A rare Chinese vase is stolen from a pottery shop. Nancy and the owner of the shop feel that locating "the leaning chimney" will provide the clue to the vase and other stolen articles.
Nancy, Bess and George witness the explosion and burning of a country mansion and help to rescue the occupants. They must then discover whether the fire was an accident or arson.
Nancy Drew's latest involvement in a mystery begins in her home town and concerns a synthetic sapphire with a spider embedded in it, and the strange disappearance of Ned Nickerson.
Nancy receives a letter meant for a British heiress who has the same name and, in her attempts to contact the other young woman, faces danger from a man who operates a Lonely Hearts Club mail fraud.
