Sol and his younger sister Connie have moved to a new town. Because eleven-year-old Sol is a scientist and is logical, and brilliant, he realizes that the neighbor’s dog is chewing an uncommon bone: a human femur. Thus, the mystery begins. The first chapter, written from Fay Holaderry—aka the witch’s—point of view, sets the stage for a first-rate, high-spirited lampoon. “I love children. Eating them, that is” (1). This is a mystery that children— and parents—can really sink their teeth into. Hansel and Gretel redux— with a twist. lmp

When Sol and Connie Blink move to Grand Creek, one of the first people to welcome them is an odd older woman, Fay Holaderry, and her friendly dog, Swift, who carries a very strange bone in his mouth. Sol knows a lot more than the average eleven-year-old, so when he identifies the bone as human, he and Connie begin to wonder if their new neighbor is up to no good.

In a spine-tingling adventure that makes them think twice about who they can trust, Sol and Connie discover that solving mysteries can be a dangerous game—even for skilled junior sleuths.