School Library JournalGr 5–7—Nicky's mother has taken a permanent vacation to India and his apathetic father puts him in time-out for the slightest offenses, so he sneaks out to spend time with his beloved Grandma Zelda. When she goes missing, he enlists the help of his friend Lucy, handwriting analyst extraordinaire, and a talking pigeon, and they search the city for her. With Pigeon's help, the children unravel the nefarious dealings of Nicky's father and the scheme behind Zelda's disappearance. Told as a rotating arc, this quirky mystery is interspersed with handwriting samples, notes, and Lucy's Writing Rules #1-11, which add a fun element to the cast of eccentric characters. Though some aspects of the plot are predictable and character development is slight, readers will be drawn into the story and will enjoy the fast-paced action.
