by Stuart Gibbs
Part of Spy School, book 6
First published 2018
Thirteen-year-old spy student Ben Ripley knows trouble when he sees it. When his former classmate turned enemy Murray Hill breaks months of silence with an offer to expose SPYDER's leadership, Ben smells a trap. The CIA doesn't care about his doubts. They send Ben and fellow agent Erica Hale to Mexico to track Murray to a secret location and identify the criminal organization's elite members. The rules are simple: observe, report back, and avoid direct contact with SPYDER at all costs. But Murray has his own agenda, and the supposedly straightforward surveillance mission spirals into chaos. Ben and Erica find themselves dodging rogue operatives and professional assassins while racing against time to uncover SPYDER's latest scheme. With hungry crocodiles added to their list of problems, the young spies must survive long enough to stop whatever evil plan SPYDER has brewing this time.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, spy
Setting: Mexico
352 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers