The Clue of the Leaning Chimney is the twenty-sixth volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was first published in 1949 under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The actual authors were ghostwriters George Waller, Jr. and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams.

Summary (original edition)

In The Clue of the Leaning Chimney , a solitary, tilting chimney rising from an abandoned pottery works becomes the unlikely focal point of one of Nancy Drew’s most distinctive mysteries in this atmospheric post-war novel. The story begins with Nancy’s keen eye catching the peculiar angle of an old brick chimney during a drive through the countryside, its unnatural lean suggesting secrets buried in its foundations.

Nancy’s investigation soon connects the derelict pottery to two struggling ceramic artists, the Blair brothers, who have been attempting to recreate rare Chinese porcelain formulas. Their work attracts dangerous attention from a criminal network dealing in stolen art materials and counterfeit antiquities. The mystery deepens when Nancy discovers wartime smuggling tunnels beneath the property and blueprints for special kilns hidden within the chimney’s brickwork – clues that point to a missing art expert recently returned from the Orient.

As Nancy pieces together the puzzle, she finds herself crawling through damp clay pits where valuable minerals are illegally mined, decoding messages hidden in glaze formulas, and narrowly escaping a midnight confrontation in the abandoned pottery’s shadowy ruins. The danger becomes tangible when she’s trapped in a collapsing underground tunnel, her flashlight failing as the earth shifts around her.

The 1949 original edition stands out for its authentic postwar setting, where the scarcity of quality art materials drives the criminal plot. Unlike later revisions, this version retains Nancy’s hands-on exploration of ceramic techniques and a dramatic climax involving a sabotaged kiln explosion. The novel captures America’s growing fascination with Asian art after WWII while showcasing Nancy’s ability to master specialized fields – here demonstrating surprising knowledge of porcelain composition and kiln temperatures.

The leaning chimney itself emerges as one of the series’ most memorable architectural clues, its physical imperfection mirroring the moral crookedness of those trying to exploit its secrets. This mystery remains notable for blending industrial archaeology with art world intrigue, proving that even inanimate objects can testify to human greed and ingenuity.

Nancy Drew #26 –The Clue of the Leaning Chimney First Edition Book Identification Guide

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 #26 –The Clue of the Leaning Chimney First Edition Dust Jacket Identification Guide

Reference:

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