Helen Archer (née Corning), is a character in the popular Nancy Drew mystery series. Helen appeared first in 1930 in The Secret of the Old Clock. Helen's character appears in a larger role in The Bungalow Mystery, and is also present in The Mystery at Lilac Inn. In the 1930 editions, Helen is a friend of Nancy's, but does not actively get involved in her mysteries. Helen is also featured in the 1932 edition of Nancy's Mysterious Letter, and the 1933 edition of The Password to Larkspur Lane, and again in 1943's The Clue in the Jewel Box. Helen only takes an active role sleuthing in Larkspur Lane, which was not ghostwritten by Mildred Wirt Benson. Nancy completes detective work alone in the original versions of the first four volumes. This formula is replaced mostly by a trio using cousins B