The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, Book 1) by Carolyn Keene

The Secret of the Old Clock is the first book of the Nancy Drew Mystery Series by Carolyn Keene. It was first published in January 1930 and has become one of the most beloved and popular books in the series. The novel follows 16-year-old Nancy Drew as she attempts to unravel the mystery behind the missing will of Josiah Crowley.

The story begins with Nancy, her friends Bess and George, and her father Carson attending an auction at the home of the deceased Josiah Crowley. There, Nancy acquires an old clock that no one else wanted. Little did she know, the clock held the key to solving the mystery of Josiah’s missing will. Nancy determines that the clue to finding the will is hidden in the clock and sets out to find it.

Unbeknownst to Nancy, the clock is also connected to a sinister plot. Two of Josiah’s relatives, Abigail and Larsen, are determined to find the will in order to gain control of his estate. They have sent two of their employees, Iron Hand and Luther, to search for it and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on the document.

In order to find the will before Iron Hand and Luther do, Nancy and her friends travel to River Heights and Riverview, two of Josiah’s former homes. While there, they search for clues and pieces of information that will help them locate the document. They visit his former homes, the courthouse, and even the local jail. Along the way, Nancy gathers more information about the clock itself and deduces that it is indeed the way to finding the will.

When Nancy and her friends receive a kidnapper’s note from Iron Hand and Luther, they are jolted into action. With the help of her father and the police, Nancy races against the clock and the threatening criminals in hopes of finding the will before it is too late. Eventually, Nancy unravels the mystery of the old clock and discovers the hidden will.

At the novel’s climax, Nancy and her friends are triumphant in not only finding the document but thwarting Iron Hand and Luther’s heist. After the will is safely returned to the rightful heirs and Iron Hand and Luther are apprehended, Nancy is praised in the town of River Heights for her wit and resourcefulness in helping to solve the case.

The Secret of the Old Clock is beloved for its compelling and suspenseful plot. Nancy is a resilient and determined heroine who is willing to go to great lengths in order to solve a mystery. The novel has spawned several sequels and movie adaptations and remains one of the most influential and beloved books in the entire series.