The Empty Envelope is a 1998 children's mystery novel by Ron Roy

Ron Roy

Wallace Ronald "Ron" Roy is a juvenile book author who has been published since the 1970s. Among his works include numerous children's mystery books such as A to Z Mysteries series and the Capital Mysteries series...

. It is the fifth in the A to Z Mysteries

A to Z Mysteries

A to Z Mysteries is a popular children's novel series written by Ron Roy and published by Random House. The series is generally considered among the best "easy readers" for young children. There are twenty-six books in the series, one for each letter of the alphabet...

series following the sleuthing adventures of Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose.

Plot summary

Donald David "Dink" Duncan gets several letters in the mailbox addressed to "D. Duncan" but finds when opening them that they all start with "Dear Doris" and are not meant for him. While his friends Josh Pinto and Ruth Rose Hathaway think it is someone's idea of a joke, Dink suspects that there is more to it than that. His suspicions are practically confirmed when Doris Duncan herself shows up one day to acquire the letters and demands them immediately. Not knowing that Ruth Rose's little brother Nate took the letters unaware that they were something important, Dink apologizes to Ms. Duncan, who then leaves in an unpleasant mood. Dink and his friends investigate the letters, uncover a code in the wording, and find a valuable stamp concealed in one of the envelopes hidden under a worthless stamp.