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The Sherlock Society #3
Art Attack
Not yet published
Expected 8 Sep 26The Sherlock Society goes undercover in the Miami street art scene to find an anonymous graffiti artist in this third book in the hilarious, New York Times bestselling Sherlock Society middle grade series from Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti!
The Sherlock Society’s latest case is tracking down stealth graffiti artist Funky Munky—well-known for their artistic statements calling out local politicians—on behalf of a developer who wants them to create a mural for a new hotel. Their investigation leads Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yadi deep into the very colorful south Florida art scene.
But finding someone who doesn’t want to be found is challenging, and it doesn’t help that Miami Art Week is coming up, bringing lots of attention—and lots of new artists—to the area. The Sherlock Society’s best bet is an elaborate sting operation, which involves them picking up spray cans themselves. Can they trap their quarry without exposing themselves?
The Sherlock Society’s latest case is tracking down stealth graffiti artist Funky Munky—well-known for their artistic statements calling out local politicians—on behalf of a developer who wants them to create a mural for a new hotel. Their investigation leads Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yadi deep into the very colorful south Florida art scene.
But finding someone who doesn’t want to be found is challenging, and it doesn’t help that Miami Art Week is coming up, bringing lots of attention—and lots of new artists—to the area. The Sherlock Society’s best bet is an elaborate sting operation, which involves them picking up spray cans themselves. Can they trap their quarry without exposing themselves?
- GenresMysteryMiddle Grade
Unknown Binding
Expected publication September 8, 2026
About the author
James Ponti
62 books1,597 followersJames Ponti is the New York Times Bestselling author of three Middle Grade book series: the DEAD CITY trilogy about a secret society that polices the undead who live beneath New York City; the Edgar Award-winning FRAMED! series about a pair of Sherlockian tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, D.C.; and the all-new CITY SPIES about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 spy team.
James grew up in Atlantic Beach, Florida and lives in Orlando. He's a die hard fan of the Boston Red Sox, the USC Trojans, and the Italian National Soccer Team. He loves travel, writing, and spending time with his amazing family.
James grew up in Atlantic Beach, Florida and lives in Orlando. He's a die hard fan of the Boston Red Sox, the USC Trojans, and the Italian National Soccer Team. He loves travel, writing, and spending time with his amazing family.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 22, 2026
The Sherlock Society is back for their third adventure, this time centering on the Miami graffiti scene. This was probably my favorite of the 3 books since the mystery of identifying an anonymous graffiti activist seemed more plausible and the team now has some great chemistry— siblings Alex and Zoe are even becoming friends. Fans of Ponti’s other series will be thrilled to find a T.O.A.S.T. reference from FRAMED! All in all, this will be a great add to the Ponti portion of my classroom library.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Alex and Zoe are back after their adventures in The Sherlock Society and Hurricane Heist. With the approval of their parents and the help of their ulta-cool Grandpa Pete, they have put together a web site for their investigative concern and get a job offer; Turner-McGee construction is building a luxury condo and wants to hire the artist Funky Munky to paint a mural on the side of the ten story building. They are willing to pay the artist $200, 000, which means that the Sherlock Society would get a finders fee of $20,000... if they can locate the reclusive and secretive artist. Like Bansky, Funky Munky does guerilla painting with social messages, and no one knows who this is. Since the Turner-McGee group is making their project eco friendly and also putting in low income housing, they are hoping that Funky Munky will agree. It doesn't hurt that Grandpa Pete is spending a lot of time with Marisol, who was the art editor at the Miami Herald, where he used to work. As Art Week approaches in the city, the kids have just a month to find the artist. This search takes them to meet lots of different artists, as well as Peyton Reed, a pod caster and muralist. They look at different paints, see lots of graffiti, and learn terms and techniques from the artists themselves. They even manage to figure out who Funky Munky is... but does Turner-McGee really want to hire the artist?
This is another fun romp with Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yadi. I loved how the grandfather continues to be involved, and how the parents occasionally step in and punish Alex for breaking their rules! There are a lot of artists, and the grandfather and Marisol's connections help... and who doesn't want to be driven around in a vintage car. Some of the funniest moments were Alex's attempts to dress for spirit week at school, but there are plenty of adventures as well. This series has been popular with my students, so I will definitely be ordering a copy. If your Carl Hiaasen books are worn out, this is a great replacement for them.
Alex and Zoe are back after their adventures in The Sherlock Society and Hurricane Heist. With the approval of their parents and the help of their ulta-cool Grandpa Pete, they have put together a web site for their investigative concern and get a job offer; Turner-McGee construction is building a luxury condo and wants to hire the artist Funky Munky to paint a mural on the side of the ten story building. They are willing to pay the artist $200, 000, which means that the Sherlock Society would get a finders fee of $20,000... if they can locate the reclusive and secretive artist. Like Bansky, Funky Munky does guerilla painting with social messages, and no one knows who this is. Since the Turner-McGee group is making their project eco friendly and also putting in low income housing, they are hoping that Funky Munky will agree. It doesn't hurt that Grandpa Pete is spending a lot of time with Marisol, who was the art editor at the Miami Herald, where he used to work. As Art Week approaches in the city, the kids have just a month to find the artist. This search takes them to meet lots of different artists, as well as Peyton Reed, a pod caster and muralist. They look at different paints, see lots of graffiti, and learn terms and techniques from the artists themselves. They even manage to figure out who Funky Munky is... but does Turner-McGee really want to hire the artist?
This is another fun romp with Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yadi. I loved how the grandfather continues to be involved, and how the parents occasionally step in and punish Alex for breaking their rules! There are a lot of artists, and the grandfather and Marisol's connections help... and who doesn't want to be driven around in a vintage car. Some of the funniest moments were Alex's attempts to dress for spirit week at school, but there are plenty of adventures as well. This series has been popular with my students, so I will definitely be ordering a copy. If your Carl Hiaasen books are worn out, this is a great replacement for them.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Alex, Yadi, Lena, and Zoe are on the case. This time, a building developer wants them to find the infamous graffiti artist Funky Munky so he can hire that person to paint a mural on the side of his new building. Their investigation leads them to many artists, but how to know which one is Funky Munky when Funky Munky doesn’t want to be found, and how to talk to the person? The team, along with some of Grandpa’s, contacts, led them into the world of graffiti art and all the colors and little quirks of each artist that make it up.
As always, Mr. Ponti has come up with another wonderful mystery to solve. The plot is great. I loved reading about graffiti and the artistic differences that make it up, but the way the kids come up with a way to solve this mystery is out-of-the-box thinking that has to be respected, as long as they don’t end up in the clink doing it. This book is action-packed and full of suspense. It does involve a bit of some plot twists and turns. But it is a wonderful book that is good for all middle graders and above, as well as reluctant readers, budding sleuths, and artists. I can’t wait for more books from Mr. Ponti as I am also a huge fan of the City Spies as well.
Review copy provided by Edelweiss
As always, Mr. Ponti has come up with another wonderful mystery to solve. The plot is great. I loved reading about graffiti and the artistic differences that make it up, but the way the kids come up with a way to solve this mystery is out-of-the-box thinking that has to be respected, as long as they don’t end up in the clink doing it. This book is action-packed and full of suspense. It does involve a bit of some plot twists and turns. But it is a wonderful book that is good for all middle graders and above, as well as reluctant readers, budding sleuths, and artists. I can’t wait for more books from Mr. Ponti as I am also a huge fan of the City Spies as well.
Review copy provided by Edelweiss
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you, NetGalley for supplying me with an early copy of this ebook. I'm so glad I came across this series. This book was surprisingly good. Reading it as an adult, I'm impressed. There are a lot of facts thrown in that the kids stumble upon as they work to solve the mystery. For instance, one of the dads is a nerdy math teacher who constantly throws out math puns, weaving some math facts in along the way. Also, as the kids investigate, they learn a lot about graffiti and the art form that it is, with the history of graffiti artists "writers" and the tools they use and styles they use explained as part of the investigation. I was very impressed that this isn't just a fun story, but also very informative. I'm tempted to read the entire series - it's that good, and I enjoyed the facts I learned along the way. The language is intelligent and the author treats their readers with respect, knowing they can handle intelligent subject matter without having it simplified.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
The third Sherlock Society book has the gang searching for the identity of a local guerilla graffiti artist in order to offer them a high-paying job. But it's going to be difficult to find someone who doesn't want to be found. But with these four amazing kids and one super cool grandpa, it's only a matter of time before they solve the case. Once again, Ponti writes a fun mystery that will keep you guessing!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
This author is a “go to” source for fresh, interesting, and humorous middle grade stories. This latest in the series does not disappoint.
This author is a “go to” source for fresh, interesting, and humorous middle grade stories. This latest in the series does not disappoint.
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June 2, 2026Review closer to release
June 24, 2026
Another fast paced adventure for the Sherlock Society! My whole family loves Ponti 's books and I can't wait to share this newest instalment with them. One of my favorite things about Ponti is he won't shy away from older references or niche subjects. Giving kids a broader scope of pop culture and in this book art. And a reason to do some digging of their own while reading to learn more about some fascinating pieces of history. Oh, and the twists and turns will keep even the most observant armchair sleuth on their toes.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews