The Secret of the Old Clock
by Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Old Clock
by Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew is a sixteen-year-old amateur sleuth living in River Heights with her father, Carson Drew. The story begins with the death of Josiah Crowley, a wealthy man whose estate is left entirely to the snobbish and undeserving Topham family. Nancy suspects a second will exists that would benefit Crowley's kinder, impoverished relatives and friends. Her investigation leads her to the Horner sisters and an elderly woman named Abigail Rowen, who provides a clue about a hidden notebook. Nancy discovers the notebook is likely hidden within an old family clock located at the Tophams' lakeside bungalow. While searching the bungalow, Nancy encounters a gang of thieves and is briefly imprisoned in a closet. After a daring escape and a high-speed chase, she recovers the clock and the notebook, which points to a safety deposit box. Nancy and her father successfully locate the true will, which disinherits the Tophams in favor of the rightful heirs. The conflict concludes with a dramatic reading of the will that restores justice to the community. The tone is one of wholesome adventure and mystery, establishing Nancy as a capable and determined heroine.
