After the events from four months ago when amateur sleuth, Adam Parker and his friends stopped the Scout from destroying the town of Hilldale, business picked up for the Parker Detective Agency. While this has brought more business and money, it has also brought on new changes. Becky's marriage is holding on by a thread as she spends much of her time on cases and not home. Kevin deals with the uncertainty of whether Adam will remain in town or leave once again all the while carrying on a secret romance, for fear of ridicule. Adam still struggles with finding his place in his own life.
A new threat emerges. One from Adam's past who wants nothing more than to humiliate Adam and make him pay for what he did so many years ago. After murdering an old friend of Adam, the killer sends a message that Adam Parker is Next. He then kidnaps Kevin to force Adam to take a trip down memory lane and relive moments from high school where Adam was not so nice of a person. A bully.
Adam is joined by Becky, who has a secret of her own as this is her last case, choosing her family over 'playing detective' and Kevin's secret girlfriend, Nancy Olliver, who doesn't put up with Adam's usual wise-cracking and is quick to shine a light on Adam's true nature when he was in high school. While they look to solve the mystery of Adam's past and save Kevin, Chief Kenney is on his own path to finding the killer as he enlists the help of the local sheriff from Brookville and find out who wants Adam dead.
Not just a story about solving a puzzle but reliving the past and paying for the choices we make when we're teenagers. Bullying is a hot-button topic for kids growing up today, but it wasn't always this way. In fact, dealing with bullying was typically "part of growing up", which is the excuse that Adam has always lived by, but never really understood the other side of it. As Becky explains:
Adam scoffed. "It was high school. Who didn't get bullied?"
"Bullies," Becky replied.
With his friend's life in the balance, Adam must face a past he hoped to forget even if it's at the expense of his friendships with Becky and Kevin.
Back of the Book
It's been four months since Adam returned to Hilldale. With the help of his friends, Kevin and Becky, the Parker Detective Agency has solved their fair share of cases in that time. But now, their partnership will be tested as a new threat has emerged. In the neighboring town of Brookville, Adam's old high school friend is found murdered and a message left behind: Adam Parker is next.
A mysterious man from Hilldale's past threatens to not only kill Adam, but also reveal his true nature to his friends. Kevin is then kidnapped. Adam is forced on a scavenger hunt around town, reliving his past indiscretions and admitting to his friends the truths from his own past that were long forgotten. But once revealed, they threaten to forever destroy Adam's friendships with Becky and Kevin.
