
100 | A Secret in Time | 1991 | Anne Greenberg | ||
101 | The Mystery of the Missing Millionairess | 1991 | Anne Greenberg | ||
102 | The Secret in the Dark | 1991 | Anne Greenberg | ||
103 | The Stranger in the Shadows | 1991 | Alison Hart | Alison Hart | Anne Greenberg |
104 | The Mystery of the Jade Tiger | 1991 | Ellen Steiber | Ellen Steiber | Anne Greenberg |
105 | The Clue in the Antique Trunk | 1992 | Anne Greenberg | ||
106 | The Case of the Artful Crime | 1992 | Anne Greenberg | ||
107 | The Legend of Miner's Creek | 1992 | Anne Greenberg | ||
108 | The Secret of the Tibetan Treasure | 1992 | Anne Greenberg | ||
109 | The Mystery of the Masked Rider | 1992 | Alison Hart | Alison Hart | Anne Greenberg |
110 | The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery | 1992 | Anne Greenberg | ||
111 | The Secret at Solaire | 1993 | Anne Greenberg | ||
112 | Crime in the Queen's Court | 1993 | Anne Greenberg | ||
113 | The Secret Lost at Sea | 1993 | Anne Greenberg | ||
114 | The Search for the Silver Persian | 1993 | Anne Greenberg | ||
115 | The Suspect in the Smoke | 1993 | Anne Greenberg | ||
116 | The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears | 1993 | Alison Hart | Alison Hart | Anne Greenberg |
117 | Mystery on the Menu | 1994 | Anne Greenberg | ||
118 | Trouble At Lake Tahoe | 1994 | Anne Greenberg | ||
119 | The Mystery of the Missing Mascot | 1994 | Anne Greenberg | ||
120 | The Case of the Floating Crime | 1994 | Anne Greenberg | ||
121 | The Fortune Teller's Secret | 1994 | Anne Greenberg | ||
122 | The Message in the Haunted Mansion | 1994 | Anne Greenberg | ||
123 | The Clue on the Silver Screen | 1995 | Anne Greenberg | ||
124 | The Secret of the Scarlet Hand | 1995 | Anne Greenberg | ||
125 | The Teen Model Mystery | 1995 | Anne Greenberg | ||
126 | The Riddle in the Rare Book | 1995 | Anne Greenberg | ||
127 | The Case of the Dangerous Solution | 1995 | Anne Greenberg | ||
128 | The Treasure in the Royal Tower | 1995 | Anne Greenberg | ||
129 | The Baby-Sitter Burglaries | 1996 | Pamela Willis | Pamela Willis | Anne Greenberg |
130 | The Sign of the Falcon | 1996 | Anne Greenberg | ||
131 | The Hidden Inheritance | 1996 | Anne Greenberg | ||
132 | The Fox Hunt Mystery | 1996 | Anne Greenberg | ||
133 | The Mystery at the Crystal Palace | 1996 | Anne Greenberg | ||
134 | The Secret of the Forgotten Cave | 1996 | Anne Greenberg | ||
135 | The Riddle of the Ruby Gazelle | 1997 | Anne Greenberg | ||
136 | The Wedding Day Mystery | 1997 | Anne Greenberg | ||
137 | In Search of the Black Rose | 1997 | Anne Greenberg | ||
138 | The Legend of the Lost Gold | 1997 | Anne Greenberg | ||
139 | The Secret of Candlelight Inn | 1997 | Anne Greenberg | ||
140 | The Door-to-Door Deception | 1997 | Anne Greenberg | ||
141 | The Wild Cat Crime | 1998 | Anne Greenberg | ||
142 | The Case of Capital Intrigue | 1998 | Elizabeth Nugent | Elizabeth Nugent | Anne Greenberg |
143 | Mystery on Maui | 1998 | Elizabeth Nugent | Elizabeth Nugent | Anne Greenberg |
144 | The E-mail Mystery | 1998 | Denise Hidalgo | Denise Hidalgo | Anne Greenberg |
145 | The Missing Horse Mystery | 1998 | Alison Hart | Alison Hart | Anne Greenberg |
146 | The Ghost of the Lantern Lady | 1998 | Anne Greenberg | ||
147 | The Case of the Captured Queen | 1999 | Anne Greenberg | ||
148 | On the Trail of Trouble | 1999 | Anne Greenberg | ||
149 | The Clue of the Gold Doubloons | 1999 | Alison Hart | Alison Hart | Anne Greenberg |
150 | Mystery at Moorsea Manor | 1999 | Anne Greenberg | ||
151 | The Chocolate-Covered Contest | 1999 | Anne Greenberg | ||
152 | The Key in the Satin Pocket | 2000 | Anne Greenberg | ||
153 | Whispers In the Fog | 2000 | Anne Greenberg | ||
154 | The Legend of the Emerald Lady | 2000 | Anne Greenberg | ||
155 | The Mystery in Tornado Alley | 2000 | George Edward Stanley | George Edward Stanley | Anne Greenberg |
156 | The Secret in the Stars | 2000 | Anne Greenberg | ||
157 | The Music Festival Mystery | 2000 | Anne Greenberg | ||
158 | The Curse of the Black Cat | 2001 | Anne Greenberg | ||
159 | The Secret of the Fiery Chamber | 2001 | Anne Greenberg |
Aladdin editions
With the new millennium, the series changed publishers to the Aladdin subdivision of Simon & Schuster. With declining sales, and the departure of longtime editor Anne Greenberg, Simon & Schuster ended the original series in November 2003.The books published in 2003 show a sharp decline in quality compared to earlier books, as the new editors focused on preparing the new Nancy Drew, Girl Detective series. Continuity errors are rampant throughout these books: in No Strings Attached and Danger on the Great Lakes, Nancy and her friends are 17, and are on summer vacation; Ned works at a company; and George has chestnut hair. In Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland, Ned is suddenly blond, and it is hinted at that Nancy might be in college. Numerous typographic errors and mistakes are also found throughout these books.
# | Title | Pub. | Outline | Manuscript | Editor |
160 | The Clue on the Crystal Dove | 2001 | Anne Greenberg | ||
161 | Lost in the Everglades | 2001 | Anne Greenberg | ||
162 | The Case of the Lost Song | 2001 | Anne Greenberg | ||
163 | The Clues Challenge | 2001 | Anne Greenberg | ||
164 | The Mystery of the Mother Wolf | 2002 | Anne Greenberg | ||
165 | The Crime Lab Case | 2002 | Anne Greenberg | ||
166 | The Case of the Creative Crime | 2002 | Anne Greenberg | ||
167 | Mystery By Moonlight | 2002 | Anne Greenberg | ||
168 | The Bike Tour Mystery | 2002 | Anne Greenberg | ||
169 | The Mistletoe Mystery | 2002 | Anne Greenberg | ||
170 | No Strings Attached | 2003 | George Edward Stanley | George Edward Stanley | |
171 | Intrigue at the Grand Opera | 2003 | |||
172 | The Riding Club Crime | 2003 | |||
173 | Danger on the Great Lakes | 2003 | George Edward Stanley | George Edward Stanley | |
174 | A Taste of Danger | 2003 | |||
175 | Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland | 2003 |
Foreign publication
United Kingdom
The Nancy Drew Mystery Series was published in a series of hardbacks and paperbacks in the UK, starting in 1971 and 1973. The British publisher was Collins Publishing, and its paperback imprint Armada Books. When the Nancy Drew series was published in England, the order was changed significantly and the titles' numbering was revised from the American standard.Thus, the original fifty-six American Grosset & Dunlap-published titles become the first fifty UK titles, with #57-78 being published as #51-72. Collins, therefore, had a deal in place with both American publishers and, indeed, were obliged "for contractual reasons" to publish some of the later Simon & Schuster titles before some of the Grosset & Dunlap ones. Collins/Armada published the twenty-two Simon & Schuster/Wanderer titles in sequence, albeit off by six, and then finished publishing the six "missing" Grosset & Dunlap titles.
The twenty-two Wanderer-imprint titles were produced between 1979 and 1985, after which the main Nancy Drew Mystery Stories went on a short hiatus. During this time, Simon & Schuster began publishing The Nancy Drew Files series for older teenagers, and subsequently re-aligned the 'main' series, moving it to a new imprint in 1987, with The Double Horror of Fenley Place, the first Nancy Drew title published under the American Minstrel imprint. Accordingly, after publishing twenty-two Wanderer titles in the main Nancy Drew series, the Collins/Armada licence terminated in June 1992. The following month, Simon & Schuster itself began publishing the more recent Minstrel-imprint US titles under their Pocket Books UK imprint, starting with the now numerically aligned Volume #79. For contractual reasons, Armada was "obliged to publish No. 51 onwards before publishing Nos. 41-50".
Other Formats
Special editions and reprints
The Reader's Club or Cameo editions
Nancy Drew was issued as a book club feature, the Nancy Drew Reader's Club, from 1959 to early 1961. In all, twelve volumes were issued, six in 1959 and six in 1960. These volumes were issued with new illustrations by artist Polly Bolian. The volumes matched Grosset & Dunlap's other Doubleday Book Club publication, Young Library. A full color jacket illustration was repeated as the frontispiece, and double-page pen and ink drawings highlighted the texts. References or notices for other volumes, and volume numbering, was removed from the text and the jackets.Plans for additional titles were abandoned after two years and the series ceased publication in early 1961. The volumes are highly desired by today's collectors due to their original artwork and the scarcity of their dust jackets, made on inferior, lightweight matte paper instead of heavier-gauge glossy paper used on other editions. The books with jackets are considered scarce, those with a 1960 date being much more difficult to find by collectors.