The Stolen Sapphire: A Samantha Mystery

American Girl Samantha Mysteries #2

by Sarah Masters Buckey

When a famous archaeologist has the priceless jewel he is carrying to London aboard a cruise ship stolen, Samantha and Nellie help him narrow down the suspects.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical, Juvenile

181 pages, Hardcover

First published February 21, 2006

About the author

Sarah Masters Buckey was raised in New Jersey and lived in Texas for 15 years. Sarah was nominated for the Agatha Award in 2008 for A Thief in the Theater and in 2005 for The Curse of Ravenscourt. She was nominated for an Edgar Award in 2007 for The Stolen Sapphire.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alllllll aboard! Samantha and Nellie are ready to set sail on the Queen Caroline with Grandmary and her new husband, Admiral Beemis. They are headed to France - and they cannot wait for the food, culture and adventure.

The trip from America to France will take a few weeks, but they are traveling first class and will have plenty to do on the voyage (including studying French from a tutor).

Samantha is eager to get started...only one problem...there's a thief among the first class passengers.

Professor Wharton is returning from a long journey, and he's managed to obtain the legendary Blue Star.

"The radiant jewel was almost as big as a polished chestnut, and it caught the candlelight and glowed against its bed of dark velvet."

It truly is one-of-a-kind and of course, everyone wants to look (or own) it. But the Professor is bound and determined it belongs in the museum.

But the next time he brings out the Blue Star to show the passengers - it goes missing. The culprit has to be one of the first class passengers...but who?

Can Samantha figure out this mystery before the ship docks? Or will the Blue Star be lost to time once again?

Wow. Just wow. These American Girl books don't get enough credit. The main series is so well-written, and these mystery companion novels seem to be made of the same stuff.

The first mystery in this series was a spooky one - focusing on a cursed building, mysterious disappearances and scary noises in the dark.

This one was more of a whodunit where we know that one of the first class passengers stole the Blue Star but there's plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.

As always, I adored Samantha and Nellie - their friendship is one for the ages - and I love how they always have each other's back. Nellie had a rough time on the seas and Samantha was so sweet as she cared for her. Even when they had a bit of a tiff, you can still see the strong threads of friendship running between them.

I also appreciate how these mysteries are both cannon and sequential. A lot of kids books are made so that they can be read in any order and that always bugs me because it doesn't feel like the world is progressing around the characters.

But so far, every Samantha book happens sequentially - you can figure out where in the series you are based on the family dynamics and the overarching events in the story. With each book, we unveil a bit more Samantha lore and the worldbuilding continues to grow.

Overall, I'm so excited to continue reading these mysteries! I cannot wait to see what they come up with next!

A Peek into the Past

As with most American Girl books, we have a short section that expands upon a historical point mentioned in the story. Here we learn about the practice of well-to-do Americans traveling to Europe solely to experience the country and culture.

We also learn a bit more about what it was like to travel upon luxury ships and the inspiration for the Blue Star - The Star of India: a real-life sapphire the size of a hen's egg.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I binged these books this week. It was good for my heart, you know?

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an especially fun read for me because my 10 year old niece read this to me over the phone or using FaceTime. She loved the book. The author had my niece believing nearly everyone was a suspect. Each time a new clue was provided she was excited to discuss it thoroughly. She had some elaborate and interesting theories which I was happy to discuss with her. We usually talked about clues, how the thief pulled off the crime, and suspects more then reading or listening.

While trying to solve the mystery of the stolen sapphire, my niece also learned a few French words. When the French tutor spoke she used a British/Southern accent. It was adorable and I didn’t want to dash her enthusiasm by pointing out that the English and French have different accents. We also looked at a map so she could see how close Ireland, England and France are to each other. I and enjoyed the story and the time spent with my niece.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great AG marathon continues. Again, reading for the first time as an adult, inspired by the American Girls podcast.

So, a couple years ago, I read one Samantha mystery and one Felicity mystery, and in that instance, the used book store gods did not smile on me: I was underwhelmed by both of them. Fun to get a new story about some old friends, but nothing special.

This one brags on the cover that it was an Edgar Award nominee, suggesting that it was going to be a step up from The Curse of Ravenscourt, and I'm happy to agree that it was! Sometimes it's nice to have low expectations.

Structurally, the mystery moves smoothly through familiar waters: a limited group of suspects with various motives and some twists along the way. Buckey seeds her clues nicely, providing enough hints that you can start to piece things together, but not making the answers too obvious. The setting and suspects new characters are fun - an ocean liner is a natural place to encounter new people, and Buckey sets it up so that the small group of first class passengers are regularly thrown together. The French tutor is both likable and instantly suspicious, the snobby family is easy to dislike,  and the archaeologist comes complete with a monkey!

At one point near the middle, I was worried that Nellie was getting sidelined too much by her seasickness - and then for a hot second even she started to look suspicious, but in the end, I really liked what Buckey did with her plotline: her concerns and preoccupations made perfect sense for her, and, as usual, it helped broaden Samantha's (and thus the reader's) perspective.

Writing Samantha and Nellie is tricky: you want to acknowledge their different backgrounds, but you don't want an imbalance of power between them. Samantha helping Nellie is easy because it also explains things to the reader. Nellie cluing in Samantha is useful for the same reason. But the important last element is to really show the girls just being friends and liking each other's company. I always want more of the third than we get - showing-not-telling friendship is hard! - but overall, this is a good one.


More Samantha babble:
Meet Samantha | Samantha Learns a Lesson | Samantha's Surprise | Happy Birthday, Samantha | Samantha Saves the Day | Changes for Samantha

Nellie's Promise

Samantha's Winter Party | Samantha and the Missing Pearls | Samantha Saves the Wedding | Samantha's Blue Bicycle | Samantha's Special Talent | Samantha's Short Story Collection

The Curse of Ravenscourt | The Stolen Sapphire | The Cry of the Loon | Clue in the Castle Tower

The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha

[Navya Pillai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t say I was much of a Samantha girl growing up but saw this on my bookshelf at home and I knew that this was how I was about to spend my afternoon. Absolutely devoured it - had me on the edge of my seat at every moment 🤞🏽

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story plays on a lot of classic elements from mystery fiction, and is a very compelling locked-room mystery with great twists and a strong sense of atmosphere. I loved this book when it first released, and I am glad that I read it again. It's possible that I enjoyed it even more this time, because even though I am much older and have read far more mysteries now, my increased familiarity with the genre and personal experience writing mysteries gave me an even greater appreciation of how inventive and well-crafted this is.

This book is very clever, and even though it's possible for a reader to predict the culprit, the author does a great job of making multiple people look suspicious. She also weaves in continuity references well, even mentioning Samantha's trip from Samantha's Ocean Liner Adventure, an obscure extra book that I didn't even know existed when I read this in 2006. The author also further develops Nellie's character arc as she continues adjusting to her adoptive family.

This is a fantastic addition to the Samantha series, and a great book in its own right. I would recommend this to people who are interested in reading American Girl mysteries, and to readers who are simply interested in a clever, non-violent mystery story that can appeal to both children and adults.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty decent locked room mystery. Samantha was always my favorite American Girl (I got my interest in history from Meet Samantha: An American Girl) but I hadn't quite realized how complicated her storyline had gotten until some poor author has to summarize it in two paragraphs.

Re-read: My thoughts on this book haven't changed much since the last time I read it. The locked room aspects are still pretty good, and I liked that Samantha does some actual sleuthing this time. It looks like Samantha's mysteries are going to feature Nellie almost as much as Samantha, which is good. The arc of their friendship is arguably the most important aspect of Samantha's story.

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this one on the recommendation of a friend who saw i was reading a bunch of AG stuff - she recommended it because it was a childhood favorite, but this turned out to be such emily bait. it's set on a CRUISE SHIP?? IT'S A CRUISE SHIP MYSTERY THIS IS MY BOOK ITS MADE FOR MEE!!

a big step up from the Rebecca mystery I previously read. a very enjoyable book that did keep me guessing!

[Erin Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually really enjoyable as an adult reader. I've read a fair bit of golden age mystery and this uses many of the same tropes. It's a well executed and suspenseful fair-play mystery. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Caty Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story for girls 8+. I didn't think it was too scary or intense. The most sensitive of kids may be scared by the suspected thief threatening Nellie and Samantha, but everything else was pretty harmless. I like how Samantha and Nellie stick up for each other and are loyal. Plus they learn to be loyal and follow their instincts in sticking up for their tutor as well. The girls did a bit of sneaking around without adult supervision. However, they were reprimanded for it, and it was necessary for the plot. There is some prejudice shown towards the servants and Nellie because of her Irish heritage, but Samantha knows it is wrong, and her Grandmary comes around to appreciating Ireland and even visiting it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite this being book #2 in a series, it can be read as a stand alone and is an engaging and interesting mystery. I didn't want to stop reading and enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery and frequently rethinking my guess. I didn't figure it out before Samantha and Nellie. I also liked the sprinkle of French words throughout, which are defined in a glossary at the end. Besides figuring out the mystery my favorite part was probably the 6 page “peek into the past” pages after the story. I love history and learned about early 1900s travel, culture, immigration, and a real famous sapphire, the Star of India.

[Jordan Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

French lessons, a monkey, and a missing sapphire turn Samantha's trip across the Atlantic into a test of her detective skills! The sisterhood between Samantha and Nellie is sweet and definitely realistic- even close sisters keep secrets, but they've always got each other's backs. The actual theft was pulled off in a very clever fashion, and the girls were smart to put the clues together, leading to the thief's capture and the jewel's return.

[Little Seal]

I ended up crying happy tears at the end because Nellie did get to see some of her homeland, Ireland, even though at the time of the story it was not a place that people wanted to visit. I am so happy that she got to see what is known as Cobh today.

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Mystery. Also goes to show that sometimes the person that you least expect could be the culprit!

[V. Arrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a locked room mystery, love a grand ocean liner, love Samantha Parkington, this book was made for me.

[kait zinnecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved the american girl mysteries so much as a kid! very enjoyable and genuinely a page turner. LOL love

[Jacqueline M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one. I often don't like mysteries because I can guess the ending, but this was a surprising little book with a big twist that caught me off guard. Classic Agatha-Christie-Like Whodunnit with a closed room mystery and a cast of interesting characters. My Samantha doll was my most prized possession as a child, and I appreciated that Samantha and Nellie were true to character here just like the original books. Nellie is quiet, humble, and smarter than 1905 high society gives credit. Samantha is brave and always stands up for the marginalized no matter how unpopular. I also appreciated the "peek into the past" section just as I did as a kid and my daughter immediately wanted to do a web search to learn more about the history of the Star of India and archeologists at the turn of the last century. I would have given it 5 stars if it had included wonderful illustrations like those featured in the original stories.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thus continues my nostalgic American Girl journey. I never read any of the AG mysteries as a kid, but I loved a lot of the original books (especially Samantha's!) so when the AG store at the Mall of America was closing I picked up a couple of these for fun. I didn't expect much but The Stolen Sapphire was fun and engaging, and even as an adult reader I didn't see the twist coming so it was definitely well executed. I recommend and definitely think kids who enjoy history, adventure, and/or mystery would enjoy it.

[Gloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reread for me, but I didn't remember the culprit (since it's been 10+ years) so it was almost like reading it for the first time. I think the mystery was pretty clever and it's definitely one you can't guess immediately. Heck, I've read all but the other 3 mystery books of Samantha's, and I even doubted Nellie for a second!

Also I really liked when Samantha finally stood up to Charlotta and kinda wished we would have had someone stand up to the Mr & Mrs Billingsley as well mostly because I hate snobs.

[Melanie Fulginiti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scrolling through the American Girl rabbit hole over on half price books; I vividly remember reading a mystery books along with the classics. But speaking of the mysteries; finding them anywhere was quite difficult.
So; I looked at half price books; because I know that they have all the books. :) lo and behold; they did!! So I picked up two; this one and a Kit Mystery: A Thief in the Theater. I read that one when I was nine years old. It was wonderful!! :) I picked that one up for myself. This book that I read; I got for my sister. Of course; once the book came, I read it & just splendid🥰.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my 10 year old daughter. She read it 2 times and said it was SO good, I just had to try it. So, I read it. It is your basic mystery, I did not love it, but it was fine. When I told my daughter I finished it, she said, "Did you like it?" I said, "yes." She said, "Wasn't it so good?! It just gave me the shivers." Lol. So, even though my adult view was not overly impressed with this book, it deserves 4 stars because it gives the intended audience a great read! :-)

[Caity · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very suspenseful mystery and I appreciated the mini mystery between Samantha and Nellie within the larger plot. It really highlights how special their relationship is and fits well with the larger message of not looking down on others who have less or have had a difficult past. The mystery itself was very clever and the setting adds a fun element.

[Christina Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this mystery/historical novel piece, this truly reflects some parts of the world now. I thought the character intricacies were quite intriguing, the overall plot is very well planned. Samantha Parkington is a strong, curious young women which I believe will set as an example for many kids in the future.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery starts off slow, but then picks up. There's a lot of filler and red herrings. I really can't stand the unsavory family. But I love boats and travel so this was fun to read and not easy to figure out!

[XangeReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really liked it as a kid and I found the story really gripping. I don't remember much build up though that shows the actual stealer. But besides that, I think this is really great for anyone who wants a short read with some mystery.

[Dolly Parton with a Gun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brava! (That sounds like something Samantha would say, right?) This is a great locked room mystery that really kept me guessing while delivering the tenderness that’s a staple of an American Girl story.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The American Girl mysteries are fun, combining history with mystery.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love the american grl series

[Mary Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

PERFECT

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read with my 9yo daughter. An interesting mystery for us both, with some unexpected twists.