Two podcasting sleuths help their neighbour solve a cold case – one that’s literally etched into the walls of their Brooklyn apartment building – in this cozy, twisty-turny middle grade whodunnit from the author of The Queen of Ocean Parkway.
Twelve-year-old globetrotter Thea Lim-Lambert is spending a rare summer at home in Brooklyn, when she discovers a secret room in the back of her closet. There, among her grandfather Errol’s old diaries and peculiar carvings, is a clue Errol left to a massive hidden treasure. But to find it, she’ll need the help of two experienced sleuths – lucky for her, two of the best live in her building!
Roya and Amin’s mystery podcast has earned them a stellar reputation, but they never could have guessed that their latest case would send them on a wild scavenger hunt in their own building. Clue by clue, they search the building from roof to cellar (thanks to Roya’s mom’s master key). But just when a solution seems near, they realize an essential piece is missing – locked away where none of them can reach it. And unless Thea finds the courage to stand up to her family the treasure of Ocean Parkway may be lost forever..
An 11-year-old podcaster-turned-sleuth teams up with the new kid in the building to find their missing neighbour! A captivating adventure perfect for fans of When You Reach Me and Only Murders in the Building.
Eleven-year-old Roya is the superintendent’s kid in her regal Brooklyn apartment building, so she knows pretty much everything there is to know about its residents. An aspiring reporter, she even hosts a secret podcast about the lives of the building’s tenants. It’s a good distraction from the problems in her own life.
But when Katya Petrov, one of her favourite tenants, goes missing, Roya discovers an eerie connection to Grandmother’s Predictions, an antique fortune-telling machine at Coney Island. “Grandmother” has been linked to multiple disappearances in the Petrov family over the last century.
Now, with the help of a new friend who’s just moved in, it’s up to Roya to make her own headlines as she searches for Katya and attempts to break the Petrov curse once and for all.
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‘A charming, warm-hearted tale that reads like a classic. This book is for the kids who curl up in corners of the library, reading for hours at a time and daydreaming of mystery and adventure. Themes of family, friendship, and courage abound, and Roya and Amin make for a truly delightful and dynamic duo.’ – Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Some Kind of Happiness
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‘A clever feat of physics and fun. Sarvenaz Tash is an expert at writing bold concepts with masterful nuance and tenderness. I love this mystery!’ – Lauren Magaziner, author of the Case Closed series
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‘Dusted with speculative elements, this cozy and surprising mystery by Tash features appealing and perceptively drawn characters coping with genuinely wrought emotions in a vivid setting.’ – Publishers Weekly
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‘Hand to fans of Ellen Raskin and Rebecca Stead. . . . this book provides the right level of mystery, daring characters who learn to stand up for their friends, and a big-hearted ending that’ll wrap you in a hug.’ – Booklist
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US Publisher: Knopf BFYR (Penguin Random House), November 2025
US Editor: Katherine Harrison
Primary Agent: Molly Ker Hawn
Film/TV Agent: DHA
Extent : 240 pages (#1); 233 (#2)
Illustrations: Partial black-and-white by Ericka Lugo
All rights available
Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran, grew up on Long Island, and graduated with a BFA in Film and Television from NYU. Her YA novels include The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love and A Whole Song and Dance.