Nancy, George, and Bess are vacationing at Misty Lake when they meet Cecily Curtis. Mr. Drew has sent the girls to give Cicely the key to her lodgings - the owner refuses to go near the lake because of a ghost ship. Cecily asks for Nancy Drew's help to solve two mysteries: one concerning her fiancee, the other involving a family secret.
Cecily's fiancee is Niko Van Dyke a musician who believes his record company is cheating him out of earned royalties.
The clue to her family secret is half of a golden locket that Cecily was told leads to a pre-civil war cache of buried treasure.
The investigation leads to Pudding Stone Lodge and the Driscoll family who may be involved in Niko's misfortunes. They also discover Cecily's look-alike -- an unknown cousin held in the thrall of the Driscolls.
When twin children go missing Nancy, Bess, and George are set on finding the answers to all of their questions. They call in the help of Ned Nickerson, Dave Evans, and Burt Eddleton - the girls' respective boyfriends.
Through quick thinking and perseverance, Nancy and her friends solve the mysteries in front of them. Middle grade and young readers will enjoy the mystery, with enough suspense to keep them wondering who is who and what will happen to Nancy on this next adventure?