the mysterious clue of the secret simple pleasure

The Hidden Staircase
The Clue in the Jewel Box
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney
The Moonstone Castle Mystery
The Phantom of Pine Hill

These are some of my favorite titles of Nancy Drew mystery books. 
But really I love all of the titles, of the original, or "main" series that I was familiar with during elementary school and part of junior high. 

The books had bright yellow spines --  making a long line of easily recognizable canary-bright hard-covers at McGraw-Eckler book store in Ravenna, Ohio.

The first Nancy Drew mystery I ever had, I read in third grade -- The Witch Tree Symbol.  Nancy solves an Amish mystery.

Parents and teachers don't always push Nancy Drew books very hard -- they're not considered literature -- and then there was the Big Discovery that the books were "ghost-written" (there was no "Carolyn Keene"!) -- THE MYSTERY OF THE UNIDENTIFIED AUTHORS!
"The Clue of the Children's Book Cover-Up!"

But those criticisms and faint whining and picking of adults diluted none of the enjoyment children got from these stories.

Criticism:  "All the books are alike."
Answer:  "Yes!"
Criticism:  "They're written according to a formula."
Answer:  "Thank goodness!  That way I know I'm going to enjoy ALL of them!"
Criticism:  "Instead of Nancy Drew, you should be reading books by Rumer Godden."
Answer:  "I'll get to Rumer Godden's books someday.  Right now I'm reading The Mystery of the 99 Steps."
Criticism:  "If anyone really got hit over the head and knocked unconscious as many times as Nancy Drew does in those stories, they'd have brain damage."
Answer:  "It's FICTION!"
Criticism:  "Here is a good book to teach you about adolescence."
Answer:  "Leave me alone."

Just the titles of the books -- they are voluptuously entrancing and texturously inviting.
(More mystery!  And everything will come out all right....)

The Secret of the Old Clock
The Hidden Staircase
The Bungalow Mystery
The Mystery at Lilac Inn
The Secret of Shadow Ranch
The Secret of Red Gate Farm
The Clue in the Diary
Nancy's Mysterious Letter
The Sign of the Twisted Candles
The Password to Larkspur Lane
The Clue of the Broken Locket
The Message in the Hollow Oak
The Mystery of the Ivory Charm
etc.
Mostly it's "The Secret" or "The Mystery" or "The Clue"
but then you get those exceptions --

The Haunted Bridge
The Whispering Statue
The Quest of the Missing Map
The Ghost of Blackwood Hall
...
I also especially like the idea of "The Hidden Window Mystery."

Just the titles alone are such a trip.  Not that the stories themselves are terribly memorable -- the grown-ups were right! I'm not arguing! -- it was the ambience, the idea of endless mysteries to be solved, clues to be found, situations to be figured out, reasons to be sifted out and understood.

----------------- {excerpt}-----------A moment later the wind began to howl.  It struck the boat with a force which made Helen grasp the railing next to her for support.  Another dazzling flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and simultaneously a deluge of rain began to descend.

Nancy peered ahead into the dimness.  The shore line had vanished and the blinding rain made it impossible for her to see more than a few feet beyond the bow of the boat.

"At least we have half a tank of fuel," Nancy announced, trying to sound optimistic.  "We'll reach shore soon, I'm sure."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Helen said nervously.
A worried expression furrowed the young pilot's brow.    The boat was making little progress against the wind.   If anything happened to the motor they would be at the mercy of the waves.

-------------- {excerpt, The Bungalow Mystery, by Carolyn Keene.  Grosset & Dunlap, 1930}

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