A to Z mysteries

S is for Skeleton. . . .It's a bone-afide mystery at Dink's school. Some sneaky soul has stolen the skeleton from the nurse's office! The principal promises free aquarium tickets to the savvy sleuths who can track down poor Mr. Bones. Soon mysterious clues are showing up all over the school. It's up to Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose to follow the clues and put those old bones to rest.From the Trade Paperback edition.

A to Z Mysteries #17Q is for Quicksand. . . . Everyone in Green Lawn is quaking about the ducks that keep crossing River Road. But just when the town raises enough cash to build a special duck bridge, the money is stolen! Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are on a quest to find the culprit. But to catch their quarry, the kids have to go wading . . . through quicksand!From the Trade Paperback edition.

Dink's favorite mystery writer, Wallis Wallace, has invited Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose for a sleepover - in a haunted castle! But as soon as the young detectives arrive, they start hearing screams behind the walls. Will they discover who - or what - is haunting Moose Manor? From the Trade Paperback edition.

C is for Canary...Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose get an urgent call from Mrs. Davis. Her canary is missing! The little bird has vanished without a trace, and he's not the only one. Two other pets are missing. The kids suspect a pet-napper, and now that Ruth Rose's cat, Tiger, has turned up missing too, it's become personal! From the Trade Paperback edition.

Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose investigate the kidnapping of the new baby panda at the petting zoo.

E is for Envelope...Dink keeps getting envelopes in the mail addressed to "D. Duncan." But the letters inside all start with "Dear Doris" and don't make any sense! Josh and Ruth Rose think someone's playing a trick on Dink. But Dink is sure there's more to it than that, especially after Doris herself shows up and demands her letters! From the Trade Paperback edition.

K is for Kidnapped! Someone has kidnapped the king and queen of Socotra. For safety's sake, their son is staying with Dink until they are safe. But then the prince is kidnapped, too! Can Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose unmask the royals' enemies before it's too late? Or is the royal family of Socotra gone forever?From the Trade Paperback edition.

While visiting Dink's uncle in New York City, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose help uncover who is responsible for stealing a very valuable painting.

The whole town has turned out to watch the Green Lawn women challenge the men--and to see Mr. Pocket's prized baseball collection. But sometime during the game, the balls are stolen! The police suspect the umpire of foul play. Can Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose prove he's innocent, or is it strike three for the Green Lawn ump?From the Trade Paperback edition.

This is perhaps Collins' last lucid effort before ill health and opium drained his powers. A tale of ghostly terror, relentless pace, tight narrative, and a doomed Countess characterize and distinguish this powerful Collins novelette.

Josh and his two friends look for the person who stole a peregrine falcon from its nest.

Ruth Rose, Josh, and Dink attend a concert during which someone steals the star's diamond pendant, and they are soon on the trail of the thief.

Third-grader Dink and his detective friends hope to receive a big reward by finding the person whose video recorder picked up a picture of the local bank robber.

When Dink's favorite mystery writer Wallis Wallace, turns up missing, he and Josh and Ruth Rose get on the case. They uncover more than they bargained for!

Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose help catch the thieves who have stolen gold from Sammi's parents, the king and queen of Costra.

X is for X-RAY . . . Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are having an excellent time at the Penelope Gwinn concert. But during intermission, Dink injures his arm! At the same time, the singer's diamond necklace is stolen. Could the two mishaps somehow be connected? And could Dink's X-ray be a clue? It's up to the kids to examine the evidence and find out in this exciting yet easy-to-read chapter book mystery.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Sun, sand--and sunken treasure? That's what Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose discover when they go on vacation to Florida. An old ship has been found off the coast, and it's full of gold! Two divers are collecting donations to bring up the loot. They're promising to share whatever they find, but is this too good to be true? It's up to Dink and his friends to get to the bottom of it! A brand-new map of the Florida coast and fun black-and-white drawings make The Goose's Gold a must for kids who love mysteries!From the Trade Paperback edition.

A is for author.... Dink writes to his favorite author, mystery writer Wallis Wallace, and invites him to visit Green Lawn. To Dink's amazement, Wallace says he'll come! But when the big day arrives, Wallace is nowhere to be found. The police think he just missed his plane, but Dink suspects foul play. It's up to Dink and his two best friends, Josh and Ruth Rose, to find the famous writer--before it's too late! From the Trade Paperback edition.

Dink and his friends use their detective skills to locate a giant emerald missing from a statue delivered to Uncle Warren's museum in New York City.

L is for Lucky. . . .And that's just how Lucky O'Leary feels when the lottery ticket his grandfather sends him for Christmas turns out to be a million-dollar winner! But before Lucky can cash it in, someone sneaks into his house and steals it. Now it's up to Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose to track down the thief and return the ticket . . . before Lucky loses out!From the Trade Paperback edition.

While picnicking on Squaw Island, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose find a hundred dollar bill, and when they return to explore further they find an entire cave full of money.

N is for Nugget...Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are spending a week at a dude ranch. Everything is normal in a cowboy kind of way--until Josh finds a huge gold nugget! Just as they are deciding what to do with their newfound riches, the nugget disappears. Will the kids be able to track down the thief before it's time to mosey on home?From the Trade Paperback edition.

Z is for ZOMBIE . . .Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are excited to vacation in the Louisiana bayou. But the small village they visit has a scary problem. The villagers tell stories of voodoo and a giant zombie with silver hair who has been digging up graves in the cemetery. Can the the tales be true? It's up to Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose to unearth the secrets of the zombie zone.From the Trade Paperback edition.

V is for Vampire . . .Grab your garlic, Green Lawn! When Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose follow a pale, dark-haired stranger into Ellie's Diner, he vanishes! But Ellie has a cut on her neck . . . or could it be a bite? Could there really be a vampire in Green Lawn? And could Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose be his next victims?"An appealing combination of intrigue, ingenuity, and good fun. A great recreational choice for newly independent readers."--School Library JournalFrom the Trade Paperback edition.

M is for Mummy. . . .It's Mummy Monday at the museum, and Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are excited about the new Egyptian exhibit. It features a child mummy in an actual tomb! But then the mummy is stolen and the tomb robbed of its treasure. Can Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose unravel the mystery and return the mummy to its rightful resting place?From the Trade Paperback edition.

GREAT BOOK!

R is for Racehorse . . . And they're off! Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are excited to see Uncle Warren's new racehorse, Whirlaway, in action. But the night before the big race, the horse disappears! He shows up the next day, just in time to lose the race. Why is Whirlaway suddenly so slow? Can the kids figure it out--or is Whirlaway out of the winner's circle for good? A to Z Mysteries are fast-paced, collectible mysteries for beginning chapter book readers!From the Trade Paperback edition.