  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 01/01/2022 Ever since a classmate dismissively called 11-year-old Gina (apprentice journalist) and her friends Edgar (aspiring actor), Elena (science-loving prankster), and Kevin (math genius) the GEEKs, they’ve proudly claimed the name as their own. When their dwindling community’s main employer announces the only factory’s shutdown, they’re dismayed. Long ago, deceased local inventor-entrepreneur Maxine van Houten had promised that her fortune would go to the town, but instead, it disappeared. Now a letter from Van Houten has surfaced and challenges readers to follow cryptic clues to the treasure. Knowing that finding it will avert the end of both the town and the close-knit GEEKs, they focus their energy on solving the mystery, despite threats from an unknown adversary. Since Gina submits articles to the local newspaper for the editor (her mother) to critique, it’s not surprising that she narrates the story in a clear, factual, and entertaining way. A couple of outsiders are introduced as possible suspects, but the whodunit question is less interesting than the interactions and shifting dynamics among the GEEKs. Appealing fare for mystery fans. - Copyright 2022 Booklist. Loading...
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