A New York Times bestseller! In the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book full of “atmosphere, history, and lively humor” ( Publishers Weekly , starred review) in the Sherlock Society middle grade series from New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti! Siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock take their last name as inspiration when choosing a summer job. After all, starting a detective agency has to be better than babysitting (boring), lawn mowing (sweaty), or cleaning out the attic (boring and sweaty). Their friends Lina, an avid bookworm, and Yadi, an aspiring cinematographer, join the enterprise, and Alex and Zoe’s retired reporter grandfather offers up his sweet aquamarine Cadillac convertible and storage unit full of cold cases. The group’s first target is the long-lost treasure supposedly hidden near their hometown Miami. Their investigation into the local doings of famed gangster Al Capone leads them to a remote island in the middle of the Everglades where they find alarming evidence hinting at corporate corruption. Together with Grandpa’s know-how and the kids’ intelligence—plus some really slick gadgets—can the Sherlock Society root out the conspiracy? * "A must-read; Ponti has crafted a delightful tale that combines humor, history, and heart into one captivating adventure." ― --SLJ, starred review "An environmental mystery featuring lots of clever detecting, a bit of danger, and real felonies to investigate." ― -- Kirkus Reviews * "With an eye for atmosphere, history, and lively humor, Ponti brings the South Florida setting, as well as its quick-witted inhabitants, to vivid life, making for a worthy successor to classic kid mysteries that’s entertaining, educational, and exciting." ― --Publishers Weekly, starred review James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of four middle grade book series: The Sherlock Society following a group of young detectives; City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists, and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy–nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com. Chapter 1: Biscayne Bay 1 Biscayne Bay MAYBE IF OUR LAST NAME was Baker, we would’ve sold cupcakes. Or if it was Walker, we might’ve taken care of people’s dogs while they were on vacation. But it’s Sherlock, so starting a detective agency just seemed like the thing to do. Especially compared to more traditional middle school moneymaking schemes like babysitting (boring), lawn mowing (sweaty), or cleaning out the attic (boring and sweaty). My name is Alex Sherlock. I’m twelve years old, and my sister, Zoe, is thirteen. We’d had enough of bratty kids and weed-filled yards and wanted something new and exciting for summer. Tempted by the lure of adventure, we jumped at the chance to become detectives. Then, three weeks later, we had to jump into Biscayne Bay. That’s because we were passengers on a yacht that exploded. (Okay, maybe we were more like “stowaways” than “passengers,” but let’s not focus on that part yet.) Just know that while Sweet Caroline was sinking to the ocean floor, we were clinging to floating debris and trying to figure out how to make it back to land. In every way imaginable, we were in over our heads. And as we treaded water with the acrid stench of burning fiberglass in the air, boring and sweaty suddenly didn’t sound so bad. “We should’ve mowed lawns,” I said, looking up at the plume of black smoke spiraling into the sky. “Ya think?” Zoe responded, giving me the stink eye as she tried to wrap her arms around a cooler that was bobbing up and down in the water. “What gave it away? The explosion? Or the sinking ship?” “Technically, it’s a ‘boat,’ not a ‘ship,’?” I replied, instantly regretting my words. “Are you seriously correcting my vocabulary out here in the ocean?” she exclaimed. “Who are you trying to impress?” Even in this stressful situation, I couldn’t help myself. “Whom.” Her face scrunched up like she was trying to stop her head from exploding, and I thought she might drown me right then and there. “Do you know what your problem is? You don’t know when to—” Plonk. She was interrupted by a bright orange life vest that bopped her on the head. Another one landed right in front of me, splashing my face. “Stop arguing and put these on,” our grandfather said as h