The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories books in order

By Alex Wiggan

In 1930, US-based publishing house, Grosset & Dunlap published the mystery novel, The Secret of the Old Clock. The book was written by Mildred Benson, under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, and was the first entry in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories collection.

The Secret of the Old Clock centred its story around teenager and recent high school graduate, Nancy Drew. In the book, Nancy goes in search of a missing will, which is deemed vital in a claim for a family estate.

Following the publication of The Secret of the Old Clock, Grosset & Dunlap published a second Nancy Drew Mystery Stories novel. Written once again by Mildred Benson, the book was titled The Hidden Staircase.

In this story, Nancy is asked to investigate the home of Rosemary and Floretta Turnbull. The sisters have noticed some strange happenings at their mansion, including the mysterious disappearance of valuable items, and they are searching for answers to this perplexing problem.

A third Nancy Drew book soon followed that same year, as did a fourth. Mildred Benson then remained as the ghostwriter for the series for seven instalments, before Walter Karig took over for books eight to ten.

The book series then switched back to Benson until book 25, before it alternated between different authors from book 26 onward. The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories then continued under publishers Grosset & Dunlap until the release of book 56 in 1979.

From book 57 until book 78, Wanderer Books published the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, taking the collection up to 1985 with various different authors involved. Minstrel Books then took over publishing duties from 1987 until 2001, taking the series from book 79 up to book 159.

Finally, from 2001 Aladdin Books began publishing the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories starting with book 160. The series continued until 2003, ending with book 175.

But if you’ve never read a single novel in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories collection, and you’re keen to dive in now, you’re probably asking yourself what are the titles of all 175 books and what is the correct reading order? Well, ask these questions no more, because the answers are set out below.

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List of Nancy Drew Mystery Stories books in publishing order

Below is a list of all 175 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories books presented in publishing order. The list begins with book #1 in 1930 and runs up to book #175 in 2003.

01) The Secret of the Old Clock (1930)
02) The Hidden Staircase (1930)
03) The Bungalow Mystery (1930)
04) The Mystery at Lilac Inn (1930)
05) The Secret at Shadow Ranch (1931)
06) The Secret of Red Gate Farm (1931)
07) The Clue in the Diary (1932)
08) Nancy’s Mysterious Letter (1932)
09) The Sign of the Twisted Candles (1933)
10) The Password to Larkspur Lane (1933)
11) The Clue of the Broken Locket (1934)
12) The Message in the Hollow Oak (1935)
13) The Mystery of the Ivory Charm (1936)
14) The Whispering Statue (1937)
15) The Haunted Bridge (1937)
16) The Clue of the Tapping Heels (1939)
17) The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk (1940)
18) The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion (1941)
19) The Quest of the Missing Map (1942)
20) The Clue in the Jewel Box (1943)
21) The Secret in the Old Attic (1944)
22) The Clue in the Crumbling Wall (1945)
23) The Mystery of the Tolling Bell (1946)
24) The Clue in the Old Album (1947)
25) The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (1948)
26) The Clue of the Leaning Chimney (1949)
27) The Secret of the Wooden Lady (1950)
28) The Clue of the Black Keys (1951)
29) The Mystery at the Ski Jump (1952)
30) The Clue of the Velvet Mask (1953)
31) The Ringmaster’s Secret (1953)
32) The Scarlet Slipper Mystery (1954)
33) The Witch Tree Symbol (1955)
34) The Hidden Window Mystery (1956)
35) The Haunted Showboat (1957)
36) The Secret of the Golden Pavilion (1959)
37) The Clue in the Old Stagecoach (1960)
38) The Mystery of the Fire Dragon (1961)
39) The Clue of the Dancing Puppet (1962)
40) The Moonstone Castle Mystery (1963)
41) The Clue of Whistling Bagpipes (1964)
42) The Phantom of Pine Hill (1965)
43) The Mystery of the 99 Steps (1966)
44) The Clue in the Crossword Cipher (1967)
45) The Spider Sapphire Mystery (1968)
46) The Invisible Intruder (1969)
47) The Mysterious Mannequin (1970)
48) The Crooked Bannister (1971)
49) The Secret of Mirror Bay (1972)
50) The Double Jinx Mystery (1973)
51) Mystery of the Glowing Eye (1974)
52) The Secret of the Forgotten City (1975)
53) The Sky Phantom (1976)
54) The Strange Message in the Parchment (1977)
55) Mystery of Crocodile Island (1978)
56) The Thirteenth Pearl (1979)
57) The Triple Hoax (1979)
58) The Flying Saucer Mystery (1980)
59) The Secret in the Old Lace (1980)
60) The Greek Symbol Mystery (1981)
61) The Swami’s Ring (1981)
62) The Kachina Doll Mystery (1982)
63) The Twin Dilemma (1981)
64) Captive Witness (1981)
65) The Mystery of the Winged Lion (1982)
66) Race Against Time (1982)
67) The Sinister Omen (1982)
68) The Elusive Heiress (1982)
69) Clue in the Ancient Disguise (1982)
70) The Broken Anchor (1983)
71) The Silver Cobweb (1983)
72) The Haunted Carousel (1983)
73) Enemy Match (1984)
74) The Mysterious Image (1984)
75) The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery (1984)
76) The Eskimo’s Secret (1985)
77) The Bluebeard Room (1985)
78) The Phantom of Venice (1985)
79) The Double Horror of Fenley Place (1987)
80) The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds (1987)
81) The Mardi Gras Mystery (1988)
82) The Clue in the Camera (1988)
83) The Case of the Vanishing Veil (1988)
84) The Joker’s Revenge (1988)
85) The Secret of Shady Glen (1988)
86) The Mystery of Misty Canyon (1988)
87) The Case of the Rising Stars (1989)
88) The Search for Cindy Austin (1989)
89) The Case of the Disappearing Deejay (1989)
90) The Puzzle at Pineview School (1989)
91) The Girl Who Couldn’t Remember (1989)
92) The Ghost of Craven Cove (1989)
93) The Case of the Safecracker’s Secret (1990)
94) The Picture Perfect Mystery (1990)
95) The Silent Suspect (1990)
96) The Case of the Photo Finish (1990)
97) The Mystery at Magnolia Mansion (1990)
98) The Haunting of Horse Island (1990)
99) The Secret at Seven Rocks (1991)
100) A Secret in Time (1991)
101) The Mystery of the Missing Millionairess (1991)
102) The Secret in the Dark (1991)
103) The Stranger in the Shadows (1991)
104) The Mystery of the Jade Tiger (1991)
105) The Clue in the Antique Trunk (1992)
106) The Case of the Artful Crime (1992)
107) The Legend of Miner’s Creek (1992)
108) The Secret of the Tibetan Treasure (1992)
109) The Mystery of the Masked Rider (1992)
110) The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery (1992)
111) The Secret at Solaire (1993)
112) Crime in the Queen’s Court (1993)
113) The Secret Lost at Sea (1993)
114) The Search for the Silver Persian (1993)
115) The Suspect in the Smoke (1993)
116) The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears (1993)
117) Mystery on the Menu (1994)
118) Trouble at Lake Tahoe (1994)
119) The Mystery of the Missing Mascot (1994)
120) The Case of the Floating Crime (1994)
121) The Fortune Teller’s Secret (1994)
122) The Message in the Haunted Mansion (1994)
123) The Clue on the Silver Screen (1995)
124) The Secret of the Scarlet Hand (1995)
125) The Teen Model Mystery (1995)
126) The Riddle in the Rare Book (1995)
127) The Case of the Dangerous Solution (1995)
128) The Treasure in the Royal Tower (1995)
129) The Baby-Sitter Burglaries (1996)
130) The Sign of the Falcon (1996)
131) The Hidden Inheritance (1996)
132) The Fox Hunt Mystery (1996)
133) The Mystery at the Crystal Palace (1996)
134) The Secret of the Forgotten Cave (1996)
135) The Secret of the Ruby Gazelle (1997)
136) The Wedding Day Mystery (1997)
137) In Search of the Black Rose (1997)
138) The Legend of the Lost Gold (1997)
139) The Secret of Candlelight Inn (1997)
140) The Door-to-Door (1997)
141) The Wild Cat Crime (1998)
142) The Case of Capital Intrigue (1998)
143) Mystery on Maui (1998)
144) The E-Mail Mystery (1998)
145) The Missing Horse Mystery (1998)
146) The Ghost of the Lantern Lady (1998)
147) The Case of the Captured Queen (1999)
148) On the Trail of Trouble (1999)
149) The Clue of the Gold Doubloons (1999)
150) Mystery at Moorsea Manor (1999)
151) The Chocolate-Covered Contest (1999)
152) The Key in the Satin Pocket (2000)
153) Whispers in the Fog (2000)
154) The Legend of the Emerald Lady (2000)
155) The Mystery in Tornado Alley (2000)
156) The Secret in the Stars (2000)
157) The Music Festival Mystery (2000)
158) The Curse of the Black Cat (2001)
159) The Secret of the Fiery Chamber (2001)
160) The Clue on the Crystal Dove (2001)
161) Lost in the Everglades (2001)
162) The Case of the Lost Song (2001)
163) The Clues Challenge (2001)
164) The Mystery of the Mother Wolf (2002)
165) The Crime Lab Case (2002)
166) The Case of the Creative Crime (2002)
167) Mystery by Moonlight (2002)
168) The Bike Tour Mystery (2002)
169) The Mistletoe Mystery (2002)
170) No Strings Attached (2003)
171) Intrigue at the Grand Opera (2003)
172) The Riding Club Crime (2003)
173) Danger on the Great Lakes (2003)
174) A Taste of Danger (2003)
175) Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland (2003)

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The author collections

Although all of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories are attributed to author Carolyn Keene, this is actually a pseudonym used by a collection of authors. Over the course of the series’ rather impressive 73-year-run, multiple authors wrote Nancy Drew tales, not just one!

Unfortunately, due to the use of the pseudonym, as well as the longevity of the series, not all of the original authors are known. And to make things even more confusing, the first 34 books in the collection received post-publication revisions, by different writers to the original authors.

However if you would like to know who originally wrote the stories, here is a breakdown of all the known authors (so far):

Mildred Benson

The Secret of the Old Clock (1930)
The Hidden Staircase (1930)
The Bungalow Mystery (1930)
The Mystery at Lilac Inn (1930)
The Secret at Shadow Ranch (1931)
The Secret of Red Gate Farm (1931)
The Clue in the Diary (1932)
The Clue of the Broken Locket (1934)
The Message in the Hollow Oak (1935)
The Mystery of the Ivory Charm (1936)
The Whispering Statue (1937)
The Haunted Bridge (1937)
The Clue of the Tapping Heels (1939)
The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk (1940)
The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion (1941)
The Quest of the Missing Map (1942)
The Clue in the Jewel Box (1943)
The Secret in the Old Attic (1944)
The Clue in the Crumbling Wall (1945)
The Mystery of the Tolling Bell (1946)
The Clue in the Old Album (1947)
The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (1948)
The Clue of the Velvet Mask (1953)

Walter Karig

Nancy’s Mysterious Letter (1932)
The Sign of the Twisted Candles (1933)
The Password to Larkspur Lane (1933)

George Waller Jr. and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams

The Clue of the Leaning Chimney (1949)

Margaret Scherf

The Secret of the Wooden Lady (1950)

Wilhelmina Rankin and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams

The Clue of the Black Keys (1951)

Alma Sasse

The Mystery at the Ski Jump (1952)

Harriet Stratemeyer Adams

The Ringmaster’s Secret (1953)
The Witch Tree Symbol (1955)
The Hidden Window Mystery (1956)
The Haunted Showboat (1957)
The Secret of the Golden Pavilion (1959)
The Clue in the Old Stagecoach (1960)
The Mystery of the Fire Dragon (1961)
The Clue of the Dancing Puppet (1962)
The Moonstone Castle Mystery (1963)
The Clue of Whistling Bagpipes (1964)
The Phantom of Pine Hill (1965)
The Mystery of the 99 Steps (1966)
The Clue in the Crossword Cipher (1967)
The Spider Sapphire Mystery (1968)
The Invisible Intruder (1969)
The Mysterious Mannequin (1970)
The Crooked Bannister (1971)
The Secret of Mirror Bay (1972)
The Double Jinx Mystery (1973)
Mystery of the Glowing Eye (1974)
The Secret of the Forgotten City (1975)
The Sky Phantom (1976)
The Strange Message in the Parchment (1977)
Mystery of Crocodile Island (1978)
The Thirteenth Pearl (1979)
The Triple Hoax (1979)
The Flying Saucer Mystery (1980)

Charles Strong

The Scarlet Slipper Mystery (1954)

Harriet Stratemeyer Adams and Nancy Axelrad

The Secret in the Old Lace (1980)
The Greek Symbol Mystery (1981)
The Swami’s Ring (1981)

Sharon Wagner

The Kachina Doll Mystery (1982)
The Elusive Heiress (1982)
The Broken Anchor (1983)
The Eskimo’s Secret (1985)

Nancy Axelrad

The Twin Dilemma (1981)
The Mystery of the Winged Lion (1982)

Richard Ballad

Captive Witness (1981)
The Sinister Omen (1982)

James Duncan Lawrence

Race Against Time (1982)
Clue in the Ancient Disguise (1982)
The Silver Cobweb (1983)
The Haunted Carousel (1983)
The Mysterious Image (1984)
The Bluebeard Room (1985)
The Phantom of Venice (1985)

Carin Greenberg Baker and Eileen Hehl

The Joker’s Revenge (1988)

Carin Greenberg Baker

The Case of the Rising Stars (1989)
The Case of the Safecracker’s Secret (1990)
A Secret in Time (1991)

Nancy Bush

The Search for Cindy Austin (1989)

Carol Gorman

The Case of the Disappearing Deejay (1989)
The Picture Perfect Mystery (1990)
The Haunting of Horse Island (1990)

Alison Hart

The Mystery at Magnolia Mansion (1990)
The Stranger in the Shadows (1991)
The Mystery of the Masked Rider (1992)
The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears (1993)
The Missing Horse Mystery (1998)
The Clue of the Gold Doubloons (1999)

Ellen Steiber

The Secret at Seven Rocks (1991)
The Mystery of the Jade Tiger (1991)

Pamela Willis

The Baby-Sitter Burglaries (1996)

Elizabeth Nugent

The Case of Capital Intrigue (1998)
Mystery on Maui (1998)

Denise Hidalgo

The E-Mail Mystery (1998)

George Edward Stanley

The Mystery in Tornado Alley (2000)
No Strings Attached (2003)
Danger on the Great Lakes (2003)

Unknown

Enemy Match (1984)
The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery (1984)
The Double Horror of Fenley Place (1987)
The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds (1987)
The Mardi Gras Mystery (1988)
The Clue in the Camera (1988)
The Case of the Vanishing Veil (1988)
The Secret of Shady Glen (1988)
The Mystery of Misty Canyon (1988)
The Puzzle at Pineview School (1989)
The Girl Who Couldn’t Remember (1989)
The Ghost of Craven Cove (1989)
The Silent Suspect (1990)
The Case of the Photo Finish (1990)
The Mystery of the Missing Millionairess (1991)
The Secret in the Dark (1991)
The Clue in the Antique Trunk (1992)
The Case of the Artful Crime (1992)
The Legend of Miner’s Creek (1992)
The Secret of the Tibetan Treasure (1992)
The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery (1992)
The Secret at Solaire (1993)
Crime in the Queen’s Court (1993)
The Secret Lost at Sea (1993)
The Search for the Silver Persian (1993)
The Suspect in the Smoke (1993)
Mystery on the Menu (1994)
Trouble at Lake Tahoe (1994)
The Mystery of the Missing Mascot (1994)
The Case of the Floating Crime (1994)
The Fortune Teller’s Secret (1994)
The Message in the Haunted Mansion (1994)
The Clue on the Silver Screen (1995)
The Secret of the Scarlet Hand (1995)
The Teen Model Mystery (1995)
The Riddle in the Rare Book (1995)
The Case of the Dangerous Solution (1995)
The Treasure in the Royal Tower (1995)
The Sign of the Falcon (1996)
The Hidden Inheritance (1996)
The Fox Hunt Mystery (1996)
The Mystery at the Crystal Palace (1996)
The Secret of the Forgotten Cave (1996)
The Secret of the Ruby Gazelle (1997)
The Wedding Day Mystery (1997)
In Search of the Black Rose (1997)
The Legend of the Lost Gold (1997)
The Secret of Candlelight Inn (1997)
The Door-to-Door (1997)
The Wild Cat Crime (1998)
The Ghost of the Lantern Lady (1998)
The Case of the Captured Queen (1999)
On the Trail of Trouble (1999)
Mystery at Moorsea Manor (1999)
The Chocolate-Covered Contest (1999)
The Key in the Satin Pocket (2000)
Whispers in the Fog (2000)
The Legend of the Emerald Lady (2000)
The Secret in the Stars (2000)
The Music Festival Mystery (2000)
The Curse of the Black Cat (2001)
The Secret of the Fiery Chamber (2001)
The Clue on the Crystal Dove (2001)
Lost in the Everglades (2001)
The Case of the Lost Song (2001)
The Clues Challenge (2001)
The Mystery of the Mother Wolf (2002)
The Crime Lab Case (2002)
The Case of the Creative Crime (2002)
Mystery by Moonlight (2002)
The Bike Tour Mystery (2002)
The Mistletoe Mystery (2002)
Intrigue at the Grand Opera (2003)
The Riding Club Crime (2003)
A Taste of Danger (2003)
Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland (2003)

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Editor/writer/sleuth

Alex Wiggan

Alex is the writer and editor of It’s A Stampede! – a blog which specialises in movies, TV, comics, retro toys, and general geekery. He is a championing voice in nerd content, an expert in pop culture, and a trusted movie critic who publishes new reviews on a weekly basis. After graduating with a degree in film & television studies from the University of Derby in the UK, Alex went on to study journalism in Sheffield, before acquiring NCTJ accreditation. Prior to creating It’s A Stampede!, Alex was a magazine editor, a senior copywriter, a features writer, and a freelancer.

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