Some of the books listed in this section are historical fiction books as well as mysteries, which is why they are listed separately from the others. There are also some books that are listed as individual books that are actually part of series because the other books in that series were published in other decades. If you look at the entry for a specific book, it will tell you if it’s part of a series or not.
Individual Books
Basil in the Wild West (1990)
After leaving Mexico, Basil and his best friend Dr. Dawson journey north into the western territories of the United States. There, they investigate smuggled antiquities from Mexico and a strange, glowing Thing haunting a hotel.
Beware the Ravens, Aunt Morbelia (1995)
Aunt Morbelia inherits an estate in England and her nephew and a friend go there with her to see it and learn the secrets of some strange things happening there. This is the sequel to Aunt Morbelia and the Screaming Skulls. By Joan Carris.
Coffin on a Case (1992)
Henry Coffin, the son of a private investigator, helps a girl search for her missing mother.
A Ghost of a Chance (1992)
Three boys search for the hidden treasure of Blackbeard the pirate over summer vacation. By Joan Carris.
Liars (1992)
A boy discovers that he has the ability to tell when people are lying, but he can’t always tell what secrets people are hiding. By P. J. Petersen.
Megan’s Island (1990)
Megan’s mother is hiding secrets when she suddenly takes the children to the lake for summer vacation early. By Willo Davis Roberts.
My Sister the Witch (1995)
Norman thinks that his sister Elaine is a witch and that she is casting spells on people, including him. By Ellen Conford.
Mystery of the Secret Dolls (1993)
A pair of girls search for antique dolls from the Civil War era that are the key to an old family secret. By Vicki Berger Erwin.
The Mystery on October Road (1991)
A girl and her friends investigate the mysterious man who moved in next door, who keeps to himself and whose face is always covered by a bandana. By Alison Cragin Herzig and Jane Lawrence Mali.
Mystery on Taboga Island (1995)
Amy goes to Taboga Island, off the coast of Panama, with her aunt for the summer and finds a mystery involving a lost painting.
Our Teacher Is Missing (1992)
When her teacher mysteriously disappears, Eliza feels like she is the only one who cares and investigates with the help of some friends. By Mary Frances Shura.
The Vandemark Mummy (1991)
A brother and sister move to Maine with their father, where he is put in charge of a collection of Egyptian artifacts at a small college. They are soon confronted with a mystery concerning the mummy in the collection.
Wrapped in a Riddle (1993)
A girl staying with her grandmother at her bed-and-breakfast investigates the theft of letters written by Mark Twain.
Series
A series of Christian-themed mysteries for children that takes place on a farm in Wisconsin during the early 20th century. 1990-1994.
An anteater solves mysteries for her animal friends.
Bessledorf Mysteries (aka Bernie Magruder Mysteries)
Eleven-year-old Bernie Magruder and his family live in the Bessledorf Hotel in the small town of Middleburg because his father is the hotel manager, and he solves mysteries with the help of his friends. By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. 1983-2003.
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.
A young girl with a photographic memory solves mysteries by using details that she remembers from her mental pictures. By David A. Adler. 1980-2014.
A series of solve-it-yourself mini mysteries is based on the popular board game, Clue. 1992-1997.
About a girl in elementary school who solves mysteries with the help of her friends, who call themselves The Martians. By Susan Pearson. 1990-1991.
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.
Flee Jay and Clarice Mysteries
About a girl who wants to be a detective and her genius younger sister. By Carol Farley. 1986-1991.
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.
A girl whose parents are a police officer and a private investigator solves mysteries. By Betsy Byars, 1994-2006.
Jigsaw Jones is a second-grader who solves mysteries around his school and neighborhood with the help of his friend, Mila. By James Preller. 1998-2008.
The series is about a couple of kids who like magic tricks, Kate and Max. Kate is the one who considers herself a detective, and Max is the main magician with Kate as his assistant. Together, they use magic tricks and concepts in magic to solve their mysteries. By Elizabeth Levy. 1988-1991.
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 Mackintosh is a girl who likes to solve mysteries. The interesting thing about this series is that the books are designed so that the readers can attempt to solve the mysteries along with Meg, using the pictures provided and other clues. By Lucinda Landon. 1986-2013.
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.
Olivia Sharp, Agent for Secrets
Olivia Sharp uses her wits and her family’s money to help her friends to solve their secret problems. 1989-1991.
A group of kids, each with their own secrets, form a club to solve mysteries. 1991-1992.
A series of mysteries with The Kids of the Polk Street School. Dawn uses her Polka Dot Private Eye detective kit to solve mysteries with her friends and classmates. By Patricia Reilly Giff. 1987-1990.
Sammy Keyes is a girl detective whose own life contains many mysteries. By Wendelin Van Draanen. 1998-2014.
About a girl who wants to be a detective and her two friends. They investigate spooky mysteries in a small town in Pennsylvania. By Drew Stevenson. 1991-1996.
Sherlock Holmes’ Tales of Terror
Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson solve spooky mysteries with supernatural themes and Christian morals. By Kel Richards. 1997.
The Sherlock Street Detectives are a group of neighborhood friends who live on Sherlock Street and like to solve mysteries. The stories are educational, and the kids use basic scientific concepts to solve their mysteries. By Mary Blount Christian. 1989-1991.
“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.
An African American girl in Northern California solves mysteries with her friends. By Patricia Elmore. 1980-1992.
A group of third graders investigates strange phenomena and possible ghosts, including one at their school. By Grace Maccarone. 1984-1990.
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.
Historical Mystery Books
Cousins in the Castle (1996)
An orphan girl in the 1800s, Amelia, goes to live with distant relatives and finds herself pursued by a strange group of sinister characters, unsure of who to trust. By Barbara Brooks Wallace.
In the Kaiser’s Clutch (1995)
A pair of twins star in a silent movie serial during World War I and learn that their father’s death was due to war-related sabotage, not an accident.
Midnight Magic (1999)
A servant boy has to help his master solve the frightening mystery of a ghost that haunts a young princess amid political intrigue in Medieval Italy. By Avi.
Historical Mystery Series
American Girl History Mysteries
A series of mysteries featuring girls from different periods of American history. 1999-2004.
A historical mystery series with Christian themes that takes place in turn-of-the-century South Carolina. Amanda Shaw is an orphan with a mysterious past but who finds a new life with relatives she had never met. By Lois Gladys Leppard. 1983-2004.
This is a mystery book series for children in elementary school that focuses on events and people from American history. 1996-1999.
The adopted son of a famous judge helps him to solve mysteries in feudal Japan. Not a series for young children! By Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler. 1999-2014.
Jestress's Forgotten Books and Stories 