Frida wasn’t expecting to find much while digging through relics at her late grandmother’s house. But when she comes across a mysterious painting, family secrets, and a nosy auctioneer, she knows the real digging has just begun.
Frida and her brother, Zac, have lived in seven countries in ten years. In fact, they’ve been traveling for so long that Frida has never considered herself from anywhere — until they inherit their grandmother’s house in Victoria, British Columbia. Now they’re up to their ears in family heirlooms, paintings of dead relatives, vintage paper clips, and ceramic animals.
Then a nosy antique dealer takes an interest in her grandmother’s stuff. A big, sneaking-around-trying-to-break-in-to-the-house kind of interest. Is this strange neighbor looking for something specific? And will Frida and Hazeem figure it out before it’s too late?
Moonbeam Children's Book Award, Pre-Teen Fiction – General, Gold | 2023 |
Chocolate Lily Award | 2025 | Short-listed
“Michelle Mulder has created a fun mystery that readers will be quickly turning the pages to find out the answers. Scattered with interesting art facts and beautiful scenery from the Canadian west coast, Mulder shares some of the history of Victoria, British Columbia, through local art history and twentieth-century photography.”
“A satisfying mystery that explores friendship and family, art and home.”