| The Phantom of Pine Hill | |
| Author: | Carolyn Keene |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Series: | Nancy Drew Mystery Stories |
| Publisher: | Grosset & Dunlap |
| Release Date: | 1965 |
| Media Type: | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Preceded By: | The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes |
| Followed By: | The Mystery of the 99 Steps |
The Phantom of Pine Hill is the forty-second volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was first published in 1965 under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene.[1] The actual author was ghostwriter Harriet Stratemeyer Adams.
Nancy Drew, along with her friends Bess and George, arrive for the Emerson University June Week celebration. There is a mix-up with the motel reservations, but Ned comes to the rescue. Afterward, Ned and Nancy go to a dance, where a young waiter, Fred, spills drinks on Nancy's dress. After cleaning up, Nancy realizes that her pearl necklace is missing, leading her to a baffling mystery. John Rorick, a descendant of the early settlers of the town, invites the three girls as his guests at his historic mansion on Pine Hill.
After they arrive, Rorick tells them of the phantom who haunts the mansion's library. He also relates the family saga of a lost French wedding gown and of valuable gifts and gold coins that were lost in the sinking of the 'Lucy Belle' ship one hundred years ago. Rorick departs, leaving the sleuths with his housekeeper for most of the story. Nancy works with her friends, Ned, and the police to solve the mystery. After her discovery of a secret passage to the library from the chimney, the suspicion turns on Fred and his father.
In between enjoying the university's June Week, river pageant, and fraternity events, Nancy and her friends work diligently to solve the mystery of Pine Hill and locate the long-lost wedding treasures.