The Nose Knows

McGurk Mystery

by E.W. Hildick

Three boys and a girl organize a private investigative agency that relies on one detective's uncanny sense of smell

Genres: Childrens, Mystery, Fiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1974

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

[Cindy aka "The Book Fairy" · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was read so long ago during my childhood but I still have it as I dearly enjoyed it :)

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack McGurk and Joey Rockwell meet Willie Sanders, who’s new to the street, they decide to form a private investigations company to find Willie’s catchers glove, which has gone missing. As the case progresses, Wanda Grieg joins their group and comes up with a great plan to get some clues.
Originally published in 1974 and the first in a long series of adventures, I picked this up thinking it was something I’d read from my childhood but I have no memory of the story at all. Well written, with a brisk pace, this doesn’t worry too much about characterisation or location but it is good fun and Hildick has a great ear for kids dialogue (he was apparently a teacher). I had a lot of fun with it and would recommend it.

[Kmgreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun first book in a series. It's aimed at 9-12 year olds. The characters seem familiar, like your siblings or kids you grew up with. In the book, "the nose" is a boy with a very keen olfactory sense who inspires another kid to start a detective agency. The narrator is really funny too. He is the best friend of McGurk (the namesake of the mystery series), and he's the more level headed one who watches his friend get himself into trouble. I recommend this book for kids 2-6th grade.

[Taffeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nose Knows…we have yet to settle into the more familiar naming pattern of “The Case of”…

I am accustomed to the Lisl Weil illustrations, therefore those of Unada, although nuanced and excellent, are strange to me.

This series has been compared to Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct….that may very well be my next literary destination…

[Suvi]

Luin lapsena kaikki Etsivätoimisto McGurk -sarjan kirjat, jotka kunnan kirjastosta löytyivät. Muistan, että tykkäsin näistä, koska kovasti harmitti se, että suomalaisen numeroinnin mukaiset osat 6 ja 7 puuttuivat. En niitä koskaan saanut käsiini. Pitäisiköhän nyt yrittää...?

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of the McGurk series - a very simple mystery

[Markku Kesti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Etsivätoimisto McGurk oli lapsena ihan kiva sarja. Luin ensimmäisen osan uudelleen ja onhan tämä kestänyt aikaa paremmin kuin useimmat aikalaisensa, mutta jos teidän kirjastossanne on näitä niin varasto on se oikea paikka. Kyllä ne nostalgiannälkäiset vanhat pierut löytävät tarvittaessa sieltäkin. Ei ole väärin tarjota lapsille alle 50v vanhaa luettavaa.