Stories Wrapped in Secrets
The CBC looks for a theme to spotlight in each month’s Hot Off the Press list so that we can alert parents, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and all children’s book enthusiasts to cool new offerings from our member publishers.
From lighthearted whodunits to chilling thrillers, these mysteries from our September Hot Off the Press list invite readers to test their sleuthing skills. Whether it’s a duck detective uncovering clues, a puzzling holiday caper, or a spine-tingling tale of secrets next door, these stories promise twists at every turn. Young readers can sharpen their problem-solving skills, while older fans will be drawn into darker, more suspenseful and complex adventures. But most importantly, these tantalizing tales remind us that the best mysteries aren’t just about the answers—they’re about the adventure of finding them.
Blood Moon, by Britney S. Lewis (Page Street Publishing / Page Street YA) — Romance, Fantasy, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Mystery / Thriller, Teen.
Mirabella Owens grew up with legends of wolves that traveled to her midwestern town to protect humans from vampires. Of a werewolf that fell in love with one of the undead, unraveling a blood-soaked history. But Mira stopped believing in those fairy tales years ago. She stopped believing in a lot of things after her mom left without a trace when she was only thirteen.
As Mira begins her freshman year at Lakeland University, she’s ready to leave the past behind her. Only the past isn’t finished with her yet. Strange animal attacks are occurring around campus, reopening cold cases tied to her mother’s disappearance. And the only person who seems to know anything is Julian Santos, the boy who is hell-bent on getting Mira to leave campus for reasons she can’t begin to understand. But Mira refuses to let him keep his secrets, not when the truth is the difference between life and death.
Mira will have to accept that there is much more to the old town myths, and her growing feelings for Julian, than she ever could have anticipated. And as the Blood Moon rises, she will come to know a world that will shatter her past and change her future.
Cluedle: The Case of Rudolph’s Revenge (Book 4), by Hartigan Browne (Hachette Book Group / Workman Kids) — How-to / Activity, Mystery / Thriller, Sports / Games / Recreation, Action / Adventure, ages 7-12.
Can you figure out Cluedunnit at Christmas? A perfect gift or stocking filler for mystery fans, Cluedle: The Case of Rudolph’s Revenge is a fantastically festive, interactive puzzle adventure story for code-cracking families and skillful young super sleuths.
Calling all sleuths! The Case of Rudolph’s Revenge is the fourth (and deluxe!) title in the Cluedle series of interactive narrative-mystery books for young readers, with 80 brain-busting puzzles across 12 cases (arranged thematically in order of the “12 days of Christmas”).
Set in a remote mansion called Mistlehurst Hall, the reader—under the watchful eye of world-famous Private Investigator Hartigan Browne—must tackle 80 clever Christmas puzzles, each of which holds a clue to solving the larger mystery of where Sir Rudolph Hollygrove-Winterton hid the family ruby.
Who poisoned Ruth Toppler? What does the mystery key unlock? Can anyone escape the curse?Packed full of codes to crack, evidence to evaluate, clues to unravel, and maps to navigate, Cluedle: The Case of Rudolph’s Revenge is chock full of puzzling fun!
The Dead of Summer, by Ryan La Sala (Scholastic / PUSH) — LGBTQIA+, Mystery / Thriller, Action / Adventure, Horror, Teen.
Two Days Before
Ollie Veltman is finally coming home to the quaint island of Anchor’s Mercy after a year away while his mom battled cancer. It should be a celebration — his mom is cancer-free, and she’s determined to have the best summer ever — but Ollie’s (now ex) best friends think he abandoned them, and he’s returning with a lot of questions. Because for a place that’s perfect on the surface, a secret rots below the waves. A secret that could explain his mom’s illness, and the illness of so many other locals.
Ollie’s desperate search for the truth turns life-or-death when a storm descends upon the island. In its wake, a long-sunken horror rises . . .
Three Weeks After
Ollie is being held in isolation aboard a military hospital ship in the harbor. They say he’s a survivor, but they only know half the story. The truth is more monstrous than Ollie ever believed, and he suspects his saviors aren’t here to save anyone. Only Ollie can stop what’s coming, but that means getting back to Anchor’s Mercy before it vanishes, taking with it everyone he has ever loved.
Fox and the Mystery Letter, written & illustrated by Alex G Griffiths (The Quarto Group / Frances Lincoln Children’s Books) — Mystery / Thriller, Animals, Friendships, Action / Adventure, ages 4-6.
Fox has a mystery to solve—and a friendship to fix!
In the dense forest, in a lonely cottage, there lives Fox. Fox is perfectly happy all by himself – until one day, a letter arrives: “Dear Fox: I know how much you enjoy puzzles. I bet you can’t resist this one . . . Head to the forest path to begin your journey. From an old friend.”
Fox doesn’t need any mysterious puzzles, adventures or memories of his old— But he stops himself from finishing the thought. Still, it can’t hurt to look at the first clue. Of course, one clue leads to the next: Fox follows arrows in the mud, notes taped to trees, swirling smoke signals, a map from a bottle, and gifts from fellow animals – on the trail of a friendship that once was.
Author-illustrator Alex G. Griffiths creates an irresistible mystery for readers to solve in this witty, whimsical picture book – with important themes of friendship, forgivenes,s and opening up about your feelings.
The House Next Door, by Ellen Oh (HarperCollins) — Mystery / Thriller, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Friendships, ages 7-12.
For fans of Not Quite a Ghost and Ghost Squad, acclaimed middle grade author Ellen Oh of Spirit Hunters and an APALA Honoree delivers a new spooky novel about young hero Rory and the creepy house next door. Filled with scary spirits, mysterious noises, and malevolent forces, the house has tormented many souls, and Rory must do everything he can to prevent the new neighbors from becoming its next victims. We Need Diverse Books cofounder Ellen Oh delivers another heart-pounding story that you won’t be able to put down.
Home is where the sinister lives. Rory Parker knows not to step a foot in, on, or around the house next door. He’s seen things creeping in the shadows, has had encounters with spirits, and lost a best friend to the house’s malevolence. But when his new neighbors, Jack and his lovable family, move into the house next door, Rory makes it his duty to protect them at all costs.
But the vicious forces lying within the house are plotting something evil, something that puts Jack’s little sister in extreme danger. Soon, Rory understands he’ll need the help of his new friend and some friendly ghosts in order to stand a chance at defeating whatever lurks within its walls for good. But what exactly lives in the house next door, and will Rory and Jack find out in time to save the day, or can its evil never be evicted?
The Last Resort, by Erin Entrada Kelly (Scholastic / Scholastic Press) — Mystery / Thriller, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Friendships, ages 7-12.
Twelve-year-old Lila has two goals for the summer:
1. Win back the friends who ditched her for being “too dramatic”
2. Stop being so dramatic
But then Lila’s estranged Grandpa Clem dies, throwing a wrench in her plans. Now she’ll have to spend the summer in Ohio while her parents decide what to do with Grandpa Clem’s creepy Victorian Inn. It’s supremely unfair. How can she show off the “new and improved” Lila from so far away?
Even worse, strange things keep happening. En route to Ohio, the family gets into a scary car accident. No one’s hurt, but the remainder of the trip is… odd. At every rest stop, Lila sees people in weird old-fashioned clothes. People no one else can see or hear…
Lila convinces herself it’s just her overactive imagination until the day of the funeral, when she spots an old man sitting in her grandfather’s favorite chair. She does a double-take—it’s him, Grandpa Clem. He tells Lila that he didn’t die of a heart attack: he was murdered. Possibly by someone who wants to control the inn. Because it’s not a normal bed & breakfast: it’s a portal between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. A hotel for ghosts passing onto the afterlife.
With the help of her skeptical brother, Caleb, and their new ghost-obsessed neighbor, Teddy, Lila—the girl who’s vowed to be less dramatic—must uncover her grandfather’s killer AND stop the evil spirits desperate to make their way back into the human world. Enter the world of The Last Resort! Ghosts from the story will emerge from the pages of the book, allowing readers to talk to spirits from the past and help solve the mystery!
The Mystery of Emerald Pond (Detective Duck #3), by Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver; illustrated by Dan Santat (Abrams Book / Amulet Books) — Animals, Mystery / Thriller, Environment / Sustainability / Recycling, Science / Nature, ages 7-12.
From New York Times bestselling creators Emmy Award–winning actor Henry Winkler, children’s book author Lin Oliver, and Caldecott Medal–winning author-illustrator Dan Santat comes a hysterical, full-color chapter book adventure.
When the Pond Squad is invited to participate in the Emerald Pond Games, they can’t wait to compete. Playing sports, making new friends, and spending time with Maxwell—Emerald Pond’s cool mallard duck—sounds like a perfect afternoon to Willow.
But when Maxwell mysteriously disappears in the middle of a game, the animals know something’s wrong.
With all the strange plastic items floating around the pond, Willow is sure Maxwell is in danger. Fortunately, Detective Duck is on the job, solving these puzzling mysteries before they get out of hand and destroy another habitat!
The Pond Squad will have to work together to clean up their environment and rescue Maxwell in this charming new mystery.
A Recipe for Robbery: Mystery at the Biltmore #3, by Colleen Nelson; illustrated by Peggy Collins (Pajama Press) — Mystery / Thriller, Humor, Places / Travel, Friendships, ages 7-12.
With a 100% success rate, it is no wonder why The LaRue Detective Agency has become the investigators to call at The Biltmore. But could the recipe robbery become Elodie’s own recipe for disaster?
Biltmore resident Chef Phillipe plans to open a new pastry shop where he will unveil his pièce de résistance—the cruffin (part muffin, part croissant, entirely delicious). That is, until all of Chef’s recipes are stolen from his apartment. With a 100% success rate, it is no wonder why The LaRue Detective Agency is hired to solve the recipe robbery, but when the mystery appears as layered as a French croissant—one may wonder: is a mystery this complicated worth risking a perfect reputation?
Colored illustrations by award-winning artist Peggy Collins are scattered throughout the story, bringing additional humor to the cast of quirky characters. From the award-winning author of The Umbrella House, Colleen Nelson brings another New York apartment building to life in Mystery at the Biltmore #3: A Recipe for Robbery. Written with charm and wit, Mystery at The Biltmore is Only Murders in the Building meets Harriet the Spy.
Star Friends: Charm Breaker, by Linda Chapman; illustrated by Kim Barnes (Tiger Tales Books) — Fantasy, Friendships, Mystery / Thriller, ages 7-12.
In the 13th installment of the Star Friends series, Mia, Lexi, Sita, Violet, and new Star Friend Maddie suspect dark magic when they noticed that the adults in town are at first very energetic and spontaneous but then become reckless. Can the girls figure out what’s going on?
The town of Westport is sponsoring a charity run, and everyone participates. But after the run, Mia, Lexi, Sita, Violet, and the newest Star Friend, Maddie, notice that many of the adults in town are at first very energetic and spontaneous, but then gradually become reckless. Maddie observes that her mom hasn’t been affected, and she wonders why. And as the adults’ actions intensify, the girls suspect dark magic. Where is it coming from? With black-and-white illustrations throughout.
In the Star Friends chapter book series, Mia and her friends Lexi, Sita, and Violet all discover that they are Star Friends — they can communicate with the animals that have traveled from the Star World. The animals show the girls how to use their unique magic abilities to do good. A whole world of magical adventures awaits!
Try Your Worst, by Chatham Greenfield (Bloomsbury US / Bloomsbury YA) — Romance, LGBTQIA+, Mystery / Thriller, Teen.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler meets The Agathas in this cozy mystery about rivals who must find out who has been framing them for crimes they didn’t commit, from Stonewall Honor-winning author Chatham Greenfield.
Sadie Katz and Cleo Chapman have been rivals since birth. Literally. They entered the world competing to be the first baby born in the new year, and ever since Cleo beat out Sadie for that title, she has been nonchalantly beating Sadie at just about everything—and making it look easy.
Now in the fall of their senior year, Sadie and Cleo are neck-and-neck for valedictorian. But then a string of increasingly serious pranks take over their high school, and all signs point to Sadie and Cleo as the perpetrators. Suddenly, expulsion is on the line, and the only way to clear their names is to team up and find out who is framing them. It’s not only suspects the girls are questioning, though. Sadie’s Ivy League dream isn’t feeling as appealing as it once did, and Cleo is wondering if it’s about time she starts fighting for what she really wants instead of just accepting whatever comes easiest. With their futures on the line, the two grow closer, and both begin to wonder: Could it be that Sadie and Cleo weren’t meant to be rivals at all, and were instead destined to be something more?
When We Were Monsters, by Jennifer Niven (Random House Children’s Books / Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers) — Mystery / Thriller, Romance, Friendships, Contemporary, Teen.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places comes “a standout dark academia thriller” (e. lockhart, author of We Were Liars) about the monsters who walk among us—even in the glittering upper echelons of society.
A dead teacher at an elite boarding school. Four students who had every reason to want her gone. Who is the monster?
At an elite New England boarding school, eight students are selected for an exclusive storytelling workshop with the one and only Meredith Graffam—an enigmatic writer, director, and actress. For sixteen days, they will live in the isolated estate of the school’s founder, surrounded by snowy woods and storm-tossed seas. Only one of the chosen will walk away with a life-changing opportunity to realize their creative dreams.
Everyone, including Graffam, has a compelling reason to be there—Effy, the orphan, Isaac, the legacy, Ness, the wallflower, Ramon, the outsider, and Arlo, whose unexpected arrival leaves Effy spiraling—but only the most ambitious will last the term. Graffam’s unorthodox methods push the students past the breaking point, revealing their darkest secrets, taking unthinkable risks, and slowly starting to turn on one another. But Graffam never expected they would turn on her . . .
For more great book suggestions, be sure to check out the full September Hot Off the Press list!
List compiled by CBC’s resident children’s book aficionado, Brooke Pisarsky. Check out other Hot Off the Press Spotlight booklists on our blog.
