How would you feel if you found out your parents had been keeping a secret from you all your life? What if you got kidnapped in the middle of the night and were accused of being a witch or wizard? And then you were told that everything you loved -- your books, your music, your pictures -- were banned forever? -- p. [4] of cover.

It started with a kidnapping. A shadowy organization known only as the Vespers snatched seven members of the Cahill family and demanded a series of bizarre ransoms from around the world. Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister Amy began a global treasure hunt, determined to bring back whatever Vesper One needed, so long as it kept the hostages safe. But when they deliver the last ransom, Amy and Dan discover Vesper One's terrifying endgame....

"After taking down a mole within their organization, the City Spies are ready for their next mission--once again using their unique skills and ability to infiltrate places adults can't. The sinister Umbra has their sights set on recruiting a North Korean nuclear physicist by any means necessary, and the City Spies plan to keep an eye on his son by sending Paris to the chess prodigy's tournaments in Moscow and Beijing. Meanwhile, Sydney's embedded...