The Book of Secrets
Author: Cynthia Voigt
Illustrator: Iacopo Bruno
Book 2 in the Mister Max series
Pages: 352
Published: 2014
Age: 8+
In Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things, Max Starling proved that he is more than a detective, he’s a Solutioneer. His reputation for problem-solving has been spreading—and now even the mayor wants his help.
Someone is breaking windows and setting fires in the old city, but the shopkeepers won’t say a word about the culprits. Why are they keeping these thugs’ secrets?
When the mayor begs for help, Max agrees to take the case, putting himself in grave danger. It’s a race to catch up with the vandals before they catch him.
Meanwhile, Max is protecting secrets of his own. His parents are still missing, and the cryptic messages he gets from them make it clear—it’s going to be up to Max to rescue them.
Can the Solutioneer handle cases this big?
About the Mister Max Series
Books in series order
- 1.The Book of Lost Things(2013)
- 2.The Book of Secrets(2014)
- 3.The Book of Kings(2015)
Reading age: 8+ years
This series should be read in order.
Newbery medalist Cynthia Voigt presents a rollicking mystery in three acts!
Max Starling's theatrical father likes to say that at twelve a boy is independent. He also likes to boast (about his acting skills, his wife's acting skills, a fortune only his family knows is metaphorical), but more than anything he likes to have adventures. Max Starling's equally theatrical mother is not a boaster but she enjoys a good adventure as much as her husband.
When these two disappear, what can sort-of-theatrical Max and his not-at-all theatrical grandmother do? They have to wait to find out something, anything, and to worry, and – in Max's case – to figure out how to earn a living at the same time as he maintains his independence.