Midnight at the Mansion
A whispered warning at Maymont, stolen bald eagles, and a chase that runs from Richmond to the Blue Ridge.
Sam, Derek, and Caitlin meet a stranger at Maymont who whispers “Save the eagles” and disappears over the back fence — leaving a dropped phone with a cryptic message about a midnight meeting. By morning, both the stranger and the eagles are gone, and the message is pointing somewhere the trio was never supposed to go.
Inside Midnight at the Mansion.
Sam, Derek, and Caitlin are visiting Maymont, the 100-acre Dooley estate that’s become one of Richmond’s most beloved public parks, when a stranger crashes through the Japanese Garden bushes, whispers “Save the eagles” in Sam’s ear, and disappears over the back fence with two men in pursuit. He leaves behind a dropped phone — and a cryptic message about a midnight meeting.
By morning, both the stranger and the eagles have vanished. The clue is pointing somewhere the trio was never supposed to go — somewhere most of Richmond has forgotten exists. What follows is a chase that runs from the heart of the city all the way up to the foothills of the Blue Ridge, into a wildlife smuggling operation far larger than three kids and a pair of stolen eagles.
Midnight at the Mansion takes readers from one of Virginia’s most beloved public parks into the kind of historical-twist mystery the series is built on — and into the real story of the bald eagle’s return from near-extinction.
Inside these pages
Walk the gardens at Maymont.
Maymont is a 100-acre Victorian estate, garden, and free zoo right in the city of Richmond. Walk the gardens, see the wildlife exhibits, and recognize the spots where Sam and Derek were chased through the book.
If your family wants the full Midnight at the Mansion trip, head west afterward to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Trail — the kind of mountain trails the book runs through in its second half.
Maymont & the Blue Ridge
The real history behind the book
Maymont is a 100-acre Gilded Age estate gifted to the city of Richmond in 1925. Free to visit, with formal gardens, a Victorian mansion, an aviary, and a small zoo featuring native Virginia wildlife.
In 1912, Major James and Sallie Dooley — the couple who built Maymont — also built Swannanoa, a marble Italian Renaissance Revival summer palace high on Afton Mountain. Famous for a stained-glass window of Sallie on the staircase landing, it still stands today, mostly empty, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Rockfish Gap.
The book’s chase scenes head west into the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail. A great combo trip for families willing to make a day of it.
Free downloadable comprehension quiz, chapter-by-chapter discussion guide, and Virginia geography tie-in materials for Midnight at the Mansion.
Steven at Maymont & Swannanoa.
What readers are saying
“My 9-year-old son loves these books! It can compete against the lure of an iPad so I hope that the series never ends!”
— Parent
“Librarian approved!… I think it was his best yet… Super suspenseful… The Virginia Mysteries already have a growing fan base at my school.”
— School librarian
“Really like the way descriptions of Virginia landmarks and treasures are woven into the story — Afton Mountain, Blue Ridge Parkway, Maymont Park… The suspense wouldn’t let me put the book down.”
— Reader review
“My 4th grade son is not an avid reader, but chewed through these books! Hoping for more.”
— Parent
All 12 Virginia Mysteries
Using Midnight at the Mansion in your classroom?
Free comprehension quiz, discussion guide, and One Book, One School program materials available. Plus bulk pricing for classroom sets and signed copies.
Start the adventure.
Available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook everywhere books are sold — or order a signed copy direct from Steven.