Part of The Baby-Sitters Club, book 2
First published 1995
Claudia Kishi and her friends in the Baby-sitters Club face their strangest case yet when anonymous calls start interrupting their babysitting jobs. Each time they answer, silence greets them on the other end. While Kristy, Mary Anne, and Stacey puzzle over the calls, Claudia connects them to news reports about the Phantom Caller, a jewel thief targeting their neighborhood. Reading mystery novels is one thing, but living through one proves far more unsettling. Claudia usually enjoys solving puzzles from the safety of her bedroom, but these calls feel different. They intrude on her work, unsettle the children she watches, and create an atmosphere of unease. The four friends decide they cannot simply wait for answers. They launch their own investigation, determined to unmask the caller and protect their community. Their amateur detective work leads to unexpected complications and teaches them that real mysteries resist neat solutions. Claudia discovers that courage means facing uncertainty, even when the outcome remains unclear.
Genres: suspense, mystery, contemporary, amateur-sleuth
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-detective, found-family, mystery
153 pages · Paperback · Scholastic