Hidden Staircase
About this ebook
The second Nancy Drew Mystery Stories novel, this teen detective classic probes courage versus deception in a decaying manor. Its core twist—a secret staircase tunneling to Gombet's identical stone house—reveals "hauntings" as a swindle to scare out the owners. Nancy alone unravels the plot, rescues her father, and affirms reason over superstition.
Young mystery lovers will thrill to Nancy's solo daring, page by gripping page.
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About the author
The authorship of the Nancy Drew series, including The Hidden Staircase, is credited to the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. However, Carolyn Keene is not a single person but a collective pen name used by multiple ghostwriters contracted by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the publishing group responsible for creating the series.
The original and most prominent author behind the pseudonym was Mildred Wirt Benson (later Mildred A. Wirt), who wrote 23 of the first 30 Nancy Drew books. Benson was tasked with turning the character into a bold, clever, and adventurous young detective. Her writing helped shape Nancy Drew into a lasting cultural icon. Benson started writing these stories in 1929 and was the first to bring the character to life under the Carolyn Keene name. She was initially hired by Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of the Syndicate, who developed plot outlines but left much of the storytelling to her skills.
