First published 2023
When twelve-year-old Maya arrives at the Marine Discovery Aquarium for her volunteer shift, she notices something wrong. The tropical fish tank sits nearly empty, and the staff whispers in worried clusters. Someone has been stealing rare specimens during the night, and the police have no leads. Maya decides to solve the mystery herself. She explores the aquarium's back corridors and hidden maintenance areas, searching for clues the adults missed. Each night brings new thefts, and Maya realizes the criminal knows the building's security patterns perfectly. As she gets closer to the truth, Maya discovers the thief might be someone she trusts. She must choose between protecting a friend and saving the aquarium's precious marine life. Maya learns that doing the right thing sometimes means making hard choices about loyalty and justice.
Genres: adventure, mystery, contemporary, young-adult
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-detective, found-family
Setting: Marine Discovery Aquarium
122 pages · Paperback · Weldon Owen Children's Books