Mystery and detective stories (Tamariki).

Here is a list of books for mystery fans and the budding detective. This selection of mystery and detective stories is bound to amused and inspire your inner Sherlock or Enola Holmes, Famous Five, and Nancy Drew.

Updated August 20, 2024
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Five on a treasure island
Blyton, Enid.
Paper Book
Celebrate 80 years of the Famous Five with this fabulous edition of the first book featuring a cover by Sir Quentin Blake. Join the adventure! Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog find excitement and adventure wherever they go in Enid Blyton's most popular series - a...
Five on Finniston Farm
Blyton, Enid.
Paper Book
Fear itself
Clements, Andrew
Paper Book
Time is ticking as the countdown to total school demolition continues. But in addition to deciphering maritime clues that could save the building, Ben Pratt and his friend Jill have to stay one step ahead of Lyman, the snake posing as the school janitor--who will do anything to preserve the $30...
In harm's way
Clements, Andrew
Paper Book
The threat to the Keepersdoubles in the fourth Keepers of the School adventure from Andrew Clements, the master of the school story. Benjamin Pratt and his friends Jill and Robert are determined to save their school from destruction. But just when it seems they've finally...
We hold these truths
Clements, Andrew
Paper Book
From the author of Frindle, Ben and his friends have just three days left to save their school or it will be bulldozed before their very eyes. The conclusion to Andrew Clements's dynamic Keepers of the School series! The Keepers of the School--known to their friends as Ben...
We the children
Clements, Andrew
Paper Book
Benjamin Pratt's school is about to become the site of a new amusement park. It sounds like a dream come true! But lately, Ben has been wondering if he's going to like an amusement park in the middle of his town--with all the buses and traffic and eight dollar slices of pizza. It's going to change...
The whites of their eyes
Clements, Andrew.
Paper Book
Demolition looms in the third Keepers of the School adventure from Andrew Clements, the master of the school story. Benjamin Pratt is running out of time--and if the old Oakes School gets torn down by greedy developers, his hometown by the sea will be changed forever. Good thing...
Framed
Cottrell Boyce, Frank.
Paper Book
A few things to know about Dylan He is the only boy in his entire town—so forget about playing soccer. His best friends are two pet chickens. His family owns the world's only gas station/coffee house—their pies are to die for, but profits are in the hole. ...
The fire-raiser
Gee, Maurice.
Paper Book
Set in New Zealand at the beginning of World War I, this novel depicts four children who band together to find out who has been setting fire to buildings all over town.
Mystery
Geisert, Arthur.
Paper Book
When a little piglet accompanies her grandpa to the museum on copying day, she soon discovers that something is amiss. Large sections of the museum’s paintings have been cut out and forgeries sewn in their place. Who would commit such a theft, and how could they have pulled it off? This...
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library
Grabenstein, Chris.
Paper Book
Can you find your way out of what James Patterson calls the "coolest library in the world"? Join gamer-fan Kyle Keeley as he competes in the escape game of a lifetime!   From the coauthor of I Funny and Max Einstein--and with 100+ weeks on the the New...
The accomplice
Grisham, John
Paper Book
Theodore Boone is back on the case in an all-new adventure! Bestselling author John Grisham delivers a page-turning legal thriller for a new generation of readers. Theo has been worried about his good friend Woody Lambert. Woody is struggling at school and making bad...
The activist
Grisham, John.
Paper Book
Book 4 in the thrilling young mystery series from intrenationally bestselling author John Grisham Theodore Boone is back in action! As all of Strattenburg sits divided over a hot political and environmental issue, Theo finds himself right in the thick of it. The county commission is...
The fugitive
Grisham, John.
Paper Book
Theodore Boone returns in this fifth adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham, master of the modern legal thriller Theo Boone thought the danger had passed, but he's about to face off against an old adversary: accused murderer and fugitive Pete Duffy...
Theodore Boone : the scandal
Grisham, John
Paper Book
Thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone knows every judge, police officer, and court clerk in Strattenburg. He has even helped bring a fugitive to justice. But even a future star lawyer like Theo has to deal with statewide standardized testing. When an anonymous tip leads the school board to...
The abduction
Grisham, John.
Paper Book
Book 2 in the thrilling young mystery series from internationally bestsellling author John Grisham When we last saw Theo Boone, he ensured that justice was served by uncovering evidence that kept a guilty man off of the streets. Hot off this high-profile murder trial, thirteen-year-old...
Father's arcane daughter
Konigsburg, E. L.
Paper Book
Caroline, who was kidnapped as a teenager, returns home to claim her family fortune.
Art detective : spot the difference!
Kutschbach, Doris.
Paper Book
From Michelangelo to Picasso, art history is filled with stories of spectacular forgeries that have stumped the greatest scholars of their time. It is from this fascinating angle that young readers learn about the great works of art in this fun and educational book. Set in an imaginary museum, it...
Judy Moody was in a mood
McDonald, Megan
Paper Book
Any kid who's ever been in a bad mood will relate to the feisty, funny, ever-changing Judy Moody. To start, Judy Moody doesn't have high hopes for third grade. Her new desk won't have an armadillo sticker with her name on it. Her new classroom will not have a porcupine named...
The Curse
Ostow, Micol
Paper Book
Based on the hit CW series Nancy Drew! In this prequel novel, the beloved teen sleuth investigates a sinister, once-dormant curse that may be threatening her town once more. This is Nancy Drew for today, perfect for fans of Riverdale, The Chilling...
"When did you see her last?"
Snicket, Lemony
Paper Book
Before the Baudelaires became orphans, before he encountered A Series of Unfortunate Events, even before the invention of Netflix, Lemony Snicket was a boy discovering the mysteries of the world. I should have asked the question "How could someone who was missing be in two...
"Who could that be at this hour?"
Snicket, Lemony
Paper Book
A New York Times Notable Children's Book of the Year*A Kirkus Best Book of the Year*A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year ★ "Fans of A Series of...
Friday Barnes, girl detective
Spratt, R. A.
Paper Book
"A must-have series for middle-grade readers." --Booklist A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, 2017 Imagine if Sherlock Holmes was an eleven-year-old girl! When Friday Barnes, girl genius, solves a bank robbery, she uses the...
The case of the left-handed lady : an Enola Holmes mystery
Springer, Nancy
Paper Book
Don't miss Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess! Now a Netflix original movie starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and Helena Bonham Carter! Enola Holmes--younger sister to Sherlock Holmes--is back on another case! Enola Holmes is...
The case of the missing marquess : an Enola Holmes mystery
Springer, Nancy
Paper Book
Now a Netflix original movie starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and Helena Bonham Carter! Meet Enola Holmes, teenaged girl turned detective and the younger sister to Sherlock Holmes. When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her...
When you reach me
Stead, Rebecca.
Paper Book
"Like A Wrinkle in Time (Miranda's favorite book), When You Reach Me far surpasses the usual whodunit or sci-fi adventure to become an incandescent exploration of 'life, death, and the beauty of it all.'" --The Washington Post   This...
Murder is bad manners
Stevens, Robin
Paper Book
Two friends form a detective agency--and must solve their first murder case--in this "sharp-witted debut" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) that is the first adventure in a brand-new middle grade mystery series set at a 1930s boarding school. Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong...
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Stewart, Trenton Lee
Paper Book
For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society series is not to be missed! "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of children...
The case of the missing moonstone
Stratford, Jordan.
Paper Book
History, mystery, and science collide in a new series for middle-grade readers, perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and Lemony Snicket!   Jordan Stratford imagines an alternate 1826, where Ada Lovelace (the world's first computer programmer)...
The mysterious howling
Wood, Maryrose.
Paper Book
Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the...

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