The Case of The Missing Sock~By Renee Hand

The Case Of The Missing Sock opens with the main character, Max, doubting his choice of direction. Max finds a trap and uses a boomerang to retrieve a piece of paper. On that paper is a note telling Max that he has passed his detective test and needs to pick up his updated certificate. Max Holmes is one of Scotland Yard’s youngest spies, at 14. Max’s parents and his sister, Mia, also work for Scotland Yard. Mr. Delacomb, owner of Delacomb Cereal Company, comes to Mia and Max’s home asking for help to find an antique sock and a pair of Prada sunglasses. He is reluctant to hire the “Crypto-Capers” because they are kids, but they are also his only chance. Mr. Delacomb comes to them with a single cryptogram. Max, Mia and Granny fly to Florida to search for clues. Morris (the fourth member of the Crypto-Capers) stays home to help from a distance. When the Crypto-Capers arrive in Florida, they relax at their hotel before heading over to Mr. Delacomb’s mansion. He recounts the night that he realized that the sock and the sunglasses were stolen. Max finds the key to the cryptogram in a box, in the same curio cabinet that the sock and the sunglasses were hidden. The clues lead the detectives to a local golf course. That’s as much of a teaser that I will write because I don’t want to give away the end.

I love this book because it proves that kids can solve mysteries too. There are not nearly enough mysteries where children are the heros. I hope more authors follow in Renee Hand’s footsteps. I also hope she continues to write this series. It will be great to see how the series develops.

***And the interactive cryptograms are great***