Twelve-year-old Hamilton “Ham” Hogg’s dad knew a lot more about his old, inherited, now-closed-down hotel and its secrets than just about anybody. That’s one reason why Ham was forbidden to go inside without his dad or mom. But his pal, George, convinced him to sneak in. He found a bunch of reasons why he was forbidden to enter. He also discovered most of the hotel’s treasures were stolen!. But why couldn’t he inform his parents??
On his first day of middle school Ham ends up in front of the principal’s desk. How did that happen? Ham begins a detailed but extremely dangerous quest to find the hotel robber and get his parents’ stuff back. He lost all hope and confidence in the sheriff, who still had not a clue. Ham, though had a list of suspects that was growing rapidly Could the robber have been the sweetest, kindest grandmotherly lady who just happened to have one piece of stolen property from the hotel, as well as an old key? Or how about the generous, kind bartender. Ham overheard a suspicious phone call he made. Or perhaps the wannabe street gang whom Ham discovered prowling around. Hey, what about the meanest man in town who can’t stand kids? Or what about that unpleasant student, Hilda. She knows stuff about the hotel that she shouldn’t have known.
On Halloween night, go around with Ham to experience some amazing decorations and exhibits in the most ‘Halloweeny” town in the country. while trick-or-treating Ham is freaked out by what seems like a real dead body in a casket in the undertaker’s house. Later that night he manages tp launch a “flying pig,” soaring toilet parts, soaring schoolbus parts, and others. He attempts a “trick” that backfires with his encounter of the worst kind with a real monster.
And that’s not all of his adventures as a kid detective. Several times he finds himself in a real jam where there doesn’t seem to be a way out,
The story takes a very tender twist that might just let you cry. But it has lots of funny stuff that will make you laugh for sure. If you’re a kid who doesn’t like reading books all that much, try this one. So now there’s a book for you that you will find almost impossible to put down at the end of each chapter!