Sneaks

Valory has a bad reputation as a thief, mostly because she does steal things, though she is trying hard to quit. Rook is the kind of kid who eats his vegetables and follows the rules, with one exception: he likes to spy on the neighbors. Both are twelve, and neither would have picked the other as a partner. They end up working together after noticing odd activity in an apartment that is supposed to be vacant, right across the alley from Rook's house. Rook is home-schooled and his agoraphobia keeps him from leaving his property, while Valory is bold, street-smart and able to slip around the neighborhood without being noticed. Their opposite temperaments turn out to be exactly what the investigation needs. What starts as an amateur stakeout turns darker when they learn the apartment next door may be tied to a recent kidnapping of a child. Then they discover that someone is watching them, too. With the culprit closing in, the two have to expose her before she can take them next. Told in alternating voices, Sneaks is a fast, mischievous middle grade mystery and the debut of Amy Tern. It is pitched as Only Murders in the Building for tweens, a good fit for young sleuths and anyone who is a little too curious about the people next door.