Mystery on Macaw Mountain by Maria Jose Fitzgerald on March 10, 2026
ISBN: 0593488741
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Mystery
Format: Middle Grade Fiction
Goodreads
Mystery on Macaw Mountain
Author: Maria Jose Fitzerald
This mystery novel for ages 8-12 takes place in Copan, Honduras. Nico and Tessa Paz-Murcia, brother and sister whose parents, Mercedes and Feliz, are separated, host a visit with their cousins, Jackie and Emilio. Mercedes is an archologist whose supposed new boyfriend, Frank, had his small bird sanctuary flooded so had to move eight macaws into temporary enclosures. The plan to re-introduce the birds in a new sanctuary among archaeological ruins is thwarted when the birds are found missing. The four cousins are determined to solve the mystery of the missing macaws, especially after the authorities assume that the birds simply escaped.
The list of suspects is long: Natalia (Frank’s helper who cares for the birds), Nando (neighbor and park guide), Anges and Diego (young archeologists who work with Mercedes), Josefina and Felipe (neighbor/baker and her son), professional wildlife traffickers.
The cousins uncovered much evidence: Natalia’s locket was found in the woods near the enclosure, and Agnes and Diego were seen taking something into the temple and coming out with 2 bundles. The cousins found a suspicious note from Nando on Mercedes’s desk. Emilio secretly records a concerning conversation between Nando’s wife, Olga, and Natalia. Then, one of the birds is found dead and delivered to Frank’s. Will the 4 kids manage to solve the crime and avenge Napoc’s death?
This is a lovely story that reminds readers that people are not always as they seem, everyone makes mistakes, and people sometimes do wrong things for seemingly good reasons. It addresses controversial practices of relocating, smuggling, and stealing valuable artifacts and relics. While this story is fiction, the Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve is a real place in Copan, which helped restore the population of free-flying scarlet macaws to the park in 2011.
This reviewer found the sheer number of characters overwhelming and confusing. Today’s young readers may be unfamiliar with some of the antiquated technology used by the characters (iPod, tape recorder) and find the frequent inclusion of Spanish words and phrases obfuscating (to young monolingual English readers) and the Mayan culture foreign and unrelatable.
3 stars
Reviewed by Lindsey Hopkins, Jay-Niles Memorial Library, Jay