The Secret of the Wooden Lady is the twenty-seventh volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was first published in 1950 under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The actual author was ghostwriter Margaret Scherf.

Summary (original edition)

In The Secret of the Wooden Lady, a ghostly figurehead and a ship shrouded in mystery draw Nancy Drew into one of her most atmospheric maritime adventures. The story begins when Captain Easterly, an old seafaring friend of Carson Drew’s, asks Nancy to investigate the Bonny Scot, an abandoned clipper ship docked in Boston Harbor whose beautiful wooden figurehead—a lady with piercing sapphire eyes—seems to hold the key to a decades-old secret.

The mystery deepens when Nancy discovers the ship is caught in a legal battle between its current owner and a suspicious salvage company eager to dismantle it. Strange occurrences plague the vessel—mysterious lights appear in its rigging at night, the wooden lady’s jeweled eyes go missing, and someone seems determined to sink the ship before its secrets can be uncovered.

Nancy’s investigation takes her from the foggy wharves of Boston to the rocky New England coast as she pieces together clues hidden in sea chanteys, antique logbooks, and the figurehead’s hollow base. The danger escalates when she’s trapped aboard during high tide with the ship deliberately set adrift, and later when she discovers a stowaway with ties to the ship’s turbulent past.

This original edition stands out for its vivid nautical atmosphere and unflinching peril—including a harrowing scene where Nancy must swim through icy harbor waters to escape sinking debris. Later revisions softened some maritime dangers and removed period-specific details about postwar shipping controversies. The novel captures America’s fading age of sail while showcasing Nancy’s physical courage and historical intuition, proving even landlocked detectives can navigate treacherous waters.

Nancy Drew #27 –The Secret of the Wooden Lady 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 #27 –The Secret of the Wooden Lady First Edition Dust Jacket Identification Guide

Reference:

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