A strange old neighbor. A grieving boy. One final puzzle that could change everything.

Twelve-year-old Jim Hawkins is tired of starting over. Since his father died, he and his mother have moved for the third time in three years because of his mother’s struggles and Jim would rather disappear into his phone than risk getting attached to anyone again.

Then he meets Mr. Passeris.

Their newest next door neighbor is a mysterious Greek recluse with a love of puzzles and a crumbling, neglected house. What begins as a miserable summer job mowing Mr. P’s lawn slowly turns into an unlikely friendship and the start of Jim finally finding people who understand him. Through puzzles, lemonade, and bits of Greek language and culture, Mr. P opens Jim’s world in ways he never expected.

Then Mr. P unexpectedly dies, leaving behind one final cryptic puzzle that sends Jim and his new friends on a thrilling treasure hunt bigger than they ever imagined. As the newly formed Secret Puzzle Society races to uncover Mr. P’s secrets, Jim faces an even bigger problem: his mom may lose her job, forcing them to move yet again. To save the first place that’s begun to feel like home, Jim must solve the final puzzle before time runs out.

The Westing Game meets The Goonies in this heartfelt middle-grade mystery about friendship, grief, and the puzzles that bring people together.