Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Secret at the Hermitage | 1936 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 2 | The Circle of Footprints | 1937 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 3 | Mystery of the Locked Room | 1938 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 4 | The Clue in the Cobweb | 1939 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 5 | The Secret at the Gatehouse | 1940 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 6 | The Mysterious Fireplace | 1941 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 7 | The Clue of the Rusty Key | 1942 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 8 | The Portrait in the Sand | 1943 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 9 | The Secret in the Old Well | 1944 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 10 | The Clue in the Ivy | 1952 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 11 | The Secret of the Jade Ring | 1953 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 12 | Mystery at the Crossroads | 1954 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 13 | The Ghost in the Gallery | 1955 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 14 | The Clue of the Black flower | 1956 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 15 | The Winking Ruby Mystery | 1957 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 16 | The Secret of the Swiss Chalet | 1958 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 17 | The Haunted Lagoon | 1959 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 18 | Mystery of the Bamboo Bird | 1960 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 19 | The Sierra Gold Mystery | 1961 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 20 | The Secret of the Lost Lake | 1962 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 21 | Mystery of the Stone Tiger | 1963 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 22 | The Riddle of the Frozen Fountain | 1964 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 23 | The Secret of the Silver Dolphin | 1965 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 24 | Mystery of the Wax Queen | 1966 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 25 | The Secret of the Minstrel’s Guitar | 1967 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 26 | The Phantom Surfer | 1968 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 27 | The Curious Coronation | 1976 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 28 | The Hundred Year Mystery | 1977 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 29 | Mountain-Peak Mystery | 1978 | Dana Girls | Buy |
| 30 | The Witch’s Omen | 1979 | Dana Girls | Buy |
The Dana Girls Mystery Stories follow sisters Jean and Louise Dana through 30 mysteries published between 1936 and 1979. Created by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the series shares a publisher and pen name with Nancy Drew, though the Dana Girls books have always had their own distinct identity.
The books are set at Starhurst School and the surrounding area, where the sisters keep finding themselves mixed up in puzzling situations. Early entries like The Secret at the Hermitage and Mystery of the Locked Room set the tone with hidden rooms, secret passages, and plenty of clues to follow. The mysteries are self-contained, so readers can pick up any book without needing to have read the previous ones.