In The Yellow Cat Mystery, amateur sleuth Djuna visits his friend Tommy in Florida. His yellow cat has a sore tooth, and they set off to see the dentist. The dentist is new to the town and doesn’t seem to be able to help them. They do, however, notice two persons who came from a mysterious black-lacquered ship at sea—and a normal day suddenly becomes an unusual adventure.
“Ellery Queen clearly is, after Poe, the most important American in mystery fiction.”—Otto Penzler, editor of Best American Mystery Stories, praise for the author
Free passes to the circus seemed pretty exiting to Djuna and his friend Tommy Williams, and things promised to be even more exiting when they met their old friends Socker and Cannonball at the entrance gate, but they were only the start of a hair-raising experience.
The boys soon learned that the newspaper reporter and the state trooper were trying to uncover a pack of tricksters who were cheating the circus audiences; and as one strange and frightening event follows another, Djuna and Tommy are caught up in the glittering, upside-down world of the circus, and find themselves in the middle of one of the most weird and dangerous mysteries they have ever encountered!
“Ellery Queen clearly is, after Poe, the most important American in mystery fiction.”—Otto Penzler, editor of Best American Mystery Stories, praise for the author
This is the wonderful adventure story of Djuna, a young boy who uses his eyes and his head and his little Scottie dog, Champ, who uses his nose to sniff out clues. There is also Mr. Scissors, the traveling knife grinder, who is driving though the country in a wonderful caravan with his young granddaughter, Joan. There are also two wicked men who are cruel to Mr. Scissors, a reporter named Socker Furlong, and Miss Annie Ellery, who plays a surprising part at the end.
“Ellery Queen clearly is, after Poe, the most important American in mystery fiction.”—Otto Penzler, editor of Best American Mystery Stories, praise for the author
What is the connection of “Fowl Relief” and an English golf-playing king? Does the nickname of Jimmy Douglas’ great-great-grandfather have any significance? Tie these answers with the other clues and the mystery of the purple bird is solved, but not until Djuna, the brilliant young sleuth, and his pal Jimmy go through an ordeal that almost takes their lives. The boys tangle with an antique dealer and a tiger-skin diary—just to name a few of the events—in their struggle to solve the mystery.
“Djuna finds lost valuables in a sort of pun-it-who-dun-it technique.”—Kirkus Reviews
Gulliver Queen, nephew of the famous detective, Ellery Queen, doesn’t want to be a detective. But when Gully and his new friend, Fisty Jones, investigate the strange underwater noises in the Hudson River, they suddenly find themselves deep in a mystery that Gully can’t resist tackling. The menacing tattooed man, the weird one-eyed figure in the abandoned building, the strange but merry Magnus Merlin, magician extraordinaire—all add up to an exciting tale of danger and suspense on and under New York’s waterfront.
Djuna and Ben weren’t sure they believed in ghosts. The little girl who opened the door of the haunted house didn’t look like a ghost yet she vanished into thin air. They had to find out what happened to her. And they had to rescue Waterbury, the time-telling turtle who walked into the deserted house—and didn’t walk out. Djuna found clues and he added them all up to solve a case the secret service couldn’t crack!
“Nine to twelve is not too young for the craving for mystery stories to show itself, so start them with worthwhile ones. The Ellery Queen Jr. mysteries fill this bill. Djuna, a character in his adult stories, first appeared as the lead character in The Black Dog Mystery. Now he appears again with his Scottie, Champ, and a new friend, in a story offering thrills aplenty on a deserted island. A sure choice for a fast seller.”—Kirkus Reviews
Djuna and his dog Champ go to Stony Harbor to spend what he thinks will be a quiet and uneventful holiday in a seaside village. But little does Djuna know what is in store!
First he meets Billy Reckless and his dog Alberto. Then there’s the mystery which enshrouds Djuna’s Aunt Patty. Things begin to happen! Djuna has a grand time with his newfound friend, lobstering, sailing, and exploring, until Aunt Patty’s motor boat, the Patagonia, mysteriously disappears.
Ellery Queen Jr. has created a likeable character in Djuna the junior sleuth, not forgetting, of course, his black Scotty, Champ. Their adventures are told in clear, bright language, and they hold interest from start to finish.
“Ellery Queen clearly is, after Poe, the most important American in mystery fiction.”—Otto Penzler, editor of Best American Mystery Stories, praise for the author
When those two enthusiastic fishermen, Djuna and his friend Tommy, are offered a chance to spend the summer at fish-filled Silver Lake as the guests of Miss Annie Ellery, they are overjoyed. But great as the fishing proves to be, there is more in store: Silver Lake holds a mystery and the boys find themselves swept up in a series of exciting and dangerous adventures, including an abandoned ice-house and two fires, as they help to solve it.
“Ellery Queen clearly is, after Poe, the most important American in mystery fiction.”—Otto Penzler, editor of Best American Mystery Stories, praise for the author
When there’s a bank robbery in the country village where Djuna lives, and one of his dog’s best friends gets shot in the escape, the boy makes up his mind he’ll find out who did it. His chum and his dog Champ are in on the hunt and two heads and a keen nose are better than one. The boys remember something queer they noticed about a truck with a covered load that passed them on the road when they were going fishing. Clue follows clue, and when the Scottie gets himself all smeared with fresh paint, and Clarabelle spoils a picture, Djuna emerges as a regular Ellery Queen!
“Ellery Queen clearly is, after Poe, the most important American in mystery fiction.”—Otto Penzler, editor of Best American Mystery Stories, praise for the author
