The Case of the Vanishing Emerald

The Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins #2

by Holly Webb

From best-selling author Holly Webb comes a brand new series full of mystery and intrigue following the adventures of a very determined heroine and her dog! Holly Webb fans will be thrilled to pieces to discover the adventures of Maisie Hitchins, the pluckiest little detective in Victorian London. Maisie Hitchins lives in her grandmother's boarding house, longing for adventure. She idolizes the famous detective, Gilbert Carrington, and follows his every case. But Maisie is about to be given the opportunity of a lifetime: her own mystery to solve! In the first book in this fantastic new series, Maisie rescues a puppy in peril whilst running an errand, and adopts him. She decides to investigate the puppy's original cruel owner, but instead gets tangled up in an intriguing plot involving stolen sausages, pilfered halfpennies and a fast-paced bicycle chase. The streets of Victorian London are never safe, but Maisie's on the case!

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Historical, Chapter Books, Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2013

About the author

Holly Webb is one of Britain's best-loved children's writers. She has written over a hundred books for children, and her work has been translated into over thirty languages. Holly lives in Tilehurst, just outside of Reading, Berkshire, with her husband, three children and several cats.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not quite as good as the first book, this still is a cut above most chapter book mysteries in that it presents actual danger to Maisie while not whitewashing the Victorian setting. For an adult, yes, it's easy to figure out. But for a younger reader, this presents a fun challenge.

[Bava Klyus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Клас мені подобається я прочитала 3 і 4 частина 👩🏽‍🎤

[Terra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most enjoyable children's storybook that I've read. Set in England back in the Victorian times or maybe even a bit before then and the story is quite engaging. You cannot help but love Maisie since she's such a smart little lass.

The story is about a missing necklace and about stage actresses. The story engages you from the beginning right through the ending and leaves you with a wonderful feeling of how simple goodness and being cleaver always make everything alright. On top of that the story gives you a light picture of what life would have been like in those times with someone who worked the stage. Life was tough and there was always someone who would love to step into your shoes.

The book is for ages 9 - 12 which is appropriate but is also for us older people who just want to read something so simply nice. There is no foul language, sexual innuendo's or any real violence. I personally love this and will be looking into more of the Maisie books just for the in between I need something different. Wish they had something like this when I was a kid.

[Лина Сакс · Rating 4 out of 5]

Повторяем, а не опознаем.

Вторая книга про Мейзи Хитчинс как детектив чуточку лучше первой, но все так же остается очень детской книжкой и теперь понятно почему кто-то назвал Мейзи маленькой Нэнси Дрю. Принцип того как раскрываются дела, очень похожи. Я как-то по недоразумению, схватилась за серию про Нэнси Дрю, подумала, что будет так же интересно, как про мальчишек из Мэри Кэри - Тайна попугая-заики и другие истории (сборник) и мало сказать, что была разочарована, я почти негодовала, что эти книги продаются под одним знаком.

Принцип раскрытия дел очень простой - неожиданная находка. Хотя надо отдать должное Вебб, в этой книге она сделала упор на то, что люди могут быть лицемерны и до конца проводит эту линию. Довольно хорошо ее описывает. Жаль были моменты, когда героиня то помнила, что такие люди есть, то забывала, даже поговорив про это с подружкой. Единственное, что объяснение про лицемерных людей было слабым, такое со вздохом, ой, ну вот есть такие да. Я могу понять вздох кошки в мультфильме "Маша и волшебное варенье", там он оправдан, мало того, он с выводом: "Ах, Маша, Маша, как ты могла?" А тут, вздох без вывода, никак от них защититься, ни как их опознать. Просто рассказ про то, что такие люди есть. С одной стороны, хорошо, что их показали, но что дальше-то? А если не будет доказательств? Если не найдет собачка ожерелье? И почему ты не веришь человеку, которому от тебя ничего не надо? Зачем ты держишь рядом человека, которому не веришь?

Но книга хороша уже тем, что тема была одна и не пыталась автор рассказать про все сразу как в первой книге. Уже больше видно саму героиню, мир вокруг нее. И можно увидеть, как живут люди, разницу между слоями общества, детали времени. Но для меня опять же книга детская, потому что оценок мало, стабильное данное есть, а что с ним делать непонятно.

Опять же я не знаю на какой возраст рассчитана книга. Могу сказать точно, что у тех, у кого стабильные данные хорошо стоят будет скучно, потому что они уже хотят знать, что с этим делать. Хотя, конечно, никогда не помешает все еще раз повторить.

[Iryna Khomchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ще один книжковий серіал, який припав до вподоби й синові, й мені, — про пригоди детектива Мейзі Хітчінз. Цього разу дівчинка допомогла акторці Лотті Лейн, котра мешкає в будинку бабусі, знайти вкрадене у неї дуже коштовне намисто зі смарагдом.

Таємниці закулісного театрального життя — це ще один бонус цієї історії. Підступність і хитрість людей, котрі будь-якою ціною прагнуть нашкодити іншим, аби самим досягти успіху на звільненому шляху до досягнення мети — ще одна важлива тема, яку ми обговорювали з сином під час читання.

Звісно, все скінчилося чудово, а на нас чекають подальші пригоди цієї незвичайної дівчинки-детектива. Прикро лишень, що в цій книжечці досить часто траплялися коректорські огріхи. Однак у перевиданні все буде виправлено, тож читачі зможуть отримати від неї належне задоволення.

[LiLa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ps: Sudah diterjemahkan ke dalam Bahasa Indonesia oleh penerbit Ananda.

Walau judulnya "buku kedua', isi cerita buku ini tidak akan membuat kening berkerut walau dibaca tanpa buku pertama. Ini jenis buku semi-standalone, mirip Lima Sekawan atau Trio Detektif, yang bisa dibaca tidak sesuai urutan. Ceritanya sendiri berkisah tentang Maisie Hitchen dan anjingnya, Eddie, yang memecahkan berbagai kasus misteri.
Sesuai judulnya, di buku kali ini Maisie menyelidiki tentang hilangnya batu Emerald, tepatnya sebuah kalung dengan bandul batu emerald yang memiliki nilai sejarah yang tinggi. Tambahkan kisah kutukan kalung di dalamnya dan voila... seolah ada bumbu kisah jurig dkk di dalamnya tapi tentu tidak. Saran saya: jangan baca sinop di belakang bukuk ini karena hampir menceritakan jalan cerita buku ini, hahaha. Seenggaknya, kalau ga baca sinop di belakang buku, baru dapat petunjuk mengenai motif dan pelakunya di sekitar 50 halaman pertama. Sampai sekitar halaman 50-an itu, saya sudah bisa sombong mengatakan: "Kamu pelakunya!"
Tapi berhubung saya selalu ketipu tiap baca buku AC (well... saya baru baca dua judul sich), saya rada khawatir bakal kecele lagi sich, hahaha... Saya sampai mengantisipasi dengan merancang twist yang akan terjadi: Jadi... saya sampai ngarang kalau Mr. Turpin, kekasihnya Ms. Massey, itu penipu sekaligus pencuri ulung. Kalung yang diberikan ke Ms. Massey itu sebenarnya kalung hasil curiannya entah di mana. Mr. Turpin memberikannya sebagai hadiah supaya nantinya punya alibi. Padahal... ga lama setelah menghadiahkan kalung itu ke Ms. Massey, dia sikat balik kalung itu. Tapi untung saja Maisie berhasil mengendus otak kriminal Mr. Turpin sehingga polisi berhasil menangkap Mr. Turpin tepat sebelum kriminal itu berhasil melarikan diri ke luar negeri lewat jalur laut. Kenyataannya: tebakan saya benar 100% kok, hahaha
Petunjuk-petunjuk yang diperoleh Maisie juga ga bisa dibilang 100% mengarah ke si pelaku. Tapi Maisie berhasil menduga dengan benar. Dan di bagian akhir, Maisie dan Ms. Massey berhasil menjebak si pelaku. Dan kisah pun berakhir bahagia.
Ceritanya menarik kok. Walau saya berhasil nebak dengan tepat 100%, belum tentu ponakan-ponakan berhasil nebak sich. Tapi entahlah, karena saya belum meminjamkan buku ini, saya belum bisa mastiin kalau ponakan ga berhasil nebak :D

[KiraNi · Rating 3 out of 5]

В этой книге Мейзи попадает в театр. Актрисы и сцена, а также изумруд...

Мне книга понравилась бы, если бы я была ребенком. В данном периоде моей жизни меня эта история не зацепила и оставила равнодушной. Сюжет продуманный и очевидны. Динамики не хватает. Герои совершенно плоские и не вызывают чувств. Язык и стиль автора простой и легкий, но читается с напрягом. Герои не росту и не меняются - это печально. Если книгу перепишут другие писатели, то она бы была намного лучше. Идея не очень оригинальная, да и детективы есть намного лучше, даже не смотря на то, что это детская книга.

Книге я поставила 3/5. А у вас были такие книги? Как по вашему, если книга ничего не вызывает - это плохо или хорошо?

Удачного чтения!

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tetapi batu itu termasuk salah satu perhiasan yang mempunyai kisah-kisah kelam. Berbagai legenda menyebutkan bahwa para pemiliknya akan mengalami kehancuran dan musibah, jika batu itu hilang..."

Oke.
Jadi kali ini Maisie tidak hanya berurusan dengan batu zamrud yang hilang, namun juga bintang panggung yang percaya dirinya dikutuk! Maisie tidak percaya kutukan, ia lebih percaya bahwa ada orang-orang yang tidak bertanggung jawab di balik kasus kali ini.
Cerita yang ringan, namun tetap membuat penasaran, belum lagi ilustrasi-ilustrasi lucu di dalamnya yang membuat petualangan Maisie kali ini pun menyenangkan untuk diikuti.

Selamat membaca, ya!

[Haris Quds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku nya bagus untuk anak-anak, dari segi penarasian nya sangat sederhana tapi akan menegangkan untuk anak.
Bagi pembaca dewasa akan menemukan beberapa kejanggalan dan juga poin poin yang melompat dalam ceritanya, tapi untuk kalangan anak, hal hal tersebut tidak akan kentara.
.
Buku ini menjadi bagus juga karena banyaknya ilustrasi ilustrasi untuk menggambarkan kejadian dalam cerita, yang tentu saja akan menghibur visual anak.

[Debit Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lama-lama, karakter Maisie ini makin lucu dan patut diidolakan oleh anak-anak. Pasalnya Maisie mengajarkan bahwa setiap masalah selalu ada jalan keluarnya, aku mungkin terlalu tua untuk menyimak kisah ini, tapi ... why not? Kisah misteri yang ringan dan enak banget buat disimak.

Anak-anak SD harus tau buku ini. 😭👍

Sayang sekali di negara Indonesia belum ada (atau tidak ada) seri yang ke-3 dan selanjutnya ... mungkin karena tidak terlalu dilirik pembaca di Indonesia. Tapi, semoga aku punya kesempatan untuk membaca yang versi bahasa Inggrisnya. 😭👍❤️

[Alice Hannah Bates]

The best masie h book yet!

Well there's this theatre girl and bad stuff keeps happening to her. Lottie lane recruits masie to help her theatre friend and the lines of investigation point towards spiteful chorus gi......

Actually I better stop. No spoilers here!!!!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are such a delight. The plot was predictable but I enjoyed this mystery more than the first. Maisie and Eddie are adorable characters and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

[Mika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book!! I loved the mystery!

[Renee Novak-Arze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for grade 2-3

[Shuhel Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very bad book.When I opened the book it was all moldy And dirty.Pages ripped,JKKKK good book clen pages and No ripped pages •.•
Please do another book.😁
Signed off Fizz

[Marya Tolmacheva · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book

[Ola Mudrak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book.❤️ I really love detectives.🕵🏽‍♀️

[inna Mkrtchyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Это продолжение той книги тоже всем саветую

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. More mystery in this 2nd book

[Khansa Ms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aku suka apa lagi ini tentang detective cilik aku suka bangettt💖💖💖

[Sherry Scheline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book. The cover and length lead me to think it is a children’s book, I however would lean to YA.
If is a good mystery book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cut little mystery

[Iraa ☘️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

walau gak seseru yg pertama tp masih sangat suka penulisannya yg bersih rapi sederhana namun memicu rasa ingin tahu, penyuka detektif/misteri yg mau healing inner child wajib baca ini!

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theatre, an expensive necklace, a brand-new mystery!

My newest Maisie Hitchins, I was delighted when I spotted this one over at Boekenfestijn. I was already hoping to read more of this series as I really loved the first book I read of the series.

This time we have tons of theatre as Maisie's new adventure and mystery takes her to the theatre to find out who has stolen a priceless necklace! Who has stolen the necklace, and why? is it because it was expensive? Or was it because of something totally different? Is there really a curse surrounding the necklace, or is someone messing around? You can see that there is a lot of things going on, and I just couldn't stop reading until I found out what exactly had happened.

I also loved that we have other people living in the home of Maisie and her grandma. I read the last book in the series so I saw quite different people. I wonder if in the books between this one and 7 there are other people living there until we get to the people in book 8.

Whereas book 8 mostly took place at home/at the docks, this one mostly takes place at home/theatre. I loved reading about the theatre, it was such a fun place (though so much filled with rats, Maisie's dog had a fun time).

The mystery was really fun to read, though I have to say I had an instant suspect when we met that person. While I am normally not too happy with instant suspects, I didn't mind it that much in this one, as it was fun to see Maisie figure it all out, and to also see the reaction of the actress.

I am also happy that we saw Maisie's friend again! Not as much as the previous book, sadly, but she is still helping out with the case.

Like the previous book I loved how the book was formatted as a diary/notebook with pages that have gone through quite a bit.

The book also has illustrations and I did quite like them. It is a bit simple, especially in regards to the characters, but I do think the cute/simple style fits the book.

All in all, I definitely need to find the other books in this series as I want to know what other mysteries Maisie will solve!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Appealing Heroine and good early reader mystery,

Holly Webb is a tremendously popular author in the United Kingdom, but she is little known here in the U.S. Her series include the Emily Feather books, the Rose series and its spinoffs, the Naughty Little Puppy books, Animalmagic tales, and a host of others.

Fortunately, her Rose books have just started to be published in the United States and they are being well reviewed and should help to make her better known.

In the meantime, if you want to read the Maisie Hitchins books you have to order them from third party sellers who ship from the U.K. That's all right, though, because the prices are fair, as is shipping. There's just a bit of delay because of the international air delivery.

All of that said, do you want to try Maisie Hitchins. I would suggest the answer is "Yes". Maisie lives with her Gran and helps her Gran run a boarding house. This allows for a wide variety of boarders, guests and mysterious strangers to populate each book. That's good because Maisie is bright, inquisitive, resourceful and keen for adventure, mystery and detective work. With just the help of her dog and her wide circle of friends, Maisie is up for any funny business that crosses her path.

In this volume the actress friend of a long time boarder has had a valuable necklace stolen, and Maisie finds herself immersed in the excitement and glamour of the theater as she works to solve the theft.

The mysteries are fair if undemanding. They are at an early reader level, but there are twists and turns and dead ends. These books are quite satisfying as children's mysteries; actually well above the average.

The real charm, though, is Maisie as a character. Webb has a knack for establishing a realistic girl character with just a touch of special appeal. In the Rose books, Rose is just such a fundamentally decent person you cheer her on as an orphan trying to make a go of her life. In these Maisie books, Maisie is a bit of a dreamer and romantic, with a very practical streak, and a very nice way of relating to people and observing life around her. When you add that to her sense of fair play and decency, and mix in a bit nerve, you get what I call, for lack of a better word, "charm". This is not kitchen sink drama and it is not cartoonish; it is slightly exaggerated girl's-own mystery, and that's wonderful.

It seems that these books would suit a reader who is a bit past simple chapter books, but not quite ready for more demanding fare. Vocabulary, grammar and the like is appropriate and could be challenging in places. For American readers, there is some English slang, but nothing that isn't clear in context, and that adds a certain zip to the narrative anyway.

So, a nice choice, and a chance to be reading Holly Webb before she is discovered.

[Emmaline MacBeath · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: Maisie's grandmother runs a boarding house in Victorian London. Maisie likes to solve mysteries. One of the boarders is an actress named Miss Lane. Her actress friend Lila is distressed because a priceless necklace has been stolen from her dressing room. When accidents begin to happen, she also begins to believe in the story that the necklace is cursed. Miss Lane asks Maisie to come to the theater to help Lila and to find the necklace. Will Maisie find the necklace before Lila's fiancé returns and notices the necklace he gave her is missing?

ILLUSTRATIONS: There are simple but pleasant drawings throughout the book which help to move the story along and to add interest.

THE GOOD: The characters and time period are interesting. The book is well written. The mystery is intriguing and the story moves at a nice clip for those who like a quick read.
THE NOT AS GOOD: I had mixed feelings about this book because it is structured like an early reader with a very simple storyline, an easy mystery, and light history. There were holes in the time period such as the fact that Maisie, a "well-brought-up girl", is allowed to be out alone at night. This would never have happened. Some of the language is also not correct for this time period. And yet, the book is advertised for grades 4-7 and is written on about a 5th grade level. The vocabulary at times is on a very high level. So what audience is this book truly written for the way it is structured?

AGE RECOMMENDATION: I think this book is best suited to children in grades 2-3 who are far advanced in their reading level as well as 4th and 5th graders who want a very quick and easy mystery to read.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maisie Hitchins is at it again in this second mystery set in a boardinghouse in 1880s London. This time, trouble befalls a friend of one of the Hitchins' boarders. Miss Lane, an actress, has just found out that her friend Lila lost a necklace given to her by her fiance. The only problem is that the necklace was far more valuable than Lila ever could have suspected; her fiance only just revealed to her that he is a duke, and the necklace is worth a third of his fortune. It's Maisie to the rescue as she goes backstage with her trusty dog Eddie to crack the case!

I love these little Maisie Hitchins mysteries, even though I'm not sure who the intended audience is. The mysteries are too simplistic and the page count is too short for them to be middle-grade, but the vocabulary and historical context are above the head of transitional or early chapter book readers. For that reason I can't really recommend them to much of anybody, but I love reading them for the descriptions of Eddie and the adorable illustrations by Marion Lindsay.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading The Case of the Vanishing Emerald, the second book in the Maisie Hitchins mystery series for very young readers. Both books are set in Victorian London. Maisie, the protagonist, is a girl who really wants to be a detective, and she doesn't want to have to wait until she grows up. The second case she solves is, in my opinion, a much more interesting case: an actress has had a necklace stolen from her dressing room. Maisie is hired to assist her in dressing and everyone is hoping that she will find the necklace and the person who took it. In my review of the first book, I said the book was light on history and light on mystery, and, I suppose that can still be said. But I found the book to be very charming and just a treat to read.

The first book in the series was The Case of The Stolen Sixpence.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Living in a boarding house with her grandmother during the Victorian Era, Maisie Hitchins enjoys getting to know all the residents. But what she really loves is solving a mystery. When Lila Massey, a beautiful young actress who is a friend of one of the tenants, loses her priceless emerald necklace, a family heirloom from her fiancé, Maisie and her little dog, Eddie, head to the theatre and search for clues as to who might have taken the necklace. Young readers will not be surprised to learn that sometimes a sweet and loving outward demeanor hide jealousy and pettiness. After Maisie solves the crime and finds the culprit, she and Eddie are rewarded. There is something sweet about Maisie and Eddie and something appealing about how she regards the world. While the solution to the mystery isn't all that surprising, I still liked how Maisie works.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first book I was really looking forward to sharing Maisie's second adventure with my daughter who absolutely loved the first one. It certainly didn't disappoint. Having already introduced the main characters it moves straight into the story. Again it is well written and quite in depth considering how short the book is. Well worth a read and I would recommend this to any one who likes interesting books with a good plot. I think we will be reading the full series if my daughter (3) has anything to do with it.