The Stolen Key

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

First published 2024

Colin discovers a shoebox on his front porch one morning. Inside sits a single key and a note claiming his father wanted him to have it. Colin has spent the summer working cases with his friend Nevaeh, but they've always tackled other people's problems. His own biggest mystery remains off limits. His mother won't discuss his father, and Colin has no memories of the man who left when Colin was still a baby. The key changes everything. Colin and Nevaeh start investigating, following clues from storage facilities to bridge locks. Their search uncovers secrets in Nevaeh's own family. The deeper they dig, the more dangerous their situation becomes. A serious accident strikes Nevaeh's family, leaving her consumed with guilt. Meanwhile, Colin's investigation threatens to put him and his mother in real peril. The truth about his father's past may cost more than Colin is prepared to pay.

Genres: coming-of-age, mystery, contemporary, family-drama

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, secrets

368 pages · Hardcover · Quill Tree Books

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