Parents' Guide to Hurricane Heist: The Sherlock Society, Book 2

Book James Ponti Mystery 2025
Hurricane Heist book cover: Tween and teen boys and girls on bicycles, with wind-blown palm trees in background

Common Sense Media Review

Mary Eisenhart By Mary Eisenhart , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 8+

Wacky, fast-paced tale of road trip, rhino, righting wrongs.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 8+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

Hurricane Heist finds a storm called Clyde bearing down on Miami as the Sherlock Society (sibs Zoe and Alex Sherlock, their middle-school pals Xavi and Lina, and their retired-journalist grandpa) find themselves embroiled in a new mystery. This one's from the '60s, when a multimillion-dollar art collection vanished as an earlier hurricane laid the city to waste. Grandpa was 12 at the time, and has never believed that his friend, who was blamed for the theft, had anything to do with it. One thing leads to another, and when Hurricane Clyde reveals a body that's been buried for decades, the Sherlock Society is determined to get to the truth.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Never a dull moment as the Sherlock Society dodges a storm, armed guards, K9s, a rhino, and other obstacles as they race to find the truth about a '60s art theft the police may have gotten wrong. As they say, "It is our business to know what others do not!" so as they rush to solve the Hurricane Heist, research skills, investigative journalism, filmmaking skills, and Cuban culture all play a major role. Lots of information about history, science, the people and places of Florida is packed into the funny, fast-moving tale. So are a lot of relatable middle-school moments. And, as the ending makes clear, there's lots more to come.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about hurricanes and other natural disasters, like the ones seen in Hurricane Heist. What other stories do you know that put their characters in these situations? Do you have any favorites—or any you find too scary?

  • Have you ever lived through a natural disaster yourself? What happened and how did it turn out?

  • Have you traveled to Florida, or lived there? What did you like best? What were you not so sure about?

  • How do the main characters work together as a team to solve mysteries? What makes their team work well together?

Book Details

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Hurricane Heist book cover: Tween and teen boys and girls on bicycles, with wind-blown palm trees in background

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