Whispers in the Fog

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories

Company type	Book series
Industry	Publishing
Founded	1930
Founder	Edward Stratemeyer (creator), multiple ghostwriters including Mildred Wirt Benson, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams
Headquarters	United States
Products	Mystery novels
Parent	Stratemeyer Syndicate (original), Simon & Schuster (from 1979)

The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories serves as the cornerstone series within the Nancy Drew franchise, released under the collective pen name Carolyn Keene. This collection includes 175 original novels alongside 34 updated versions published between 1930 and 2003. The initial 56 books and their revisions were issued by Grosset & Dunlap, after which Simon & Schuster assumed publication beginning with volume 57.

A related series, titled Nancy Drew Files, was published from 1986 until 1997. In 2003, Simon & Schuster concluded the original series and introduced the modernized Nancy Drew: Girl Detective series, which ran from 2004 to 2012. Following this, the Nancy Drew Diaries (2013–current) debuted in 2013 as the next installment.

Publishing history

Of the first thirty novels, Mildred Wirt Benson penned twenty-three. While multiple authors contributed over time, starting in 1959, Harriet Adams, daughter of Edward Stratemeyer, took charge of revising or rewriting earlier stories—occasionally crafting entirely new plots under existing titles.

Adams’ alterations transformed Nancy’s persona from a bold and headstrong young woman to a gentler, more polished character, highlighting elegance through an expanded wardrobe and a benevolent demeanor. Changes to supporting roles included phasing out older companion Helen Corning after the fourth revision volume to introduce new friends Bess and cousin George. Depictions containing racial stereotypes or characters of color were eliminated. The narrative tempo quickened, placing greater emphasis on Nancy’s personal growth and domestic life.

In 1979, after legal disputes between the Stratemeyer Syndicate and original publisher Grosset & Dunlap, rights to publish new Nancy Drew titles shifted to Simon & Schuster. Beginning with book #57, The Triple Hoax (1979), releases primarily appeared as paperbacks.

Volumes numbered #57 through #78 were initially published by Simon & Schuster’s Wanderer imprint in digest-sized paperback format; some later editions were issued as mass-market paperbacks for both U.S. and international audiences, including the UK market via Armada. Hardback editions were limited and mainly intended for library circulation.

From 1979 onward, cover art adopted the "Arch" design created by illustrator Ruth Sanderson. Subsequently, twenty-two titles were reissued featuring a "checkerboard" cover style under Wanderer before transitioning to the Minstrel imprint at volume #79, which maintained this design approach. Later, starting with book #164, the series moved to Simon & Schuster’s Aladdin Paperbacks imprint and experienced two additional cover redesigns known as "White" and "Paint."

Grosset & Dunlap titles (1930–1979)

The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories launched in the United States in 1930 through Grosset & Dunlap as a hardcover series. Beginning in 1959, titles up to #34 underwent revisions updating both content and authorship.

Titles, authorship, and publication dates

No.	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				1959
3	The Bungalow Mystery	1930				1960	Patricia Doll
4	The Mystery at Lilac Inn	1930			Harriet Otis Smith	1961
5	The Secret at Shadow Ranch	1931	Harriet Otis Smith			1965	Grace Grote
6	The Secret of Red Gate Farm	1931	Edna Stratemeyer Squier		Edna Stratemeyer Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams	1961	Lynn Ealer
7	The Clue in the Diary	1932				1962	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams
8	Nancy's Mysterious Letter	1932		Walter Karig		1968
9	The Sign of the Twisted Candles	1933	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams			1968	Patricia Doll
10	The Password to Larkspur Lane	1933				1966
11	The Clue of the Broken Locket	1934	Edna Stratemeyer Squier	Mildred Wirt		1965	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams and Grace Grote
12	The Message in the Hollow Oak	1935				1972	Grace Grote
13	The Mystery of the Ivory Charm	1936				1974	Priscilla Baker-Carr
14	The Whispering Statue	1937				1970	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams
15	"The Haunted Bridge"	"1937"	"Harriet Stratemeyer Adams"			"1972"	"Priscilla Baker-Carr"
16	"The Clue of the Tapping Heels"	"1939"	"Edna Stratemeyer Squier"			"1969"	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams"
17	"The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk"	"1940"	"Harriet Stratemeyer Adams"			"1976"
18	"The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion"	"1941"	"Edna Stratemeyer Squier"			"1971"
19	"The Quest of the Missing Map"	"1942"	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams"		Harriet Stratemeyer Adams"	"1969"	Priscilla Baker-Carr"
20	"The Clue in the Jewel Box"	"1943"	"1972"
21	"The Secret in the Old Attic"	"1944"	"1970"
22	"The Clue in the Crumbling Wall"	"1945"	"1973"
23	"The Mystery of the Tolling Bell"	"1946"	"1973"
24	"The Clue in the Old Album"	"1947"	"1977"
25	"The Ghost of Blackwood Hall"	"1948"	"1967"
26	"The Clue of the Leaning Chimney"	"1949"	"George Waller, Jr. and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams"	"1967"
27	"The Secret of the Wooden Lady"	"1950"	"Margaret Scherf"	"1967"
28	"The Clue of the Black Keys"	"1951"	"Wilhelmina Rankin and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams"	"1968"
29	'\'\'The Mystery at the Ski Jump\'\	'1952'	'Alma Sasse'	'1968'	'Ann Shultes'
30	'\'\'The Clue of the Velvet Mask\'\	'1953'	'Andrew Svenson'	'Mildred Wirt'	'1969'	'Priscilla Baker-Carr'
31	'\'\'The Ringmaster's Secret\'\	'1953'	'Harriet Stratemeyer Adams'	'Harriet Stratemeyer Adams'	'1974'	'June Dunn'
32	'\'\'The Scarlet Slipper Mystery\'\	'1954'	'Charles Strong'	'1974'	'Ann Shultes'
33	'\'\'The Witch Tree Symbol\'\	'1955'	'Harriet Stratemeyer Adams'	'1975'
34	'\'\'The Hidden Window Mystery\'\	'1956'	'Patricia Doll and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams'	'1975'	'Mary Fisher'
35-56 (Selected) - Titles from "The Haunted Showboat" (1957) to "The Thirteenth Pearl" (1979) continued under Harriet Stratemeyer Adams with revisions primarily by June Dunn, J. Sanderson, and Priscilla Baker-Carr.

Simon & Schuster Publications

Starting in 1979, Wanderer Books, a branch of Simon & Schuster, took over the publication of Nancy Drew paperback editions under the label Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. These digest-sized books showcased modernized cover illustrations and differed from the original hardcover series managed by Grosset & Dunlap. One reason for this transition was Grosset & Dunlap's resistance to releasing the series in paperback form.

In 2005, to mark Nancy Drew's 75th anniversary, Grosset & Dunlap reissued the initial eight Wanderer volumes (#57-64); however, these editions were discontinued by 2013.

Wanderer Books (1979–1985)

Initially, The Triple Hoax was slated to follow The Thirteenth Pearl, but after Grosset & Dunlap lost a legal battle to Simon & Schuster in 1980, they stopped listing it. The book was later revised without The Triple Hoax but was eventually published in 2005 as part of the anniversary collaboration with Simon & Schuster.

The storylines and continuity during this period closely mirrored those from earlier Grosset & Dunlap titles. Harriet Adams remained active with the Syndicate until her passing in 1982; however, Simon & Schuster rejected her draft of The Secret in the Old Lace, which was subsequently rewritten by Nancy Axelrad. After Adams' death, the Syndicate continued under the management of her children and authors such as Axelrad and Lilo Wuenn until its acquisition by Simon & Schuster in 1987.

This era saw the recruitment of younger writers including Sharon Wagner, Richard Ballad, and James Duncan Lawrence. Notably, some of Ballad’s works were originally penned for The Hardy Boys series but were adapted for Nancy Drew. The last two Wanderer entries (#77 and #78) functioned as introductory stories for the spin-off The Nancy Drew Files series launched in 1986. After these releases and the Syndicate's sale, the series underwent a two-year hiatus for restructuring.

Titles, authorship, and publication dates (1979–1985)

No.	Title	Pub. date	Outline	Manuscript	Editor
57	The Triple Hoax	1979	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams		Harriet Stratemeyer Adams and Lilo Wuenn
58	The Flying Saucer Mystery	1980	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams		Lilo Wuenn
59	The Secret in the Old Lace	1980	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams	Nancy Axelrad
60	The Greek Symbol Mystery	1981	Harriet Stratemeyer Adams and Nancy Axelrad	Nancy Axelrad
61	The Swami's Ring	1981
62	The Kachina Doll Mystery	1981	Sharon Wagner		Nancy Axelrad
63	The Twin Dilemma	1981	Nancy Axelrad		Lilo Wuenn
64	Captive Witness	1981	Richard Ballad		Nancy Axelrad
65	Mystery of the Winged Lion	1982	Nancy Axelrad
66	Race Against Time	1982	James Duncan Lawrence
67	The Sinister Omen	1982	Richard Ballad
68	The Elusive Heiress	1982	Sharon Wagner
69	Clue in the Ancient Disguise	1982	James Duncan Lawrence
70	The Broken Anchor	1983	Sharon Wagner
71	The Silver Cobweb	1983	James Duncan Lawrence
72	The Haunted Carousel	1983	James Duncan Lawrence
73	Enemy Match	1984	Donetta Bowers
74	The Mysterious Image	1984	James Duncan Lawrence
75	The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery	1984	Sharon Wagner
76	The Eskimo's Secret	1985	Sharon Wagner
77	The Bluebeard Room	1985	James Duncan Lawrence

Minstrel Books (1987–2001)

Following volume 78, the series experienced a hiatus lasting several years triggered by the Stratemeyer Syndicate's acquisition by Simon & Schuster and the introduction of the spin-off series The Nancy Drew Files. Subsequently, Mega-Books assumed responsibility as the book packager, employing a variety of ghostwriters, many of whom remain unidentified. Some known authorship has been uncovered through external investigations or personal disclosures.

Anne Greenberg was appointed editor and oversaw the series for 16 years, playing a pivotal role in maintaining its presence into the new millennium.

After Simon & Schuster discontinued The Nancy Drew Files in 1997, they repurposed several unpublished manuscripts into original titles for the main series, such as The Wild Cat Crime (#141), The E-mail Mystery (#144), and The Case of the Captured Queen (#148).

During this period, the narrative style evolved to include contemporary technology, which dated the stories quickly. There was also an increase in continuity inconsistencies and textual errors. Additionally, book lengths were shortened from approximately 180 pages spanning 20 chapters to around 150 pages divided into 16 chapters by the late 1990s.

Titles, authorship, and publication dates (1987–2001)

No.	Title	Pub.	Outline	Manuscript
79	The Double Horror of Fenley Place	1987	colspan="2" rowspan="5" Template:Unknown
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	Carin Greenberg Baker	Eileen Hehl
85	The Secret of Shady Glen	1988	colspan="2" rowspan="2" Template:Unknown
86	The Mystery of Misty Canyon	1988
87	The Case of the Rising Stars	1989	unknown	Carin Greenberg Baker
88	The Search for Cindy Austin	1988	Nancy Bush
89	The Case of the Disappearing Deejay	1989	Carol Gorman
90	The Puzzle at Pineview School	1989	colspan="2" rowspan="3" Template:Unknown
91	The Girl Who Couldn't Remember	1989
92	The Ghost of Craven Cove	1989
93	The Case of the Safecracker's Secret	1990	Carin Greenberg Baker
94	The Picture-Perfect Mystery	1990	Carol Gorman
95	The Silent Suspect	1990	colspan="2" rowspan="2" Template:Unknown
96	The Case of the Photo Finish	1990
97	The Mystery at Magnolia Mansion	1990	Alison Hart
98	The Haunting of Horse Island	1990	Carol Gorman
99	The Secret at Seven Rocks	1991	Ellen Steiber
100	A Secret in Time	1991	Carin Greenberg Baker
101	The Mystery of the Missing Millionairess	1991	colspan="2" rowspan="2" Template:Unknown
102	"The Secret in the Dark"	1991
103	"The Stranger in the Shadows"	1991	Alison Hart
104	"The Mystery of the Jade Tiger"	1991	Ellen Steiber
105	"The Clue in the Antique Trunk"	1992	colspan="2" rowspan="4" Template:Unknown
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	Alison Hart
110	"The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery"	1992	colspan="2" rowspan="6" Template:Unknown
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	Alison Hart
117 - !128 Various titles (e.g., Mystery on the Menu, Trouble at Lake Tahoe) 1994–1995 Mostly unknown authorship
129	"The Baby-Sitter Burglaries"	1996	Pamela Willis
130 - !140 Various titles (e.g., The Sign of the Falcon, The Secret of Candlelight Inn) 1996–1997 Mostly unknown authorship
141	"The Wild Cat Crime"	1998
142 - !143 Various titles (e.g., Mystery on Maui) 1998 Colspan=2 Elizabeth Nugent for #142; others unknown
144	"The E-mail Mystery"	1998	Denise Hidalgo
145 - !149 Various titles (e.g., The Missing Horse Mystery, The Clue of the Gold Doubloons) Late 1990s Alison Hart credited on several titles; others unknown or uncredited
150 - !158 Various titles (e.g., Mystery at Moorsea Manor, Whispers In the Fog) Late 1990s – early 2000s Mostly unknown authorship; George Edward Stanley credited for #155

Aladdin Books (2001–2003)

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Nancy Drew series shifted to Simon & Schuster's Aladdin imprint. The original run came to an end in November 2003, influenced by declining sales and the exit of longtime editor Anne Greenberg.

During this period, the series suffered from inconsistencies in continuity: characters' ages varied, with Nancy and her friends sometimes depicted as 17 rather than 18, Ned's characterization and appearance lacked uniformity, and typographical mistakes appeared sporadically.

Titles, authorship, and publication dates (2001–2003)

No.	Title	Pub.	Outline	Manuscript	Editor
160	The Clue on the Crystal Dove	2001	colspan="2" rowspan="10" Template:Unknown	Anne Greenberg
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	George Edward Stanley		rowspan="6" Template:Unknown
171	Intrigue at the Grand Opera	2003	colspan="2" rowspan="2" Template:Unknown
172	The Riding Club Crime	2003
173	Danger on the Great Lakes	2003	George Edward Stanley
174	A Taste of Danger	2003	colspan="2" rowspan="2" Template:Unknown
175	Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland	2003

Nancy Drew Diaries (2013–2025) Launched in February 2013, the Nancy Drew Diaries series introduced a modernized format aimed at contemporary audiences. Most entries are ghostwritten, with Alicia Mikles handling cover design and Erin McGuire providing cover illustrations. This series prioritizes consistent visual branding alongside regular publication intervals to sustain market engagement.

... [Entries continue similarly through No.27] ...

No.	Title	Pub.	Author(s)	Cover Design	Cover Illustration
1	Curse of the Arctic Star	Feb. 2013	Ghostwritten	Alicia Mikles	Erin McGuire
2	'Strangers on a Train'	'Feb. 2013'	'Ghostwritten'	'Alicia Mikles'	'Erin McGuire'
27	'Vans & Villains'	'Jan. 2026'	'Ghostwritten'	'Alicia Mikles'	'Erin McGuire'

United Kingdom

Starting in 1971 for hardcovers and expanding to paperbacks in 1973, the Nancy Drew Mystery Series was released in the United Kingdom by Collins and its paperback division Armada Books, which also published titles from the Hardy Boys and Three Investigators. The UK editions reordered and renumbered volumes; Armada was obligated to issue #51 onward before releasing #41-50. As a result, the first fifty-six American Grosset & Dunlap books corresponded to the initial fifty UK releases, while titles #57-78 were published as #51-72. Collins maintained agreements with both American publishers, requiring some Simon & Schuster titles to be issued prior to specific Grosset & Dunlap books. The twenty-two Simon & Schuster/Wanderer titles were published out of sequence by Collins/Armada before completing six previously unpublished Grosset & Dunlap volumes, including the inaugural title, The Secret of the Old Clock.

Between 1979 and 1985, twenty-two Wanderer imprint books were produced before a pause in the main series. In response, Simon & Schuster introduced The Nancy Drew Files targeting older teenagers and realigned the main series under their Minstrel imprint starting with The Double Horror of Fenley Place in 1987. After publishing seventy-eight main series volumes, Collins/Armada’s licensing agreement concluded in June 1992. Subsequently, Simon & Schuster continued UK publication of Minstrel titles through their Pocket Books imprint beginning in July 1992, commencing with volume #79 aligned numerically with the original series.

Reader's Club

Between 1959 and early 1961, twelve Nancy Drew books were released through the Nancy Drew Reader's Club book club—six in each year, 1959 and 1960—featuring new illustrations by Polly Bolian. These editions corresponded with Grosset & Dunlap's Doubleday Book Club Young Library versions, showcasing full-color jacket artwork as frontispieces alongside double-page pen-and-ink illustrations. Both volume numbers and references to other titles were omitted from the covers and text.

After two years, plans to continue publishing additional volumes were discontinued. Today, these editions are highly prized by collectors due to their unique artwork and the rarity of their dust jackets, which were printed on lightweight matte paper instead of the usual heavier glossy material. Copies bearing jackets dated 1960 are particularly uncommon.

Book club editions

In 1962, Nancy Drew was reissued in a yellow-spined picture format specifically for book club distribution. These editions featured solid yellow back covers, spines without volume numbers, and the phrase "Book Club Edition" printed on the title page. Only the first 32 volumes were produced in this format. During the 1970s, a book club subscription service was also available, sending standard volumes to subscribers according to a set schedule.

Twin Thriller

During the 1970s, multiple Nancy Drew titles were published as double volumes containing two books in one. The covers displayed geometric clover patterns on a lilac-grey background with vignettes taken from the original cover art. Most sets included consecutive volumes (e.g., 1–2, 3–4), except for the last two pairs which combined Volumes 17 and 24—titles that had not been revised until the mid-1970s.

Applewood Books reprints

Starting in 1991, Applewood Books began producing facsimile reprints of early Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys novels, preserving original dust jacket designs, illustrations, texts, and bindings. Many editions featured forewords written by established authors such as Sara Paretsky. Applewood reprinted up to Volume 21, The Secret in the Old Attic. Although Volumes 22 and 23 appeared in their 2006–2007 catalogues, dwindling sales resulted in halting further reprint production in 2007.

Literarture lithographs

In late 2006, Literarture—operating under license from Simon & Schuster—began issuing limited-edition offset lithographic prints of classic Nancy Drew dust jacket artwork created by Russell Tandy, Bill Gillies, and Rudy Nappi. These reproductions were derived from vintage art elements and original paintings.

Grosset & Dunlap reissues

Early in 2007, Grosset & Dunlap introduced special editions of Nancy Drew mysteries that retained original artwork but incorporated updated content. These were offered in various collections and packaging styles.

References

fi:Paula Drew