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Mystery #3

The Mystery of Hidden Valley

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Book 3 of 21 in the bestselling standalone middle grade mystery series! Collect All 21 Full Length Novels and 15 Short Stories★★★★★ Over 15,000 reviews/ratings on AmazonAre you up for a thrilling adventure? While camping in Wales, it doesn't take long for the Mystery Kids to stumble across a long-lost tunnel that leads to a valley full of secrets.Follow the children as they are imprisoned in an old farmhouse, discover a hidden cave, sabotage a plane, rescue a missing man, undertake a perilous climb, and more! This adventure novel is set in 1950's Britain and will suit anyone who enjoys Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys or the Famous Five.Click "Buy Now" to read today! Free on Kindle Unlimited.

167 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 22, 2013

254 people are currently reading
473 people want to read

About the author

Paul Moxham

84 books102 followers
Paul Moxham hails from Melbourne, Australia. He's best known for his children's mystery series which follows Joe, Amy, Sarah, and Will as they have adventures in 1950's Britain.

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5 stars
328 (59%)
4 stars
115 (20%)
3 stars
77 (13%)
2 stars
19 (3%)
1 star
13 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Angela.
79 reviews11 followers
May 30, 2016
This is a great children's mystery series set in a simpler time. I really enjoy the childrens' adventures, and how they solve the mysteries.
Profile Image for Janelle.
Author 2 books29 followers
August 13, 2018
Another fun mystery by Paul Moxham. Some of the kids’ escapades were hard to believe, but it’s all good entertainment and adventure for young readers. And the young at heart.
Profile Image for Chris The Story Reading Ape.
1,196 reviews136 followers
December 6, 2019
More holiday adventures

Take four kids who love solving mysteries, add a hidden valley in Wales that can only be accessed via a hidden tunnel through the mountains, plus, kidnappers, and you have the recipe for a great read.
Profile Image for moxieBK.
1,763 reviews5 followers
July 19, 2019
The Mystery of the Hidden Valley — Paul Moxham (25 chapters) June 10-13, 2017

This is a full-length story intended for middle grade readers, but older adults, with an open mind, can enjoy this story as well. These full-length stories from Paul Moxham are more fleshed out and encompass more adventures by the kids as well mysteries (usually one smaller one and one larger one.)

A middle school reader probably could read this over the weekend; an older adult in the afternoon. This book wasn’t neither as tight nor as enjoyable as the previous books I have read. The kids are trapped in a secluded valley and must solve a mystery concerning a famous person. A new child is introduced in the beginning, disappears in the middle, but then reappears to help the gang solve the mystery.

I was troubled by some of the plot twists to advance the story. They were always when the boys didn’t listen to the girls and in doing so, they get in trouble. This story truly is like Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys, but with not much adult intervention at all. I find it hard to believe, this being set in the 1950’s, that the kid’s parent’s would keep allowing them into this sort of mischief. I also find it hard to believe that the constable would allow a child to accompany him to capture the bad guys. But I also realize this is straight out fiction.

This is normal for all the books. But I am finding I like the short stories better.

A few grammatical/punctuation errors here and there.

Three stars.
Profile Image for Linda.
1,602 reviews24 followers
November 28, 2018
This is book #3 of The Mystery Series, although there are other adventures called Short Stories in between the books. The series is set in England in the 1950s and are much like Enid Blyton's series. In this book, Will's author father is going to a remote section in Wales for peace and quiet to write a book and Will invites his friends, Joe and the younger sisters Amy and Sarah along. The boys are 12. It's a mystery to me why the man thought he could write in peace and quiet with 4 pre-teens hanging around but luckily for him, the kids decide to go camping. Unsupervised, of course. They meet another boy, Tom, who is their age and he loans them horses. He also tells them about a hidden valley where an ancestor of his lived. The passage to it was buried in a rock slide many many years ago. It's rumored that there is a cave tunnel that leads to it. People have searched for it for many years but it has never been found. Of course, the kids discover this cave and tunnel that very day and traverse it to the hidden valley where they find the old house occupied. What are these rough men, who arrived by a small plane, doing there? Once again the children are chased, trapped, threatened, and through sheer ingenuity manage to elude their captors and stop a traitorous plot.

There are currently 10 books and 13 short story adventures in this series.
404 reviews24 followers
July 13, 2016
Have Safety Concerns

I have my usual complaint about the children's ages (8-12) I don't approve of their adventures being that young. I prefer them in troupes where the main characters are 17+ years old. I think it helps kids keep a healthy appreciation of being too young to do some of the things in these books.

That aside, I saw the "twist" coming in the plot, and kids will too, if they've read enough other books. The big thing I didn't like about this book is that TWICE the children go into a cave without knowing anything about it. They don't tie a rope around their waste so they know their way out, They don't test the oxygen level before entering. That is very foolhardy, and there is no mention by the author how dangerous that is. This concerns me. If your children read this book, please talk to them about these safety matters!

2.5 stars
345 reviews1 follower
January 2, 2019
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way
Profile Image for Angela Lambkin.
2,354 reviews27 followers
August 31, 2015
will the airline designer and the crooks go free yet again?

I really enjoyed this neat mystery and adventure story! The reader can definitely feel as if they are right there with these children in. uncovering this mystery. Then being captured too and released and almost either to be kidnapped again with these crooks or maybe be killed by the crooks? Will the kids win or the crooks?
I recommend this ebook for young people before high school age who love to read such ebook mysteries and adventures. Because I found this to be such a swell and exciting book I think to needs five stars. I received this ebook for free and in return have completed an honest review. Super job Paul! By Angela
Profile Image for Irene O'Brien.
315 reviews6 followers
December 14, 2022
Hidden valley, a plane designer and kidnappers.

The four children are headed to rural Wales with Wills father for a holiday. They are looking forward to a quiet holiday. Of course this doesn't happen.
Can they find out what the men are doing in the valley? What part does Mr Perkins play in plot?
Another excellent sequel to their first adventure,
Profile Image for Inzelet.
7 reviews
April 17, 2014
Great book!

This is the second book I've read by this author, and I must say I was not disappointed. Lovely, it was simply exciting!
Keep up the great work in entertaining older children like me!!!
1,327 reviews4 followers
March 13, 2018
My 9- and 11-year-old sons enjoyed The Mystery of Hidden Valley. It’s a cute story and, while it refers to previous adventures presumably from other books, you don’t need to read the others first. I recommend this book as a family read-aloud!
252 reviews3 followers
October 11, 2018
A good series

My kids are really enjoying me reading these to them at bedtime. They are fun stories. A little far fetched that these kids run into every crook in the area, but fun anyways.
10 reviews
August 21, 2019
Nice romp with the gang. For me and my two boys (7 & 9 yo), we thought this mystery was less engaging than the first two adventures, yet it was still good. We are fans of this series and appreciate the clean, wholesome, and fast-paced approach of the author. We are looking forward to the next book!
317 reviews
February 11, 2015
Trying to be Hardy Boys/Boxcar Children but not as good.
Profile Image for Cara.
2,474 reviews41 followers
July 22, 2017
This was a cute mystery, but there were random descriptions of wildlife that seemed unnecessary. I did jump into the middle of the series so maybe there is a reason that I am unaware of.
Profile Image for Margo James.
454 reviews6 followers
April 5, 2019
Another hair raising adventure. Where are these children’s parents??
Profile Image for Donadee's Corner.
2,648 reviews63 followers
June 1, 2020
Paul Moxham – The Mystery Series Bk 3 – The Mystery of Hidden Valley – Reviewed 7/20/14
A camping trip in Wales leads to a hidden cave and an exciting adventure.

While camping in Wales, it does not take long for the Mystery Kids to stumble across a long-lost tunnel that leads to a valley full of secrets. Follow the children as they are imprisoned in an old farmhouse, discover a hidden cave, sabotage a plane, rescue a missing man, undertake a perilous climb, and more! Book 3 in the Mystery Series, this adventure novel is set in 1950's Britain and will suit anyone who enjoys Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, or the Famous Five.

What did I like? I think this one is the most exciting of the series yet. The mystery seems to be clear cut but when it turns into an even more intriguing mystery the kids are thrown off base. The ingenuity of the kids is just awesome. I love how they all work together, and age does not even make a play in the situations. When sisters and brothers can be this close it is really special.

What will you like? The action is over the top, the mystery is ingenious, the play between the kids is awesome, the outcome is wonderful. The characters are just the most intriguing of the stories. The relationship between the friends and the kids is a bond that will last a lifetime. The descriptions are so good that you feel like your right there. An excellent read for the kids in all of us.

• File Size: 570 KB
• Print Length: 167 pages
• Publication Date: July 20, 2014
• ASIN: B00HGQPC1I
• Genre: Children’s Boys & Men Books, Children’s Detective Books
Profile Image for Julie Barrett.
9,216 reviews206 followers
May 29, 2020
The Mystery of Hidden Valley by Paul Moxham
This book starts out with series listings of the authors works and praise for his writing.
Kids are all going to travel with Will and his dad and all they care about are adventures. They meet up with Tom, a most helpful teen who gives them clues as to where the hidden valley is, through a tunnel.
There are many ways to get there, some not so convenient and the kids have a grand ole time in the lake and riding on the ponies. Tom is to return the next day as he has other work obligations.
Kids find so many things and end up in trouble and I love how they reason with what's there to find a way to escape. They go above and beyond in this one. Every book I read I keep saying to myself, this is the best ever and every time I read another it's the best book ever.
Just when you think they are doomed, they stop and think and look and it's right in front of their eyes. Liked other new characters introduced in this book and their jobs as well.
Can't wait to read more about the adventures!
Authors listing of latest works and just released are summarized along with buy links. Except for Claw Mountain is included.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Ken Jensen.
Author 4 books4 followers
December 30, 2024
Reasonably entertaining children’s novel. The four child heroes are out on a new adventure. Unfortunately, there are some unfortunate scenes in which they talk loudly in close proximity of the crooks, who must be deaf. They must also be blind, because the children are able to sneak around undetected in their cottage. On top of that, the novels in this series are not presented chronologically. Nonetheless, as YA fiction, it’s more than passable.
Profile Image for Lindsay Peurifoy.
57 reviews
August 29, 2020
No negatives only good positives

What can I say? Only can say is I never have any negatives about book and author I always have good positives about book and author! He did awesome job on these series I can't wait read next one for find out more adventure and mystery! I want to say thanks to author for write awesome mystery books! 😊
Profile Image for Wendy Wallace.
587 reviews6 followers
May 21, 2023
Another lovely childrens book about the four children having adventures.
I enjoyed reading this.
Profile Image for Sue :).
898 reviews15 followers
May 9, 2024
Another fun middle grade mystery.

I wish these books had been around when I was a kid.
I can't help thinking that Joe is going to get into real trouble one of these days.
Profile Image for R.L..
Author 5 books48 followers
December 14, 2014
I liked that this is a story written with an adventure that takes place in the 1950's. I think the characters of the children are well-suited for the time period. I liked that it was an adventure story with a cave and hidden passageways through a mountain. I liked that there was a good twist at the end. What I didn't like was that the way the children speak was more suited to the mid-west USA than England. Though it takes place in Wales, it felt more like a place in the USA. There was several places where the spelling and grammar could be improved.
Profile Image for Nikki.
115 reviews23 followers
October 29, 2014
Did not finish at 36%

Just tired of how dumb these kids are. I hate not finishing even when books are bad, but enough is enough.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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