Teenage detective Nancy Drew uses her courage and powers of deduction to solve the mysterious happenings in an old stone mansion.
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Sep 03, 2008
Kelly
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I blame these books for my first recess of having to sit on the bench while the other kids played. It was third grade, I was reading one of these under my desk during math time, and totally got caught answering, "Wha-hu?" instead of the answer to a long division problem. It was traumatizing, I had never been in trouble! (Except that one time we got in trouble for throwing snowballs on the playground in the middle of January. No, really.) But it tells you how much I love these books tha
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Dec 13, 2008
Christina
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Nancy’s friend, Helen, and Helen’s Great-Aunt Rosemary ask Nancy to solve a mystery at her great-grandmother’s home, Twin Elms, a stately Colonial mansion in nearby Cliffwood. And Nancy is determined to check it out until she hears that her father is being threatened by crooked lawyer Nathan Gomber, who feels Carson, as attorney for the railroad, cheated property owners near a new railroad bridge. Carson Drew, Nancy’s father, tells her not to worry and Nancy and Helen go to stay at Twin Elms whi
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Feb 11, 2012
Betsey
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Nancy is back in her fashionable tweed suit and ready for more sleuthing. This Nancy Drew Mystery follows Nancy to Twin Elms to her friend Helen's Great Aunt and Great Grandmother's estate. Nancy has been asked to come there because the house has suddenly become 'haunted' and things are missing. Nancy and Helen can't seem to catch the ghost and his shenanigans are upsetting the elderly ladies. The story is full off suspense as Nancy combs the house, sure she will find a hidden entrance of s
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Nov 06, 2011
Dania
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I have always wanted to read Nancy Drew mysteries and was particularly interested in this one, because it was first published in 1930. Nancy was as independent and intelligent as a young girl could be back then, and her life must have been foreign to most young girls reading about her. Nancy was 18, definitely upper middle class, she lived with her father (an attorney), her mother was dead, she knew how to drive (owned a blue sports car), and had a knack for solving mysteries. She was always pol
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Mar 20, 2011
Judy
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I had not read any Nancy Drew books as a child (I read the Ginny Gordon series). I checked two of the earlier Nancy Drew books from the library. This one is the second in a lengthy series that is still ongoing, almost 80 years later (many different authors, not Carolyn Keene). I enjoyed it, especially the setting and the old time morals of helping people that are elderly, washing dishes, preparing lunch, and obeying the traffic laws, even when trying to capture the bad guys. This book also i
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Feb 20, 2011
Debra
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When Nancy is asked by a good friend to investigate her aunt’s haunted mansion, Nancy wants to help, yet she’s too worried about the threat to her father to commit. He’s involved in a legal arrangement which has made some people unhappy. After Mr. Drew (which is how he’s always referred in the book) assures Nancy that she needn’t worry, she heads off to stay at the mansion. She soon learns that strange things are really happening there, and that the threat to her father has taken a dangerous tw
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Dec 16, 2009
Mandy
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My mom kept a huge black trunk in the garage. One day she opened it with me and there was her entire collection of Nancy Drew books from when she was a kid. I felt like I had found buried treasure!!
I'm not going to try to find every Nancy Drew book I've read since there are too many to count, but I have great memories of carrying around my Mom's hardbound copies everywhere- car trips, doctor's appointments, etc. But nothing beat curling up with one during summer vacation. =)
I'm not going to try to find every Nancy Drew book I've read since there are too many to count, but I have great memories of carrying around my Mom's hardbound copies everywhere- car trips, doctor's appointments, etc. But nothing beat curling up with one during summer vacation. =)
Aug 11, 2009
Darcy
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I'm still amazed on how these books hold my attention. These books just seem to get better as you read along.The suspense is great. Nancy is called by her friend Helen Corning to investigate ghost haunting at Twin Elms. In the meantime a Nathan Gomber comes by to warn Nancy to stay close to her father. He says someone is out to hurt him. Nancy tells her father when he gets home. He tells her about a railroad in which an owner Willie Wharton goes missing. Willie says he never signed a contract an
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Nov 14, 2011
Hope
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So I picked book two in Nancy Drew mystery series, I think that I read the first book in the series back at the beginning of the year. I liked the book and I did enjoy reading the book, but there were few things that bothered me reading it as an adult. I have to say that I liked boon two, The Hidden Staircase, better than the first book. It was much better, plot and writing wise.
In this book Nancy helps solve the mystery of the old house which is believed to be haunted; also More...
In this book Nancy helps solve the mystery of the old house which is believed to be haunted; also More...
Jun 17, 2009
Madeline
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The entire Nancy Drew series has good, well-thought out mysteries, but it's like a Norman Rockwell painting. Nancy is just too perfect, along with the rest of her life. Her father, friends, boyfriend and maid all act exactly like their supposed to. Pretty much the only fault you will find is that Bess is a little fat, which tends to get mentioned in a slightly different way every book. Chubby Beth, or slightly overwieght Beth, or enthusiastic eater Beth. After a few books you begin to see th
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Mar 13, 2011
Travis
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Nice fluffy haunted house story, that serves as a bit of a time capsule for its times. Not a terribly historically accurate picture of the time period, it's probably as accurate as Ian Fleming or Agatha Christie were about England, but a taste of the past.
anyone that's ever seen a Scooby-doo episode will be able to solve the mystery pretty quick.
Due to the time it was written, Nancy Drew, even though considered an independent woman, is still pretty girly. We get lots of descriptio More...
anyone that's ever seen a Scooby-doo episode will be able to solve the mystery pretty quick.
Due to the time it was written, Nancy Drew, even though considered an independent woman, is still pretty girly. We get lots of descriptio More...
Mar 19, 2009
Kristen
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Considering the title of the book is "The Hidden Staircase," there's not much mystery as to how the "ghost" of the mansion is getting around. This one felt a bit more like a Scooby Doo episode than the first one did, but I still thought it was an enjoyable way to pass the time I spend trapped in the car on the way to and from work. I'm all for the 1930s girl power. Nancy even has to save her own father in this one.
I am officially going to make a Nancy Drew dr More...
I am officially going to make a Nancy Drew dr More...
Apr 02, 2011
Heather
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Nancy Drew meets the Turner sisters who believe their house is being haunted. Valuable jewelry has mysteriously gone missing and strange things keep happening. In the meantime, Nancy’s father is being threatened by a man named Nathan, who intends to harm Nancy’s dad. Nathan is making it hard for Nancy to focus on the case at the Turner house, so she begins to see what she can do to help her dad. What she finds is surprising.
I used to love Nancy Drew books. I read them all the time when I w More...
I used to love Nancy Drew books. I read them all the time when I w More...
Dec 01, 2011
Needleroozer
rated it: 
Yet again, I saw the cover and knew I have read this book (and probably even owned it too).
I think my mom is really the one who went through the Nancy Drew phase. Maybe she had read these books as a girl in the 50s. Maybe she just thought girls were supposed to read the Nancy Drew books, so she bought them from me. Maybe she even got them through some kind of supermarket promotion. I didn't get many (hardly any) hardback books as a kid, so these must have been really cheap for her to b More...
I think my mom is really the one who went through the Nancy Drew phase. Maybe she had read these books as a girl in the 50s. Maybe she just thought girls were supposed to read the Nancy Drew books, so she bought them from me. Maybe she even got them through some kind of supermarket promotion. I didn't get many (hardly any) hardback books as a kid, so these must have been really cheap for her to b More...
Dec 27, 2010
Sebastyne
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Oh Nancy Drew! Like so many other reviewers, I too am not going to look up every Nancy Drew I've ever read, I think I read each and every one I could find. I am not quite sure if this is the exact book that still holds my curiosity, there is one that she finds an old diary that solves a mystery from decades ago. The thought of a hidden diary is such a powerful one, that to this day I still ache to find a hidden diary myself - of course I'm not as adventurous as Nancy so it's not likely to ever h
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Sep 02, 2010
Petula
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I wasn't sure whether I should give this 1 star for being an absolutely terrible mystery or 5 stars for making me laugh out loud so many times, so I split the difference.
I do have to commend Nancy as a role model due to her bravery (even if it is often of the "fools rush in" variety). More importantly, I'd like to thank the book for convincing me to use the term "sleuthing" in daily speech and also for letting me know I should beware of people with shifty eyes (does an More...
I do have to commend Nancy as a role model due to her bravery (even if it is often of the "fools rush in" variety). More importantly, I'd like to thank the book for convincing me to use the term "sleuthing" in daily speech and also for letting me know I should beware of people with shifty eyes (does an More...
Apr 22, 2008
✿Piper✿
rated it:
This is a good book if you want a little scare.
But, do not read it before bed.
But, do not read it before bed.
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Sep 23, 2007
Hannah
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I loved Nancy Drew as a young girl. This was the first one I ever read.
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May 03, 2009
Barbara
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This was the very first Nancy Drew book I read. One of my grammer school classmates gave it to me--sometime when I was in the sixth grade?
Now remember, girls in the 1950's were a LOT less sophisticated than now. I loved this book. To me then, it was a riveting mystery--except for the fact that I thought Nancy was way too independent. (My parents would NEVER let me do that!)
Anyway this book led me into a world of Nancy adventure to beg and borrow for more. At that time the librari More...
Now remember, girls in the 1950's were a LOT less sophisticated than now. I loved this book. To me then, it was a riveting mystery--except for the fact that I thought Nancy was way too independent. (My parents would NEVER let me do that!)
Anyway this book led me into a world of Nancy adventure to beg and borrow for more. At that time the librari More...
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Mar 22, 2009
Andjelija
rated it:
in the second book about Nancy Drew she is put to the task of solving the strang case of the hidden staircase. she also has to figer out who is huanting the house. then her dad is kidnpped and she has to figer out what happend to him.
i was able to connect to nancy when she was finds her dad. i feel that same way when i lose my phone and then find it.
i gave this book 4 stars because it was kind of slow and that ticked me of alot really at the end. i would recomand this boo More...
i was able to connect to nancy when she was finds her dad. i feel that same way when i lose my phone and then find it.
i gave this book 4 stars because it was kind of slow and that ticked me of alot really at the end. i would recomand this boo More...
Feb 03, 2011
Whitney
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Nancy's best friend Helen has a mystery that needs solving, her aunt's believe their house is haunted and on top of that a persistent man is trying to buy their home offering a low-ball number. It's up to Nancy to solve the case.
Is it just me or does Nancy get overly excited when learning about a new mystery which usually comes around containing other people's misfortune? She is described as becoming giddy, sitting on the edge of her seat her eyes becoming wider and wider. Yes, she More...
Is it just me or does Nancy get overly excited when learning about a new mystery which usually comes around containing other people's misfortune? She is described as becoming giddy, sitting on the edge of her seat her eyes becoming wider and wider. Yes, she More...
May 03, 2010
Shayla
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I have read this book and I can tell you it is spooky myserios intense and a really great book I would recamend this book to people that love mysteries and eye poping adventure. I give this book way more than just a 5 but I can't do that on this computer so for now I'll just give it a 5.
This book is amazing but don't take my word for it read this book for your self!
Well I told you about my book so feel free to share your books with me. Thanks for reading, and keep on doing it! More...
This book is amazing but don't take my word for it read this book for your self!
Well I told you about my book so feel free to share your books with me. Thanks for reading, and keep on doing it! More...
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Nov 24, 2008
Tara
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After spending a ton of time among adult pursuits and not-so-nice reading material, serial killers and all, I wanted to take some time to step back into my childhood. I still remember the days I spent learning the 7 times table in third grade. I remember very clearly thinking at the time that God had come up with the number 7 as my personal bane of existence. (In case you think an 8 year old can't understand concepts like bane of existence, think again. I'd just finished reading Gone With the Wind
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Oct 26, 2008
Kate
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There’s nothing like reading a book I loved as a child to see how much my tastes have matured and been refined. The writing is not noteworthy or even engaging.
A few years ago I read an article for a class I was taking that harshly criticized the Nancy Drew series for its white upper middle class elitist tone. So of course I spent most of the book noticing how valid the critique is. The negative view of the old, aristocratic class in all its decay; the idea that the poor just need a hel More...
A few years ago I read an article for a class I was taking that harshly criticized the Nancy Drew series for its white upper middle class elitist tone. So of course I spent most of the book noticing how valid the critique is. The negative view of the old, aristocratic class in all its decay; the idea that the poor just need a hel More...
Oct 15, 2007
Kimber
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Ok - let me explain! Nancy Drew is my childhood hero. When I was 11-35 (and counting) I wanted to be a detective of sorts, figure things out, have the hot guy who adores me, drive a nice car and have 2 best friends who always stand by me, and always being the smart one in the end. So when my life is not going quite as my fairtale mind intends it to be . . I excape to the world of Nancy Drew. It only takes maybe and hour or two and then I'm ready to face reality again, having had my dose of
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Mar 05, 2010
Sarra
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I first read this book when I was 4 years old, and it got me hooked on the series. I thought this series was the bes thing since sliced bread, and I was immersed. For Christmas and my birthday I kept asking for more of these books until I finally had them all. Going back and reading them today, however, they seem too cheesy and like Nancy is too "Mary-Sue-ish" In contrast, this book isthe only one in the series that I do not feel of this way. By far my favorite in the series.
Sep 29, 2009
Hannah
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This book was even better than I thought it would be. I love the way that Nancy always has a hunch to what may happen. I love this book because of the suspense and action. Almost every chapter is left as a cliff hanger. I would have to say that Nancy would be my favorite charicter in the story because she never gives up even when you think that nancy may never find out how the mistery ends. I would have to say that I really enjoyed the book and cant waite to read the next one.
Jan 19, 2011
Lisa
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Annie and I decided to read some of the same books so we can discuss them - a mother/daughter book club, I suppose. These books are so wholesome they practically have nutritional values on the back. Simplified situations (mysteries), polite behavior, girls wearing skirts and slips and people saying, "Golly" - I'm glad she's reading the series. I'm just not sure how she thinks she can form a detective club when she can't find her basketball shorts.
Mar 23, 2011
Kast
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Its not easy to understand this american english phrase for the first time when ur are in elementary school except for student edition when the book is thin , the words not burdening ur minds and the story is good for example the phanthom of the opera . I have taken my leson from my previous reading of hardy boys where its not easy for me to understand it . But unfortunately , this book nailed . Its good enough to attract all my attention .
