Code Busters Club Books in Order
Part ofPenny Warner Books in OrderDiscover the Code Busters Club series by Penny Warner in order, with book summaries, code-cracking series background, and easy where-to-start guidance.
Last updated: July 13, 2026
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Code Busters Club books in publication order
12 books
The Secret of the Skeleton Key
by Penny Warner
2011
Cody, Quinn, Luke, and M.E. spot a coded message in their neighbor's window and realize it is a cry for help. When the old man disappears and his house burns, the Code Busters race to solve the mystery and uncover hidden treasure.
The Haunted Lighthouse
by Penny Warner
2012
A class trip to Alcatraz turns into a real treasure hunt when the Code Busters find a clue linked to a jewel thief's hidden stash. To crack the case, they will need to outsmart the island's secrets and solve a trail of codes.
The Mystery of the Pirate's Treasure / Secret Treasure of Pirate Cove
by Penny Warner
2013
On a class trip, the Code Busters uncover clues tied to the pirate Hippolyte Bouchard and a lost cache of treasure. A coded journal and map send them chasing history, danger, and a prize someone else wants first.
The Mummy's Curse
by Penny Warner
2014
A school visit to an Egyptian museum turns serious when a theft and a coded message point to something crooked. The Code Busters must use their puzzle skills, and what they learn about hieroglyphs, before the culprit turns the blame on them.
The Hunt for the Missing Spy
by Penny Warner
2015
A trip to Washington, D.C. and the International Spy Museum should be a dream for the Code Busters. Instead, strange messages, a shadowy follower, and a missing classmate drop them into a mystery worthy of a real spy novel.
The Secret of the Puzzle Box
by Penny Warner
2016
At Angel Island, Mika hopes to learn more about her family's past and a possible clue left by an ancestor. What starts with a puzzle box and hidden messages opens into a deeper mystery that links history to danger.
A Disappearance in Magicland
by Penny Warner
2024
A day at a Houdini-inspired theme park turns urgent when Cody's younger sister disappears and a masked stranger starts shadowing the Code Busters. The prize hunt suddenly becomes a race to find a missing child.
Clash of the Secret Code Clubs
by Penny Warner
2024
Matt the Brat forms a rival club, and a school scavenger hunt turns into a showdown over who is best at codes. Then the teachers begin disappearing, and the competition becomes a real mystery.
The Haunting of Mystery Mansion
by Penny Warner
2024
Luke's birthday trip to the Winchester Mystery House should be all twists and ghost stories. Instead, the Code Busters end up searching for a lost girl while dodging a suspicious security guard in a very confusing mansion.
The Science Fair Scheme
by Penny Warner
2024
The Code Busters expect fierce competition at the school science fair, especially from Matt the Brat. When their projects are sabotaged by a mysterious drone, they have a new puzzle to crack before the fair is ruined.
Escape from Bigfoot
by Penny Warner
2025
A trip to Gold Country brings the Code Busters face to face with rumors of hidden gold and Bigfoot. What sounds like campfire nonsense starts to look like a conspiracy they may have to outrun.
The Search for the Missing Mascot
by Penny Warner
2025
When the school mascot and other items vanish, the Code Busters jump into the case. With blame landing in the wrong place, they have to work with unlikely allies to find the thief and the reason behind the damage.
Code Busters Club books in chronological order

The Secret of the Skeleton Key
by Penny Warner
2011Code Busters Club, Book 1
The Haunted Lighthouse
by Penny Warner
2012Code Busters Club, Book 2
The Mystery of the Pirate's Treasure / Secret Treasure of Pirate Cove
by Penny Warner
2013Code Busters Club, Book 3
The Mummy's Curse
by Penny Warner
2014Code Busters Club, Book 4
The Hunt for the Missing Spy
by Penny Warner
2015Code Busters Club, Book 5
The Secret of the Puzzle Box
by Penny Warner
2016Code Busters Club, Book 6
A Disappearance in Magicland
by Penny Warner
2024Code Busters Club, Book 7
The Science Fair Scheme
by Penny Warner
2024Code Busters Club, Book 8
The Haunting of Mystery Mansion
by Penny Warner
2024Code Busters Club, Book 9
Clash of the Secret Code Clubs
by Penny Warner
2024Code Busters Club, Book 10
Escape from Bigfoot
by Penny Warner
2025Code Busters Club, Book 11
The Search for the Missing Mascot
by Penny Warner
2025Code Busters Club, Book 12
Series background & context
The Code Busters Club books are middle grade mysteries built for kids who like puzzles as much as plot. The basic idea is simple and very fun: a group of friends keeps running into strange clues, hidden messages, and missing people or objects, and the only way through is to crack the code.
The original club centers on Cody, Quinn, Luke, and M.E., four kids with different personalities and strengths who share a love of puzzles. Later books bring Mika into the group as well, expanding the team without changing the series' core feel. These are not child detectives in a gloomy noir world. They are smart, curious kids on school trips, family outings, and everyday adventures who keep noticing that something is off.
That is the hook.
Each book gives the group a new setting and a new kind of mystery. One story may involve a neighbor's cry for help, another a clue on Alcatraz, another a pirate legend, a museum theft, a spy trail, or a strange disappearance at a theme park. The settings matter because Warner likes places with built-in atmosphere: old prisons, historic sites, museums, mansions, camps, and landmarks tied to California history or broader American history.
The codes are not just decorative. Readers are invited to solve them too, which makes the books interactive in a way many mystery series are not. Morse code, sign language, symbols, spy tricks, and puzzle-box style clues all become part of the reading experience. That gives the series a strong game element, but it never completely takes over. The characters still need to make decisions, trust each other, and figure out who is lying.
The tone stays brisk and kid-friendly. There is suspense, but the stakes are usually about rescue, theft, treasure, or stopping a bad plan before it gets worse. Warner keeps the books moving and uses the club dynamic well. The friendships feel central, and the mysteries work because the kids bounce ideas off one another instead of solving everything alone.
If you are looking for a mystery series that rewards curiosity, this is an easy one to recommend. The Code Busters Club combines adventure, history, teamwork, and hands-on puzzle solving, which is a pretty good recipe for turning readers into armchair detectives.
Edited by
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