An intrepid boy teams up with Alfred Hitchcock himself in this rollicking mystery rife with action, adventure, intrigue, and all the flavor of film noir.

After the mysterious death of his mother, eleven-year-old Jack Fair is whisked away to San Francisco’s swanky Fairmont Hotel by his wicked Aunt Edith. There, he seems doomed to a life of fetching chocolates for his aunt and her pet chinchilla. Until one night, when Aunt Edith disappears, and the only clue is a ransom note written…in chocolate?

Suddenly, Jack finds himself all alone on a quest to discover who kidnapped Aunt Edith and what happened to his mother. Alone, that is, until he meets an unlikely accomplice—Alfred Hitchcock himself! The two embark on a madcap journey full of hidden doorways, secret societies, cryptic clues, sinister villains, and cinematic flair.

Including an author’s note about the real Hitchcock and an appendix of film references, this “fine read” is a “love letter to all that Hitchcock stood for” (Kirkus Reviews).

Jim Averbeck is the author of the Sophia series, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail; In a Blue Room, illustrated by Tricia Tusa; and of the novel A Hitch at the Fairmont. He is also the author and illustrator of the picture books Oh No, Little Dragon! and Except If. He studied children’s book writing and illustration at the University of California Berkeley and now makes his home in San Francisco. You can visit him at JimAverbeck.com.

Nick Bertozzi has written and drawn many comics over the years, including The Salon, Lewis & Clark, and the New York Times bestselling Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey. He’s also written the upcoming Becoming Andy Warhol. Bertozzi has won multiple Harvey and Eisner awards, the highest honors in comics. He lives in Queens, New York, with his wife and daughters.