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by Elizabeth Arthur (Author), Steven Bauer (Author)
A poisoned orange grove. A hidden villain. And a roller coaster named The Nemesis.
Step into mysteries that demand courage, discernment, and the will to seek the truth. Conceived and co-written by the daughter of Robert Arthur - the creator of the Three Investigators universe - this restoration of the classic series takes its iconic characters into a new age, with gripping contemporary adventures for young readers who crave meaning, want to share in the growth of characters they admire, and seek a world they can return to again and again.
In the fourteenth book of a 26-book story arc, the trouble is personal. When Pete's mother asks The Three Investigators to look into a disturbing situation at her sister and brother-in-law's orange grove near Bakersfield, Pete is initially reluctant. He can't sense a real mystery, and he worries his friends won't be interested. But when they discover that Wally Tate was once close to Pete's uncle's father, the team heads to the Golden Globe Citrus Grove.
Their investigation takes a serious turn when a man from the California Health and Safety Commission shows up with a "CLOSED BY ORDER OF" notice, shutting down the Robertsons' citrus stand and, more crucially, their line of soaps, lotions, and supplements. Worse, twelve orange trees have been poisoned. Someone wants to destroy the Robertsons' livelihood. But who?
The more The Three Investigators dig, the more questions arise. Could the Fresno fulfillment center be tampering with the products? Is a high-tech startup, Tehachapi Biogen, trying to put the Robertsons out of business? Why would their wealthy neighbor want to buy their property - and why open an amusement park in his own grove, with a roller coaster named The Nemesis?
As the case deepens, The Three Investigators begin to doubt their decision to take it on. But when they meet a group of friendly bikers staying at their motel, a new lead emerges. A stroke of luck helps them arrive at a crucial insight, and they race to the amusement park to try to prevent disaster. What's behind the sabotage at the grove? Who stands to gain from ruining the Robertsons' business? What's the real connection between the poisoned trees and the mysterious roller coaster? Can the Three Investigators put it all together before it's too late?
Join Jupiter, Pete, Bob, and Mallory as they thread their way through a hidden underworld of secrets, power plays, and subtle manipulation. When the stakes are hidden behind supposed "safetyism", it's up to the team to uncover the truth before it's buried for good.
