April 21, 2026 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Ria Bailey is irritated that her mother, Dr. Mena Basu, was let go from her job at the Metropolitan Museum of art, so has taken a job in Tubingen Germany. Ria doesn't want to leave their Hell's Kitchen neighborhood or her best friends, Miracle and Annie. Her class is having a sleepover at the museum, and Ria thinks it would be embarrassing to go, so when her Dida (grandmother) goes to spend the night so she can attend a family event, Ria decides to stay home by herself. This changes when she opens a package addressed to her mother and finds the Ruby that belongs in the Lotus Sword at the museum. On her way, she meets a very cute boy, Zakir, outside. It turns out that the tech bro owner of Hive Incorporated is "on the case" of the missing stone, and the sword is to be turned back over to India. The museum has been struggling with the issue of returning valuable artifacts to the countries from which they were unfairly taken; Dr. Basu has been vocal about this, and Ria assumes that this has something to do with the fact her mother was let go. Since the sword is worth $300 million, it's not a surprise when Ria and her friends run into motorcycle riding Lotus Society members who warn her against getting involved. One of them drops a glove, and Ria decides to try to locate the ladies by tracing the dry cleaning ticket inside of it. A family friend at the dry cleaners gives Ria the name and address of the owner, as well as help obtaining a taxi, and soon the girls are deeply involved in a potentially dangerous mystery. Ria finds out some surprising family history, and discovers that neither Zakir nor Eli Purchase are quite who they appear to be. Will Ria and her friends be able to locate the sword and return it to the museum so that it can go to its proper home, and will this allow Dr. Basu to keep her job?
Strengths: I loved the author's note that she wanted to replicate a little of the magic of Konigsberg's 1967 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a title which I think holds up even after all these years. Ria has a vested interest in the Lotus Sword, even more than she realizes, and her dedication to saving it is admirable. Her friends are great foils for her; Miracle is a little more concerned for everyone's safety, and Annie is all about smashing the colonizing patriarchy, even when her own safety might benefit from moving on! Luckily for Ria, she runs into many people that either she or her friends know, and they are helpful on multiple occasions. There's some fun technology thrown in, and a great villain. Zakir is an interesting addition, since Ria is not too busy to appreciate a cute boy. There is a lot of action and adventure in this book, Plus many fun moments, like dressing for the Met Gala. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ria involved in more adventures, but this could be a stand alone as well.
Weaknesses: Ria made a LOT of bad choices. She shouldn't have opened her mother's package, and it never seems to occur to her to let the authorities know about the ruby instead of carrying it around on her own. Of course, if she HAD observed standard safety protocols, the story would have been fairly boring.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Northrup's Tombquest series, Gibbs' Charlie Thorne series, or Baptiste's Moko Magic, which also addresses the idea of repatriating antiquities.
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