The Mystery of the Mexican Graveyard by John Bibee

The Mystery of the Mexican Graveyard, part of the Home School Detectives series, written by John Bibee was copyrighted in 1995 and is 115 pages long. This Christian fiction mystery was published by InterVarstity Press and is for boys and girls 8-12.

Carlos and his family from Springdale are a mission trip to Santiago Mexico. Carlos becomes friends with a boy named Miguel and they try to solve the mystery of the ghost and why Pastor Pablo and others get sick after a party. They discover the ghost is really Roberto. Cocaine is the cause of the illness, which leads them to Senora Garza. To learn who the ghost is they look for footprints outside the orphanage and in the cemetery. Roberto joins them a lot during their expeditions. Carlos is able to trick him into sneaking the ghost costume to Senora Garza’s store. Carlos and Miguel follow Senora Garza and Roberto to a small village where it is discovered that piñatas are being stuffed with cocaine. When Carlos and Miguel are captured they are set free by Flaco, who has been blamed for many of the things Roberto did. The Federales come and Senora Garza and the other people are taken away. All the people in this story learn that boasting and greed are two sins God thinks are foolish.

At this printing John Bibee lived in Austin, Texas and is the author of the Spirit Flyer Series. I thought this book was excellent with its clearly defined characters and plot line.

This story shows us that Senora Garza’s greediness and Carlos boasting about what he knew about her did not pay. We need to remember that those traits will not lead us to a God filled life.

I liked how Carlos was always looking for a scientific answer to the ghost problem. It did not like how the author portrayed Roberto, a child so greedy and in cahoots with drug dealers, when all he wanted was someone to love and care for him.

I would recommend this book, because we can always use a reminder of what greediness and boasting can get us. This small paperback book had a font size that was perfect and even has an excerpt from the next book, The Mystery of the Campus Cook.