Little do four highly gifted “alone” children know that passing the curious and exceedingly hard tests set by Mr. Benedict and his team would lead them to a spy assignment they did not sign up for. Reynie, the orphan with keen problem-solving and decision-making abilities, forges a strong friendship with Sticky, a runaway with incredible memory who remembers everything he ever sees or hears. Having spent years in the circus, Kate, with her bucket of tools, can navigate any physical challenge. Adamant and stubborn, Constance will prove vital to the success of The Mysterious Benedict Society in facing Mr. Curtain and his Whisperer machine, which threatens to take over the world.

Puzzles, hidden messages, code cracking and various clever plot turns and twists make this Trenton Lee Stewart book an exciting read. Whenever I thought the author might have taken a gloomy scene too far, he had a special way of flooding it with light. Following a theme in Mr. Curtain’s Institute training, one could say “the book is always light unless a passing scene is dark.” I found The Mysterious Benedict Society well-written. The author’s command of the English language is outstanding. The detailed descriptions of the characters, places and things are elaborate and elegant but probably add volume to the book. This 480-plus-page book is certainly worthy of the New York Times best-seller tag on it.

Rated: None. There are some scenes with mild violence, but these are scarcely described and inconsequential. No profanity or sexual content.