The Ambrose Deception - by Emily Ecton

About the Book

Three Chicago students are unlikely participants in a competition for a $10,000 scholarship, unaware that there is much more at stake. Fans of "The Westing Game" and "Chasing Vermeer" are sure to embrace this new scavenger hunt mystery told with a sense of humor.

Book Synopsis

Melissa is a nobody. Wilf is a slacker. Bondi is a show-off. At least that's what their middle school teachers think. To everyone's surprise, they are the three students chosen to compete for a ten thousand-dollar scholarship, solving clues that lead them to various locations around Chicago. At first the three contestants work independently, but it doesn't take long before each begins to wonder whether the competition is a sham. It's only by secretly joining forces and using their unique talents that the trio is able to uncover the truth behind the Ambrose Deception--a truth that involves a lot more than just a scholarship.
With a narrative style as varied and intriguing as the mystery itself, this adventure involving clever clues, plenty of perks, and abhorrent adults is pure wish fulfillment.

Review Quotes

"Emily Ecton writes stories that feel like good friends--this is a timelessly fun, funny adventure."--Adam Rex, author of

"Readers of the Kingdom Keepers are going to eat this up! Ambrose Deception's tricky quest, a competition between polar opposites, thrusts the reader into a story that satisfies and complicates and then twists at just the right moment. Emily Ecton delivers a readable maze of a novel that middle grade readers will adore and not stop talking about! These characters are quite the accomplishment. I want to be their friend."--Ridley Pearson, best-selling author of the Kingdom Keepers series

"Three kids race across Chicago in a competition for a $10,000 scholarship. Who will solve their clues first? The story made me grin, and the clues--truly solvable clues!--had me searching my memory for what I knew of Chicago for answers. (I recommend trying to solve the clues before the characters do.) Then, be prepared for twists. You'll think, 'Yeah, what is going on with all the secrecy? Is something up?' Indeed, it is!"--Amy Timberlake, author of, a Newbery Honor Book

About the Author

Emily Ecton is the author of seven middle grade books published underthe names Emily Ecton and Emily Fairlie. She is also a former writer andproducer for Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!, the Peabody Award-winningcomedy news quiz on NPR. Her books have been nominated for the Texas BluebonnetAward, the Massachusetts Children's Book Award, the Pennsylvania Young Rader'sChoice Award and the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award. After years of livingin Chicago, she now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her dog, Binky. Formore information, visit her online at emilyecton.com.