"I offered you an opportunity to partake of my little enterprise, but you wouldn't listen. Very well, now you'll have to pay the price." With those words, the one-eyed man stepped out of the vault and the heavy steel door swung shut. "Wait," cried Jeffrey, but it was too late. He heard the combination lock turn. He and his friends were locked in the airtight vault. Pablo rushed to the vault door and grabbed the cold metal handle. The cord-like muscles on his forearms strained as he pushed, pulled, twisted, and turned. But it was no use, the door wouldn't budge. "We're trapped," he said. "Trapped like rats." "At least until somebody finds us," said Marisol. She looked from one boy to the other. "I mean, somebody will have to find us, won't they?" "It's worse than that," Jeffrey said. "He set the timer." "Timer?" Jeffrey straightened his glasses. "This vault comes with a safety mechanism that's connected to a timer that can be set in the next room. When the safety mechanism is activated, the vault is flooded with poison gas." Marisol gasped. Pablo's face glazed white as a sheet. Jeffrey took off his glasses and covered his face with his hands. There was no way out. He was going to die and his friends were going to die, and it was all his fault. . . . A Christmas Mystery Book for Teens & Tweens A billion-dollar crime. A Christmas deadline. Four teen detectives who refuse to back down. When 15-year-old Jeffrey and his friends stumble onto a stash of suspicious cash right before Christmas, they think they’ve uncovered a small-time scam. They’re wrong. The teens soon realize they’ve stepped into the middle of a massive counterfeiting operation —one with enough fake money to flood Los Angeles and topple its economy. Worse, the criminal mastermind behind the scheme is ruthless and he knows the kids are onto him. As the city gears up for Christmas, Jeffrey and his friends race to piece together the clues. Their only hope is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl who holds a secret the counterfeiters will kill to protect. When the teens are trapped in an airtight vault set to release poison gas at midnight, they’re forced to rely on their courage, their friendship, and every bit of detective skill they’ve learned. Can they stop a billion-dollar crime before the clock strikes twelve? Perfect for fans of: Hardy Boys and Three Investigators - Stuart Gibbs’ Spy School series - Fast-paced adventures - Teen sleuths, high stakes, and twisty mysteries A thrilling, old-school YA Christmas mystery with modern energy, perfect for readers 10–15 who love mysteries, action, and danger. Click the Buy Button for the paperback, eBook, or audio-book and start your adventure today! A Personal Note to Parents of Teens and Tweens You may have found this book on Amazon under Mystery Books for Kids 9-12, but the ideal age range for this mystery book series is 11-14, with 12 and 13-years-old being the perfect ages. Having said that, I've heard from plenty of parents whose 10-year-olds love this mystery book. They're kids who enjoy teen detective mystery books and are reading at a higher level than their classmates. I've also heard from older teens who can't stop reading these books. They're hooked on the friendship and relationships between the young characters. Clean and Exciting Murder Mystery Books for Teens and Tweens I orginally intended these books for boys - the kind of teen detective mystery books that I enjoyed reading in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade - but it turns out they're just as popular with girl readers as boys. Buy this book today and join the thousands of readers around the world who have made this their new #1 mystery book series. Readers Are Raving: Utterly fantastic!!!!! I absolutely adored this novel. As a 13 year old girl I have found friendship, mystery and enjoyment of this book. It was such a great book that I stayed up until 1:32 am!!!! The Case of the Christmas Counterfeiters is Mike Mains's masterpiece - easily the best NHDC novel so far. I have read all three of the books in this series with my kids and each one is entertaining and filled with twists and turns. This (Book 3) was the most intense of the series. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I couldn't put it down. A mystery a day keeps the world at play. Mike Mains writes mystery books for sleuths of all ages. He can be reached at mainsmike@yahoo.com