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
Meet Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timothy. Together they are THE FAMOUS FIVE - Enid Blyton's most popular adventure series. All 21 titles also available as audiobooks! 'There was something else out on the sea by the rocks - something dark that seemed to lurch out of the...
Five on Finniston Farm
Blyton, Enid.
Paper Book
Meet Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timothy. Together they are THE FAMOUS FIVE - Enid Blyton's most popular adventure series. All 21 titles also available as audiobooks! In book eighteen, the Famous Five hunt for the lost dungeons of a ruined castle on Finniston Farm. The...
Fear itself
Clements, Andrew
Paper Book
Time is ticking as the countdown to Ben Pratt's school's total demolition continues. Ben has been given a handful of clues that could help them save the school, but they are all written in maritime riddles. "After five bells sound, time to sit down." What the heck does that mean? It's hard to know...
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
Time is almost out for the Keepers of the School in this fifth Keepers adventure from Andrew Clements, the master of the school story. The Keepers of the School--known to their friends as Ben, Jill, and Robert--have one last chance to save their school before it's torn down to...
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 wonder 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
Andrew Clements delivers the latest in his adventure-filled school series. This could be the last great Memorial Day weekend on Barclay Bay, and Ben knows it. This time next year, he might not be able to stand in the yard of the Oakes School and watch the harbor shake off winter-...
Framed : the perfect crime - it's a work of art
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
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets A Night in the Museum in this action-packed New York Times Bestseller from Chris Grabenstein, coauthor of I Funny, Treasure Hunters and other bestselling series with James Patterson!...
Theodore Boone : 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...
Theodore Boone : the activist
Grisham, John
Paper Book
Theodore Boone is back, and he's facing his most dangerous case yet. As Strattenburg sits divided over a hot political and environmental issue, Theo finds himself in the middle of the battle. When he uncovers corruption beneath the surface, Theo will confront bigger risks than ever to himself and...
Theodore Boone : the fugitive
Grisham, John
Paper Book
"Not since Nancy Drew has a nosy, crime-obsessed kid been so hard to resist." --The New York Times   Thirteen-year-old Theodore 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...
Theodore Boone : the abduction
Grisham, John.
Paper Book
Visit www.theodoreboone.com Watch a video Theodore Boone is back in a new adventure and the stakes are higher than ever. When his best friend April disappears from her bedroom in the middle of the night, no one, not even Theo Boone--who knows April better than...
My father's daughter
Konigsburg, E. L.
Paper Book
Poor Little Rich Boy Winston Carmichael has it all: a big house, servants, vacations in Palm Beach, and a fancy private school. But with overprotective parents and a sense of responsibility for his younger sister, Heidi, Winston sometimes feels more as if he's living in a prison...
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
McDonald, Megan
Paper Book
The mercurial Judy Moody will delight any kid who's known a bad mood or a bad day--and managed to laugh anyway. "Judy Moody was in a mood. Not a good mood. A bad mood. A mad-faced mood." To start, Judy Moody doesn't have high hopes for third grade. Her new desk won't...
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
★ "Fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events will be in heaven."―Kirkus Reviews, starred review Before the Baudelaires became orphans, before he encountered A Series of Unfortunate Events, even before the invention of Netflix, Lemony Snicket was a...
"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
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...
Enola Holmes : the case of the missing marquess
Springer, Nancy.
Paper Book
When Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared--on her 14th birthday nonetheless--she knows she alone can find her. Disguising herself as a grieving widow, Enola sets out to the heart of London to uncover her mother's...
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 most unladylike
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...

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