Super Puzzletastic Mysteries: Short Stories for Young Sleuths from Mystery Writers of America

by Chris Grabenstein, Stuart Gibbs, Lamar Giles

A collection of short mysteries featuring sleuths both new and familiar (fans of FunJungle, Framed!, and more take note) for young sleuths from mystery writers of America.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Short Stories, Childrens, Fiction, Anthologies, Juvenile

378 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 2020

About the author

CHRIS GRABENSTEIN is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. His books include the LEMONCELLO, WONDERLAND, HAUNTED MYSTERY, DOG SQUAD, and SMARTEST KID IN THE UNIVERSE series, and many fun and funny page-turners co-authored with James Patterson. You can visit Chris at ChrisGrabenstein.com.

Reviews

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly, I wrote one of the mysteries in this book. But now, I've received an advanced readers copy and been able to read all the other mysteries -- and they're wonderful! Some are funny. Some are touching. Some are quirky. Some are diabolical. But they are all incredibly clever and a great amount of fun to read. Chris Grabenstein assembled a fantastic team for this book and everyone has done amazing work here.

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book for middle grade readers features twenty stories by members of Mystery Writers of America. Each story provides the clues and puzzles you need to solve it along with the characters. In fact, the solutions are at the back of the book to give you time to figure out what is really going on before you see if you got it right. While a few authors feature series sleuths, most of the stories feature original characters.

And all of them are fun. Many are straight up mysteries, but some feature puzzles we can learn about and solve with the characters along the way. The stories average about 15 pages each, so they would work well for reading aloud and solving as a group. It might take a group to solve some of them. I figured a few out, but many left me stumped until I turned to the end. There isn’t a bad story in the bunch, and kids will certainly enjoy this collection as much as I did.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kaleidoscope of murder mysteries from some of the best writers in middle grade fiction. Each one captures the style of the author and the solutions are in a separate chapter at the end of the book to allow for junior sleuths to exercise their crime-solving skills. It would make a fun classroom resource whether it be a read-aloud or used to give extra credit or as brain teasers. If you can, check it out this summer and share it with the kids in your life. Highly recommended!

Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book. What is nice is that since each story is written by a different author if you are not thrilled with one the next one you may love. I didn't get many of the mysteries correct but it was fun guessing before I turned to the back of the book to see who dun it.

[Rachel Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snow Devils a Riley Mack Story by Chris Grabenstein -
3.5 stars
Great cast of characters

Possom-Man and Janet by Steve Hockensmith -
2.5 stars
Tough to review. I loved the characters, the dialogue, and the plot. Unfortunately the mystery simply wasn't.

Monkey Business a FunJungle Mystery by Stuart Gibbs
4.5 stars
Noir for kids and quite enjoyable

The Fifty-Seventh Cat by Sheela Chari
1.5 stars
I love cats, but this story was not great. Half a star for a unique ending.

The Perfect Alibi by Fleur Bradley
2.5 stars
Ho-humm. Easily solvable, but an interesting setup.

Three Brothers, Two Sisters, and One Cup by Lauren Magaziner
4.5 stars
Strong opening. Strong sense of character.

The Haunted Typewriter by Gigi Pandian
3 stars
The cyphers were fun. The multicultural characters were excellent.

Surprise, Party by Lamar Giles
1 star
Virtually no redeeming characters to be found anywhere.

The Dapperlings by Kate Milford
4.5 stars
A complex game of capture the flag gone wrong. Great use of red herrings.

Codename: Mom by Laura Brennan
5 stars
A fun little mathematical caper.

The Red Envelope by Lara Cassidy
5 stars
This is the author's first published piece and it is great! A set of puzzles is solved collectively and the characters are all given a chance to shine.

Whiz Tanner and the Pilfered Cashbox a Tanner-Dent Story by Fred Rexroad
3 stars
Tries to fill the niche between Encyclopedia Brown and Sherlock Holmes but without either's charms.

The Magic Day Mystery by Bryan Patrick Avery
4 stars
A comedic "police" procedural. Good characters and an entertaining setting and backdrop.

Puzzling it Out by Eileen Rendahl
2 stars
Honestly more a morality play than mystery.

The Mechanical Bank Job by Mo Walsh
3.5 stars
Interestingly the solution isn't who but how.

The Scary Place by Alana Ferguson
2 stars
An Indiana set, science based mystery. I should love it, but...

Ottonetics by Peter Lerangis
4 stars
The story and characters are heart warming and amazing.

Gridlock Jones Cracks the Case by Bruce Hale
4.5 stars
A fun and clever puzzle with a great Holmes/Watson pair.

The Case of the Mysterious Mystery Writer
3.5 stars
Very Encyclopedia Brown, one clue leads to another-esque. But a fun read.

TRICKED! A Framed Story by James Ponti
3.5 stars
A fun mystery that involves the best sport!

[Laurie Hnatiuk]

As the intro states, it is similar to the Two-Minute Mysteries written by Donald Sobol which I loved. I read a couple of stories each night enjoying an updated version of the classic versions. This would be another one you could easily use in classrooms when you have some unexpected time.

[Taylor G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love mysteries
Especially ones like this
They’re kinda like mini Nancy drew it hardy boys
Stories
This one I feel like is underrated but definitely a good one 😁

[Mandilynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won an ARC of Super Puzzletastic Mysteries, which is a collection of short story mysteries for kids. This book is laid out exactly like the mini mystery books I got from the local discount store as a kid. Each mystery’s solution is at the back of the book and isn’t just a simple answer, it’s a continuation of that story. The stories are quick reads and something you and your children could read at night (or solo) before bed and discuss in the morning over breakfast.

It really is a middle grade book so the characters are obviously middle school kids, however it’s still a fun book for any age mystery lover.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like any book of short stories by different authors, some are excellent and others not. Some of the stories I loved so much, I wished the authors would develop a series based on the characters. Others I couldn’t plow through to the end. The quality of the mysteries varied accordingly. Some were wonderful puzzles with all the necessary clues available to the readers. Others provided information in the answers that the reader could never have imagined.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific for mystery lovers. Readers get to solve the mysteries shared by 20 different authors. Think Donald Sobol's Two Minute Mysteries or Encyclopedia Brown. Answers and author bios are provided at the back of the book.
This book offers a taste of the diverse writing styles available in the mystery genre for middle grade readers.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an ARC courtesy of the publisher via Edelweiss.

Younger me loved these types of books, and I really enjoyed this one and trying to solve the mysteries along with the characters.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning: DO NOT READ “THE DAPPERLINGS” IF YOU PLAN ON READING THE BOOK “GREENGLASS HOUSE.” Seriously. I read it and it spoiled Greenglass House. So sad because I was really looking forward to reading that. So if you read this book, DON’T read the short story, “The Dapperlings!” I was sad for at least an hour.

Okay. Now, let’s get to the review.

Kids who eat up mysteries for breakfast will love this. It’s a collection of 20 short stories for ages 9-13, featuring mysteries from authors like Chris Grabenstein (author of the Mr. Lemoncello series).

What makes this book more fun is that the solutions are all in the back of the book. So you get a moment to pause and try to sort it out for yourself before flipping to the back.

I’m going to be completely honest and say not all the mysteries are created equal. My two favorites were “Codename: Mom” and “Gridlock Jones Cracks the Case.”

But all in all, a good mystery book, especially for kids who like “I’m smarter than thou” detectives.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved mystery books growing up: Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, The Boxcar Children. This book compiles short, modern-day mystery stories that reveal clues and red herrings along the way--perfect for young mystery lovers.

For this adult, though, it was a little tough to get through. Having to look in the back of the book for the "solution" (which is actually just the ending of the story--sometimes several pages) was annoying...I would have preferred a "turn the page for the solution." I know...that's kind of nitpicky, but it did bother me. Many of the stories were very similar, as well; lost of "the money has gone missing who-dun-its." This left me a little unmotivated towards the later stories.

My favorite story by far was "The Fifty-Seventh Cat" by Sheela Chari. I loved the historical elements and the fact that it was based on true events.

[Jordan Henrichs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was obsessed with Encyclopedia Brown books when I was a kid so naturally, I found this collection to be mostly fantastic. Especially since it contained a short story by Kate Milford! As with any collection of work, there are some stories that stand out more than others. Some of my favorites from the book, in no particular order:

Possum-Man and Janet by Steve Hockensmith
Three Brothers, Two Sisters, and One Cup of Poison by Lauren Magaziner
Surprise. Party. by Lamar Giles
The Dapperlings by Kate Milford
The Red Envelope by Lara Cassidy
Whiz Tanner and the Pilfered Cashbox by Fred Rexroad
The Case of the Mysterious Mystery Writer by Tyler Whitesides

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up to read Kate Milford's short story, "The Dapperlings" which I think fans of Greenglass House will enjoy.

My other two favorite stories followed this one, "Codename: Mom" by Laura Brennan and "The Red Envelope" by Lara Cassidy, though I don't see much more to read from either of them.

[Beth Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun compilation of middle grade short mystery stories told in a similar style to Encyclopedia Brown with each story's conclusion (solution) printed in the back. There are a number of really well known authors in here and I liked that they used characters from their mystery books to jump off of for their short stories. There are also several relatively unknown and unpublished authors, and I now have several on my list to check out.

I'm giving the whole collection 3 stars because when I added up all my ratings the average was 3.35.

My very favorites were Kate Milford's The Dapperlings (based on Greenglass House, which I love), and Laura Brennan's Code Name: Mom.

Snow Devils by Grabenstein 4 stars for being a great homage to Encyclopedia Brown

Possum-Man and Janet by Hockensmith 2 stars for trying to imitate classic Batman (but failing miserably)

Monkey Business by Gibbs 3 stars for being wacky and nearly clever

The Fifty-Seventh Cat by Chari 4 stars for setting and characters but 2 stars for the actual mystery

The Perfect Alibi by Bradley 4 stars for the strongest story so far. A nicely set up mystery with engaging characters and a solid set of clues

Three Brothers, Two sisters, and One Cup of Poison by Magaziner 4 stars for the set up, characters, and red herrings.

The Haunted Typewriter by Pandian 4 stars for clever use of magic and mystery

Surprise Party by Giles 2 stars for a whole mess of really bratty characters.

The Dapperlings by Mitford 5 stars for a clever plot with two reveals plus Milo and Meddy forever

Codename: Mom by Brennan 5 stars for clever, tongue in cheek spy stuff, full family depth, math in action, and a fantastic reveal

The Red Envelope by Cassidy 4 stars for including a variety of puzzles and codes, but not quite 5 stars because of the full solution reveal

Whiz Tanner and the Pilfered Cashbox by Rexroad 3 stars for some cleverness, but a little long winded and odd overall

The Magic Day Mystery by Avery 2 stars for a very obvious clue drop and a not entirely satisfying reveal

Puzzling it out by Rendahl 4 stars for cleverness, though a little contrived

The Mechanical Bank Job by Walsh 3 stars, pretty clever and some fun history woven in

The Scary Place by Ferguson 2 stars for not being much of a mystery

Ottonetics by Lerangis 4 stars this was pretty good!! A little too neat and tidy but it is a short story

Gridlock Jones Cracks the Case by Hale 3 stars for a fun detective but obvious reveal

The Case of the Mystery Writer by Whitesides 4 stars for being really clever and fun

Tricked! by Ponti 4 stars because even though I love these characters and most of it was so clever, there was a whopper of an error involving how long it takes to remove and replace drum heads (ha!)

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was like a harder, more diverse, and more modern version of Encyclopedia Brown. This book is great for reading in the car during drives (as I found out myself) or just on your own. I really enjoyed it, and most of the puzzles I would say were completely solvable to the reader, though a couple had some hidden clues not told to the reader.

Conclusion:
A really fun read, would definitely recommend.

[Reshamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of short stories from all your favorite readers. Twenty authors bring their unique writing and style to "sleuth" stories. The stories end with a cliff hanger asking the reader to "solve the mystery". It does not get better than this for mystery fans!!!
(and yes they are clever!)
It was difficult to choose a favorite, i really got stumped on quite a few of them. But as a parent, what i loved is learning how each author drew a story graph. This is interesting for readers who might want to learn to write mysteries and create arcs which are captivating. Short stories are harder to write than long form; which has the luxury of complex character and plot development.
Absolutely enjoyed reading these, highly recommend reading this book.
Here are the twenty authors:
1. Chris Grabenstein
2. Steve Hockensmith
3. Stuart Gibbs
4. Sheela Chari
5. Fleur Bradley
6. Lauren Magaziner
7. Gigi Pandian
8. Lamar Giles
9. Kate Milford
10. Laura Brennan
11. Lara Cassidy
12. Fred Rexroad
13. Patrick Avery
14. Eileen Rendahl
15. Maureen Walsh
16. Alane Ferguson
17. Peter Lerangis
18. Bruce Hale
19. Tyler Whitesides
20. James Ponti

[Fred Rexroad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I wrote one of the stories which follow the characters from my Whiz Tanner series. However ... the other 19 stories are well worth the read. Each one presents an interesting puzzle or set of clues that are in plain sight but need to be put together by the sleuth reading it. I was never disappointed.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of fun quick to read stories each with a puzzle to solve. Solutions are in the back of the book so gives you a chance to figure them out on your own. Target audience is 8-12 but adults will have fun with the challenges too.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book for someone like me who read "Encyclopedia Brown" while growing up. Structured the same way as those books with the solutions at the end. I also appreciated that not all the stories were high stakes situations -- a break from the situations we frequently find ourselves in.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short mysteries for middle grade readers from Mystery Writers of America. Each story is presented in such a way that readers can figure out who done it before the sleuth. The story cuts off before the big reveal and readers can form their own conclusions before turning to the finish in the back of the book.

I really liked the format of this book which lets readers really test if they can armchair sleuth with the best of them. I was able to figure out about 70% of them from the clues in the story. A few do require prior knowledge and not just great observation skills, so those just depend on whether you have the requisite background knowledge. Anyway, I loved the mental workout. Most short story collections are a mixed bag, but I thought this was a well-balanced collection and I liked all of the stories. I didn't realize there were both a FunJungle and Framed! short story in this collection, or I would've snatched it up as soon as the book was delivered. There are a couple other characters from series, like Milo from Greenglass House and some others I wasn't previously acquainted with but I will be hunting down now. All but Milo's mystery were contemporary fiction stories (his has a touch of fantasy since Meddy is hanging out with him). Hand this to middle grade mystery lovers. They will gobble it up and come back begging for more. (Mr. Grabenstein, maybe another collection??? :) )

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. One poisoning case (which isn't fatal).

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A Great series of mystery stories!

[Yaduraj Choudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome mysteries with great solutions! I love the anthology short story style!

[Hi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so amazing! A collection of twenty great mystery short stories with the answers at the end of the book. The authors include Kate Milford, Stuart Gibbs, Peter Lerangis, and Chris Grabenstein. I say with utmost confidence that this is one of the best books I have read this year.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short mysteries, many good for classroom read aloud. 3rd/4th

[Adrienne Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who loved Two Minute Mysteries in childhood.

[Lisa Trank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun reads. Have recommended it our school librarian for read alouds. Some truly delightful storytelling!!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! I had so much fun reading it and frankly, only figured out a few of the mysteries on my own!

Each mystery is written by a different author (Stuart Gibbs, Kate Milford...), with answers in the back of the book. I think that the students will clamor for this book and even the most reluctant readers will engage because they can read one or all of the mysteries. I also think it's a great summer read for grades 4 and up.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic group of short mysteries set up like an updated Encyclopedia Brown, with the answers all in the back. (Somewhat challenging to read on a Kindle, but worth it.) I was excited to see reappearances from some favorite series like FunJungle and Greenglass House and also to be introduced to authors that I would like to read more of. I was able to figure out some of the solutions. All of the mysteries are very cleverly done. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.