Sometimes, the only way to get through life is to escape into a good book. For Phoebe Hecht, that means a good mystery. And this summer, Phoebe really needs to escape. She's spent the past school year in a new city, with a new step-dad, trying to figure out why her mom is so ashamed of their past. Even her new best friend, Yuri, has deserted her to go to Tokyo for the summer. As a result, Phoebe has had to pull out the big guns to keep herself busy -- the classic detective novels of Agatha Christie. As Phoebe spends the days reading and riding her bike, trying to avoid the tension at home -- and also trying to catch the occasional glimpse of Colin, her new crush -- she stumbles upon a mystery of her own. A sweet older woman in her neighbourhood, Mrs Tomblin, is robbed and hurt but is too confused to remember any details.

Like her favourite hero of fiction, Phoebe will have to use her mind and her wits to solve the mystery of the robbery. Could Mrs Tomblin's collection of old photographs be the motive?.