I was honored to contribute a story to this new anthology of super-fun, you-solve-’em mysteries from Chris Grabenstein and the Mystery Writers of America! My contribution, “The Dapperlings,” is a locked door-style mystery set at Camp Bewilder, where it falls to your old friends Milo and Meddy to find some missing mushrooms. (Sharp readers will discover that this story takes place at the same time as the events of The Thief Knot.) Super Puzzletastic Mysteries hits the shelves in June!
From the publisher:
Bestselling author Chris Grabenstein and the Mystery Writers of America bring together twenty peerless puzzles—from bestselling authors such as Peter Lerangis, Stuart Gibbs, Lauren Magaziner, Kate Milford, and, of course, Grabenstein himself—in an anthology of mystery short stories that invite readers to try to unravel the riddles themselves.
From tales of hapless superheroes and stolen squirrel monkeys to murderous triplets and haunted basements, these thrilling, puzzling, and hilarious cases have one thing in common—YOU get a chance to be the detective before the author reveals the solution. With twenty-never-before-published mysteries stories, this collection will leave young detectives sleuthing for more!
Always available signed/personalized (by Kate, at least) from McNally Jackson Books, or order from your personal favorite bookmonger:
Praise for Super Puzzletastic Mysteries:
“In the spirit of Donald Sobol, creator of Encyclopedia Brown, 20 writers for young people offer short mysteries for budding sleuths to tackle…solutions in the back. The MacGuffins range from the usual suspects (missing artworks, fundraising proceeds, and valuable jewelry) to more-unusual engines of mystery, such as whether a supposed ghost is real or not and who stomped out the giant letters “F-A-R-T” in the snow…None of these entries are no-brainers, being either chock full of red herrings, fiendishly tricky, or reliant on coded messages or, for that “ghost,” a knowledge of atmospheric physics…Tasty challenges for preteen Poirots, middle-grade Miss Marples, and “Jigsaw Jones” grads.” — Kirkus
“It can be fun to get lost in a long and winding mystery, but sometimes a quicker case is just the ticket. Grabenstein, known for his Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series, has gathered 20 short stories for young readers to puzzle over in this new anthology released in conjunction with Mystery Writers of America. The first entry gets things off to a silly start with a question of who tracked a 20-foot-high “FART” in the snow outside of a school, and others go on to tackle a variety of entertaining subjects, from the usual missing items to a potentially haunted typewriter spitting out encrypted messages. The puzzles range in difficulty and approach, but there are lengthy solutions and satisfying resolutions tucked away in the back of the book, so no reader will be left frustrated. The short-story format makes it easy to dip in and out as the mood strikes, and young mystery afficionados will relish the opportunity to put their sleuthing skills to the test.” — Booklist