The Hidden Staircase
Encyclopedia
The Hidden Staircase is the second volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories
series written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene
, and published in 1930. Unofficial statistics indicate it to be one of the favorite stories of Nancy Drew readers.
As of 2001, it was ranked number 68 on a list of the all-time best-selling hardcover children's book in English; according to Publishers Weekly
, it had sold 1,821,457 copies.
Odd things have been happening at the Mansion. A valuable necklace has been stolen, and canaries get into the house, seemingly of their own accord. Nancy finds it difficult to focus on the mystery at hand when her father fails to arrive home from Chicago in a timely manner - he appears to have vanished. Meanwhile, Nancy discovers that the nefarious Gombet owns the adjacent estate, nearly identical in appearance to the Mansion, though in a much more dilapidated state. She decides to investigate Gombet's house one rainy night, armed with revolver and flashlight. While roaming around the old house, Nancy accidentally falls through a secret panel and down a staircase into a tunnel, which leads back to the house in which she is staying.
Nancy reveals her discovery to the Turners in the morning, then they investigate together. The police, acting on Nancy's suspicions, raid Gombet's house, where Carson Drew is discovered to have been a prisoner for days. Gombet is found to have been behind the hauntings as well.
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories
The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories was the long-running "main" Nancy Drew series, published between 1930 and 2003. Initially, titles were published by Grosset & Dunlap, but with #57 publication switched to Simon & Schuster. Most people consider these first 56 to be the original series and consider the...
series written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene
Carolyn Keene
Carolyn Keene is the pseudonym of the authors of the Nancy Drew mystery stories and The Dana Girls mystery stories, both produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate...
, and published in 1930. Unofficial statistics indicate it to be one of the favorite stories of Nancy Drew readers.
As of 2001, it was ranked number 68 on a list of the all-time best-selling hardcover children's book in English; according to Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, it had sold 1,821,457 copies.
Plot summary - 1930 edition
Nancy is introduced to the Turner sisters, Pat and Rosemary by Abigail Rem, a character who aids Nancy in the previous, and first, volume of the series. They believe that their home is haunted. Nancy's father is being harassed by a crooked character, Nathan Gombet, who threatens violence. Carson Drew, undaunted, agrees to allow Nancy to investigate the house and sends his revolver with her. He will travel to Chicago during the first part of Nancy's stay at the old estate and join her later.Odd things have been happening at the Mansion. A valuable necklace has been stolen, and canaries get into the house, seemingly of their own accord. Nancy finds it difficult to focus on the mystery at hand when her father fails to arrive home from Chicago in a timely manner - he appears to have vanished. Meanwhile, Nancy discovers that the nefarious Gombet owns the adjacent estate, nearly identical in appearance to the Mansion, though in a much more dilapidated state. She decides to investigate Gombet's house one rainy night, armed with revolver and flashlight. While roaming around the old house, Nancy accidentally falls through a secret panel and down a staircase into a tunnel, which leads back to the house in which she is staying.
Nancy reveals her discovery to the Turners in the morning, then they investigate together. The police, acting on Nancy's suspicions, raid Gombet's house, where Carson Drew is discovered to have been a prisoner for days. Gombet is found to have been behind the hauntings as well.