The heart-warming conclusion to the beloved Mo & Dale Mysteries and the companion novel to the Newbery Honor book Three Times Lucky, featuring Mo's most shocking case yet: the Case of her Upstream Mother!If [readers] can get through the end without welling up, they're tougher than most - it's absolutely worth the wait. - Kirkus, starred review
The trial of the century has come to Tupelo Landing, NC. Mo and Dale, head to court as star witnesses against Dale's daddy - confessed kidnapper Macon Johnson. Of course nothing goes as expected. Macon Johnson sees to that. In no time flat, Macon's on the run. Tupelo Landing's in lockdown, and Dale's brother's life hangs in the balance.
Sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been making waves ever since. Although Mo hopes someday to find her "upstream mother," she's found a home with the Colonel, a café owner with a forgotten past of his own, and Miss Lana, the fabulous café hostess. She will protect those she loves with every bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known
Set against the backdrop of Hatteras Island during World War II, the story follows twelve-year-old Stick Lawson and her friends, known as the Dime Novel Kids, as they seek adventure and respect through solving mysteries. As the war approaches and new faces arrive on the island, Stick's life becomes intertwined with a looming threat in the waters nearby. The group is soon confronted with challenges that test their courage and friendship, leading them to uncover more than they bargained for in their quest for answers.