This was a really fun sequel!
This one follows the Sherlock Society as they try to solve a 60 year old heist at a hotel. Alex's grandpa was questioned in this heist as him and his dad had been at this hotel the night of the heist. The case was closed, the police thought the suspect (Ignatio Gonzalez) had fled the scene and disappeared - his car was seen leaving the country. But when Ignatio's body shows up 60 years later and it's confirmed he died the night of the heist, Alex's grandpa knew he was right. He never thought Ignatio was guilty. Now the Sherlock Society needs to put the pieces together and find who really committed the theft.
I really like Alex's grandpa and I'm glad he got a lot of page time in this one. He was really supportive of the kids and happy to let them take the reins and figure the mystery out. The kids really worked well together as a team and all gave something different to the team dynamic.
The beginning of the book is told in 2 different timelines - the present with the Sherlock Society and the past when the crime was being committed. I don't think it's obvious at first that the past timeline is following Alex's grandpa so that was fun to figure out. It also gave us a more in depth look at that time rather than just recalling it during the present timeline.
I'm really enjoying this series and am excited to read the next one!

James Ponti has done it again! His Sherlock Society mysteries are top notch. This one has so much suspense and I love how he grabs the reader at the beginning of the story with a fast forward scene and then takes you back to the beginning to see how the characters got to that point. Adding in a hurricane both in the past and the present just created another level of excitement and danger.

Hurricane Heist may be even better than the first Sherlock Society book! The story starts out on a cliffhanger,then keeps the pace moving fast. Alex and his sister, Zoe, along with their friends Lina and Yaddi solve a sixty year old mystery. With their grandpa as mentor, they learn to ask the right questions and bring the story full circle. There are heartfelt moments as Zoe and Lina navigate conflict on their friendship. We get a deeper peek into Grandpa while Grandpa always keeps the kids on the right side of the law. Add in an actual hurricane and the story can’t get much better!

** “(To lose the plot is) to become confused about what you should do, or how you should handle a situation. It can happen when people get overwhelmed.” **

James Ponti continues his fun Sherlock Society series with “Hurricane Heist,” a story that travels over 60 years and two hurricanes.

Siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock, their friends Lina and Yadi, and Grandpa Pete are trying to find a new case after their failed attempt to find Al Capone’s missing money. But when a hurricane reveals a corpse hidden for 60 years, they find a new case that hits close to home for Grandpa, one that happened when he was just 12 years old.

He has spent his life trying to prove that his friend, a bell captain at the Moroccan, did not steal jewels and art from the hotel. So when a body is revealed from its 60-year hiding place, the Sherlock Society gets involved. Using the 5 Ws — who, what, when, where and why — they try to determine the true culprit in the heist.

Ponti once again does a great job of creating a fun and quirky cast of characters, building off the strengths and weaknesses of each other. He also fills the story with some great themes, like digging deep to find the truth behind matters; using one’s strengths can also build the strength of the group; having faith in one’s friends; and never giving up on each other.

“Hurricane Heist,” which is due out Sept. 2, will appeal to fans of James Patterson’s “Treasure Hunters” and “Minerva Keen” series, Trenton Lee Stewart’s “Mysterious Benedict Society” series, and Tom Phillip’s “The Curious League of Detectives & Thieves” series.

Five stars out of five.

Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Hurricane Heist by @jamespontibooks

Another absolute banger in The Sherlock Society chronicles! I love these characters so much! This time we follow them as they try to solve a 60 year old murder mystery. It’s twisty and it’s turny and it’ll have you guessing who did it several times and still being surprised! I added this song as a nod to the book and a story Grandpa tells the kids. Gotta read it to find out. Middle grade books rock so much! I’m always thoroughly entertained. 👏🏼

Thank you @netgalley @simonkids for the arc!
Pub date: 9/2/2025

I love a middle grade mystery adventure where I learn about a lot of cool stuff without feeling I’m learning about stuff. This has hurricanes and heists, and makes researching exciting! Four tweens and a 70-year-old grandpa set out to solve an old hotel robbery and solve the riddle of the man who was blamed for it. The Sherlock Society books are so much fun and pack so much into them. These are definitely read again books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for this DRC.
#HurricaneHeist #NetGalley

James Ponti has done it again! He really knows how to write characters that are entertaining and stories that keep you flipping the pages! Hurricane Heist is interesting and a fantastic follow up of the first book. I really liked it and I know my students will too.

It's especially great for:
* inspiring kids to problem solve and think critically
* encouraging research and questioning and getting out in the field to investigate things
* sharing the importance of writing and sources and facts in journalism
* showing how connections within your community can be strengthening and be rewarding

Ponti has written a fantastic Volume 2 for his Sherlock Society series—this one might be even better than the first. Ponti uses his signature style of dropping you in at the heart-pounding climax and then dropping you back where the story actually starts, this time alternating between present-day events and events that kick off the mystery in the 1960s. The dynamic between the 5 OG members of the Sherlock Society is even more developed, and I loved the element of recruiting new members. I can't wait to add this one to my classroom library shelves and am thrilled to have another Ponti series to recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Aladdin for the digital ARC.

This clever middle grade mystery weaves a steadily building plot that lets readers gather clues and piece together the “who, why, and how” alongside the characters. The smart, resourceful friends at the heart of the story each bring unique strengths to the table, making their teamwork both believable and inspiring. With every twist, the mystery deepens just enough to keep you guessing—and cheering for the kids who won't stop until they solve it.

Hurricane Heist is another fantastic read by James Ponti! The Sherlock Society pick up right where they left off in the first book, ready to dive into another mysterious case with a hurricane twist. As Hurricane Clyde strikes Miami Beach washing up a body, memories of an unsolved jewel heist blamed on an old friend from the 1960s during Hurricane Cleo resurface to haunt Grandpa. This time the Sherlock Society must clear an innocent man's name and expose the true culprits of the crime. This book has strong meteorological details about hurricanes and their impacts, as well as themes of friendship, fitting in, staying true to yourself, you are never to old to follow your passions, and helping one's community. I can't wait to add this newest Ponti to my library collection this fall!

James Ponti can do no wrong. Everything he writes is just great....suspenseful, fun, family & friend oriented, informative and exciting. This book is no different and I highly recommend it.




I received a free E-ARC for my honest review from #NetGalley and #Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing.

The Sherlock Society is at it again. The Gang Alex, Zoe, LIna, Yadi, and Grandpa solve another fun filled mystery with twist and turns.

The Sherlock Society, middle schoolers-Lina, Yadi, Zoe, Alex, along with former Miami Herald reporter- Grandpa Pete, are back on the case! This time Hurricane Clyde has unearthed a body. The body happens to belong to Ignatio Gonzalez, the man framed for a jewel heist back when Grandpa Pete was 12, and whom he has always believed was innocent. Using the 5 W's, teamwork, and the assistance of some retired FBI agents, the Sherlock Society is able to comb through evidence to try to unearth the true thief. Will they be able to succeed where the FBI failed all those years ago?

This was a delightful mystery with lots of twists and turns. The comradery of the kids and Grandpa is very charming. They have a great teamwork, and the connections that Grandpa has from his old reporter days make the evidence they have access to believable. I enjoyed the flashbacks to 1964 where we got to see young Pete when he knew Ignatio Gonzalez, and when he got inspired to become a reporter.

Any reader young or old who enjoys mysteries will like reading this next installment of the Sherlock Society. It is fun and exciting and you'll be rooting for their hijinks to succeed.