First published 2011
Dan Cahill stares at the ransom demand from the Vespers, the criminal organization that seized seven members of his family. The thirteen-year-old and his sister Amy have days to locate and steal an ancient map that vanished fifty years ago. The Vespers want the impossible, and failure means death for the hostages. The siblings plunge into a frantic hunt that drags them through the darkest corners of history. They encounter Nazi secrets, government spies, and a deranged monarch as they chase leads across the globe. Each clue brings them closer to the map, but also deeper into danger. Amy tries to stay strong for her younger brother, but the weight of their family's lives presses down on both of them. Dan struggles with the knowledge that one wrong move will doom the people they love most. The Vespers watch their every step, ready to strike if the Cahills stumble. Time runs out as the siblings race toward a confrontation that will test everything they believe about loyalty, sacrifice, and the true cost of family.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller, young-adult
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Nazi Germany, Global
Period: 1940s
190 pages · Hardcover · Scholastic Inc.