If Elspeth Campbell Murphy were a chef, her recipe for the Three Cousins Detective Club series might look like this: Take three endearing characters (make sure they're cousins), mix in imaginative but believable storylines, a touch of mystery, and a helping of humor. Serve with short, readable sentences and a theme centered around the fruit of the Spirit. Read it while it's hot. Guaranteed to entertain thousands of young readers.
And that's exactly what Murphy has done in her latest trio of books about Sarah-Jane, Titus, and Timothy (the ten-year-old cousins who make up the T.C.D.C.). The kids' parents have decided it's time for their children to take "educational vacations" together. But, of course, bringing these three together seems to be a magnet for mysteries.
In The Mystery of the Haunted Lighthouse, Sarah-Jane's parents receive a letter containing a photograph of an old lighthouse. On the back of the snapshot are the words, "Please come stop me before I do something stupid."
Turns out the letter (and picture) are from Ned, a family friend. He's is contemplating buying the lighthouse but needs the remodeling advice of Sarah-Jane's dad. So Sarah-Jane's parents, along with the three cousins head out to view the lighthouse. But when the kids arrive, they find a mystery brewing-could it be that the lighthouse is haunted? With a handful of clues in sight, the Three Cousins Detective Club sets out to find the answer-and has a bit of an adventure along the way.
Titus has always wanted to swim with dolphins, and in The Mystery of the Dolphin Detective it looks like he'll finally get his chance. Accompanied by his parents, and cousins Timothy and Sarah-Jane, Titus goes on another "Educational vacation." This time the kids are visiting an ocean compound where scientists are teaching tame dolphins how to fend for themselves in the wild.
But once the kids get there, they find out someone has been tampering with the dolphins, making them unfit to be released. And to top it off, Titus slips on a herring and sprains his ankle-making it impossible for him to swim with the dolphins after all! Fortunately, that sprained ankle helps the Three Cousins Detective Club figure out what's really going on with the dolphins.
In The Mystery of Eagle Feather, Timothy and his cousins take a trip to a Native American powwow where they plan to see Timothy's pen pal, Anthony Two Trees. Anthony is to compete in a ritual dance competition while the three cousins are there. The mystery begins when several of the priceless eagle-feather headdresses, fans, and other dance accessories turn up missing. You guessed it! It's up to the Three Cousins Detective Club to puzzle out the clues and find the thief in their midst-which they do in a series of fun-filled, clue-chasing capers.
Short chapters and lots of black and white illustrations make the 64-page books very appealing for kids, aged 9-12. These three books follow the six previously released in the Three Cousins Detective Club series as Elspeth Campbell Murphy continues to deliver new recipes for entertaining the young readers in your home.
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