The Dana Girls

The Dana Girls mystery stories, 1932 - 1968, were created by Americann author Harriet Stratemeyer Adams to capitalize on the popularity of both the Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys books. The series was mainly written by Adams and Mildred Wirt Benson, who also wrote many of the early volumes in the Nancy Drew series.

"The adventures of resourceful Louise Dana and her irrepressible sister Jean are packed with thrills, excitement and mystery," read the back covers of the "picture editions," as they are known (originally produced with dustjackets), the series—like most others—gave way to "picture covers," which is self-explanatory). The series was one of Stratemeyer Syndicate's most successful. When its popularity began to wane in the sixties, the series was revamped—a number of titles were dropped, the remaining ones re-ordered, a few new ones written, and new seventies artwork substituted for the fifties look that had prevailed.

Series titles

• By the Light of the Study Lamp (1934)
• The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage (1934)
• In the Shadow of the Tower (1934)
• A Three-Cornered Mystery (1935)
• The Secret at the Hermitage (1936)
• The Circle of Footprints (1937)
• The Mystery of the Locked Room (1938)
• The Clue in the Cobweb (1939)
• The Secret at the Gatehouse (1940)
• The Mysterious Fireplace (1941)
• The Clue of the Rusty Key (1942)
• The Portrait in the Sand (1943)
• The Secret in the Old Well (1944)
• The Clue in the Ivy (1952)
• The Secret of the Jade Ring (1953)
• Mystery at the Crossroads (1954)
• The Ghost in the Gallery (1955)
• The Clue of the Black Flower (1956)
• The Winking Ruby Mystery (1957)
• The Secret of the Swiss Chalet (1958)
• The Haunted Lagoon (1959)
• The Mystery of the Bamboo Bird (1960)
• The Sierra Gold Mystery (1961)
• The Secret of Lost Lake (1963)
• The Mystery of the Stone Tiger (1963)
• The Riddle of the Frozen Fountain (1964)
• The Secret of the Silver Dolphin (1965)
• Mystery of the Wax Queen (1966)
• The Secret of the Minstrel's Guitar (1967)
• The Phantom Surfer (1968)