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Mystery in Old Quebec
When Timmy comes down with whooping cough, it looked like the Nelson family's long-planned trip to Canada would have to be forgotten. But Mr. Nelson still had to go for business, and Mother suggested that Mark and Kerry go with Father anyway as they could learn a few French phrases in advance and explore Quebec while their father worked. Kerry immediately senses there is a mystery about La Maison des Amis, where they take a room for their stay. Can she and Mark solve the mystery?
123 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
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March 13, 2023Somehow this title came up in one of my review threads. It was a book I bought by accident back when I was eight or nine years old, and I loved it. So when I learned this 1955 publication was available on Kindle, I jumped at the chance to re-read it, and re-visit the world through my eight-year-old-eyes.
Which proved to be impossible. I tried really hard to think back about what it was that impressed me so much back then. At that point in my life, I'd known nothing but flat, hot, ugly tourist towns, and perhaps the idea of a cold city with cliffs, history and a castle, right here in North America, blew my mind.
Reading it now, it's unclear whether this was written by somebody in the employ of Destination Canada, or simply a highly credulous grandmother who'd visited Quebec once and decided it was the highlight of her life. Amid painfully rendered English spoken by people with French accents, we find sentences like:
It had a nice dog, though. And I have all sorts of things I've done in my life to be embarrassed about, so I won't dwell on having enjoyed this book many, many moons ago.
Which proved to be impossible. I tried really hard to think back about what it was that impressed me so much back then. At that point in my life, I'd known nothing but flat, hot, ugly tourist towns, and perhaps the idea of a cold city with cliffs, history and a castle, right here in North America, blew my mind.
Reading it now, it's unclear whether this was written by somebody in the employ of Destination Canada, or simply a highly credulous grandmother who'd visited Quebec once and decided it was the highlight of her life. Amid painfully rendered English spoken by people with French accents, we find sentences like:
"Woolen goods are one of the chief products of Canada, you know, and a jacket will make a good souvenir of Quebec."Or, anachronistically,
"We must look pretty gay," Kerry said. "This caliche has white wheels, black sides, and red cushions."Where I finally decided the author was pretty clueless was the gratuitous inclusion of two men living on a nearby Indian reservation, whom she decided to clad in leather buckskins and full length feathered war bonnets. In 1955. In Quebec, over a thousand miles from the plains where this type of bonnet was, in fact, worn.
It had a nice dog, though. And I have all sorts of things I've done in my life to be embarrassed about, so I won't dwell on having enjoyed this book many, many moons ago.
October 30, 2021
I really enjoyed this children's mystery story by a classic writer! The story was exciting, and I learned a lot about Quebecois culture from the book!
July 21, 2017
I read this book as a child and loved it. It made me want to go to Quebec something my interest has been rekindled by reading Bury Your Dead by Penney.
January 6, 2024
Mark and Kerry Nelson go along on a business trip to Quebec with their father. There, they experience the delights of Quebec City, like crossing the St. Lawrence River, walking across the Plains of Abraham and riding in one of the carriages called calèches that can be found on the Place d’Armes. They stay down the street from the famous Château Frontenac at a boarding house called La Maison des Amis. It is in this unlikely place that a mystery develops and it all begins with a missing sweater.
Mary C. Jane's Mystery in Old Quebec is a fun book. It was cute to see the children so excited to learn French words and embrace their new surroundings. Admittedly, at times, Kerry seemed a little like one of those annoying kids who sits at the front of the class and repeatedly says just the right thing to earn the teacher’s approval.
However, I did think it was cute she kept a postcard collection and made the goal of visiting all of the sights depicted on each postcard. And I thought it was nice that when Mark is bored with sightseeing in a city, Kerry takes him to the Plains of Abraham where he can stretch his legs and enjoy nature while learning a bit of Canadian history at the same time. They also meet a new friend with a sweet dog and Mark meets another unlikely friend on the same journey! I do love a book with puppy content!
I could have done without the very odd introduction in the second to last chapter of “An Indian in a suit of fringed leather with an enormous headdress on his head”. This children’s book was first published in 1955, so there is some dated language and cultural stereotypes expressed about this man and his companion. However, I am thankful, that the Indigenous people represented in this book were not cast as the villains of the piece, which is where I was very much afraid it was going.
Overall, this was a fun little story that I'm sure I would have loved to read as a kid.
This book was kindly sent to me by my friend Liz (@pony.books on Instagram). I am so thankful to have this book in my collection! If anyone knows of any other vintage children’s books that are set in Canada I would love to hear your recommendations! That is, other than L.M. Montgomery, as her and I are already lifelong besties!
Mary C. Jane's Mystery in Old Quebec is a fun book. It was cute to see the children so excited to learn French words and embrace their new surroundings. Admittedly, at times, Kerry seemed a little like one of those annoying kids who sits at the front of the class and repeatedly says just the right thing to earn the teacher’s approval.
However, I did think it was cute she kept a postcard collection and made the goal of visiting all of the sights depicted on each postcard. And I thought it was nice that when Mark is bored with sightseeing in a city, Kerry takes him to the Plains of Abraham where he can stretch his legs and enjoy nature while learning a bit of Canadian history at the same time. They also meet a new friend with a sweet dog and Mark meets another unlikely friend on the same journey! I do love a book with puppy content!
I could have done without the very odd introduction in the second to last chapter of “An Indian in a suit of fringed leather with an enormous headdress on his head”. This children’s book was first published in 1955, so there is some dated language and cultural stereotypes expressed about this man and his companion. However, I am thankful, that the Indigenous people represented in this book were not cast as the villains of the piece, which is where I was very much afraid it was going.
Overall, this was a fun little story that I'm sure I would have loved to read as a kid.
This book was kindly sent to me by my friend Liz (@pony.books on Instagram). I am so thankful to have this book in my collection! If anyone knows of any other vintage children’s books that are set in Canada I would love to hear your recommendations! That is, other than L.M. Montgomery, as her and I are already lifelong besties!
March 26, 2020
Two children, Mark and Kerry, and their father, are headed to Old Quebec, where they settle in at a cozy little hotel. That night, Kerry's jacket goes missing! And what more, but the next night she hears a child crying in the room next to them! When Mark and Kerry get home after sightseeing a bit, they find Kerry's jacket, just where she had left it! They soon find a letter in the pocket. Could it be that the boy next door had taken her jacket, put his letter in it, and quietly slipped the jacket back into the room? That is what the siblings think! After studying the letter closer, they realize that the boy is trying to tell them to bring an enclosed note to a friend. The kids give the letter to its rightful owner, and after meeting Edgar, a local American boy, the children start to uncover the mystery, piece by piece. As it turns out, the boy next door is Pierre, a little boy who has relatives fighting over him! Well, the book ends happily, and everyone has a new friend of their own. : )
This was a good book, but it's actual mystery did not come together with the story until the very end.
This was a good book, but it's actual mystery did not come together with the story until the very end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2018
Very quick and enjoyable mystery for children. Mark and Kerry are thrilled to be visiting the city of Quebec when their father takes a business trip there, though they never expect to uncover a mystery there. But first Kerry's jacket disappears — then reappears later. And she hears crying through the wall at night. Who can it be and why? A message is left in her pocket, but it is in French, so how can she and Mark decipher it?
July 8, 2020
I first read this book 64 years ago, and remembered it as interesting. The story stayed with me through the decades. Last week, I read the Louise Penny book, Bury Your Dead, which also takes place in old Quebec City. The Penny book reminded me of the old Mary C. Jane book, so I found the old children’s book and reread it. The two authors have similar writing styles and I enjoyed them both equally.
March 26, 2019
Challenge: March Mystery Madness 2019 - Old (1), again (2), reader's choice (13), youth (14), animals (25). Published in 1956, I read this at the age of seven or eight, as my Weekly Reader bimonthly subscription. It was the book that demonstrated to me that I would be a mystery lover. Siblings Kerry and Mark Nelson, go to Quebec with their father on his business trip. The daughter, Kerry, takes the lead on solving the mystery that leads to a dramatic rescue. New friends, both human and animal, are made along the way while visiting Quebec's historic sites. Lost in the mail for awhile, I am so glad to have received this first edition to experience again. It answers many questions about the developmental years of my life. I have added this to my personal library shelf to treasure always.
May 29, 2020
Book Revisited
I first read this book when I was in fifth grade, and it was a joy to become reacquainted with it. Kerry and her brother, Mark accompany their father on a business trip to Quebec. A missing jacket, sounds of crying in the night, and a mysterious note lead Mark and Kerry on a quest for answers. As they search, they make new friends and solve a mystery leading to a satisfying ending. Although the book is over fifty years old, I believe it still remains a satisfying read for middle grade children today.
I first read this book when I was in fifth grade, and it was a joy to become reacquainted with it. Kerry and her brother, Mark accompany their father on a business trip to Quebec. A missing jacket, sounds of crying in the night, and a mysterious note lead Mark and Kerry on a quest for answers. As they search, they make new friends and solve a mystery leading to a satisfying ending. Although the book is over fifty years old, I believe it still remains a satisfying read for middle grade children today.
February 5, 2018
Charming little book about kids in (obviously) Old Quebec. Made me want to go back and visit. Although the inscription says it was a gift to my sister from our mother in 1967, somehow I acquired it. Just sent this to my nephew who is now living in Montreal. The setting is very 1950s but I hope he enjoys it.
September 14, 2019
Childhood favorite revisited!
This was the first mystery I ever read at age nine! Decided to share it with my family this summer on a trip to Quebec City. The children are presented as independent sorts who get to have real adventures. What I also liked was the intimate introduction to an incredible city. The vocabulary is not too difficult for a young reader.
This was the first mystery I ever read at age nine! Decided to share it with my family this summer on a trip to Quebec City. The children are presented as independent sorts who get to have real adventures. What I also liked was the intimate introduction to an incredible city. The vocabulary is not too difficult for a young reader.
May 19, 2015
Interesting mystery set in Quebec. Siblings travel with their father on a business trip to Quebec and encounter a mystery of a sad boy locked in a room of the boarding house they are in. My favorite part was actually when they rescued a homeless dog.
May 2, 2018
A child hold favorite revisited.
A action packed adventure a brother and sister team on a visit to old Quebec. The sobbing cries of a young boy heard in the room next door leads to a mystery packed adventure.
A action packed adventure a brother and sister team on a visit to old Quebec. The sobbing cries of a young boy heard in the room next door leads to a mystery packed adventure.
August 2, 2011
My sister in law gave me this book to read as a kid and I really enjoyed it.
May 1, 2014
An entertaining chapter book which has very like-able characters and some lovely illustrations.
August 8, 2014
Cute story of 2 children in the mid-1950's who go on a trip to Quebec with their father. They get involved in a mystery, find a dog and make friends.
January 31, 2017
I think this was the first book I ever read, when I was about 8 in the late 60s...might re-read for the fun of it....
August 29, 2017
I loved Mary C Jane as an author when I was in grade school so I am reading all of her children's mysteries
February 12, 2020
B. fiction, children's fiction, grade 4, mystery, 1950s, Weekly Reader Book Club, from stash, keep
February 9, 2021
I remember reading books by this author when I was a child. Fun trip down memory lane with this re-read.
June 25, 2022
I'd only read one story by this author before this one, but I'd heard from several people that this one was worth reading so I read it.
Four stars because it seems "modern enough" for the children's relations with each other, their parents, their peers, and their peers' parents to seem "more enlightened--you know, like we have going on these days." Meaning, we mostly fondly think these days that when relationships are good and the parties involved are on the same page, that people in "the old days" just didn't have it this good--they hadn't gotten it quite right yet. However that may or may not be true, while I tend to appreciate older books and the mannerliness that can be portrayed as an unconscious reflection of the author's times, I do tend to appreciate having things be a little less formal or "keeping respect at the top of mind at all times no matter what" not be quite the hooga-booga monster that "old-fashioned" people and parents these days can get all uptight about. Anyway, so I like this book for that, and the author did super well.
The story itself seems a tiny bit more on the old-fashioned side (which maybe is why some of the people I would have heard recommending it would like it--I run in "more old-fashioned" circles enough, heaven knows). And it's a simple story, probably even a little more simple than the other book by this author that I'd read. But it's not like it's so simple as to be "cringe," as my teen family members would say now, like other older children's mysteries (cough cough Bobbsey twins etc.).
Four stars because it seems "modern enough" for the children's relations with each other, their parents, their peers, and their peers' parents to seem "more enlightened--you know, like we have going on these days." Meaning, we mostly fondly think these days that when relationships are good and the parties involved are on the same page, that people in "the old days" just didn't have it this good--they hadn't gotten it quite right yet. However that may or may not be true, while I tend to appreciate older books and the mannerliness that can be portrayed as an unconscious reflection of the author's times, I do tend to appreciate having things be a little less formal or "keeping respect at the top of mind at all times no matter what" not be quite the hooga-booga monster that "old-fashioned" people and parents these days can get all uptight about. Anyway, so I like this book for that, and the author did super well.
The story itself seems a tiny bit more on the old-fashioned side (which maybe is why some of the people I would have heard recommending it would like it--I run in "more old-fashioned" circles enough, heaven knows). And it's a simple story, probably even a little more simple than the other book by this author that I'd read. But it's not like it's so simple as to be "cringe," as my teen family members would say now, like other older children's mysteries (cough cough Bobbsey twins etc.).
September 25, 2023
A 1956 Selection of the Weekly Reader Children's Book Club! Reads like YA, copyright 1956 an American businessman goes to Quebec on business and Mom and Dad take the kids out of school for two weeks - and Mom sends them with him to keep him company on the long trip . . . to fend for themselves in French (which they don't speak) and English Quebec during the day while he works . . . what a time to be alive. They of course fall into a mystery in their very boarding house, adopt a dog, make a friend, are heroes of the local Indian tribe . . . what a delightful book. What a world it was then. Though a children's book, if I had to compare with current day, I would say it was written on the reading level of most Junior Colleges which is sad 'progress'. We certainly live in a different world.
February 18, 2025
I absolutely loved this book as a kid. I loved the pebbly texture of the book cover and the pictures. I’m not sure how old I was when I read it, 8 perhaps. It was one of my Weekly Reader Book Club picks at school (publication date was 1956).
This book is still in my library and so I picked it up to re-read to see if I’d like it as much now as I did as a child. I was actually a little surprised my younger self liked it as much as I did. There’s quite a bit of history about Old Quebec and a fair amount of French words and formal 1950’s language. But, the mystery is solid and notably (along with Nancy Drew) launched my love of the mystery genre.
Booklist Queen 2025 Reading Challenge category: Illustrated Book
This book is still in my library and so I picked it up to re-read to see if I’d like it as much now as I did as a child. I was actually a little surprised my younger self liked it as much as I did. There’s quite a bit of history about Old Quebec and a fair amount of French words and formal 1950’s language. But, the mystery is solid and notably (along with Nancy Drew) launched my love of the mystery genre.
Booklist Queen 2025 Reading Challenge category: Illustrated Book
September 19, 2023
Entertaining middle grade mystery from way back
Mystery in Old Quebec by Mary C. Jane is a well-written middle-grade mystery from way back in 1956. The story involves a young brother and sister, Mark and Kerry, spending vacation in Quebec and managing to get themselves into the middle of a kidnapping mystery. With the help of a local boy named Edgar, whom they befriend while exploring, they follow the clues and solve the mystery. Times have certainly changed since the 1950s, but I found the book timeless in certain ways. After all, societal changes notwithstanding, human nature doesn’t really change much. Anyway, I liked the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Mystery in Old Quebec by Mary C. Jane is a well-written middle-grade mystery from way back in 1956. The story involves a young brother and sister, Mark and Kerry, spending vacation in Quebec and managing to get themselves into the middle of a kidnapping mystery. With the help of a local boy named Edgar, whom they befriend while exploring, they follow the clues and solve the mystery. Times have certainly changed since the 1950s, but I found the book timeless in certain ways. After all, societal changes notwithstanding, human nature doesn’t really change much. Anyway, I liked the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the book.
August 13, 2022
This would be a delightful mystery read for middle grade children. Kerry and Mark get an excuse from school to go to Quebec with their father for 10 days. They are old enough that while Dad is working during part of the day, they can stay in Old Quebec City. They sightsee and make a new friend; but when they begin to hear what sounds like a boy crying in the hotel room next to them, they find themselves involved in a mystery.
Not only is the story engaging, but there are some lovely illustrations of Quebec City as well.
Not only is the story engaging, but there are some lovely illustrations of Quebec City as well.
August 7, 2025
A quick engaging read aloud the whole family enjoyed. The kids wanted me to keep reading after every chapter. I didn't figure out the mystery until it was revealed in the final chapter. I like that it is a mystery that doesn't involve murder. Some of the French was a little hard for me to pronounce but I found a flow. I liked the illustrations throughout.
Positive family interactions though the two children do keep their activities secret from their father until after everything is resolved.
Positive family interactions though the two children do keep their activities secret from their father until after everything is resolved.
August 8, 2025
A businessman from the United States takes a trip to Quebec City, Canada. His two kids come along while their mom stays home. They stay at a peculiar hotel. While the father has business during the day, the kids work on solving a mystery.
I appreciated the glimpse of Old Quebec and the feeling of being in a completely French-speaking country. It was acknowledged that English is spoken in most of Canada. It made Quebec out to be an interesting place to visit.
I appreciated the glimpse of Old Quebec and the feeling of being in a completely French-speaking country. It was acknowledged that English is spoken in most of Canada. It made Quebec out to be an interesting place to visit.
January 18, 2022
Great childrens book, even 40 years lster
This book opened my eyes to the reality of a bigger world when I was 8. The mystery, the city, the languages , the culture and lack of discrimination are all excellent to open one's eyes to. At 8 or 73. My kids read it. Now getting one for a grandson.
😍
This book opened my eyes to the reality of a bigger world when I was 8. The mystery, the city, the languages , the culture and lack of discrimination are all excellent to open one's eyes to. At 8 or 73. My kids read it. Now getting one for a grandson.
😍
April 3, 2024
I really enjoyed the setting of this book and all the cute Quebec City references, many of them still instantly recognizable over 70 years later. The mystery was barely compelling and the characters were flat bordering on annoying. I enjoyed the part with the dog.
July 2, 2022
Good old fashioned children's mystery. Enjoyable and not too scary. Nice to see kids have a chance to have adventures on their own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews