Nancy's father, Carson Drew, is on the trail of an international ring of jewel thieves and he asks Nancy to assist him. The trail leads to a summer resort area. Before Nancy has a chance to start work on her father's case, a golf caddy tells her a frightening tale. In the dense woods nearby is an old wooden footbridge guarded by a ghost! Intrigued by the caddy's story, Nancy decides to investigate the haunted bridge.

Nancy plays golf here and she plans to win the trophy in the golf tournament until she toppled into a flower bed and sprained her hand. Several riddles confront the young detective as she attempts to solve the mystery of the haunted bridge and track down a woman suspected of being a key member of the gang of jewel thieves.