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The Barney Junior or Barney “R” Mysteries are a series of novels written by the world’s most popular childrens adventure fiction author, the British born Enid Blyton. They are sometimes called the “R” Series, given that all the novels titles start with the letter R. The first novel in the series was the 1949 published The “Rockingdown Mystery”.
Order of Barney Mysteries Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Rockingdown Mystery | 1949 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Rilloby Fair Mystery | 1950 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Ring O' Bells Mystery | 1951 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Rubadub Mystery | 1952 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Rat-A-Tat Mystery | 1956 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | The Ragamuffin Mystery | 1959 | Description / Buy |
The Barney Mysteries feature the siblings Diana and Roger Lynton, and Snubby their cousin. The cousin’s real name is Peter but the kids name him Snubby because of his snub nose. He has a black cocker Spaniel name Loony, that is always stealing things, getting under everyone’s feet, and rushing around true to his name. The children are also friends with Barney and his pet monkey Miranda that they meet at the circus.
The first novel in the series “The Rockingdown Mystery” is set in the old deserted mansion of Rockingdown. The deserted mansion is home to Barney a young and homeless teenage boy on a quest to reunite with his father. A previous circus performer, Barney lives at Rockingdown with his pet monkey Miranda. He soon meets the Lynton children Diana and Roger and their cousin Snubby, who are living in a neighboring house with their roguish spaniel.
Hearing bizarre sounds coming from the old deserted mansion at night, the children are intrigued and decide to investigate. What follows is a thrilling ride as the children try to decipher just what could be the source of the noise. It is a nail-biting story of adventure that shows the amazing storytelling skills of Enid Blyton, that have made her name as the best children’s author ever.
BEST BARNEY JUNIOR BOOKS
The Rockingdown Mystery: The first novel in the series, “The Rockingdown Mystery” is one of the best novels in the series. It features Barney a cheerful, kind-hearted, and smart child who is arguably one of the best characters Enid Blyton ever created. He is similar to the Julian character of the Famous Five series, though unlike Julian, his circus monkey Miranda often upstages him. Together with the other children Roger, who acts like some kind of big brother, his oftentimes-mean sister Diana and the cunning Snubby, the children have a lot of fun and adventure. It is a great mystery with some great suspense about the weird noises in the old deserted house, intermingled with the mystery of Barney’s missing father.
The Rilloby Fair Mystery: The second novel of the Barney Junior Mysteries is one of the better novels by Enid Blyton. Embracing the ridiculousness of its characters, Snubby, Diane, Roger, and Barney, the book is a master class in detective adventure. The four children together with Miranda the monkey and Loony the Spaniel have a knack for solving seemingly bizarre mysteries. As such, when valuable and rare papers go missing from the secure rooms at Rilloby, the kids cannot help but plunge into the investigation. Just how did the thief manage to enter a secure room with barred windows and doors without raising an alarm, and then escape without a trace?
The Ring O Bells Mystery: The third novel in the series is an exhilarating read for kids that love danger and mystery. The children Snubby, Diana, and Roger are sent to the village of Ring O Bells to recover from a bad flu infection before schools reopen. Miss Hannah accompanies the children to the village and soon Barney joins in the fun. But Barney remains true to type by always having some mystery tagging along. He tells them of a castle with a rich history and high towers that had been made into a kind of museum. According to legend, the castle has an old tower with a bell that usually rang when the village was facing an attack. And just when they are exploring the old castle, the bell rings.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
Fans of the Barney Junior series of novels also love the “Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators” series by Robert Arthur. These are detective thrillers about the adventures of Alfred Hitchcock and his three friends who investigate paranormal mysteries. Many fans of the Barney Junior series enjoy the “Sue Barton” series of novels by Helen Dore Boylston. The novels follow the life and times of Sue Barton, including her professional progression, and struggles in both her professional and personal life.
What Is The Next Book in The Barney Mysteries Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Barney Mysteries Series. The newest book is The Ragamuffin Mystery and was released on January, 1st 1959.