The Hidden Staircase (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #2) [Hardcover]

Carolyn Keene (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 1, 1930 | Age Range: 8 and up | Lexile Measure: 780L (What's this?)

Teenage detective Nancy Drew uses her courage and powers of deduction to solve the mysterious happenings in an old stone mansion.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Read by Laura Linney
approx. 3 hours
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Teenage detective Nancy Drew uses her courage and powers of deduction to solve the mysterious happenings in an old stone mansion. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Carolyn Keene is the author of the ever-popular Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective and Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap; 4th edition (May 1, 1930)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0448095025
• ISBN-13: 978-0448095028
• Product Dimensions: 4.9 x 0.8 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon are the pseudonyms under which many ghostwriters penned the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, respectively. Both series were created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm, in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet, and syndicate writer Mildred Wirt Benson were the two people primarily responsible for bringing the iconic character of Nancy Drew to life in the minds and hearts of millions of readers around the world.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Case of Nancy Drew: An Adult Reader's Thoughts on HIDDEN STAIRCASE September 19, 2006

By Gary F. Taylor HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Written by Mildred Wirt Benson from an outline by Edward Stratemeyer, THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE was first published in 1930. It was the second book in the Nancy Drew series, and it and those that followed presented its heroine as a rich, headstrong, and distinctly reckless teenager who sometimes carried a pistol and who wasn't above breaking the law when it suited her purposes.

As the series progressed and other writers began to generate Nancy Drew novels, the character changed and Nancy was "toned down;" instead of flatly rich, she became reasonably affluent; recklessness was replaced by commonsense caution; and while she might be willing to bend the law a bit she would never knowingly break it. In the 1950s and 1960s the earlier novels were re-written to reflect this change in character. THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE was significantly rewritten in 1959.

In this particular story, Nancy is asked to investigate a supposed haunting at Twin Elms, a colonal mansion occupied by the elderly Miss Flora and her daughter Rosemary: not only have things gone bump in the night, jewelry has come up missing as well. She is assisted in this by her friend Helen, who is Rosemary's niece. Meanwhile Nancy's father, attorney Carson Drew, is working to defeat the shady dealings of the mysterious Mr. Gombet. Needless to say, before too long the two cases begin to link up.

The book is very much of its era: you will not find any cell phones, computers, or similar modern gadgets between its covers. Nancy herself is the "perfect good girl" according to the standards of the day: she tends toward skirts and jackets, wears gloves while gardening and for social occasion, and is never too busy to whip up a quick luncheon (chicken salad always seems to be a favorite) for family or friends....

The Nancy Drew books are not great literature by any stretch of the imagination--they are too distinctly formula for that--but they are competently written, literate, and never talk down to their target audience. They are also good "comfort reading" for grown-ups who recall their childhood reading fondly. Several sources note that THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE is the single best selling title in the series; whether true or not, it is innocent fun.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer Read more ›

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book today!!!! February 15, 2005

A Kid's Review

Format:Hardcover

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is by Carolyn Keene. This book is a wonderful fiction book. It has not won any awards. Every once in a while it will have a few pictures. Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is the second book in its series. The Nancy Drew collections are great for all ages, whether your nine or ninety-nine!

This fun filled book is about a young daring detective named Nancy Drew. Nancy has just gotten a phone call from her best friend Helen Corning. Helen tells Nancy that her great aunt and great grandmother have been living together at Twin Elms. Helen tells Nancy that her great aunt and great grandmother have just gotten a big spook. Helen says they were robbed, heard thumps in the night, and have heard strange music when no one has turned on the radio Helen begs Nancy to come to Twin Elms and try to solve the mystery. Nancy is unsure if she should go and try to solve the mystery at Twin Elms because a person named Nathan Gomber told Nancy that her father was in great danger. Nancy decided to go to Twin Elms because her dad told her he wasn't in any danger. Read the story to find out what danger lies before Nancy and her friends!

The author paints a clear picture with her words. She chooses her words very carefully. You do not need any pictures because she creates a clear image in your mind. An example of her writing is "Nancy Drew began peeling off her garden gloves as she ran up the porch steps into the hall to answer the ringing telephone." (page 1)

This book is great for anyone who likes a good mystery. If you like other Nancy Drew books you will definitely love this one. This spine-chilling, breath-taking book will get you so wrapped up you will never want to put it down, so what are you waiting for? Go ahead and read it!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Nancy Drew April 7, 2000

By Julie Hyzy

Format:Hardcover

When I was nine, I picked up my mother's copy of "The Hidden Staircase" (1930's edition, blue, with yellowed pages that cracked if you bent them), and finished the book in one day. My fervent wish, as I neared the book's conclusion, was that there would be other books with this character still in existence. You can't imagine my joy when I discovered those beautiful yellow spines at my neighborhood E.J. Korvette. (They were $1.19 at Korvette's - $1.50 everywhere else.) I have every hardcover Nancy Drew - and now my two oldest daughters have had a chance to experience her as well. There is much to be learned in all the books. Because of Nancy I knew the chemical symbol for gold, where Macchu Picchu was located, and a slew of other things well before we learned them at school. Love the books...and love this one the most.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "The Drew Review" December 7, 1999

By R. Rusch

Format:Hardcover

Nancy Drew books have always been known as the number 1 mystery books, I agree. The Hidden Staircase leaves you suspensful and hanging. I would recommend ages 5-15 to read this book. Nancy is a teenage slew who lives a life of a detective and a teenager at the same time. She goes on a date then hears she has case to solve. This mystery is of The Hidden Staircase. Two old ladies claim to have a ghost living in their house, so they want Nancy to solve that mystery. At the same time her father has been kidnapped. So as you can tell, this story leaves you hanging and wondering if Nancy will pull through with all of this. If you read the book you can see what happens.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, Dramatic, Sad Mystery April 13, 2005

A Kid's Review

Format:Hardcover

The book that I'm reviewing is The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene. The book is about a hidden staircase in a house that has been there for many years and two teenage detectives, named Nancy Drew and Helen Corning. Nancy's father needs rescuing and Nancy and Helen are brave and they are up for anything that comes in their way.

I like the book because it has mystery in it and I like mysteries. I also like how Carolyn Keene made the characters seem real to me. Some parts were funny and some were dramatic and some sad, but it is good that way. This tale is a joy to read and kids will love it and that is why I give it 5 stars. This is the second book of the series and I look forward to reading the whole series of 50 books.