A deserted mansion perches on a steep hillside, overlooking a rocky canyon. Tattered curtains hang behind broken windows, and a turret stretches toward the sky. Three years ago the wealthy owner disappeared suddenly, leaving behind a house full of secrets: A mysterious note, tantalizing clues, a hidden floor, one piece of a treasure map, and a missing fortune in diamonds.
Thirteen-year-old sleuth Skylar Robbins moves into the mansion with her parents and embarks on a new and dangerous mission. Armed with her detective kit, and with the support of her BFF Alexa and a team of secret agents, Skylar sets out to decipher the clues and find the diamonds. Can she outwit a gang of aggressive bikers and find the hidden jewels before they do? Or will the perils of middle school--like battling ruthless bully Emelyn Peters for the attention of class hottie Dustin Coles--get in her way?
Carrie Cross is an avid reader who fell in love with books as a little girl after listening to Goodnight Moon at bedtime. Carrie discovered her passion for mysteries while reading Nancy Drew and The Happy Hollisters series--and then Judy Blume arrived with her unputdownable coming-of-age novels like Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret and Deenie.
A dancer since age six, Cross took three years of ballet and nine years of jazz dance, until a horrific car accident at age 18 put her in the hospital for five weeks with a broken neck, a broken hip, and severe head trauma resulting in coma. After a year of rehabilitation, Cross returned to C.S.U.N., earning a degree in Speech Communication. During college, Cross pursued a modeling career and was a note-taker and sign language interpreter for the hearing-impaired.
During an interview she was asked, "Where do you get your inspiration?" "When I was six years old, my parents decided we needed to buy a bigger house. We looked at a creepy two-story in Santa Monica Canyon, and I played hide-and-seek with the little girl who lived there. There were closets and secret hiding places with doors that opened into other rooms. Later, I wondered, "What if there was a clue hidden in one of those closets?" And the idea for the Skylar Robbins mystery series was born.
Cross's influences include YA authors Deb Caletti, Kara Thomas, and Sarah Dessen, as well as Robert Crais and Lee Child. She lives in Southern California with her graphic designer husband Ed-- creator of the Skylar Robbins book covers--and their affectionate rescue cats, Tiki and Kona.
When she isn't writing, favorite pastimes include boating (ocean imagery appears in every Skylar Robbins novel), watching Food Network, eating sushi, playing Words with Friends, driving her Porsche "like a Grandma," trying new recipes and restaurants, and traveling to exotic islands.
Skylar Robbins mysteries have won multiple awards, and several have achieved #1 Bestseller status in Children's Detective Books on Amazon. Other accolades include being voted Book-of-the-Month by LASR readers, three 5-star Reader's Favorite awards, the 5-Star Literary Titan Book Award, and one was a Top Ten Finalist for an Author Academy Award in the YA/Middle Grade category. Many reviewers have compared Skylar Robbins to a modern Nancy Drew.
Skylar's adventures begin with THE MYSTERY OF SHADOW HILLS, and continue in THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN JEWELS. For those who wonder what became of the magic garden and Skylar's bullying cousin Gwendolyn, Cross penned a 92-page fantasy novella, GWENDOLYN'S REVENGE. After she solves her second big case, the Skylar Robbins Detective Agency tackles the MYSTERY OF THE MISSING HEIRESS, and then Skylar travels past the Hawaiian archipelago to solve the MYSTERY OF THE ISLAND IDOL.
Thirteen-year olf Skylar has just had a change in her family's fortune. So they are moving. They find an old house that has more rooms than her mother thinks necessary. Her family moves into the old home that seems to have mystery written all over it. There is a woman and her missing jewels to keep Skylar interested.
This girl had the best detective kit I have ever heard of. It was an array of specialized equipment that you never expected from a seventh grader. There was even a fingerprint kit as well as her laser pointer. The rest were a wonderful collection including a flashlight, notepad, and a list of other sleuthing items. What a delightful investigator SkylarRobbins is. She is like a young modern Nancy Drew.
With meticulous notes and excellent assistants, she manages to work through a series of clues. This is so reminiscent of the style of writing that I loved from Carolyn Keene. I enjoyed reading this book and I now want to pick up the other stories by Carrie Cross.
My name is Ellie and I'm 13. I loved book 1 and I didn't think I could like book 2 even more, and...I was right. I didn't LIKE it more, I loved it, loved it, LOVED IT!!! I liked how the story starts right where book 1 left off and that there was action right from the beginning. The mystery was amazing and it was super fun to follow Skylar's reasoning as she worked to solve it. The dangerous parts had me biting my nails nervously (and even gagging a bit in one rodent-related scene), and the school drama was fun to experience, too. What I loved most was that I felt like I had SO much in common with both Skylar and Alexa. I could TOTALLY relate to Alexa's fear, anxiety, embarrassment and frustration about her ADD/Dyslexia, since I struggle with them, too. And Skylar had one line that I COMPLETELY agreed with - that gymnastics RULES - that dance and all other after-school activities can't even begin to compare to the awesomeness of the gym. Okay...she didn't exactly say it like that, but I could tell that's what she was thinking...just like I do! How could Skylar be anything but a genius if she was able to come to that absolutely truthful conclusion?! Anyway, she solved the mystery like the brilliant super sleuth she is and made sure the school bully got just what she had coming to her, too. This was so much fun to read! :)
I could not put this book down! I was a little leary that it was about a middle school girl, but adults can enjoy thus book too! I loved the main character! She was believable and I could relate to her. She even had me laughing out loud once or twice. Carrie Cross reminded me of authors I loved as a tween and teen. She's a combination of Judy Blume and the author of Nancy Drew. If you want a light hearted, feel good mystery, then this is the book for you!
Carrie Cross has created a delightful new character in Skylar Robbins and her Detective Agency. Never mind that Skylar is just now finishing grade school and going to Pacific middle school in Malibu, California. Skylar has a brilliant mind and takes after her beloved grandfather, who was a career police detective.
Author Carrie Cross intended this book, Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of the Hidden Jewels, for a children's market. Fortunately for all of us readers, the Mystery is so well written and the characters so robust, that Hidden Jewels will be enjoyed by most mystery lovers.
What I particularly loved about Hidden Jewels is the realistic portrayal of a busy, working family relationship with an adolescent girl. The inner dialogue Skylar keeps up throughout the book is key to holding the plot together but also allows the reader to experience every event in this twisted, exciting and fulfilling mystery.
I sincerely appreciate the skill of a writer who can so thoroughly submerge a reader into a book, that there is no reader or book, only a lovely interval of time where an entertaining experience happens.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely and wholeheartedly, to any age group who can look through the eyes of a young person and experience the wonders of exploring the world. This is a fine piece of writing.
There's so much to love about this book...! At the start, Skylar moves into a new huge house. It's big and quirky enough that anyone would find it fun and mysterious. But it also hides clues to a mystery: the former owner is reported to have hidden a valuable cache of jewels somewhere on the property. Skylar is up to the challenge. But the remodellers are a seedy bunch of characters who are obviously also searching for the loot, and they're onto her, as well as snooping around where they don't belong.
There are two parallel lines of plot going on here, too. In middle-school, she has to deal with some bullying and a boy-crush. (The mean girl is a real piece o' work, haha, I mean nicely portrayed villain.) Oh, and everyone's reaching menarche, so that comes up, too. It's rather fun to see the interaction between Alexa and Skylar; how they're sometimes "girly" and sometimes mature, both smart, and their personalities complement one another.
I like the writing style. It's quite clear, easy to follow, and it stays mature and accessible to all levels of reader, even though the book is obviously geared toward a middle-grade female demographic and their fantasies. It contains some moral lessons as the protagonist navigates various problems, but it doesn't get preachy about anything.
Oh, and... It ends in a good place as one might expect. But I can see there's going to be another adventure in Skylar's near future.
Skylar Robbins and the Mystery of the Hidden Jewels by Carrie Cross is the second book in the Skylar Robbins series. Skylar and her parents are looking at new homes and Skylar wants to make sure she will be attending the same school; she doesn't want to be the new kid. She believes there is an unsolved mystery in their new home and things become even more suspicious when the remodeling workers, which were recommended by the neighbors, are looking around and Skylar notices. Skylar and her friend Alexa work to solve the puzzle of the missing jewels of Xandra Collins, the previous owner of Skylar's new home. The two friends also help each other cope with school problems, such as Alexa's dyslexia and mean girl drama. This sequel in the Skylar Robbins series proves that young people can be great detectives too and being a true friend is very important. Skylar Robbins is the Nancy Drew for a new generation, 5 stars.
It keeps your attention from the first chapter. It's a great mix of Mystery, and the complicated life of being a young Teen. I can't wait to read the next book.
As a kid I loved reading The Three Investigators series about three boys in "Rocky Beach" (Malibu?) CA who start their own private investigation service. This one was actually a pretty clever book, and I'm sure MG readers (grades 4-6?) will enjoy it.
Skylar Robbins lives in Santa Monica, CA but her parents buy an old mansion in the hills, which comes with a mystery. The previous owner disappeared three years before but left clues to where her valuable jewelry box was hidden. No one has been able to find it, but Skylar is determined. However, she has to deal with a gang of bikers who're also after it, plus the challenges of starting junior high school which include bullies and hot boys.
Maybe a little too much junior-high school angst and drama for my tastes, but still a fun book (and a nice diversion from the grown-up angst and drama in the news lately).
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN JEWELS was a fun read and engaging mystery! I stumbled on this book via Book Bub and didn't realize that it was book two in the series. No worries though, you can totally read this one first and fully enjoy it -- I did! And now I plan to go back and read book one so I can see how it all began for Skylar Robbins.
Mysteries have always been my favorite books, from the Trixie Belden series to classics like Hercule Poirot and Sherlock, I love a good detective. As a kid detective, Skylar is awesome. She's smart, creative, brave, and she's not afraid to not know everything. She relies on her best friend, and Alexa relies on her -- they're a great pair. While the main mystery was the hidden jewels of a missing heiress, it was fun to watch Skylar navigate daily things, like the bully at school, the upcoming dance, and the boy she has a crush on.
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN JEWELS is definitely a middle grade read I'd recommend.
This was a fun read that I really enjoyed. Any young teen who enjoys a good mystery will love this one. Skylar is a 13-year-old girl who loves solving mysteries (thanks to her detective grandfather). Her parents buy a ramshackle mansion that once belonged to an heiress whose last words were that anyone who is brave enough to follow the clues will find her jewels - so that is what Skylar sets out to do, even when faced with a gang of thugs who are out to beat her to the jewels.
I loved that her best friend is challenged (dyslexia) and how Sky helps her out (and she helps Sky). In addition to the mystery, there’s the usual teen angst with bullies, hunky guys, and a big dance coming up.
I’m really looking forward to more from this author. Definitely recommended.
I found this book to be very interesting & fun! Skylar is smart & determined. She sets up her own detective agency and is following the clues to a hidden treasure. I liked the fact that she is a good friend and cares about others. Along with the sleuthing, she faces and takes on middle school bullies, a criminal gang, goes to her first dance, and gets her first kiss. The clues are interesting and the story is fun.
Cute story about a 13 year old girl and all the trauma that going to a new school can bring. To say nothing about moving into a new house that really is a hundred year old mansion that has secret rooms and a huge mystery attached. Fabulous jewelry hidden away and clues in the oddest places. Throw in a bunch of scary biker handy men and you have a mystery to solve. Perfect reading for the young teen reader.
Skylar Robbins, Series, Bk 2, EBk-M, Kindle, @ 2014, read 5/19/20. Fiction, Mystery, YA. 13 YO Skylar and family move into an abandoned house. The original owner, an heiress, has been missing for 3 years, along with her millions in jewels. Skylar and friends work to solve the case. Although written for middle grade readers, I enjoyed the twists and turns. 4☆'s = Very Good
I love a good mystery. I enjoyed that this one had a different perspective from other mystery novels, as it was of a young girl. The accuracy of what matters to a girl of 13 had me cringing from my own memories of that age, but not disappointed by an unbelievable character or story.
This probably isn't a valid rating coming from an adult. If I was a preteen I might give it 5 stars. I can see Skylar as the 21st century Nancy Drew. I think it was a great book for a preteen.
Im not really a reading person but this book sucked me in. I got my friend reading it and she got sucked in the momment she started reading. i would def. recomend this book to anyone looking for romance, mystery, and suspense.
Skylar and the Mystery of the Hidden Jewels combines the classic challenges of starting middle school with the contemporary advantages of a 13-year-old girl in an upper income family. Bullying: Threatened by a bad-girl classmate, Skylar videos her nemesis breaking into a vending machine at school, then makes an interesting choice on what to do with it. First Crush: Skylar wants to invite Dustin to the Backwards dance, but worries he doesn’t like her after the incident with the dissected frog in science class. These are among the challenges Skylar faces as she sets out on her main mission, to uncover a fortune in jewels hidden in her new home, an ancient mansion, through a series of clues left by the previous owner. All in a day’s work for this would-be detective.
Ok, so this is supposed to be for middle school kids. I am 64 and I loved it. I usually read cozy mysteries, and I can tell you, 13 year old Skylar is a better sleuth than most of the adults in cozy mysteries. I used to read Nancy Drew when I was a kid. This book is better than Nancy Drew. It was awesome.
Oh yeah! Even better than the first book, Skylar nails it by solving The Mystery of the Hidden Jewels. A creepy biker gang of remodelers is always on Skylar's tail. "Crypictic" Someone ratted on Skylar but you must read the book to find out who. This is a book you will want to read at least twice!