Spy Ring

by Sarah Beth Durst

Two modern-day kids discover the truth about an American Revolutionary War–era female spy through a treasure-hunt adventure in their hometown of Setauket, New York.

With codewords and secret signals perfected, best friends Rachel and Joon are ready to spend their summer practicing spycraft—especially if they can uncover secrets like the one Joon’s parents have been keeping, that his family is about to move out of town.

When eavesdropping leads them to a ring rumored to have belonged to Anna “Nancy” Smith Strong—according to local Long Island legend, the only female member of George Washington’s famed Culper Spy Ring—they think they’ve hit the jackpot. Then they discover Nancy left a coded message in the ring!

Decoding her message leads to another cryptic clue, and then another, and soon Rachel and Joon are racing to decipher a series of puzzles that must surely lead to hidden treasure! But can they solve the final mystery before Joon’s moving day? And just what did the centuries-old spy hide away—and why?

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Espionage, Childrens, Fiction, Audiobook

1 pages, Audio CD

First published May 21, 2024

About the author

Sarah Beth Durst is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty-five books for adults, teens, and kids, including cozy fantasy The Spellshop. She's been awarded an American Library Association Alex Award, as well as a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Several of her books have been optioned for film/television, including Drink Slay Love, which was made into a TV movie and was a question on Jeopardy! She lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat. Visit her at sarahbethdurst.com.

Reviews

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could a spy from the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) left clues to a treasure for a future generation to find, clues that could still be followed 300 plus years later? That's what Rachel and her best friend Joon set out to do as they spend one last summer together before Joon moves away. Based on Nancy Smith who may or may not have been a Revolutionary War spy, fans of mysteries, stories with treasure hunts or American Revolutionary War buffs should enjoy this.
You may even look at history in a new way after reading this. As one of the characters in the story says,“Sometimes historians make mistakes, or more often, they don’t have all the information yet. . . reconstructing history is like piecing together a puzzle where there’s no picture on the box, half the pieces have fallen on the floor, and the cat has eaten a quarter of them. You try to guess what the picture looks like as best you can with what you have.”

[Stephanie Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. The story was fun and fits perfectly for the summer. It’s rich with local history and I really enjoyed the back matter too.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiction is the best way to learn history, especially when it's a fun summer adventure for two kids who are following clues left by one of George Washington's spies that lead to (probable) solution of a historical mystery!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

**Spoilers!**

Rachel and her best friend Joon are eleven, and live in Setauket, Long Island, New York. Rachel's mother is planning on marrying her boyfriend, who has been living with them for a year, and whom Rachel likes. Rachel and Joon have recently been obsessed with the Culper Ring during the Revolutionary War, and have been practicing their spying just like Anna "Nancy" Smith Strong, a local woman long thought to be the first woman spy for George Washingon. When they eavesdrop on Rachel's mom and Dave, they hear them talking about a silver ring that Dave wants to give Rachel so she feels included in their wedding, even though they haven't asked very much for her input. The ring apparently belonged to Nancy, even though it doesn't have enough provenance for the local museum to accept it. Rachel is so excited by this prospect that she and Joon rifle through her mother's things, find the ring, and clean it up. There is an inscription in it that says "find me", and the two decide that this must lead to a treasure, which would come in handy, since Joon's father has lost his job and the family is looking for affordable housing, most of which is located hours away from Setauket. They start at the local cemetary, where they find Nancy's tombstone and decipher a clue that gives them "stone". From there, they go to Patriot's Rock, see a 300 year old church, and inquire there. A woman suggests they look at the mural in their school, and the janitor kindly lets them in and helps them determine where Devil's Rock is. Later, looking at the local mill, they find numbers in the millstones on the ground around the 1930s reproduction. They get info from the library, and also from Linda, an elderly docent at the local museum. They even manage to get a key from an antique clock by setting it to the time 3:55! The portrait they saw at the library of Nancy and her husband gives them more clues, and the kids eventually have to ask Dave for help. He calls family members who have Nancy's family Bible, and by using a blow dryer on the pages, uncover another clue. This takes them to the attic, where Terry, who has not been happy with having kids wandering around historic sites, helps them uncover a box in the steeple of the church. Will this box hold the treasure? And will it help provide a way for Joon's family to stay?
Strengths: Ah, summer. Wouldn't it be great to have a day to bike around a picturesque portion of Long Island with your best friend and solve a 250 year old mystery about a strong and courageous woman who never got her due? Rachel and Joon do just that. All of the places in the book are based on really places in Setauket, where the author lives. There's clearly a lot of love for the area, as well as for local history in the writing. As someone who was eleven during the US Bicentennial, this story reminded me very strongly of the books and articles in Cricket Magazine that were prevalent at the time. Youngsters were always investigating historical events and finding out information that 200 years of adults couldn't uncover. This also had a bit of the feel of some 1950s series books set on the East Coast (which seemed VERY exotic to my Ohio sensibilities!) where kids would roam around the historic sites and sandy shoreline solving mysteries with the help of friendly old people. This is perfect summer reading for a rising fourth grader, but be prepared for a lot of pleas to travel to Setauket and the East Coast to see more Revolutionary War history.
Weaknesses: As an adult, it stretched my credulity that the children were able to intuit all of these clues so quickly, but as a youngster, I would have believed it completely.
What I really think: This is a bit of a departure from Durst's fantasy books, but is a great exploration of little known US history that will appeal to readers who enjoyed Gutman's Flashback Four or Beil's The Swallowtail Legacy. It would make a great read aloud to go along with a Revolutionary War curriculum.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Rachel overhears that her mom’s boyfriend is going to give her a family heirloom that may have belonged to the only lady who was part of the Culper Spy Ring in the US Revolutionary War, she can’t wait for the wedding to get it. She and her best friend Joon sneak it out of its hiding spot, and discover it has writing on the inside. Eager for a distraction for Joon (who’s family’s lease is ending and may have to move far away) and something to do for Rachel, the duo set off to see if the numbers inside are in fact a secret code. Could Anna “Nancy” Smith Strong have left a treasure behind for someone to find?

I like that Joon and Rachel eventually fess up to their parents that their on this scavenger hunt. Rachel is also dealing with some pent up bitterness about her mom and her mom’s boyfriend not telling her for 3 days they were engaged (she overheard thanks to her secret spying spot). There’s some good resolution to their relationship, and I like how the scavenger hunt ends with the kids working with their parents and some other adults they meet in the neighborhood (2 elderly people who volunteer with the historical society). I also like that readers get to learn quite a bit about the real history we know about the Culper Spy Ring (and what is just theory), and the real history of the Revolutionary War in the Setauket area. It made me want to read a longer adult history on the Culper Spy Ring, and thanks to Durst’s helpful bibliography in the back of the book and extensive author’s notes about what is and isn’t real, I have some ideas of what to pick up. This was a change of pace for Durst, who usually writes fantasy. I have to say that I do like her fantasy stories a touch more, but she did a really good job with the contemporary scavenger hunt mystery laced with lots of historical information.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None. (Rachel’s mom’s boyfriend is living with them before the wedding, but no mushy details at all.)
Violence: Deaths in the war and from disease and such in the past are mentioned.
Ethnic diversity: Rachel is white American, Joon is Korean American.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: Joon’s family is facing a move that none of them really wants, but circumstances are forcing them into.

[William Bentrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spy Ring by Sarah Beth Durst
A mystery for children. This book targets elementary-age children. It incorporates history along with fiction to enlighten, and entertain kids. The mystery is the role that Anna “Nancy” Smith Strong played in the Revolutionary War Culper Spy Ring.
Two kids going into grade six are best buds but Joon’s family plans to move away from Setauker. Rachel is devastated. She comes up with the idea of a treasure hunt to keep her and Joon busy so they don’t obsess about Joon’s move.
The treasure hunt changes when Rachel and Joon discover that the importance of Nancy’s role was overlooked by history. Connections to the Strong family play a part as well as an heirloom ring in the search for the truth about Nancy and how important her work was to the revolution.
The author shows how women and their roles were demeaned at the time of the revolution and in some ways continue to be demeaned. The kids become caught up in discovering the truth and that revelation is more important than lost treasure.
Joon and Rachel feel that adults discount what kids are interested in and capable of doing. They discover that not all adults see kids’ abilities as insignificant.
The story is age appropriate for grade school children and I recommend it.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a relatively short mystery audiobook "available now" and the description of this one appealed to me. (As a middle grades book, it fit the relatively short criteria!) Rachel and Joon make some questionable kid-brain choices along the way (stealing a hidden key from a museum, really?), but the clue-following and mystery-unraveling were fun to follow. There were times when I was at least one step ahead of them, but hey, I'm an adult (and a lover of puzzles and the mystery genre) so that's not surprising. I would have thoroughly enjoyed reading this to my kids when they were younger.

FYI: fully 30 minutes of this 5 hour book is an author's note (notes?). It includes details about the actual Culper Spy Ring, but it also includes a fairly long section talking about how historians weigh competing theories based on primary and secondary sources. I found this somewhat fascinating, in part because I haven't been trained in historical research. It could prompt valuable discussions with kids (I might have viewed historians differently if I'd thought of them as solving puzzles!) but I can imagine some listeners might find it boring.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While eavesdropping on Rachel's parents, budding spies Rachel and best friend Joon learn of a family heirloom that dates back to the Revolutionary War and may have ties to a real spy. It's a welcome distraction from the devastating news that Joon's family will soon be moving far, far away. Intrigued, the 11-year-olds secretly clean the ring--and find a coded message! The ring belonged to Nancy Smith Strong, who may have played a key role in the Culper Spy Ring, which turned the tides of the Revolutionary War. But not everyone believes Nancy was a spy, and history just hasn't cared enough about women to even document her contributions. One code, one puzzle leads to another as Rachel and Joon embark on a secret historical scavenger hunt--one that may prove Nancy's link to the Culper Ring and lead to a hidden treasure. But can Rachel and Joon solve a centuries-old mystery before Joon moves away?

Goonie vibes dominate this short (188 pages), excellently paced mystery-adventure that's filled with fascinating historical tidbits that are seamlessly woven into the plot.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tween best friends Rachel and Joost are eager for the perfect summer of spycraft and codebreaking… or they would be, if only Joost’s family weren’t planning to move away. However, their summer takes an unexpected turn when they discover an heirloom ring believed to have belonged to Anna Smith Strong, a female spy in George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring. Soon, they’re following a historical trail of clues in search of hidden treasure. But can they find it in time to stop Joost’s move? And what’s up with the suspicious, grumpy old man who keeps showing up at all the local landmarks they’re investigating?

Durst weaves historical facts and discussions about the nature of history throughout the narrative, providing educational value without it ever feeling forced. While some of the logic the protagonists use to solve clues will stretch believability, the book’s target audience—middle-grade readers—will remain fully immersed in the story.

Spy Ring is an enjoyable celebration of kids’ ingenuity and persistence, intergenerational friendships, and the joys of amateur history. Recommended as an optional purchase for readers ages 8-11.

Thanks to HarperCollins for the copy via the Southeast Ohio Young Adult Media Group.

Note: Rachel is part of a blended family; her mother and the mother’s boyfriend are planning their wedding at the beginning of the book. Rachel and her family are Jewish, while Joon reads as East Asian-American.

[Glenna Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel and her best friend Joon are ready to spend the summer honing their spy craft skills. The only hitch is, Joon might have to move far away due to a lack of affordable housing locally. When they spy on Rachel's mom and soon-to-be step-father, they learn that Rachel is to be gifted a ring that most likely belonged to Anna Smith Strong, a member of George Washington's Culper Spy Ring, headquartered right in their own town of Setauket, New York. They decide to use the ring to try to locate Strong's legendary treasure so that Joon's family can have money to stay local. While on their quest to solve Strong's riddles, they learn a great deal more about their local history as well as the work of historians and perseverance. This book was hard to put down. It has a perfect mix of action and puzzle solving.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little treasure hunt story that will resonate with kids who like history or kids who just like the scavenger hunt angle on books. The main characters, Rachel and Joon, have a fun dynamic, and I appreciate how both contribute in meaningful ways to the story. There's a nice little message in there, too, about honesty that's executed in a way that I think kids will understand very easily.

Personally, I do think the book is a bit short at 180 pages. It's pretty much all about the treasure hunt - there are no real subplots (even the bit about Joon moving is mostly happening in the background) and the hunt itself is pretty straightforward. A few more twists or turns would have been nice.

Still a cute story that I would recommend to kids in that 8-12 age range.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun romp through Revolutionary War history as Rachel and Joon try to track down treasure that they believe was hidden by Anna Smith Strong, part of the Culpepper Spy Ring who helped George Washington on Long Island. Rachel Looks up to the spy and also hopes that finding the treasure will stop Joon and his parents from moving away. They track clues all over, from the cemetery to the church to the local historical society and famous battle spots. This is a great mystery and an exciting historical figure to learn about. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

[SOYAMRG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tween best friends Rachel and Joost are eager for the perfect summer of spycraft and codebreaking… or they would be, if only Joost’s family weren’t planning to move away. However, their summer takes an unexpected turn when they discover an heirloom ring believed to have belonged to Anna Smith Strong, a female spy in George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring. Soon, they’re following a historical trail of clues in search of hidden treasure. But can they find it in time to stop Joost’s move? And what’s up with the suspicious, grumpy old man who keeps showing up at all the local landmarks they’re investigating?

Durst weaves historical facts and discussions about the nature of history throughout the narrative, providing educational value without feeling forced. While some of the logic the protagonists use to solve clues stretches believability, the book’s target audience—middle-grade readers—will remain fully immersed in the story.

Spy Ring is an enjoyable celebration of kids’ ingenuity and persistence, intergenerational friendships, and the joys of amateur history. Recommended as an optional purchase for readers ages 8-11.

Note: Rachel is part of a blended family; her mother and the mother’s boyfriend are planning their wedding at the beginning of the book. Rachel and her family are Jewish, while Joon reads as East Asian-American.

S.P.
Children's Librarian

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not always a big fan of this authors other books but I like middle grade so thought I would give this one a try and I enjoyed it.
Combines some history with a fun sort of treasure hunt as Rachel and Joon try to figure out the clues left behind by a female spy from the Culpeper Spies of George Washington days, in hopes of finding away to help Joon and his family be able to stay in town and not move. Great friendship story with some fun history.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and exciting story of two kids following clues on a treasure hunt through history. It reminds me of the Nicolas Cage movie National Treasure, except presenting established facts and theories--with clear explanations about which is which and why--about George Washington's Culper spy ring during the U.S. Revolutionary War. Thoroughly fun, top-notch storytelling. Highly recommended.

[Connie53 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grappig boek voor oudere kinderen (10 tot 13 jaar) over Rachel en Joon, twee vrienden die op zoek gaan naar de waarheid achter een groep spionnen die voor George Washington spioneerden. Als ze een gesprek tussen Rachels ouders afluisteren komen ze er achter dat er een ring is die volgens het verhaal heeft toebehoort aan Anna Smith Strong alias Nancy. Aan de hand van een inscriptie in de ring, die ze stiekem hebben gepakt, volgen ze aanwijzingen op en ontdekken wie Nancy eigenlijk was.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book. Rachel is kind, tenacious and a great friend. Her and Joon are following clues to uncover the possible treasure left behind by “Nancy” a legend on Long Island for being one of the spies in the Culper Spy Ring during the American Revolution.
Obstacles, grumpy older people and naysayers won’t stop them.
Author’s note is fantastic and filled with cool info. Listened on audio and narrator was great.

[Jennifer Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great mystery/adventure/quest story....Rachel stumbles upon what she thinks may be a clue to finding more about alleged Revolutionary War spy Anna Smith Strong, maybe even a treasure, in a family heirloom. Can she and her best friend follow the clues and solve the mystery to prove Anna Strong really was part of the Culper Spy Ring? A fun, relatively quick read with a dose of history.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the little bit of history that was included in the story. The characters were likable. I had a hard time with the overall premise. Yes some town people knew about, and believed that Anna Smith Strong was a spy. But to assume that an inscription found on a ring was the "beginning" clue in the hunt for the truth was farfetched.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

DID NOT FINISH.

I love Sarah Beth Durst. I think if this was for older kiddos, I *might* have finished it but this is clearly for a younger audience and the mom has a live in boyfriend.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool ish

[Brenelly Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 10 year old daughter and I absolutely loved this summer read. We learned a lot of history while reading this amazing adventure.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was fast paced, had a lot of puzzle solving and descriptive historical background. The main characters, Rachel and Joon, have a close friendship, and are scared/sad that Joon’s family has to move. Joon’s parents didn’t tell him they had to move until a few weeks before their lease was up and Rachel’s mom and boyfriend recently got engaged but didn’t tell Rachel for several days, both feel betrayed. Rachel and Joon always enjoyed hunting for treasure, so Rachel decided she wanted to be a spy and had begun spying on her mom and Dave, which is how she knew about their engagement and also how she found out that Dave was going to give her a ring that belonged to his ancestor, Anna 'Nancy' Smith Strong, of Washington’s Culper Spy Ring. She takes the ring and discovers a clue that begins the treasure hunt. This is the only “bad” thing that they do, they never break any rules during their quest, and they ask adults for help. I like that the final clue ends up needing Dave’s (and Rachel’s mom) help so Rachel and Joon are both forced to tell their parents what they have been doing and how they are feeling before completing the quest. Topic is probably aimed at 3-5th grade but high level 2nd or 1st readers will enjoy with no adverse content.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPY RING was an engaging middle grade mystery with a huge helping of American History. Rachel and Joon, soon to be sixth graders, embark on a quest to discover a treasure Revolutionary Spy Anna "Nancy" Smith Strong left for those who could follow her clues. Rachel and Joon need a mystery to solve to get their minds off the fact that Joon's parents' lease is expiring and finding a new place to live will most likely mean moving away.

When the two are playing spy in Rachel's parents' attic and she overhears that her soon-to-be stepfather has a gift for her when they couple marries and that the gift is a silver ring that has been passed down in his family from Anna Smith Strong, the perfect mystery presents itself.

As Rachel and Joon travel all around Setauket which is on Long Island in the State of New York, they learn all about their town's history and a lot about spycraft during the Revolutionary War. They also find some adult friends who are eager to help them in their explorations. Linda who has recently retired from the historical society is also a Nancy fan and provides a lot of assistance. So does the school custodian who lets the kids into the summer quiet elementary school so that they can check out murals painted in the school's auditorium.

This was a fun quest for the kids which leads to a happy ending for Joon as his family. The author's note at the back provides all sorts of information for young people who want to know more about history and the many unsung heroes that helped build our country.

[Jan farnworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spy Ring by Sarah Beth Durst is a middle-grade historical fiction that centers on the Culpher spy ring. The author takes a genuine group of spies and weaves a fictional story around a ring with an inscription and some numbers. Rachel and Joon are facing their last summer together as Joon's parents have to find a new place to live and are having difficulty finding one in Setauket, New York. So, while his parents are finding a home and encouraging Joon to be a part of packing and seeing houses, Joon and Rachel follow a trail of clues that may lead to the treasure. I appreciate the author taking the time at the end of the novel to point out what is historically accurate in her story and what is added for the sake of the story. I enjoy books like this that allow us to learn something we might not have known about or knew very little about and show us that authentic history is waiting to be discovered in the places we live. One of my favorite memories growing up is school field trips to various local museums and taking my son to the small ones housed in our local area. Discovering that what you read in your history book or heard a teacher talk about is real and can be seen with two eyes is very imprinting and fascinating. This book will be an excellent addition for library teachers, especially those with a historical influence, showing that even ordinary people can choose to do extraordinary things.

[hpboy13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored books like these when I was a child… and, let’s be honest, still find them delightful! This is a pitch-perfect children’s book, with just the right mix of adventure, history, and friendship/family. I loved the theme throughout of how children are always dismissed by adults, and how that causes Rachel to see herself in Anna Smith Strong. The clues and mystery in the treasure hunt were plausible – no one had to be an unlikely genius to uncover them. And I actually learned a lot reading this book, since I’d only vaguely heard to Washington’s spy ring back in elementary school.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a cute story of two friends using clues on historical artifacts in their hometown to find a treasure. I loved the historical connections of the very real Culper Spy Ring and the relationship of these two friends. The book moved a little slow though, and had a lot of long descriptions that I tended to skim or skip over. I don't know that it would capture the attention of it's intended audience. The first puzzle they solved also seemed a bit too unlikely - left on the gravestone of the person who left the clue...because she probably left instructions about what to put on her gravestone. Ehhhh. Likewise, some of the other places the clues were left were just too convenient - objects that easily could have been destroyed or relocated, but they all happened to still be in various places around the town.

A similar and much more engaging book is Hide and Geek by T.P. Jaggers. While the historical connections in that book are fictional, it was much harder to put down and the writing made the treasure hunt feel very realistic, even though it would not be something that would ever happen in real life.

[Pamela Zeiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 6 year old loved the story. She found it to be a fun mystery and adventurous. She didn't like the end where the story talks about what work was fiction and what was nonfiction. I found the part to be amazing.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5