Read the original Nancy Drew mystery! The Secret of the Old Clock is the mystery that began it all for America's favorite teenaged slueth. The accidental rescue of a little girl who lives with her two great-aunts leads to an adventurous search for a missing will.

Nancy Drew 01: the Secret of the Old Clock

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. Sixteen-year-old Nancy Drew is already the kind of sleuth who cannot ignore an injustice, and the dispute over Josiah Crowley's fortune gives her one almost at once. When she learns that the disliked Topham family may inherit his estate, she suspects a missing second will and begins piecing together clues with the help of her lawyer father, Carson Drew. A conversation with attorney Henry Rolsted confirms that Crowley had planned to draw up a new will, while Nancy's own encounters with the rude Topham sisters only deepen her resolve. As she balances ordinary errands, from buying a party dress to delivering legal papers, Nancy keeps searching for the truth. A charity-dance ticket sale gives her a reason to enter the Topham home, where she discovers that the old Crowley clock has been moved to Moon Lake. She ingeniously arranges a trip there, but on the way is diverted by a new mystery: dead chickens and a frightened girl at the Horners' farm. Clever, independent, and fearless, Nancy is already proving that every clue may lead to another case.

The Secret of the Old Clock

This retelling of the very first Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock, originally published in 1930, is the third book in the Mini Mysteries series of interactive picture book mysteries for children. The Secret of the Old Clock is the originating volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. The book, published in 1930, first introduced the teenage sleuth in a cozy mystery (no violence or gore). The story has Nancy solving the case of a missing will, hidden in an old clock, and helping the struggling relatives and friends of Josiah Crowley receive the promised money from his estate. Of course there are robbers, greedy will-altering heirs, suspense, and resolution. Monson’s retelling of the original book captures the plot and distills it in a way that is fun for children, gently ushering them into the literary world of Nancy Drew mysteries. Along with the story, there are activities, games, and puzzles throughout to help with children’s engagement, and might just foster a few budding detectives. There is also a glossary of mystery-related terms.

The Secret of the Old Clock: Large Print Nancy Drew Edition

This is not the Nancy Drew you remember. This is the original Nancy Drew. The 1930s Nancy Drew was younger, more adventure-seeking, law-bending, and danger-finding. She was whip-smart, cunning, and absolutely in charge. She directs police, outwits criminals, and answers to no one. In the 1950s, the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories were rewritten. The proto-feminist heroine, written just a decade after women won the vote, was reshaped for a more conservative era. She was aged up, toned down, and made to defer. Period details that rooted the story in 1930s America were stripped away. The original version that readers fell in love with became difficult to find. In 2026, the 1930s originals entered the public domain. This collector's edition reintroduces the unrevised Nancy. So, come meet the original. She's back, and she's not asking permission. This edition faithfully reproduces the original 1930s Nancy Drew, complete with period illustrations. A racial stereotype has been removed so that this book may be enjoyed by all without perpetuating racism. A full description of these changes is included in the afterword.