Mystery

Unless otherwise noted, books are arranged on the shelves by the author’s last name in the sections below.

Titles available in:
E= e-book
L= large print
A= audiobook
P= Playaway
Ea= e-audiobook 

J FICTION (Grades 2-3)

Horrible Harry and the Locked Closet by Suzy Kline
Harry and his detective classmates try to find clues relating to a mysterious locked closet in Room 3B.  68 pgs.  (Look for other titles by this author.)

Mystery of the Missing Luck by Jacqueline Pearce
When her grandmother’s lucky cat statue goes missing, can Sara solve the mystery and save the day?  61 pgs.

Little Wolf: Forest Detective by Ian Whybrow
After several forest residents disappear, including his own younger brother, Little Wolf tries to crack the case.  104 pgs.

MYSTERY SERIES TO ENJOY

Cam Jansen by David A. Adler                                            E  A  P  
With her friend Eric, Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to solve crimes. 

A J. J. Tully Mystery by Doreen Cronin
J.J. Tully, retired search-and-rescue dog, uses his detective skills to unravel cases ranging from missing chicks to a mysterious new neighbor dog.

Fletcher Mysteries by Elizabeth Levy                                    A  P
Fletcher, a basset hound, is aided by his personal flea, Jasper, as he solves mysteries with style.

Milo & Jazz Mysteries by Lewis B. Montgomery
Milo teams up with his classmate Jasmyne (Jazz) to unravel mysteries.

Jigsaw Jones Mysteries by James Preller                               A  P
Jigsaw Jones and his partner, Mila, search for clues and piece together mysteries.

A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy                                                A
Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose are good friends who solve mysteries beginning with every letter of the alphabet.

Boxcar Children Mysteries  
by Gertrude Chandler Warner                                                E  A  P
Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny live with their grandfather and get involved in solving a number of mysteries.

J FICTION (Grades 3-6)

Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook
by Mary Amato
After the class goldfish is stolen, Edgar Allan is determined to solve the cryptic poems left behind and find the culprit.  140 pgs.

Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger                                   A
Horton is a kitchen boy in a nineteenth-century English castle. How will Horton defend himself when he’s accused of stealing the family heirloom? Will he triumph in this tale of greed, theft, and corsets?   206 pgs.

Chihuahua Chase by A.E. Cannon
When a classmate who has been teasing her loses his prized Chihuahua, Addie May helps him crack the case.  122 pgs.

Utterly Me, Clarice Bean by Lauren Child                         
After someone steals the winner's trophy for the school book project, Clarice emulates her favorite book heroine, Ruby Redfort the detective.  190 pgs.

Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements         A
Ted Hammond is the only sixth grader in his small Nebraska town's one-room schoolhouse. Ted searches for clues to the disappearance of a homeless family.  162 pgs.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
by Arthur Conan Doyle                                                          L  A  Ea
A collection of mystery adventures featuring Sherlock Holmes. This is a great introduction to the world’s most famous fictional detective.  342 pgs.

The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton                   L  A 
A black family tries to unravel the secrets of their new home which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.  279 pgs.  (Also look for The Mystery of Drear House.)

Mudshark by Gary Paulsen                                                   E  P
Mudshark is the best problem-solver at the school, but will he be able to deal with an escaped gerbil and the mystery of why all the blackboard erasers disappear from the classrooms?  83 pgs.

Two Crafty Criminals!: And How They Were Captured by the Daring Detectives of the New Cut Gang by Philip Pullman                                                                         A
It is 1894 in London’s rowdy South Bank, and a group of rag-tag kids solve crimes ranging from counterfeit coins to stolen silver.  281 pgs.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin                                     E  L  A  P 
The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs. One of them stands to inherit $200 million, while another is the murderer.  182 pgs.  (Look for other titles by this author.)

MYSTERY SERIES TO ENJOY

American Girl History Mysteries    (J HIS)                         A
Join these girls in mysterious situations including the Pony Express trail in 1860, San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, and Louisiana during the War of 1812.

American Girl Mysteries   (J AME)                                     A
Join Felicity, Josefina, Kaya, Kit, Molly and Samantha as they solve different mysteries.

Brixton Brothers by Mac Barnett                                         A
Seventh-grader Steve Brixton is an aspiring detective who encounters secret agent librarians, kidnappers and assassins in these fun adventures.  

The Sherlock Files by Tracy Barrett                                     A
Americans Xena and Xander Holmes discover that Sherlock Holmes was their great-great-great grandfather. After moving to London, they help solve a series of mysteries.

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin
Mysterious puzzles could lead Winston Breen to treasure, but also to danger.  215 pgs.

Field Trip Mysteries by Steve Brezenoff
Mysteries are happening on class field trips. Edward G. Garrisson (known as Egg) and his friends try to solve these puzzling mysteries.

The Buddy Files by Dori Hillestad Butler
Buddy is a smart dog. He solves mysteries ranging from finding a missing family to a situation involving two pugs that were switched at the dog park.

Hardy Boys (several series) by Franklin W. Dixon                L  A  Ea
Frank and Joe Hardy, sons of famous detective Fenton Hardy, become well-known detectives in their own right as they solve mysteries.

Chet Gecko Mystery by Bruce Hale                                     A
A fourth-grade lizard detective and his partner, Natalie, solve mysteries at their school.

Nancy Drew (several series) by Carolyn Keene                    A  Ea
Nancy Drew is a teenage detective who solves crimes with the help of her friends George and Bess.

Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol                             E  A  P  Ea
Encyclopedia Brown earned his nickname for knowing just about everything. He uses his knowledge to help his father, the police chief, fight crime in the town of Idaville.

JH FICTION (Grades 6-8)

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett                                        L  A  P 
When seemingly unrelated events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.  254 pgs.  

Madhattan Mystery by John J. Bonk
Lexi and her brother Kevin spend their summer in New York City with their aunt. After they overhear a jewel thief, they spring into action. Will they be able to recover Cleopatra’s jewels stolen from the Metropolitan Museum?  292 pgs.

Masterpiece by Elise Broach                                                 L  A  Ea 
Eleven year old James receives a tiny, detailed drawing as a birthday gift from Marvin the beetle. The two unlikely friends are drawn into the art world and become embroiled in the mystery behind the theft of a valuable drawing.  292 pgs.

Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer                            L  A  Ea 
Twelve-year-old private investigator Fletcher Moon, nicknamed "Half Moon," must track down a conspiracy or be framed for a crime he did not commit.  290 pgs.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd                      E  A  P
Ted and Kat watch their cousin Salim board the London Eye ferris wheel, but he never gets off. Where could he be? Ted and Kat must work together to find Salim; Ted’s differently-wired brain helps them decipher the clues.  322 pgs.

The Midnight Tunnel: A Suzanna Snow Mystery
by Angie Frazier
In early 1900’s New Brunswick, Canada, Susanna works at her family’s hotel. After a young guest disappears, can she help her detective uncle solve the crime?  283 pgs. (Also look for The Mastermind Plot.)

Eddie: The Lost Youth of Edgar Allen Poe by Scott Gustafson
Young Eddie is accused of destroying a chicken coop. He has two days to solve the mystery and prove that he’s innocent.  199 pgs.

Closed for the Season: A Mystery Story
by Mary Downing Hahn                                                         A
When Logan moves to a new town, he discovers that an unsolved murder was committed in his new home, and he is determined to find out the truth.  182 pgs.

The Homemade Stuffing Caper by John V. Madormo
Sixth-grader Charlie decides to run a detective agency out of his garage. Can Charlie solve mysteries while hiding what he’s doing from his parents?  248 pgs.

Walls Within Walls by Maureen Sherry
When they move to an apartment in Manhattan, the Smithfork children discover cryptic clues in their apartment that may lead to the discovery of a long-lost treasure.  349 pgs.

The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle by Catherine Webb
Genius inventor Horatio Lyle leaves his laboratory in Victorian England to track down an ancient artifact with great powers. In the process, he acquires young sidekicks Tess and Thomas, and they have many adventures before a climactic battle.  311 pgs.  (Also look for The Obsidian Dagger.)

MYSTERY SERIES TO ENJOY

Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams                                A  P
Like her idol Sherlock Holmes, eighth-grader Ingrid Levin-Hill uses her intellect to solve cases in her home town of Echo Falls.

Red Blazer Girls by Michael Beil                                         A
Sophie, Margaret, Rebecca and Leigh Ann are seventh graders at St. Veronica’s School in Manhattan. When there are mysteries to be solved, they’re on the case!

Herculeah Jones Mystery by Betsy Cromer Byars
Mystery solving comes naturally to Herculeah Jones, the daughter of a police detective and a private investigator.

Cat Royal Adventure by Julia Golding
Drury Lane Theater in 1790’s London is the only home that orphan Catherine (“Cat”) has ever known. She is drawn into many intrigues and mysteries in London and beyond.

A Samurai Mystery by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
In eighteenth-century Japan, Seikei solves mysteries, learns the ways of the Samurai, joins a kabuki acting troop and experiences many other adventures.

Diamond Brothers Mystery by Anthony Horowitz
Brothers Tim and Nick form the world’s worst detective agency. Somehow, they manage to keep one step ahead of trouble and also solve some mysteries.

Hermux Tantamoq Adventure by Michael Hoeye              Ea
Watchmaker-mouse Hermux Tantamoq enjoys a quiet and orderly life until he gets pulled into adventures and mysteries.

Hannah West Mystery by Linda Johns  
Hannah West is a twelve-year-old aspiring artist, photographer and budding sleuth who gets to the bottom of mysteries.

Lady Grace Mysteries    (JH LAD)                                     
What starts out as a journal about her life as one of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Maids of Honor soon becomes the place where Lady Grace recounts tales of daggers, death and daring. 

Sherlock Holmes, the Legend Begins by Andy Lane          L  A
Fourteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes solves his first murder mysteries. 

The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence                      A  Ea
In ancient Rome, four children join together to solve mysteries. The new detectives find themselves in danger again and again, yet manage to escape and solve the crimes.

Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars
by Tracy Mack                                                                       
A group of streetwise boys known as the Baker Street Irregulars help Sherlock Holmes solve mysteries.

An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer                    A  P
Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, sets about London doing her own sleuthing.

Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Draanen                            E  A  P
If seventh-grade detective Sammy Keyes is not putting out fires, planting baby-monitor listening devices or tracking down missing valuables, then she's running from the law!

8/12 MSP

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This list was created by Youth Services, St. Charles Public Library.