The Mystery of the Semi-Detached
The Mystery of the Semi-Detached is a classic mystery novel by Edith Nesbit, first published in 1906. It tells the story of two children, Mabel and Tom, who move into a semi-detached house with their parents. Soon after, strange things begin to happen in the house, and the children become determined to solve the mystery. The children soon discover that the house is haunted by the ghost of a former tenant, a man who had died in mysterious circumstances. With the help of their friends, the children investigate the man's death and uncover a sinister plot involving a secret society and a stolen fortune. As they get closer to the truth, they must face danger and deception in order to save their family and solve the mystery.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1924 · Genre: Mystery, Children's Fiction, Adventure · 1,254 words
First lines
He was waiting for her, he had been waiting an hour and a half in a dusty suburban lane, with a row of big elms on one side and some eligible building sites on the other-and far away to the south-west the twinkling yellow lights of the Crystal Palace. It was not quite like a country lane, for it had a pavement and lamp-posts, but it was not a bad place for a meeting all the same: and farther up, towards the cemetery, it was really quite rural, and almost pretty, especially in twilight But twilight had long deepened into the night, and still he waited. He loved her, and he was engaged to be married to her, with the complete disapproval of every reasonable person who had been consulted. And this half-clandestine meeting was tonight to take the place of the grudgingly sanctioned weekly interview-because a certain rich uncle was visiting at her house, and her mother was not the woman to acknowledge to a moneyed uncle, who might "go off" any day, a match so deeply ineligible as hers with him.
What this Textopian page supports
The Mystery of the Semi-Detached is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1924 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1924 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Children's Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy
- Length: 1,254 words
- Structure: 1 section, 41 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Mystery of the Semi-Detached by Edith Nesbit
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Mystery of the Semi-Detached?
- How does this short story by Edith Nesbit fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Mystery — The title of the book implies a mystery, and the plot follows a group of children as they investigate a strange occurrence in their semi-detached house.
- Children's Fiction — The book is written for a young audience, and follows the adventures of a group of children as they solve the mystery.
- Adventure — The book follows the children as they explore their semi-detached house and the surrounding area, encountering various obstacles and challenges along the way.
- Fantasy — The book contains elements of fantasy, such as the mysterious occurrences in the semi-detached house and the magical creatures the children encounter.
Tags
mystery · Edith Nesbit · detective · children's literature · adventure · suspense · family · friendship · Victorian · humor · semi-detached · whodunit