The Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories Series

A gang of young sleuths and a trusty terrier put their noses to a bank robbers’ trail Ellery Queen’s young apprentice, Djuna, is preparing for an afternoon of fishing when a stranger leans out of his car window and asks for directions to Canada. A few minutes later, Djuna watches as the man’s friends come running out of the local bank and into the getaway car, guns blazing, before taking off for the Canadian border.   It is a mystery that could baffle even Djuna’s famous boss, but with the help of a ferocious black Scottie named Champ and a few crime-solving friends, he will find the culprits. It will be the greatest adventure of his life.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s apprentice, Djuna, and his trusty Scottie, Champ, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Black Dog Mystery is the first book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

At the local golf course, Djuna discovers a century-old mystery It’s the first day of summer, and the brilliant teenage sleuth Djuna is looking for a job when he meets a young boy named Jimmy, whose father is the new golf pro at the country club. While Jimmy and his dad are moving into the clubhouse, the movers drop an antique chest. When Djuna’s dog, Champ, picks up a piece of the shattered wood in his mouth, they see that it has writing on it. The letters spell purp, and they are the first clue in the most dangerous mystery of Djuna’s career.   The chest is a century old, and the mystery stretches back to the life of Jimmy’s great-great-grandfather. The dangers of the purple bird are not to be underestimated. Getting through this adventure alive will prove just as tricky as a hole in one.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s apprentice, Djuna, and his trusty Scottie, Champ, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Purple Bird Mystery is the ninth book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

During a lakeside vacation, Djuna hunts a mysterious fire starter Whenever Djuna leaves the house, he seems to get into trouble. Whether it’s catching bank robbers or sniffing out a ring of counterfeiters, something about this young man makes him a magnet for mystery. When Miss Annie Ellery plans a summer vacation by the shores of Silver Lake, Djuna and his friend Tommy while away their time fishing, swimming, and sleeping till noon. Djuna promises to stay out of trouble—but it isn’t long before trouble finds him.   Djuna’s best friend at Silver Lake is Captain Ben, a fisherman who shows him the tricks of the trade. When Ben’s boat and fishing shack go up in smoke, Djuna promises to find the person responsible, even if it means getting into more trouble than ever before.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s apprentice, Djuna, and his trusty Scottie, Champ, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Brown Fox Mystery is the fifth book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Two brave young sleuths connected to one of the greatest detectives of all time tackle their own cases in these eleven whodunits. For mystery fans, the name Ellery Queen brings to mind the sophisticated amateur sleuth who helped solve some of New York City’s most confounding cases. But he wasn’t the only one in his household with an eye for crime solving.   Here are eleven puzzling mysteries, nine solved by Djuna, the Queen family’s quick-witted assistant, with the help of his trusty Scottie, Champ; and two solved by Gulliver Queen—the chip-off-the-old-block nephew to the legendary detective himself.   Djuna solves The Black Dog Mystery, The Golden Eagle Mystery, The Green Turtle Mystery, The Red Chipmunk Mystery, The Brown Fox Mystery, The White Elephant Mystery, The Yellow Cat Mystery, The Blue Herring Mystery, and The Purple Bird Mystery.   Gulliver solves The Mystery of the Merry Magician and The Mystery of the Vanished Victim.

Lost in a strange town, Djuna stumbles on an adventure On his way home after a summer of fun with his friends, Djuna and his dog, Champ, take advantage of a pit stop in Thompsonville to get off the train and stretch their legs. They have just left the station when Champ slips his leash and runs off into the crowd. Djuna charges after him, but by the time he finds his little dog, the train has left without them. When he reaches for his wallet to buy a new ticket, his pocket is empty. Someone has stolen his money!   Stranded, Djuna and Champ will have to think on their feet if they are to find their way home. It’s less than one hundred miles to Edenboro, but getting there will mean the adventure of a lifetime.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s apprentice, Djuna, and his trusty Scottie, Champ, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Red Chipmunk Mystery is the fourth book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Under the big top, Djuna tangles with an unscrupulous gang of con men The circus is coming to Riverton! And even better, Djuna’s friend the carpenter has four free passes—which means Djuna gets to see the show every night it’s in town.   The circus is more fun than Djuna ever imagined, but there is something rotten behind the scenes. The house of the former circus owner has been empty for years—so why does Djuna see an acrobat swinging through the trees in the front yard? And at the circus itself, a crew of grifters have set up shop ringside and are swindling honest audience members out of their money. Djuna will do anything to save the circus, even if it means walking a tightrope—or leaping right into the lion’s den.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s apprentice, Djuna, and his trusty Scottie, Champ, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The White Elephant Mystery is the sixth book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

When Ellery Queen goes out of town, his nephew takes on a cosmic case For weeks, Gulliver Queen has looked forward to going on vacation with his uncle Ellery, the world-famous author and sleuth. But on the eve of their departure, Ellery is called away on government business. Gully is heartbroken—until Ellery deputizes him as his assistant, tasking him with taking down information from anyone who comes by looking to hire the great detective. There is only one rule: No solving mysteries! But Ellery hasn’t been gone an hour when Gully gets a case he cannot resist.   The client is Fisty Jones, a rough-and-tumble citizen of the New York docks who claims to have seen something impossible: a one-eyed, black-skinned monster direct from outer space. Gully quickly finds himself sucked into the baffling tangle of tattooed bruisers, cheerful magicians, and questionable characters who call the waterfront their home.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s nephew, Gully, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Mystery of the Merry Magician is the tenth book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

A strange bird leads Gully to a bloody mystery at the United Nations Gully Queen is lounging around the apartment of his uncle, the world-famous sleuth Ellery Queen, when a knock comes at the door. It is Ellery’s neighbor, a harmless old man, with a beautiful mynah bird perched on his shoulder. He wants Ellery to find out where the bird came from, but Ellery is out of town, so the case falls to his nephew Gully. The bird says but one thing: “Katal! Katal!” Gully is baffled— until he learns that an Indian diplomat’s bodyguard has vanished from his hotel room, and that in Hindi, katal means “kill.”   Searching for the bird’s owner takes Gully to the United Nations, where two Indian boys join the hunt for the missing guard. Together, they will find themselves in the thick of an adventure faster than you can say katal!   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s nephew, Gully, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Mystery of the Vanished Victim is the eleventh book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

On vacation in Florida, Djuna meets a cat with a peculiar secret Djuna steps off the bus and into the Florida heat, ready for a few weeks of slow-paced Southern living with his friend Tommy, whose father recently moved to Dolphin Beach. After spending the whole summer solving mysteries, Djuna is looking forward to some peace and quiet.   But trouble has a way of finding Djuna. While Tommy gives him a tour of the town, Djuna spies two men sneaking away from a strange black boat. Inspecting the ship, Djuna discovers that it has been freshly painted and that the name has recently been changed. Is it possible that smugglers are operating in Dolphin Beach? There is something about this boat that tells Djuna he’s not on vacation anymore—he’s on an adventure.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s apprentice, Djuna, and his trusty Scottie, Champ, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Yellow Cat Mystery is the seventh book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

An ancient whaling journal sets Djuna on course for buried treasure When old Captain Beekman was on his deathbed, he turned to his daughter and muttered, “Lift the blue herring.” It’s a cryptic piece of family lore—until the day Djuna pays a visit to the old captain’s house. Inspecting the ship’s log from Captain Beekman’s final sailing voyage, the brilliant young sleuth notices something no one else ever has. A page has been torn out—and it holds the key to an adventure.   Could the missing page have to do with a long-buried treasure? Where does the blue herring fit in? With his scrappy terrier, Champ, by his side, Djuna will unravel the mystery and decode the captain’s last words once and for all.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s apprentice, Djuna, and his trusty Scottie, Champ, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Blue Herring Mystery is the eighth book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

In a seaside town, Djuna discovers theft, secrets—and murder When Djuna goes to spend the summer with troubled Aunt Patty, he passes the time swimming, eating steamed clams, and catching lobsters out in the bay. But when seemingly worthless trinkets start disappearing from Aunt Patty’s house, Djuna’s sleuthing instincts spring into action, and he soon discovers something far more frightening than petty theft.   Then Aunt Patty’s fishing boat disappears from the docks. When she and Djuna discover it set adrift along the rocky coast, Djuna tries to save the ship, but it has been smashed to bits by the waves. Djuna is certain that what happened to the Patagonia was no accident. The old ship was murdered—and he will find out who did it.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s apprentice, Djuna, and his trusty Scottie, Champ, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Golden Eagle Mystery is the second book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

To rescue a friend’s pet turtle, Djuna must solve the riddle of a haunted house His new shoeshine box under his arm, boy-sleuth Djuna is looking for customers when he meets a young reporter named Socker Furlong. Socker assigns Djuna and copyboy Ben Franklin to investigate a haunted empty house. Djuna, Ben, and Ben’s pet turtle are having a lot of fun creeping around outside—until the place turns out not to be so abandoned after all.   Djuna sees people inside the house, and when he knocks, a young girl answers the door—only to slam it in his face. Djuna and Ben run for help and are halfway down the block when Ben notices that his turtle is missing. To get him back, they will have to crack the mystery of the haunted house, no matter what ghosts may stand in their way.   Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s apprentice, Djuna, and his trusty Scottie, Champ, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills.   The Green Turtle Mystery is the third book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.