Grimacres Whodunnit Books in Order

The Grimacres Whodunnit series brings a classic country-house mystery to younger readers, then adds a narwhal tusk, a tortoise named Charles Darwin, and a family with far too many secrets. It is a funny, clue-filled detective story with a chilly, closed-in setting and a young sleuth at its center.

The first book, Murder! By Narwhal!, takes place at Grimacres, the Gristle family’s gloomy country estate. Sir Ignatious Gristle, the family patriarch, gathers his relatives for his ninetieth birthday. He is not an easy man to like, and plenty of people have reasons to resent him. When he is murdered and a snowstorm cuts the house off from the outside world, every guest becomes a possible suspect.

Edna Gristle takes charge of the investigation. She is observant, determined, and not especially interested in waiting for grown-ups to solve the problem. Her trusted tortoise, Charles Darwin, is at her side, while the strange behavior of relatives, staff, and visitors gives Edna a large and unruly suspect list to work through.

The setting matters as much as the case. Grimacres is a large, cold, old-fashioned house full of family history and odd details. The snowstorm creates a locked-room feeling: nobody can leave, nobody can call for help, and the murderer is still somewhere inside. That gives readers the same job as Edna, noticing clues, weighing motives, and asking who had the chance to commit the crime.

It is spooky in a playful way, not grim.

Smith uses short chapters, black-and-white illustrations, and a knowingly dramatic tone to make the mystery approachable. The book nods toward old-fashioned detective stories while keeping the characters, jokes, and pacing lively for modern middle-grade readers. There are suspicious glances, hidden motives, strange objects, and plenty of people acting as though they have something to hide.

Start with Murder! By Narwhal! because it introduces Edna, Charles Darwin, the Gristle family, and the peculiar setting of Grimacres. The mystery stands on its own, so readers get a complete case while also meeting the team at the start of their sleuthing life.

This series is a good choice for readers who like puzzles, eccentric families, snowy houses, and detectives who refuse to be dismissed because they are young. Edna is not perfect, but she is persistent. In a house full of adults keeping secrets, that turns out to be exactly what the case needs.