Category Archives: Mystery

324S: Haunted House Mystery; Culprit Is A Pet Frog

This was a book on cassette – it may have had an accompanying read along book.  I checked it out from the library all the time in the mid to late 90’s.

There was a group of kid detectives who were asked in to investigate strange noises in an old house and prove it wasn’t haunted. There was a sick, bedridden boy visiting the owner of the house. After investigating, the detectives found that the sick boy had a secret pet frog that was causing the spooky sounds. The sick boy might have been visiting from a different country.

324L: A Hidden Room Mystery Story (Solved!)

1960’s-1970’s YA mystery short story–people search a castle for a missing keep or room wherein may be hidden a fortune.  Many people search.  They decide to put a cloth in each window as they search; then they can see from the outside which window has no cloth and is therefore the hidden room.  The story is possibly from one of the Alfred Hitchcock Presents Anthologies. It certainly had that feel.   Although many others are searching this castle for a missing keep or a room in a keep, only one person finds it.  There is some sort of secret entrance, I recall.  When the finder discovers the entrance and room, another character (the bad guy) goes with him and murders him there and “hides” the secret entrance to the room again.

 I recall (or believe I recall) a line at the end—part of the thoughts of the skeptical castle groundskeeper, I think– “there was no Norman keep.”

 

321J: Girl Solves Mysteries On Rugged Terrain

British young adult adventure/mystery book featuring young girl alone, about 12 or 13 years old. She would venture into caves and various outdoor settings, pursuing the mystery or hiding from someone. At times, it seemed to be rugged terrain, but I’m not certain about the location. She would take “tins” of food and her “rug” (blanket) with her. This is how I surmised it was British.
There were at least two books like this by this author. I read them in the 60s, but I think they were written before that. They were available in my local Midwestern library, (St. Joseph, MO). There were no illustrations or pictures that I recall and, as far as I can remember, the covers were blank. They seemed to be fairly lengthy books, as well.

320T: Kid Wants To Solve Mystery

In the 90s my class read a book about murder mystery. Maybe just a mystery. I think his uncle was killed but not really. I want to say he had an uncle Sam or he was born on Fourth of July. He went to a hotel and questions everyone everything. It was my first mystery book.

320L: The Tarot Class Mystery

A pre teen girl moves to a new town and, as a way of meeting people, takes a Tarot reading class. There is an older girl, possibly named Maya, that befriends the protagonist. Some kind of mystery takes place, maybe the brother of the protagonist is falsely accused? I feel like most of the action happens around the little shop where the Tarot classes happen.

320E: Anthropomorphic Animal Mystery Story

I’m looking for a children’s book I read in the late 70s although I don’t know if it was published around that time or earlier. I was about 7-10 years of age. I had just read The Wind in the Willows and I was interested in this book because it also featured anthropomorphic animals. I want to say that the main characters were squirrels and foxes and the like. They were human-like in that they wore clothes, lived in houses, etc. I believe it was a mystery story perhaps involving a burglary or missing property. I don’t recall it being a picture book although I think it had spot illustrations. Unfortunately, I can’t remember much else except that I enjoyed it a lot, but the details have faded from memory over time. I would love it if someone is able to help me identify it.
Thanks so much!