House of Found Objects

Beckett-King, Jo Trade Paperback, 304 pages For fans of Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Greystone Secrets series comes a mystery that’s “delightful, charming, and full of unexpected twists” (Shelf Awareness, starred review) and packed with cryptic clues and wonderful word puzzles as two cousins search for their grandmother’s missing portrait. Twelve-year-old Bea from Passaic, New Jersey, is visiting her family in Paris for the summer when her grandmother’s most precious heirloom—a drawing by Henri Matisse—goes missing. After a cryptic clue arrives on Bea’s doorstep suggesting its whereabouts, Bea is determined to pursue the lead. Without the French skills to navigate her way around the landmarks of Paris, she teams up with her cousin, Céline, whose clear-eyed French directness makes her a perfect partner for curious, problem-solving Bea. The girls embark on a city-wide search, deciphering riddles, solving puzzles, and cracking codes as they try to locate the Matisse, find a thief, and identify their mysterious benefactor.