Shirley Link is a 14-year old private eye, but she doesn’t want anyone to know. Whenever she uses her powers of observation she gets into trouble.

An example?

She wrote a school paper about a tough case she’d solved over summer vacation.

“It’s not a creative writing assignment, Shirley,” the teacher scolded. “You were supposed to write about what actually happened.”

“I did,” she said, louder than she meant to. But he gave her a D anyway.

So when the school principal needs Shirley’s help to catch a thief she tries to do it quietly. Can she track down a criminal who’s clever enough to steal $35,000 and the one-ton safe it was kept in? Can she do it without the whole world finding out about her detective skills?

Hint: the answer to one of those questions is, no.

A great read for kids (and their adults).