The Virginia
Mysteries
Read the Mystery. Visit the History.
Twelve fast-paced mystery adventures that follow Sam, Derek, and Caitlin across real Virginia landmarks — from Jamestown to Monticello, Mount Vernon to Wallops Island. Every book is rooted in true history. Every location is somewhere your family can actually visit.
Real places. Real history.
Real adventures.
Every book in The Virginia Mysteries is set in a place your kids can stand in. Sam and Derek climb the same staircase at The Jefferson Hotel. They walk the same Belle Isle bridge. They explore the same fort at Jamestown. The same Mount Vernon lawn.
It’s a series designed to get kids reading — and to get them excited about the history right outside their door. Whether you’re a Virginia family planning a weekend trip, a teacher building a Virginia Studies unit, or a parent of a reluctant reader looking for something that finally clicks, you’ll find a book in this series for you.
Summer of the Woods
When brothers Derek and Sam move with their family to Virginia, they have no idea what adventures the summer will bring. As they explore their creaky old house and the deep surrounding woods, they uncover the mystery of a valuable coin collection stolen from the local museum sixty years earlier. Cliffhangers, secret caves, hidden passageways, and a rare 1877 Indian Head cent — all in one perfect summer read.
Stand where America began.
Sam, Derek, and Caitlin help with an archaeological dig at Historic Jamestown — and so can your family. Every book in The Virginia Mysteries is set in a place your kids can actually visit.
Plan a Virginia adventure →All 12 books, in order
Each book stands alone, but the kids grow up across the series — and you’ll spot returning characters and subtle threads woven through every book.
Summer of the Woods
When young brothers Derek and Sam move with their family to Virginia, they have no idea what adventures the summer will bring. As the boys explore their creaky old house and the deep surrounding woods, they uncover the mystery of a valuable coin collection stolen from the local museum…
Mystery on Church Hill
Brothers Sam and Derek have a knack for uncovering mystery and adventure. When they visit Richmond’s St. John’s Church for a reenactment of Patrick Henry’s famous liberty speech, they stumble upon a hidden piece of history.
Ghosts of Belle Isle
Legend says that the haunting lights over the rapids on the James River at night are the ghosts of long-dead soldiers still fighting the Civil War. Just past the water lies historic Belle Isle, the former Union soldier prisoner-of-war camp, now a city park filled with crumbling ruins and…
Secret of the Staircase
Something’s lurking beneath the famous staircase at The Jefferson, Richmond’s historic downtown hotel. Back in 1895, when the hotel opened, real alligators roamed free in the courtyard fountains.
Midnight at the Mansion
Sam, Derek and Caitlin have encountered many mysteries together, but when they visit Maymont, Richmond’s historic estate, danger is lurking at every turn. A chance meeting with a mysterious stranger leads to a frantic chase and a desperate message to save Maymont’s bald eagles.
Shadows at Jamestown
Four hundred years ago, colonists voyaged across the Atlantic Ocean to discover a new world. Today, an amazing archaeological dig at Historic Jamestown promises to uncover new secrets from those earliest English settlers.
Spies at Mount Vernon
Sam, Derek, and Caitlin love solving mysteries, and when they visit Washington, D.C., spies are lurking. What starts out as a fun game of pretend on the National Mall turns all too real when they follow a mysterious man to a meeting deep within the Capitol.
Escape from Monticello
Letters in a mysterious journal between two sisters describe a lost collection and a missing treasure. As Sam, Derek, and Caitlin realize the letters were from Thomas Jefferson’s granddaughters, they set out to do what they do best—solve the mystery! When the journal is stolen, the kids…
Pictures at the Protest
In 1959, the Prince Edward County, Virginia public schools closed. For five years. Back then, it wasn’t over a health pandemic, but because county leaders refused to desegregate white and Black schools.
Pirates on the Bay
In the Golden Age of Piracy, none was more dreaded than Blackbeard. Sam, Derek, and Caitlin head for a week’s vacation at Virginia Beach, where three hundred years ago, pirates sailed the waters off the Atlantic Coast.
Danger on the Stage
Could the race to solve a mysterious on-stage accident spell curtains for Sam, Derek, and Caitlin? When the brothers join Caitlin and her parents on a weekend trip to the southwest Virginia town of Abingdon, they can’t wait to watch their favorite actor perform at the historic Barter…
Conspiracy at the Launch
A billionaire’s rocket. A dangerous truth. Three kids who know too much. When Sam, Derek, and Caitlin witness something they shouldn’t at a high-stakes rocket launch at Virginia’s Wallops Island Space Center, they stumble into a deadly conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of the…
SOL-aligned. Accelerated Reader certified. Award-winning.
All 12 titles are in Renaissance/Accelerated Reader, with ATOS book levels from 4.0 to 5.1 (roughly 4th–5th grade reading range). Shadows at Jamestown is a Virginia Readers’ Choice title. Free comprehension quizzes, teaching materials, and discussion guides are available for every book.
Why families love this series
“My nine-year-old, reluctant reader fell in love with the story. The mystery and adventure drew her in right away — a perfect read aloud for my seven-year-olds. This fast paced, wholesome adventure story will leave you wanting to take a hike with your kids!”
“My 3rd grader just finished Mystery on Church Hill & loved it! He wants to go see St. John’s Church & head to Williamsburg to sight see there too! I was going to donate the books, but he said ‘I want to save these for my kids to read!’”
“As a teacher I find it challenging to find an adventure book for students that is both engaging and suitable to share at the elementary level. Summer of the Woods is a keeper. Both boys and girls clamored for the next book in the series.”
“Where Mr. Smith shines is when he involves us in actual historic events. The places and people of the 18th Century ground the book — a terrific portal to introduce history to young readers in a captivating way.”
Begin the adventure.
One book at a time, or all twelve.
The Virginia Mysteries are available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook everywhere books are sold — or order a signed copy direct.
