James Ponti has this clever way of instantly pulling the reader into a story. Book #2 in The Sherlock Series, Hurricane Heist, publishes this September. The story opens with The Sherlock Society and Alex’s 73-year-old Grandpa, being chased by security dogs and a rhino in a private wilderness…with no cell service.
Add to the mix, Hurricane Clyde is about to hit Miami, followed by a dead body surfacing at the Moroccan hotel, and a mysterious twist that connects back to Hurricane Cleo in 1964. Hence, the story alternates between the present day and the past.
This is a fast-paced, entertaining, and twisty tale. To solve the mystery, the Sherlock Society teams up with Grandpa Pete, a retired journalist. He is always teaching the kids to use the FIVE W’s and their deductive reasoning to determine the truth. I love these kids! They’re bold, thinkers, and tenacious. They must trust each other and work as a team.
Add to the mix a group of retired FBI agents who join the adventure, and Grandpa Pete asking his friends to add their insight and expertise. Talk about hilarious. At one point, they use bedpans and poker chips to help determine which suspect is most likely the culprit. One of the agents, Forrest, talks about his day in the retirement home, “I used to run interstate task forces to hunt down dangerous fugitives, he said. Now the most exciting part of my day is twenty minutes of chair yoga. So yeah, thinking like an agent again? Finding the bad guys? I’d do that in a heartbeat.”
This is an adventure with twists and turns galore. It’s gonna be a wild ride, but I highly recommend getting on board! Pre-order Hurricane Heist by James Ponti.
If you want a review of book #1, check out my blog post from 2024.
