For fans of Beth Lincolnâs The Swifts and Margaret Peterson Haddixâs Greystone Secrets series comes an exciting mystery filled with cryptic clues and wonderful word puzzles as two cousins search for their grandmotherâs missing portrait.
Twelve-year-old Bea from Passaic, New Jersey, is visiting her family in Paris for the summer when her grandmotherâs most precious heirloomâa drawing by Henri Matisseâgoes missing. After a cryptic clue arrives on Beaâs doorstep suggesting its whereabouts, Bea is determined to pursue the lead.
Without the French skills to navigate her way around the landmarks of Paris, she teams up with her cousin, CĂ©line, whose clear-eyed French directness makes her a perfect partner for curious, problem-solving Bea. The girls embark on a city-wide search, deciphering riddles, solving puzzles, and cracking codes as they try to locate the Matisse, find a thief, and identify their mysterious benefactor.