It’s 1942, and the United States is at war. Henry Hamilton is an inquisitive twelve-year-old who dreams of being a reporter. Pursuing a story for his school newspaper, Henry’s investigation soon leads to a mysterious room inside his town’s famous Biltmore Mansion. The mystery only grows deeper when he uncovers the secret of the room’s contents. As Henry pursues the story, hoping for his first real scoop, he encounters spies, dark forests, hidden trails, enemy saboteurs, famous artists, and even a long-dead president of the United States.

Deron R. Hicks is the author of the Shakespeare Mysteries Series and the Lost Art Mysteries. Deron’s next book – The Dark Skies Mystery: A WWII Thriller – is set to be released by HarperCollins in July 2024. Deron earned a B.F.A. in painting from the University of Georgia, followed by a J.D. from Mercer Law School. He lives in Warm Springs, Georgia. Deron loves Star Wars, reads everything he can about history and science, and enjoys taking photographs at sporting events. Deron’s family is filled with Bears – both Deron and his wife graduated from Mercer Law School, and his son and daughter both graduated from Mercer University.