nancydrew "The Hidden Staircase" sleuth "The Clue in the Crossword Cipher" solver Fictional young female detective who first appeared in a 1930 book credited to the pen name Carolyn Keene: 2 wds ''The Secret of the Old Clock'' sleuth Character who first appeared in "The Secret of the Old Clock" "The Bungalow Mystery" solver Amateur detective in 1967's "The Clue in the Crossword Cipher" Fictional girl detective