Middle-Grade Review: The Graveyard Riddle

For Middle-Grade March last month, my choice for a contemporary novel was The Graveyard Riddle by Lisa Thompson, a companion novel to The Goldfish Boy (a reference to its main character, Matthew). This time, the focus is on Matthew's neighbor and friend, Melody, as she investigates a mystery centered in the graveyard near their homes, while dealing with her own family issues.

One day while walking her dachshund, Frankie, through the nearby cemetery, Melody discovers an almost-hidden building in a corner of the area. It's covered with vines and overgrown weeds and is clearly very old, and Melody learns that it's a "plague house," left over from an earlier century. The bigger surprise, though, is that she finds someone inside, a young boy about her age who seems to be living there. Hal tells Melody that he's a spy, using the old house as his base of operations while he investigates a man who frequently visits the cemetery. He shares with Melody a riddle written on a piece of paper that the man left behind, a secret code that Hal intercepted. After a couple of visits, Melody begins to trust and believe Hal and agrees to help him. Together, they work through the riddle until another one shows up. Meanwhile, Matthew is doing much better than he was in the first book, now that he's getting therapy for his OCD. He still has plenty of issues to deal with, but he is now able to leave his house and even attend school. But with his newfound freedom has come a new friend, a boy named Jake who also lives on their street, and Melody is feeling left out as the two boys spend more time together. Both Melody and Matthew, though, see trouble brewing, as Jake is bullied ... by an adult in their lives. Then, her mother drops a bombshell that will change Melody's life. As she struggles with all that, Melody continues to help Hal solve his case, and with Matthew and Jake's skepticism, begins to wonder if there is more to his story.

Thompson has created another twisty mystery for middle-graders set on this friendly street in England, with plenty of real-life problems built in for each of the likable main characters. It's peopled by the same mix of neighbors and friends as the first book, but with a focus on Melody and entirely new conflicts for the kids in addition to the mystery of Hal. The clues and suspense build, as does the urgency of Jake's and Melody's different crises, to a satisfying conclusion. The audio book, read by narrator Rosie Jones, was well-done and kept my attention (sample below). The novel is intriguing and unique, and I enjoyed joining these kids on another adventure.

304 pages, Scholastic

Scholastic Audio

This book fits in the following 2022 Reading Challenges:

Alphabet Soup Challenge - G

Diversity Challenge

Travel the World in Books Challenge - 

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

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Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible. The sample is a good one, from when Melody and Hal first meet.

 

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Or you can order The Graveyard Riddle from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.