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Mystery on Macaw Mountain
Birds of a feather solve crime together in this riveting middle grade mystery! When eight endangered macaws are stolen from a bird sanctuary in the Mayan ruins of Copán, four sleuthing cousins must find out who took them—and why.
Nico and his cousins don't have much in common, but they're all excited to visit the Mayan ruins at Copán and witness the release of the scarlet macaws. Nearly extinct in Honduras, eight of these majestic birds are about to be introduced to a brand new bird sanctuary. But on the eve of the big day the birds are stolen!
Who could have planned this bewildering bird heist—and why? Nico and his cousins are determined to find out—and anyone could be a poachers, developers, Mama's annoying novio . . . The investigation will take them from bustling downtown Copán to the mist-shrouded ruins of Macaw Mountain, uniting the cousins as they unravel a plot far stranger than any of them could have imagined.
Nico and his cousins don't have much in common, but they're all excited to visit the Mayan ruins at Copán and witness the release of the scarlet macaws. Nearly extinct in Honduras, eight of these majestic birds are about to be introduced to a brand new bird sanctuary. But on the eve of the big day the birds are stolen!
Who could have planned this bewildering bird heist—and why? Nico and his cousins are determined to find out—and anyone could be a poachers, developers, Mama's annoying novio . . . The investigation will take them from bustling downtown Copán to the mist-shrouded ruins of Macaw Mountain, uniting the cousins as they unravel a plot far stranger than any of them could have imagined.
- GenresMysteryMiddle Grade
272 pages, Hardcover
Published March 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 12, 2026
Maria Jose Fitzgerald does it again!
April 17, 2026
A beautiful, magical book full of wonder and mystery. Viva el Ara Macao y Viva Honduras!❤️🦜
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In 2007, Nico Paz-Murcio and his younger sister Tess are excited that their cousins are coming from the US to spend ten days with them in Sacred Valley, near Copan, Honduras. Their mother works at the archaeological park, and the family is working to rescue macaws. They have a refuge with a number of them. The visit takes their mind of the fact that there father is living in the city while their parents are separated. Emilio is NOT excited to travel, and would rather read in peace than share a bedroom with three other people. Jackie has a bit of anxiety, and isn't all that excited either. Reintroducing macaws to the wild is a lengthy process, but so far things have been going well, and there's a lot of excitement as the mother works with a US museum for a tour of artifacts. Nico, who has a love/hate with the birds, is worried that his mother has a boyfriend. Tessa has a plan to teach the birds to talk, and is taping everything she does on a vintage tape recorder. When the macaws all go missing, the children band together to investigate. This involves interviewing their line up of suspects, hacking into computers, getting tips from Guatemala, and ultimately finding a culprit close to home.
Strengths: I'm a big fan of books where children travel to different places to visit relatives, because it not only gives us a great up close view of the place, but reinforces the importance of family. Even though my grandmother only lived a half hour away, I desperately wanted to be asked to spend the summer working on her dairy farm with some of my 38 cousins! This story is told in alternating chapters from the points of view of each cousin, and the challenges of the cousins are all realistic. The fact that the parents were separated was well portrayed. This had some good twists and turns, and the end of the book is upbeat.
Weaknesses: At one point, the children investigate with some rather intrusive technology ways which made me uncomfortable. It was for a good cause, but hacking into a computer and planting a tape recorder also seemed less likely to actually happen. Young readers won't mind this at all.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed mysteries in specific locations, like Smith's The Wildes series, Cerantes' Frida Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring, Perkins' The Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery or Beil's The Wreck at Ada's Reef.
In 2007, Nico Paz-Murcio and his younger sister Tess are excited that their cousins are coming from the US to spend ten days with them in Sacred Valley, near Copan, Honduras. Their mother works at the archaeological park, and the family is working to rescue macaws. They have a refuge with a number of them. The visit takes their mind of the fact that there father is living in the city while their parents are separated. Emilio is NOT excited to travel, and would rather read in peace than share a bedroom with three other people. Jackie has a bit of anxiety, and isn't all that excited either. Reintroducing macaws to the wild is a lengthy process, but so far things have been going well, and there's a lot of excitement as the mother works with a US museum for a tour of artifacts. Nico, who has a love/hate with the birds, is worried that his mother has a boyfriend. Tessa has a plan to teach the birds to talk, and is taping everything she does on a vintage tape recorder. When the macaws all go missing, the children band together to investigate. This involves interviewing their line up of suspects, hacking into computers, getting tips from Guatemala, and ultimately finding a culprit close to home.
Strengths: I'm a big fan of books where children travel to different places to visit relatives, because it not only gives us a great up close view of the place, but reinforces the importance of family. Even though my grandmother only lived a half hour away, I desperately wanted to be asked to spend the summer working on her dairy farm with some of my 38 cousins! This story is told in alternating chapters from the points of view of each cousin, and the challenges of the cousins are all realistic. The fact that the parents were separated was well portrayed. This had some good twists and turns, and the end of the book is upbeat.
Weaknesses: At one point, the children investigate with some rather intrusive technology ways which made me uncomfortable. It was for a good cause, but hacking into a computer and planting a tape recorder also seemed less likely to actually happen. Young readers won't mind this at all.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed mysteries in specific locations, like Smith's The Wildes series, Cerantes' Frida Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring, Perkins' The Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery or Beil's The Wreck at Ada's Reef.
March 28, 2026
Twelve-year-old Nico Paz-Murcia and his ten-year-old sister, Tessa, live with their mother in Copán, Honduras, where she is an archaeologist at a Mayan site. Their parents have separated, and Nico is concerned they will never get back together, especially because he fears that Frank (a.k.a., the birdman) is interested in his mother. The two kids help feed eight scarlet macaws that are being kept safe near their home after a huge flood destroyed Frank’s bird sanctuary. It is hoped that the birds will be released near the sacred Maya site to breed and fill the skies over the sacred valley as their ancestors had.
Their primos, or cousins, from the states have come for a visit: Jackie, 12, and her older brother Emilio, a teenager. Nico is excited to spend time with Jackie since they share similar interests. Unfortunately, shortly after the primos arrive, the birds are stolen from their cage, and what happens next is a mystery involving all the adults associated with the Mayan historical site. Each chapter features one of the youngsters, giving the reader their point of view. Readers may need to be told of Jackie’s panic attacks and how they occur, and there is an animal death, too.
Their primos, or cousins, from the states have come for a visit: Jackie, 12, and her older brother Emilio, a teenager. Nico is excited to spend time with Jackie since they share similar interests. Unfortunately, shortly after the primos arrive, the birds are stolen from their cage, and what happens next is a mystery involving all the adults associated with the Mayan historical site. Each chapter features one of the youngsters, giving the reader their point of view. Readers may need to be told of Jackie’s panic attacks and how they occur, and there is an animal death, too.
Did Not Finish
March 24, 2026Sadly, I have to shelve this book as "did not finish." It was an intriguing mystery and I was really enjoying it until towards the end when the children attempt to use an Ouija board to contact spirits in order to find out who the thieves are. I am strongly against the occult and using such devices to contact the dead. Reading about young kids using such a device made me extremely uncomfortable and I had to stop reading the book.
January 9, 2026
When eight scarlet macaws are stolen from a sanctuary, four cousins decide to take charge in finding the culprit-- and of course, the beautiful missing birds. A fun and engaging environmental mystery!
May 13, 2026
Read this for a great book about family dynamics, especially cousin interactions. They work well together and support each other, even before banding together to solve the mystery. Told in alternating POVs it was a little tricky while listening to the audiobook. I thought the insertion of the American museum people felt forced, but it was the reason for the the heist. And I was sad that one of the birds died. A great book for mystery lovers, especially if they enjoy animal stories and/or books about animal conservation.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Immersed in 21st century Honduras amidst Mayan ruins and a burgeoning bird sanctuary, this middle grade mystery is perfect for tweens and teens ready for an adventure read. The author does a beautiful job weaving culture, complicated family dynamics, environmental issues, and issues related to historical artifacts with a nod toward repatriation. The four main characters, two children who live in Honduras and their cousins who are visiting from America, each take turns telling the story from their perspective, giving insight into motivations, fears, loyalty, and sense of family. I really enjoyed learning this read, and believe it will be a high interest read for great addition to middle school libraries and classrooms.
Thank you to Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this engaging middle school mystery.
Thank you to Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this engaging middle school mystery.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews