The Mystery of the Empty Room

by Augusta Huiell Seaman, Illustrated by Sam Kweskin (Illustrator)

Book

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Childrens

Paperback

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Augusta Huiell Seaman (1879-1950) was an American author of children's literature. She graduated from Normal College in New York City in 1900 and went on to teach elementary school. Following her marriage in 1906, she devoted her time to writing children's books. While living in Island Beach, Augusta held various offices in the local government, including Borough clerk, Tax Collector, and Borough Registrar. Her works include: Jacqueline of the Carrier Pigeons (1910), The Boarded up House (1915), The Slipper Point Mystery (1919), The Dragon's Secret (1921), The Mystery at Number Six (1922), The Edge of Raven Pool (1924), The Charlemonte Crest (1930) and The Vanishing Octant Mystery (1949).

Reviews

[Caren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author is another of Beverly Cleary's favorites as a child. I am intrigued by what successful authors read as children. She was apparently quite prolific in the early part of the twentieth century, but most of her books are now out of print. This novel was a well-executed mystery story about two sisters and their housekeeper who, at the death of their widowed father, go to live with a family friend whom they call Uncle Si. Elderly Uncle Si and his hired man, Zeph, are in the antique furniture business and spend their time attending auctions and sorting through a nightmare of "stuff" that fills the house, yard and outbuildings. (I think nowadays Uncle Si would be termed a "hoarder".) In all of this clutter, there is one room completely devoid of furniture and mysteriously kept locked. Uncle Si makes nighttime visits to this room when the rest of the household is supposedly asleep. There is also a small brick house Uncle Si had purchased which is filled with quality antique furniture, but is kept shuttered and locked. While Uncle Si makes a few sales to people who visit his sheds looking for a bargain, on the whole he seems less interested in selling than in buying more and more stuff at auctions. The sisters, especially the youngest, Jean, begin to try to piece together clues to solve the "mystery of the empty room". The book is a bit along the lines of a Nancy Drew novel, but less predictable. I am surprised these books are not still in print. While somewhat dated (for example, Uncle Si's house, in a tiny berg, has no electricity), the story is engrossing and well-told.

[Joanna Warrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great!

[David Ivester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been on a kick lately of buying these old Tab books as an exercise in nostalgia. I always bought the mysteries when we ordered these books in elementary school (back in the early sixties for me) and so I have gravitated to the titles with the "mystery" titles. That is how I discovered Augusta Huiell Seaman. Her book The Riddle of the Lonely House was first and I enjoyed it very much. That led to others, including this book, The Mystery of the Empty Room.

There are some issues with this book that need to be considered. It is badly dated in the handling of the hired man, Old Zeph. He is alternately referred to as "colored", a "darkie", and in one scene where a Christmas party is going on, he is described as standing in the door, enjoying the festivities from a distance, as if he is not allowed to enter. It is what I call "cringeworthy". Don't misunderstand me, I loved reading this book, but it is not Huckleberry Finn. It is just that it is marred by the conventions of the times, and that is the reason this book will never be in print again.

[Sarah TheAromaofBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little story without a lot of character development, but still fun. I was sometimes moderately frustrated with the fact that no one was communicating with anyone else, but in some ways that just added to the comedy of errors.