The Scarlet Slipper Mystery

Nancy Drew comes to the aid of the owners of a local dancing school when they receive an anonymous note threatening their lives.

Nancy Drew comes to the aid of the owners of a local dancing school when they receive an anonymous note threatening their lives.

A major magic trick leads to missing murder evidence in this eighth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to a classic series. When she attends a performance by master illusionist Drake Lonestar, Nancy is skeptical. Lonestar is known for his razzle-dazzle wizardry, but can the magician really make the River Heights library disappear? As it turns out, he can—but that’s not the only thing that goes missing. Key evidence to an upcoming murder trial disappears in the midst of the trick. And one of the trial attorneys just happens to be Nancy’s father, Carson Drew, assisted by her boyfriend, Ned Nickerson. Nancy, Bess, and George are quick to jump on the case, but not quite quick enough: Lonestar has vanished, too, and not even his closest friends know his whereabouts. Magic is its own kind of mystery—but is this one Nancy can handle?

Nancy meets Helene and Henri Fontaine, refugees from Centorvia who run a dancing school in River Heights. Strange circumstances have brought the brother and sister to the United States. When they receive an anonymous note threatening their lives, Nancy offers her help, but she encounters nothing but puzzles. Are the Fontaines involved with the Centrovian underground? Have they been threatened by their own countrymen? When the Fontaines disappear, Nancy and her friends pursue the trail, even though danger lurks around every corner.

Nancy's Aunt Eloise, aware of her niece's current interest in learning horseback riding stunts, sends her a second-hand golden bracelet bearing charms of horses in all five gaits; a sixth charm is missing. Coincidentally, the Sims Circus, former employer of Nancy's equestrian instructor, is coming to town. Nancy investigates the link between the unhappy circus star, young aerialist, Lolita, and her bracelet. Lolita is the adopted daughter of the acting manager, Ringmaster Kroon, and his wife. Pietro, the young, handsome clown, tells Nancy Lolita has the missing charm from her bracelet. Nancy's regular appearances at the circus, and her detective reputation brings the ire of Kroon. When a bareback rider is injured, Nancy is asked to join the show as her replacement.

The Hidden Window Mystery: Nancy and her friends, Bess and George travel to Charlottesville, Virginia in search for a missing stain-glass window.

Nancy finds danger at the dude ranch when she travels to Montana to help an old friend save her spread.