The Clue in the Crumbling Wall is the twenty-second volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was first published in 1945 under Carolyn Keene, a pseudonym of the ghostwriter Mildred Wirt Benson.

Summary (original edition)

In The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, a cascade of falling stones from a decaying garden wall leads Nancy Drew into a labyrinth of wartime secrets and stolen fortune in this gripping mid-century mystery. The story begins when Nancy witnesses a terrified young woman fleeing the overgrown grounds of the abandoned Jardine estate. The girl disappears, leaving behind only a monogrammed handkerchief and the echo of a cryptic warning about “the wall that remembers.”

Nancy’s investigation reveals the Jardine family’s tragic history—their shipping fortune lost after their daughter Joyce allegedly ran away with a fortune in jewels years earlier. As Nancy examines the estate’s collapsing perimeter wall, she discovers hollow compartments containing shipping manifests that suggest a very different story. The crumbling masonry yields further clues: wartime ration coupons used as bookmarks in hidden ledgers, nautical charts with altered coordinates, and the unmistakable scent of saltwater in tunnels that should run dry.

The danger escalates when Nancy realizes the estate’s deterioration is being deliberately accelerated to conceal evidence. She narrowly escapes being buried in a coordinated wall collapse, deciphers a ship’s log hidden behind loosened bricks, and follows the trail to a waterfront warehouse where crates marked as medical supplies contain something far more valuable. The 1945 original pulses with homefront urgency, featuring Nancy using wartime salvage techniques to preserve evidence and recognizing how black marketeers exploit construction material shortages.

This edition stands out for its thoughtful portrayal of homefront sacrifice—the crumbling wall serves as both physical clue and metaphor for families fractured by war. Unlike later revisions that removed period specifics, this version retains Nancy’s poignant discovery of V-mail letters hidden in the wall, confirming Joyce Jardine was no thief but a victim of wartime intrigue. The novel’s climax at a fog-shrouded dock, where Nancy must distinguish friend from foe amid shouting longshoremen and screeching gulls, remains one of the series’ most vivid maritime confrontations

Nancy Drew #22 –The Clue in the Crumbling Wall First Edition Book Identification

Only the first few printings of the first/second year are shown. Printings codes are based on the Farrah Guide, 12th printing. Please refer to the guide for later printings.

Nancy Drew #22 –The Clue in the Crumbling Wall First Edition Dust Jacket Identification

Reference:

• Farah’s Guide to Nancy Drew, 12th printing