The Clue of the Tapping Heels facts for kids
Original edition cover
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| Author | Carolyn Keene |
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| Cover artist | Russell H. Tandy |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Nancy Drew Mystery Stories |
| Genre | Juvenile literature |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
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Publication date
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1939, 1969 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-448-09516-5 |
| OCLC | 39921931 |
| Preceded by | The Haunted Bridge |
| Followed by | The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk |
The Clue of the Tapping Heels is the 16th book in the exciting Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It first came out in 1939. Later, in 1970, a new and different version of the story was published with the same name. You can still find this mystery book in stores today!
Contents
Solving the 1939 Mystery
A Cat, a Woman, and a Secret
The story begins when Nancy Drew and her friends, Bess and George, find a lost Persian cat. They return the cat to its owner, Annie Carter. Miss Carter is a kind, older woman who lives with many cats. While visiting her, Nancy notices some neighbors who are upset about the cats. This is where Nancy's new mystery begins!
The Mystery of Gus Woonton
Nancy learns about a boy named Gus Woonton. A neighbor, Fred Bunce, used to care for Gus. Miss Carter liked Gus and paid for him to live at a special institution. Soon, Miss Carter gets a message saying Gus has died. Fred Bunce seems very eager to pay for the funeral. This makes Nancy suspicious.
A Clue from the Past
After the neighbors leave, a man named Horace St. Will visits Miss Carter's home. He is looking for "Lady Violette." Nancy learns that Miss Carter used to be an actress and played a character named Lady Violette. Mr. St. Will and Miss Carter are happy to see each other again.
Mr. St. Will tells Nancy that he knew Gus's father, Ralph Woonton. He also says that Ralph and his wife never had a son. This makes Nancy wonder if Gus Woonton was really who he seemed. Mr. Will gives Nancy some old letters from Ralph Woonton.
Following the Clues
Nancy believes someone stole money that Gus Woonton was supposed to inherit. She suspects Fred Bunce. Nancy follows Bunce and sees him losing a lot of money. Soon after, the Bunces mysteriously leave their apartment. Nancy, Bess, and George search the empty apartment. They find two of Miss Carter's lost kittens and return them to her.
Miss Carter does not have much money. She sends checks to a young actress in New York City. Miss Carter hurt her leg, so Nancy hires Mrs. Bealing to help care for her and her cats. Nancy's investigation takes her to New York and even onto a cruise ship. She faces danger trying to get the stolen money back. Nancy's special "tapping" helps her escape when she is kidnapped. This tapping also leads her to find the missing child and solve the mystery!
The 1969 Story Change
The story was rewritten and published again in 1969. In this version, Nancy is a tap dancer in a charity show. She and her friends, Bess and George, start investigating strange tapping sounds at Miss Carter's house. Miss Carter in this story loves cats, especially valuable ones. Nancy realizes there might be a trick happening. Attacks also happen at the charity show. The mysterious tapping sounds continue. Could they be secret messages?
Book Artwork Over Time
Original Cover Art (1939)
The first cover for The Clue of the Tapping Heels was drawn by Russell H. Tandy. It shows Nancy, Bess, and George grabbing a ladder outside Nancy's house at night. Some people who collect these books noticed that this picture didn't quite match the story. The publisher wanted Nancy to be with her friends on the cover. Also, the house in the picture didn't look like Nancy Drew's home described in the books.
Later Cover Art (1962 & 1969)
Rudy Nappi drew the revised cover art for the 1962 picture cover. This version showed the same scene, but it was corrected to match the book's text. In this picture, Nancy is alone, seeing the ladder outside her house at night. For the 1969 rewritten edition, Nappi also painted a very bright and colorful cover. It shows images of Nancy tap dancing and a close-up of her face next to a large Persian cat's head. All of this is on a bright yellow background.
