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A cross between Indiana Jones and The DaVinci Code for kids, you won't be able to put down this classic adventure set in 1920s New York City with an Arabian twist! On a stormy May day in 1929, William and Maxine arrive on the doorstep of Battersea Manor to spend the summer with a grandfather they barely remember. Whatever the cousins expected, Colonel Battersea isn't it. Soon after they settle in, Grandpa receives a cryptic telegram and promptly whisks the cousins off to New York City so that he can meet an unknown courier and collect a very important package. Before he can do so, however, Grandpa vanishes without a trace. When the cousins stumble upon Nura, a tenacious girl from Turkey, she promises to help them track down the parcel and rescue Colonel Battersea. But with cold-blooded gangsters and a secret society of assassins all clamoring for the same mysterious object, the children soon find themselves in a desperate struggle just to escape the city's dark streets alive."Nonstop adventure involving gangsters and a secret society of assassins . . . This debut novel is a youthful mystery worthy of John Bellairs, with lyrical language reminiscent of Edith Nesbit; yet it stands on its own, creating a fully realized world with clearly defined lines of good and evil, and just a dash of magic."--BOOKLIST "There is danger at every turn for two plucky cousins in 1920s New York City as they confront evil in this adventure. . . . Murders, mayhem, chases, capture, and daring feats ensue, with the children discovering inner strengths and demonstrating ingenuity, courage, and determination. . . . Brumbach's vivid descriptions and terse, to-the-point dialogue keep the action moving and readers constantly engaged and surprised. . . . A fast-paced, action-packed adventure."--Kirkus ReviewsFrom the Hardcover edition.