The Mystery of the Silly Goose by Elspeth Campbell Murphy

Timothy, Sarah-Jane, and Titus are more than just cousins; they also solve mysteries around their neighbourhood. They've created the Three Cousins Detective Club (TCDC) and often find themselves in the middle of one mystery or another. When Lyddie, an older girl who isn't always very nice to the three of them, tells them that she needs their help, they have no idea what to expect. Lawn ornaments have gone missing from lawns all over the neighbourhood, including Lyddie's grandmother's darling goose. She wants the TCDC to find out what happened and bring the goose back. The TCDC isn't sure where to start, but the lawn ornaments won't be gone for long once they're on the case!

Years ago, when I was a young girl, I read a series of books that were based on the Ten Commandments. Years later this information surfaced to the front of my brain and I discovered the work of Elspeth Campbell Murphy. I don't think that I read any of the Three Cousins Detective Club books as a child, but there was something about them that seemed like it could have been familiar. The book started with a Biblical quote from Proverbs, but that was really the only overt mention of The Bible or religion in the book. There were themes of living an honest life and being true and fair with your actions, but it was worked into the life and behaviours of the characters. The mystery isn't too scary and the kids are never in danger; they use their head to piece information together and never do anything that goes against their moral compass. This series is, I believe, out of print, but if you are looking for Bible-inspired titles or books like that for young readers, do look up the work of Elspeth Campbell Murphy.

Find out more about Elspeth Campbell Murphy at her website.

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Read it with:
The Mystery of the White Elephant by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
The Mystery of the Silent Nightingale by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
The Mystery of Wrong Dog by Elspeth Campbell Murphy