This is a list of children’s mystery books of the 1970s.
Individual Books
Basil and the Pygmy Cats (1971)
Basil’s arch enemy, Professor Ratigan, has taken over the Asian country of Bengistan, near India. Basil journeys there to rescue the rightful ruler and also undertakes a mission to locate a mythical species of mouse-sized cats.
Delbert, The Plainclothes Detective (1971)
Delbert and his friend Andy search for the person who robbed their neighbor. By Joan Lowery Nixon.
Father’s Arcane Daughter (1976)
A mysterious woman joins a wealthy family, claiming to be a long-lost daughter who was believed to be dead, and she changes their lives for the better. However, is she really who she claims to be? By E.L. Konigsburg.
Frankenstein Moved In on the Fourth Floor (1979)
Two brothers become convinced that the weird new neighbor in their apartment building is actually Frankenstein. By Elizabeth Levy, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein.
The Ghost that Came Alive (1975)
Siblings who are making a car trip home without their parents become trapped by a storm at an old house full of sinister people and a possible ghost. By Vic Crume.
The Midnight Ghost (1973)
Andrew is an amateur detective, and he’s looking for a ghost! By Carol Beach York
The Mystery at Fire Island (1978)
A girl and her brother investigate a mysterious man near their family’s summer home.
The Mystery Hideout (1976)
Two boys solve the mystery of a gang of thieves and save one boy’s home from destruction. By Ken Follett.
The Mystery in Dracula’s Castle (1973)
A boy who idolizes Sherlock Holmes agrees to help his brother with his Dracula movie over the summer and ends up finding a mystery to solve. This is the novelization of a Disney movie.
Mystery of the Black Diamonds (1974)
While visiting Colorado with their father while he does research for a mystery novel, Mark and Angie meet an old man who gives them the key to a mysterious treasure. By Phyllis A. Whitney.
The Mystery of the Other Girl (1971)
Stevie gets an odd phone call from a girl she’s never met that’s meant for her ex-boyfriend. It sounds like the girl who called is in danger, and Stevie has to figure out who and where she is. By Wylly Folk St. John.
No More Magic (1975)
When Chris’s bike disappears on Halloween night, he and the new girl in town think that it may have been stolen by a mysterious warlock.
A Spell is Cast (1974)
Cory, a lonely young orphan, goes to stay with her guardian’s relatives in California, learning the secrets of her own past and those of her new family and finding a better home than the one she left behind. By Eleanor Cameron.
The Talking Table Mystery (1977)
A pair of friends discover a strange table in the basement of an aunt that once belonged to a medium who gave seances at the house. Now, someone is trying to get the diaries that were left with the table.
The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues (1975)
An art student takes a job as a painter’s assistant and learns the secrets of the people who live in his building and the truth about the murder of her own parents. By Ellen Raskin.
The Treasure of Kilvarra (1974)
A couple of American children visiting Ireland seek a hidden treasure with the help of a gypsy boy and learn a little about Irish history and legend. By Elizabeth Baldwin Hazelton.
The Tree House Mystery (1973)
A brother and sister who have moved to a new house get a strange feeling about the tree house on the property, like someone or something has been living there. By Carol Beach York.
The Valentine Mystery (1979)
Susan and her brother try to figure out who left her an anonymous Valentine. By Joan Lowery Nixon.
The Vanishing Scarecrow (1971)
When Joan and her mother inherit an amusement park from her late uncle, they must learn who is dressing up as a scarecrow and trying to sabotage it. By Phyllis Whitney.
The Westing Game (1978)
A group of strangers who have recently moved into a new apartment building discover that they are the heirs of a reclusive millionaire but have to solve a puzzle in order to claim the inheritance. By Ellen Raskin.
Series
A boy inventor solves mysteries with his sister and friend. By Clifford B. Hicks. 1962-2009.
Two pairs of fraternal twins have adventures and solve mysteries. Early books were more adventure/general fiction than mystery, but the series evolved over time. Books in this series are public domain and are available on Project Gutenberg. A Stratemeyer Syndicate series. 1904-1992.
Four children who lived alone in a boxcar after the death of their parents are taken in by their grandfather and solve mysteries everywhere they go. 1924, 1942-Present.
Dana Girls Mysteries
The Dana girls are a pair of orphaned sisters who live with an aunt and uncle. They attend school, but are often given time off school to investigate mysteries. A Stratemeyer Syndicate series. 1934-1979.
A boy genius who is the son of a police chief helps his father solve mysteries in their town and also solves mysteries for the neighborhood kids with the help of his friend, Sally. 1963-2012.
Hardy Boys Mysteries
Two brothers, Frank and Joe Hardy, solve mysteries in their East Coast town of Bayport and around the world. By Franklin W. Dixon, A Stratemeyer Syndicate series. 1927-Present.
Kay Tracey is a teenage detective who solves mysteries with her friends. A Stratemeyer Syndicate series. 1934-1942, Reissued 1951-1984.
About three siblings who solve mysteries together. Many of them are treasure hunts, and many of them are set by family members. By Peggy Parish. 1966-1986.
The Lone Pine Club is a group of friends who love nature and investigate mysteries. British series. By Malcolm Saville. 1943-1978.
Mary Rose and Jo-Beth Mysteries
About a pair of sisters who live in Indiana and have adventures on road trips with their father. Written by Eth Clifford. 1979-1993.
A ten-year-old boy detective forms a detective agency called the with his neighborhood friends.
Meg and her best friend Kerry solve mysteries in their small Virginia town and other places along the east coast. By Holly Beth Walker. 1967-1972, Reprinted 1978.
Nancy Drew Mysteries
Nancy Drew encounters and solves mysteries with her friends in her hometown of River Heights and around the world. By Carolyn Keene, A Stratemeyer Syndicate series. 1930-Present.
Nate the great is a boy detective who solves cases for other children, especially friends who live in the neighborhood. 1972-Present.
A widow with five children turns her family into a band, and they travel around to singing engagements in a bus painted with psychedelic designs, having adventures along the way. Book series based on the tv show.
Four neighborhood friends, who call themselves by the nicknames Wizard, Skinny, Tubby, and Snitch, have their own private detective club. By Crosby Bonsall. 1963-1980.
“Queer” as in strange, weird, mysterious. No other sense of the word! Two friends, Gwen and Jill, solve mysteries with the help of Jill’s dog, Fletcher, who loves salami. By Elizabeth Levy. 1973-2003.
The Stanleys are a blended family, and the children solve mysteries, sometimes with a spooky theme. By Zilpha Keatley Snyder. 1971-1989.
The Three Investigators Series
Three friends form a detective business, using a trailer in a salvage yard as their headquarters. 1964-1987, re-released 1990s.
A classic mystery series featuring a girl and her group of friends who solve mysteries and support good causes. Created by Julie Campbell and continued by other authors. 1948-1986.
Jestress's Forgotten Books and Stories 