BookRank

Reading order

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories reading order

Carolyn Keene

  1. The Secret of the Old Clock1930
  2. The Hidden Staircase1930
  3. The Bungalow Mystery1930
7.67.6 / 10
307 ratings
Score
3 volumes
Volumes
1930
Published
about 10 h
Reading time
Completed
Status
Crime & mystery#34
Genre

Quick answer

The Secret of the Old Clock
Start withThe Secret of the Old Clock1930 · Volume 1 of 3
Open the volume →Buy the first volumeListen to the audiobook

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Publication order

3 volumes1930Completed

  • The original teen detective, first published in 1930.
  • “Carolyn Keene” was a pen name used by a series of ghostwriters, the early books mostly by Mildred Wirt Benson.
  • From 1959 the early books were rewritten to modernise them and remove racist stereotypes, so most editions today are the shorter revised texts.
  • Each mystery stands alone; The Secret of the Old Clock is the start.

A plan for the whole series

3 volumes, 556 pages, about 10 hours. At 45 min a day that is 14 days.

33%

Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: medium

  • From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 3, “The Bungalow Mystery” (by 44%).

Stages

This series fits in one stage. You finish around November 12, 2026.

  1. Stage 110 h14 daysby November 12, 2026
  2. The end of the series
    November 12, 2026

We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.

Does the series hold up

7.58.08.5
7.67.6 / 10
7.67.6 / 10
7.57.5 / 10
193019301930
7.58.08.5
193019301930
7.67.6 / 10
7.67.6 / 10
7.57.5 / 10
Score per volume3 volumes on a timeline, 1930 to 1930 · Best-rated volume: The Secret of the Old Clock

Shape of the series: even. Volume scores differ by at most 0.1 points. You get the same level from the first page to the last.

Best volume: The Secret of the Old Clock (7.6, 159 ratings). Weakest: The Bungalow Mystery (7.5). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 2 and 3: 44%. The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (7.5) scores close to the series average or above it.

How this plan is calculated

The plan comes from the pages and ratings of each volume: we split the series into stages of about three weeks’ reading, size each break to the stage before it, and read the chance of finishing from how many readers rate the last volume compared with the first. How we work out the plan →

Every volume in order

Read: 0 of 3
  1. The Secret of the Old Clock
    The Secret of the Old Clock1930 · 159 ratingsStart here
    7.67.6 / 10
  2. The Hidden Staircase
    The Hidden Staircase1930 · 95 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  3. The Bungalow Mystery
    The Bungalow Mystery1930 · 53 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10

Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 29, 2026

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories books ranked, best to worst

  1. 1.The Secret of the Old ClockBook 1 · 19307.6
  2. 1.The Hidden StaircaseBook 2 · 19307.6
  3. 3.The Bungalow MysteryBook 3 · 19307.5
Top Crime & mystery series →

Extras, short stories and spin-offs

Not needed to follow the main story — read them after the series or skip them.

  • The Mystery at Lilac Inn1930
  • The Secret at Shadow Ranch1931
  • The Secret of Red Gate Farm1931
  • Nancy's Mysterious Letter1932
  • The Clue in the Diary1932
  • The Sign of the Twisted Candles1933
  • The Password to Larkspur Lane1933
  • The Clue of the Broken Locket1934
  • The Message in the Hollow Oak1935
  • The Mystery of the Ivory Charm1936
  • The Haunted Bridge1937
  • The Whispering Statue1937
  • The Clue of the Tapping Heels1939
  • The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk1940
  • The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion1941
  • The Clue in the Jewel Box1943
  • The Secret in the Old Attic1944
  • The Clue in the Crumbling Wall1945
  • The Mystery of the Tolling Bell1946
  • The Clue in the Old Album1947
  • The Ghost of Blackwood Hall1948
  • The Clue of the Leaning Chimney1949
  • The Secret of the Wooden Lady1950
  • The Clue of the Black Keys1951
  • The Mystery at the Ski Jump1952
  • The Clue of the Velvet Mask1953
  • The Ringmaster's Secret1953
  • The Scarlet Slipper Mystery1954
  • The Witch Tree Symbol1955
  • The Hidden Window Mystery1956
  • The Haunted Showboat1957
  • The Secret of the Golden Pavilion1959
  • The Clue in the Old Stagecoach1960
  • The Mystery of the Fire Dragon1961
  • The Clue of the Dancing Puppet1962
  • The Moonstone Castle Mystery1963
  • The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes1964
  • The Phantom of Pine Hill1965
  • The Mystery of the 99 Steps1966
  • The Clue in the Crossword Cipher1967
  • The Spider Sapphire Mystery1968
  • The Invisible Intruder1969
  • The Mysterious Mannequin1970
  • The Crooked Banister1971
  • The Secret of Mirror Bay1972
  • The Double Jinx Mystery1973
  • Mystery of the Glowing Eye1974
  • The Secret of the Forgotten City1975
  • The Sky Phantom1976
  • The Strange Message in the Parchment1977
  • Mystery of Crocodile Island1978
  • The Thirteenth Pearl1979
  • The Triple Hoax1979
  • The Flying Saucer Mystery1980
  • The Secret in the Old Lace1980
  • Captive Witness1981
  • The Greek Symbol Mystery1981
  • The Kachina Doll Mystery1981
  • The Twin Dilemma1981
  • The Swami's Ring1981
  • Race Against Time1982
  • The Broken Anchor1983
  • The Mardi Gras Mystery1988
  • The Case of the Rising Stars1989
  • The Mystery of the Masked Rider1992
  • The Treasure in the Royal Tower1995
  • The Wedding Day Mystery1997
  • The E-mail Mystery1998
  • The Legend of the Emerald Lady2000
  • Whispers in the Fog2000
  • The Bike Tour Mystery2002
  • The Mistletoe Mystery2002
  • Danger on the Great Lakes2003
  • The Riding Club Crime2003

Frequently asked questions

Which Nancy Drew Mystery Stories book is the best?

By reader score, The Secret of the Old Clock (7.6/10). The lowest-rated is The Bungalow Mystery (7.5/10).

Which Nancy Drew Mystery Stories book is the longest?

“The Secret of the Old Clock” is the longest at 194 pages; the shortest is “The Bungalow Mystery” with 180 pages.

What should I read after Nancy Drew Mystery Stories?

After the main series: The Mystery at Lilac Inn, The Secret at Shadow Ranch, The Secret of Red Gate Farm, Nancy's Mysterious Letter.

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