Books in the Judy Bolton series

Back after 45 years, Margaret Sutton's young detective, Judy Bolton, returns for her 39th mystery adventure. At the end of book #38, The Secret of the Sand Castle, the author gave the title of the next book in the series, The Strange Likeness. However, the series was canceled, and the promised book was not written...until now.Beloved author Margaret Sutton (1903-2001) published her first Judy Bolton mysteries in 1932. The original series continued until 1967, making it the longest-lasting juvenile series written by a single author. The books are noted not only for their engaging plots and thrilling stories, but also for their realism and social commentary. To many young girls Judy was an ideal role model-smart, capable, courageous, nurturing, and always unwavering in her core beliefs. Based on conversations with Margaret Sutton and her family, plus extensive research, coauthors Kate Duvall and Beverly Hatfield recreate the magic of Judy and her friends, who find themselves pursuing a criminal who resembles Judy's husband. Courage and keen observation are Judy's trademarks, and theyprove her up to the task once again.

When the FBI suddenly orders Judy's husband Peter to Washington, D.C. on a bank robbery case, the young couple is just about to start off on a trip. To cheer herself up after Peter's plane departs, Judy buys a corsage of snapdragons. Judy is wearing the corsage when she and Peter's sister, Honey Dobbs, decide to drive to New York City and spend a few days with Irene and Dale Meredith. On the way, the two girls nearly have a fatal accident. A handsome young stranger comes to their rescue and introduces himself as Mr. Nogard. What Mr. Nogard says when he sees Judy's corsage, and the mysterious package he gives her, lead to an exciting cross-country ride for Judy and Honey. In the heart of Yellowstone Park, at the Dragon's Mouth, Judy finds a vital clue to Peter's bank robbery case and at the same time places herself in great danger. How one word on a postcard alerts Peter to her predicament winds up a hair-raising mystery-adventure for Judy.

No sooner do Judy and her FBI husband Peter Dobbs arrive in Washington, D.C., than Judy is knee-deep in mystery and suspense. It all begins quite innocently-the old Senate Office Building is being plagued by mice, and Judy's beloved cat Blackberry, rejected at the motel where she and Peter are staying, is elected official mousecatcher. There is only one problem-Blackberry has disappeared. Who let Blackberry out of the motel room and why? The owner, paralyzed by fear, refuses to talk-that is, until his own daughter vanishes-then he readily agrees to cooperate with the FBI and a Senate Committee investigating organized crime. But there is more involved in this labyrinth of intrigue than even Judy suspects. As she tours the Capitol building, she overhears a strange whisper which only can mean one thing-more danger! The life of a prominent Senator has been threatened, and Judy is suddenly faced with a great challenge to her cherished ideals of freedom and democracy. As the intricate pattern of the situation begins to emerge, Judy finally finds a solution both to her own dilemma and to a far larger and more perplexing situation.

"It is strange that she remembers a doll's name and not her own," Judy agrees when her friends ask about the little girl Judy and her FBI husband, Peter Dobbs, have taken into their home after the orphanage fire. The mystery deepens when the toy shop where Judy has seen the doll apparently disappears. At the library across the street the little girl, known only as Sister, puzzles Judy still further by insisting that the librarian is her mother. They both seem to know a strange character called Auntie Grumble, but is she real? And who are the mysterious men who made the doll walk and talk and sing? Can Judy and Peter be sheltering a kidnapped child? Somewhere, Judy is sure, there must be a hidden clue to the identity of Sister and her baby brother. How Judy finds it and follows it against the wishes of her father, Dr. Bolton, makes an unusual mystery story that will at first baffle and then delight readers.

"What do you mean?" Judy asks her new friend, Clarissa Valentine. "How could you look in a mirror and not see your reflection?" When Clarissa insists that this strange thing has happened to her, Judy and the other girls think she is teasing them. But when Clarissa disappears in the middle of a television show, even Judy has to admit something peculiar is going on. The three other girls are angry, because with Clarissa went the twenty dollars they had loaned her. But Judy still believes in Clarissa, though something certainly is very wrong. Judy wishes her FBI husband, Peter Dobbs, would complete his mysterious mission and join her in New York City. She wants him to help her find the young girl, who might be in real danger. What Judy does not know is that Peter himself is in danger. The next time she sees him, he is lying injured in a hospital bed. But by a weird combination of circumstance, what happens to Peter gives Judy her first clue to what might have happened to Clarissa. When Judy, with Peter's help, finally learns what really did happen, she uncovers a mystery far more exciting than she could possibly have imagined.

"Don't look for it!" The voice startles Judy and Honey as it seems to come out of nowhere. The girls search the area but cannot discover the source of the voice. The strange voice is the first in a series of events drawing Judy into her latest mystery. Judy takes in Helen Riker and her children Penny and Paul as boarders at her home in Dry Brook Hollow. Penny speaks of a green doll but is scolded by her brother. What Judy does hear leads her to believe that some men stole some type of green doll from Mrs. Riker and that it has something to do with their Uncle Paul Riker. Judy and Horace go with the Rikers to visit Uncle Paul, but he has disappeared, his house has burned to the ground, and his entire collection of jade has been stolen. Judy has quite a mystery to solve. She must find the thieves and Uncle Paul and help Mrs. Riker through a difficult time.

The one unsolved mystery from Judy's childhood is that of the haunted fountain on the Brandt estate. Judy visited the fountain one time and it told her to make a wish. She never did learn how the fountain spoke.After relating the story to Lois and Lorraine, the three girls visit the Brandt estate to see the fountain. After ignoring a "No Trespassing" sign, they are confronted by two men who threaten them. The girls leave but sneak back so they can visit the fountain. Judy finds a diamond in the fountain and wonders how it came to be there. Something is also bothering Lorraine, and it is apparently connected to the mysterious events at the Brandt estate. Judy wants to help Lorraine, but her biggest obstacle is getting proud Lorraine to speak about her problems.

Fifteen year old Holly Potter has returned to visit her Uncle David Potter during a family reunion he planned at his home, only to learn that he was recently killed in a train wreck in Florida. Holly is afraid to face her relatives alone so she convinces Judy to pretend to be her redheaded older sister Doris. Judy plans to masquerade as Doris until she and Holly can learn why Holly's relatives are searching Uncle David's house and whether Uncle David is really the person who planned the family reunion. Soon Judy has more to investigate than scheming relatives. Is Uncle David's ghost haunting his house, or is Uncle David still alive? Judy has several thrilling adventures in the Potter home until she learns the answer.

Judy wonders what has happened to Roberta's father, a sea captain, who writes letters to Roberta. It has been quite some time since Roberta received a letter from Captain Dunn. Roberta suddenly begins to remember snatches of her past-a garden with a stone lantern, flowers, her mother and father. When a strange man and woman show up at the Dobbs home asking about Roberta, Judy instantly dislikes them and wonders about their motive. They claim to be related to Roberta's father and claim that he has died in a shipwreck. After they leave, Judy tries to find Roberta but discovers that Roberta has disappeared. Judy and Peter search for answers to Roberta's strange past, a search that finally leads them to Chicago where they are able to reunite Roberta with her parents.

Horace plans to write a follow-up story to his feature article about the ruined castle owned by John Dent. It has long been rumored that John Dent and Hilma Joerg, former owner, are in the midst of a feud. Since Horace is sick, Judy and Peter visit the castle to see what they can discover. While outside the castle walls, Judy and Peter hear mysterious violin music playing from within the castle. They speak to Granny Joerg and her family and learn that nobody has seen John Dent in a long time and fear that caretaker Hiram Boggs may have concealed his death. They also learn that Granny Joerg's grandchildren have been missing for several hours. Judy and Peter speak to Hiram Boggs who claims that he has not seen the children. Uncertain whether to believe the man, they decide that they must find a way inside the castle to find John Dent and the children in case they are being held captive by the mean caretaker.

Judy and Peter work to expose and outsmart a group of real estate swindlers. The Piper family has won a piece of property in Roulsville which is 15 feet by 100 feet. Since the property is not wide enough for a house, Mrs. Piper must purchase the adjoining property at a much higher than usual price so that she can build a house. Peter is determined to help Mrs. Piper, so the young people design a home that can be built on a narrow lot of land and hire men to begin building the home. Soon after construction begins, the young people are warned to beware of the Red Circle. Strange sounds are heard at night as the Piper home is built. Several people become sick with a strange illness apparently caused by the Red Circle. Judy's search for the mysterious culprit becomes even more desperate when her beloved cat Blackberry falls ill!

When Judy and Peter become stranded in an abandoned house during a storm, the last thing they expect is to meet a ghost. The ghost turns out to be a girl named Sally who insists that she is being plagued by ghosts. While Judy and Peter hardly believe the girl, they do like her and want to help her. Judy takes her home, only to have her disappear during a party. Later, Judy and Peter learn that Sally's full name is Sally Vincent, of the crooked Vincent family. Sally is fortunately not like the rest of the family. She is to receive an inheritance in a will but the rest of the family is contesting it. Peter agrees to be Sally's attorney even though fighting against the Vincent family could prove to be dangerous. As the case unfolds in court, Judy makes a shocking discovery that will mean everything to Sally and will thwart the plans of the rest of the Vincent family.

Judy Bolton is thrust into an intriguing mystery when a stranger rushes up to her and gives her a purse that is not hers. Unable to catch up with the stranger to return it, Judy searches the purse and finds a note written by someone named Blackie. The note has a picture of a gun and requests that the bearer meet Blackie after a certain lecture. After Peter contacts the FBI, an agent meets with Judy and Peter and confirms that Blackie is a wanted criminal. Judy and Peter feel that the criminal has mistaken Judy for someone else, but the agent contends that with Judy's red hair it isn't likely that someone else looks just like her. But amazingly, Judy does have a double. Judy faces danger and intrigue as she helps the FBI capture Blackie and receives a pleasant surprise when she comes face to face with a cousin she never knew she had, a young woman by the name of Roxy.

Judy regrets that she is leaving Farringdon for a vacation in the Thousand Islands just as life in Farringdon gets interesting. The police are on the trail of counterfeiters, but Judy won't be around to help them. Excitement does follow Judy, however, when she impulsively purchases seven Indian masks at an auction. Judy learns that the masks are rumored to be cursed and that misfortune befalls whomever owns the monster heads. At first Judy refuses to believe the nonsense, but after the young people arrive at camp, the heads begin to appear and disappear and change location within the storage box. Mysterious sounds are heard at night. The monster heads appear to be alive! As with all mysteries, there is a logical explanation for the movement of the monster heads, and Judy's search for the solution proves to be more exciting and dangerous than she could ever have imagined.

Judy is surprised when Arthur Farringdon-Pett slips an engagement ring, a pigeon's blood ruby, on her finger. She forces Arthur to keep the engagement secret, as she still feels torn in her feelings between Arthur and Peter and needs more time to think. Meanwhile, Lorraine Lee guesses that Arthur has proposed to Judy. Lorraine decides to try to capture the thieves who robbed a fur store in Farringdon in an attempt to prove to Arthur that she can be just like Judy. When Lorraine disappears Judy and Arthur begin a desperate search for her, with no clue as to where she has gone. Judy and Arthur fly in Arthur's plane, which crashes. Arthur is hurt, and Judy knows what must be done, if only she can locate Lorraine. Judy's search for Lorraine also leads her to the fur thieves and an exciting confrontation.

Judy Bolton, Irene Lang, and the rest of their friends attend the presentation of a fortune teller at the Farringdon theater. Irene is called to the stage, and the fortune teller warns Irene not to go to New York to marry Dale Meredith. Irene becomes nervous and worried after her consultation with the fortune teller, and Judy fears that Irene will ruin her life based on the dire prediction. Judy knows that the fortune teller is tricking the audience in some fashion, but how can she prove that the fortune teller has some unscrupulous means of acquiring information? And how does the fortune teller determine which people to ask on stage for a consultation? Judy's wits are put to the test as she struggles to find a solution to this complex mystery in time to prevent superstitious Irene from making a drastic mistake.

The Bolton family moves into their new residence in Farringdon. Belonging once to an infamous family of thieves, the home is reputedly haunted by the ghost of the previous owner who was murdered in the house. It certainly appears haunted. Judy and Horace hear strange noises from the attic, and Horace vows to discover the source and unmask it at a ghost party. Meanwhile, Judy finds herself in the middle of a very difficult situation when she is forced to choose between two groups of new friends. Horace's ghost party provides the backdrop for a reconciliation of friends and the amazing revelation of the true identity of the ghost residing in the Bolton's new home.

Kay Vincent dances around singing the school song as Girls' Farringdon High burns to the ground. Kay's behavior is appalling to the other girls who are devastated about the loss of their school. Many girls, including Judy, have lost their posters which had already been submitted for an upcoming contest. The fire leads to several unsolved mysteries. Several people suspect Honey of starting the fire out of maliciousness, and while Judy cannot believe the accusations, she admits that she doesn't know Honey that well. Judy vows to exonerate Honey of all blame. The mystery deepens when Judy learns that she is the winner of the poster contest! Judy is mystified, since her poster burned in the school. When Judy sees the winning poster, it is not her poster, but someone else's, with Judy's name on it! Judy must discover who the real artist is, who submitted the poster in her name, and repair a strained friendship.

In the first book of this mystery series, Judy Bolton is resigned to spending several boring weeks at her grandparents' farm near Dry Brook Hollow. Her summer suddenly becomes interesting when she overhears some men talking about the Roulsville dam. Although, Judy does not understand the conversation, the men fear that she does and threaten her. Judy also becomes reacquainted with her childhood friend, Peter Dobbs, who gives her a cat that she names Blackberry, and meets the wealthy siblings, Arthur and Lois Farringdon-Pett. As the days pass, Judy learns that the Roulsville dam is cracked and may break during the next rain. The moment of truth arrives when a torrential downpour threatens the dam and Judy must rely on her seemingly cowardly brother Horace to warn the people of Roulsville of the danger. All Judy can do is hope that the dam holds long enough for Horace to warn the townspeople in time.

"Doctor, I can't remember. I can't recall-a-single-thing." The strange girl whom Judy calls 'Honey' appears to have no memory of her past. Honey's sweet disposition endears her to both the Bolton and the Dobbs families, but Judy begins to wonder if Honey is hiding something. Honey's behavior is strange, and she is evasive when questioned about her actions. Adding to Judy's suspicion is the fact that Honey was in the company of thieves when she had the accident that caused her memory loss. There is also the matter of the invisible chimes, which ring from an invisible source, and usually when Honey is around. The source of the invisible chimes is soon revealed, and Judy's faith in Honey is greatly shaken. In a bizarre twist, Honey learns a startling secret about her past that will change her life forever.