The Case of the Felon's Fiddle

McGurk Mystery #12

by E.W. Hildick

Finding a note hidden in an old violin starts the McGurk Detective Organization searching for a cache of uncut diamonds.

Genres: Mystery, Juvenile, Childrens, Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

E.W. (Edmund Wallace) Hildick was a British children's book author. He was born in Bradford, England in 1925. After two years service in the Royal Air Force he became a secondary school teacher, then a writer, later moving to the United States to become editor of a literary magazine. He died in London in 2001.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A map found in a violin purchased from the Salvation Army for Jack P. McGurk by his mother peeks the interest of the Detective Organization and leads them to a cold case file and on a treasure hunt for a quarter of a million dollars of stolen uncut diamonds. A nod to Sherlock Holmes is presented throughout the story.

[Colleenish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my ideal book as a kid. I think we could all use more treasure maps and clubhouses in our lives.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author for me! Engaging mystery with clues and maps! I’ll be looking for more by this author.

[Kc · Rating 5 out of 5]

140 pages not 138 pages.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one too. I'm reading the series to my daughter. Some of the books are more in-depth than others and this is one of those, making it more interesting for me to read.

McGurk, the 10 yr old mastermind behind the McGurk detective Organization, has decided he wants to play the violin because his hero Holmes does. Unfortunately, he can't play well, not having taken any lessons. But the case has a torn piece of paper in it that sends the 5 young sleuths on mystery-solving spree. After a few dead-ends and some heavy thinking on the part of the 5 friends, the figure out what the violin-loving thief has hidden and where.

Fun read, interesting, too.