Fifteen-year-old Charlie stays home from school so he can help his older brother, Tom, who is in a hip-to-toe cast after breaking his leg in a football game. When not waiting on his brother hand and foot, Charlie investigates a series of break-ins that have the whole neighborhood on edge. Things really hit home when Charlie nearly catches the thief and then foils an attempted break-in at his own house. As he continues to piece together the clues, Charlie realizes that the easiest way for the culprit to avoid suspicion is to hide in plain sight.
“Hughes has the skill to engage struggling readers with her quick, smoothly written plots and her interesting characters…a fast-paced, interesting book with just enough drama to make a struggling reader, or a reader who desires a quick and easy book for the moment, enjoy diving into the story.”
"An entertaining roller-coaster ride of emotions for reluctant readers.""
“In this short but very effective story, Hughes conveys a credible mystery and subsequent detection without resorting to cliché or shortchanging the dynamic.”
“A solid book with an engaging plot. Recommended.”