The Secret of the Cellars

Three teens in a sleepy college town get tangled up in a spy caper in this classic middle-grade suspense novel by a New York Timesbestselling author.

The old Upton place has fascinated young Tish Howard all her life. Built in the 1870s, the decrepit Victorian mansion is a three-storied monstrosity, and according to Tish's brother, Mike, someone's bought it. A man named John Smith called the real estate office looking for a large house with a big, secure cellar. The strange thing is Smith paid in cash without even seeing the property in person. Even stranger, a refugee scientist from East Berlin will be his tenant.

Tish, Sally, and Mike's imaginations run wild, and they begin to investigate. Who would buy such a spooky old house? But as they uncover secret after secret, they realize they are in very real danger. They will need to rely on their wits-and each other-if they hope to have peace in their town ever again...

Originally published in 1964.