Being the new kid in school can be brutal, but moving into the house of a boy who was kidnapped and killed is murder! Just ask Sam Rogers. After sneaking out of the house to meet his friends, Sam returns home to find his little brother missing. Has he been kidnapped, too? Victor Venema finally pulls off a heist worth millions, and some kid steals his priceless treasure. One boy is dead, another kid abducted, and Victor's still on the loose, leaving carnage and a trail of evidence behind him. Havoc ensues as Sam and his friends race through a maze of clues, leading them to Madame Myshka, the fortune teller; the carnival fire; an abandoned house; priceless coins; and a sinister criminal. Can five kids take on a kidnapper and murderer to rescue Sam's brother? Esterville is definitely a small town with a big mystery that's about to blow sky high!