Detective and Spy Stories

The Detective

by Julia Donaldson

There once was a dog with a keen sense of smell.
She was known far and wide as Detective Dog Nell.

Peter's dog Nell has an amazing sense of smell. Whether it's finding a lost shoe or discovering who did a poo on the new gravel path, her ever-sniffing nose is always hard at work. But Nell has other talents too. Every Monday she goes to school with Peter and listens to children read. So who better to have on hand when they arrive one morning to discover that the school's books have all disappeared! Who could have taken them? And why? There's only one dog for the job ... and Detective Dog Nell is ready to sniff out the culprit!

Emil and the Detectives

by Erich Kästner

Emil is excited to be taking the train on his own for the first time. He doesn't like the look of his fellow passenger, the man in the bowler hat. Emil will just have to keep his wits about him and his money in his pocket. But Emil falls asleep and when he wakes up the man in the bowler hat is gone - and so is the money! Emil is determined to get it back. He teams up with a gang of young detectives and so begins a hair-raising chase across Berlin to catch the dirty rotten thief...

The Fairy Detective Agency: The Matchbox Mysteries

by Sally Gardner

'Agatha Christie for kids' - the fourth in a detective agency series brimming with mystery and magic by million-copy-selling author, Sally Gardner, and illustrated by acclaimed artist, David Roberts.

It's Hallowe'en and the town of Podgy Bottom is in trouble. Cars are being shrunk to the size of a matchbox in the blink of an eye; a giant purple bunny rabbit is running riot and a strange-looking broomstick is causing chaos and calamity . . .

Sounds like a case for Wings & Co, the famous detective agency! Can Emily, Buster and Fidget put a stop to this magical mischief before it's too late?

Includes Wings and Co detective case notes, character profiles and clues.

The Case of the Missing Moonstone: The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency

by Jordan Stratford

When Mary Godwin and Lady Ada Byron first meet, they don’t exactly hit it off. But with crime on the rise, the unlikely pair form a detective agency to hunt down clever criminals on the streets of London.

Their first case involves a stolen necklace, a false confession, and lots of suspicious suspects – but these are no match for Ada and Mary.

Filled with daring balloon chases, vile villains and two unforgettable heroines, The
Case of the Missing Moonstone is the first in a thrilling new series; perfect for all aspiring sleuths.

SilverFin (Young Bond)

by Charlie Higson

Before the name became a legend. Before the boy became a man. Meet Bond. James Bond.

There's something in the water at Loch Silverfin. Something deadly. Something that must be kept secret...

It's James Bond's first day at Eton, and he's already met his first enemy. This is the start of an adventure that will take him from the school playing fields to the remote shores of Loch Silverfin and a terrifying discovery that threatens to unleash a new breed of warfare.

Alex Rider: Stormbreaker

by Anthony Horowitz

n the first book in the number one bestselling Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, fourteen-year-old Alex is forcibly recruited into MI6. Armed with secret gadgets, he is sent to investigate Herod Sayle, a man who is offering state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers to every school in the country. But the teenage spy soon finds himself in mortal danger.

Spy Dog: Mummy

by Andrew Cope

Book 9 in the Spy Dog adventures - now a number 1 bestselling series!

Spy Dog, aka LARA, isn't the only Mummy around . . .

National security is under threat! The evil Mr Big has escaped from prison AGAIN and he's on a mission to steal Egypt's most valuable treasure, The Nile Ruby.

The Prime Minister knows only one agent can stop this evil criminial mastermind - SPY DOG!

But can LARA learn some new tricks in time to find the ruby, protect her Pups and get Mr Big back in jail where he belongs?

Praise for SPY DOG:

'An imaginative, creative feast' - Radio Times

SPY DOG - winner of the Richard and Judy 7+ developing reader category, and the Red House Children's Book Award.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Excitement! Intrigue! Suspense! Horror!
Will Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson discover the truth behind the fearsome legend of the beast with blazing eyes and dripping jaws? Oxford Children's Classics present not only the original and unabridged story of The Hound of the Baskervilles, but also include an amazing assortment of recommendations and activities for readers to get even more from the story.

The Thief Lord

by Cornelia Funke

Winter has come early to Venice. Two orphaned children are on the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways of the city. Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema. On their trail is a bungling detective, obsessed with disguises and the health of his pet tortoises. But a greater threat to the boys' new-found freedom is something from a forgotten past - a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself.

The Falcon's Malteser (A Diamond Brothers story)

by Anthony Horowitz

Meet the Diamond Brothers, the world's most defective detectives, by the author of the number one bestselling Alex Rider series. When a dwarf comes into the office and leaves a package, Tim Diamond, the world's worst private-detective, is faced with his toughest case yet. The office is ransacked and the package is found to contain simply a box of Maltesers. Who was the dwarf . and why was he murdered shortly after his visit?

A Dog Called Grk

by Josh Lacey

When Tim finds an abandoned and bedraggled little dog outside his house, he can't just leave him there, even though his parents hate the idea of pets in their house. And then the endearing animal turns out to be Grk, the much loved pet of the recently replaced ambassador of Stanislavia, left behind when they made a rushed (and enforced) exit. Tim innocently wants to reunite them, but it means that he will become embroiled in the violent and dangerous politics of this little known East European country. To find them, he will have to break into a high security prison (and out again!) and escape from the consequent hue and cry. This will involve the hair-raising piloting of a helicopter, and a nail-biting race for the border. Could this be the new 007?
A Dog Called Grk is Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award.

half Moon Investigations

by Eoin Colfer

Meet Fletcher Moon. Half-pint schoolboy and fully qualified private investigator. Since graduating online, he has solved all sorts of minor mysteries at school and at home. It was only a matter of time before things got serious. When Fletcher investigates a spate of crimes in the town of Lock, the finger of suspicion is soon pointing in the direction of shady brothers Herod and Red Sharkey.

Olivia the Spy

by Ian Falconer

Everyone’s favourite pig is about to have a surprise trip to the ballet! But when Olivia overhears her mother complaining about her recent naughty behaviour, her imagination runs wild and she decides to find out everything being said about her . . . until her eavesdropping leads her to believe she is being carted off to prison!

Spy Guy: The Not-So-Secret Agent

by Jessica Young, illustrated by Charles Santoso

Spy Guy is a spy but not a very good one. He's too loud, too squeaky, and in need of a good disguise. All Spy Guy wants is to figure out the secret to spying. But as the Chief says, "that" he must discover for himself. With a lot of trial and even more error, can Spy Guy figure out the secret to spying?"

Cream Buns and Crime: A Murder Most Unladylike Collection

by Robin Stevens

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are famous for the murder cases they have solved - but there are many other mysteries in the pages of Hazel's casebook, from the macabre Case of the Deepdean Vampire, to the baffling Case of the Blue Violet, and their very first case of all: the Case of Lavinia's Missing Tie.

Packed with brilliant mini-mysteries, including two brand-new and never seen before stories, and peppered with Daisy and Hazel's own tips, tricks and facts, this is the perfect book for budding detectives and fans of the award-winning, bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series.

The Painted Dragon: (The Sinclair's Mysteries)

by Katherine Woodfine

A fast-paced historical mystery adventure for readers aged 9+ years, with gorgeous Edwardian period detail. Perfect for fans of Chris Riddell's Goth Girl series, Enid Blyton and Robin Stevens's Murder Most Unladylike series.

When a priceless painting is stolen, our dauntless heroines Sophie and Lil find themselves faced with forgery, trickery and deceit on all sides!

Be amazed as the brave duo pit their wits against this perilous puzzle! Marvel at their cunning plan to unmask the villain and prove themselves detectives to be reckoned with – no matter what dangerslie ahead . . .

It’s their most perilous adventure yet!

Mystery and Mayhem

by Katherine Woodfine et al

Enthralling children's fiction for everyone who loves Robin Steven's Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries and Frances Hardinge's The Lie Tree.

Twelve mysteries.

Twelve authors.

One challenge: can YOU solve the crimes before the heroes of the stories?

These are twelve brand-new short stories from twelve of the best children's crime writers writing today.

These creepy, hilarious, brain-boggling, heart-pounding mysteries feature daring, brilliant young detectives, and this anthology is a must for fans of crime fiction and detection, especially the Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries, The Roman Mysteries and The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow.

The Crime Club are twelve UK-based authors who are mad about crime fiction. Clementine Beauvais, Elen Caldecott, Susie Day, Julia Golding, Frances Hardinge, Caroline Lawrence, Helen Moss, Sally Nicholls, Kate Pankhurst, Robin Stevens, Harriet Whitehorn and Katherine Woodfine can be found anywhere there is a mystery to be solved, a puzzle to be cracked or a bun to be eaten, and they are always ready for the next puzzling case.

Nancy Parker's Diary of Detection (Nancy Parker 1)

by Julia Lee

On this day 24th June 1920 I turned fourteen.
I plan to have a very exciting future now that I have thrown off the SHACKLES of SCHOOL! A detective is what I would most like to be. I cannot think of any reason why I could not be one. Except perhaps I am too young. And I don't like blood.
Nancy Parker has recently been engaged in her first position - as a housemaid for the very modern Mrs Bryce. It's not Nancy's dream job (she'd rather be investigating crimes like they do in her beloved six-penny thrillers) but as Mrs Bryce starts to entertain her new neighbours with lavish parties, it becomes clear that something strange and interesting might be afoot. Local burglaries, a cook with a deep, dark secret - and Mrs Bryce's own glamorous but murky past. Will Nancy solve the mysteries while still keeping on top of her chores?
A hilarious and energetic middle-grade mystery, narrated part in the third person and part through Nancy's journal.

Hermelin: The Detective Mouse

by Mini Grey

Hermelin is a noticer. He is also a finder. The occupants of Offley Street are delighted when their missing items are found, but not so happy to learn that their brilliant detective is a mouse! What will happen to Hermelin? Will his talents go unrewarded?

Detective McWoof and the Great Poodle Doodler Mystery

by Timothy Knapman, illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown

Detective McWoof likes to think he's a great detective. He's always sniffing for cases to solve. The problem is that he sometimes misses the most obvious clues - so it's a good job he has a trusty assistant, Wanda, to keep him scampering in the right direction! Together they will leave no case unsolved, and no bone unchewed . .

The Poisoned Arrow (Saxby Smart - Schoolboy Detective)

by Simon Cheshire

What kind of dirty tricks are being played at the local theatre? Why would someone take the blame for a crime they couldn't have committed? And how do the top team in the school quiz seem to know the answers before they hear the questions?

Solve three more mind-mangling mysteries, brought to you by Saxby Smart, schoolboy private detective. Saxby reveals the clues that solve the cases, but are you smart enough to work out them out for yourself?