It's only been a short while since Max, Sam, Thomas, and Pippa ving wonders from Mr. Dumfrey's Dime Museum caped the clutches of the evil scientist Rattigan. But a recent string of bank robberies feels awfully Rattiganlike. Could he be back in New York City? The kids' suspicions only grow stronger after the museum's flea circus is massacred, and one of their own is pinned with the murder of a local exterminator. Once more, the foursome launch their own investigation, knowing they must again confront Rattigan, whose latest scheme looks to be his deadliest to date. Though this is the third installment in Oliver and Chester's quirky Curiosity House series, newcomers will have no trouble diving right in here. Past events and character relationships are thoroughly recapped, occasionally slowing the story's plot in the process. Despite that, this remains an entertaining mystery furnished with fascinating oddities and suspense. Readers will gain insight into characters' lives, and the satisfying ending still leaves room for future adventures.

When a fellow member of Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders is arrested for murder, Sam, Philippa, Thomas, and Max search for the real killer--only to discover evil Rattigan has returned to wreak havoc on NYC. Like The Shrunken Head and The Screaming Statue, this third mystery is quick paced, with full-page black-and-white crosshatched illustrations highlighting the action.

Set in the 1930s, this third book of the Curiosity House series continues to follow four orphans who are performers and residents of Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. In the previous book, the orphans, Sam, Max, Thomas, and Pippa, only barely escaped capture by the mad scientist Nicholas Rattigan, who vanished after murdering Sam's parents. Under the protection of their new caretaker, Mr. Dumfrey, head of the museum, the children are rallying to move on from their grief when a mysterious string of robberies hits close to home. After someone poisons and kills all of Gen. Farnum's fleas from his world-famous flea circus, Farnum is arrested for murder. Knowing Farnum is incapable of such an act, and after the occurrence of a second murder while he's in jail, the orphans suspect that Rattigan may be lurking about yet again. These events lead the orphans to discover the tragic origins of their exceptional abilities, and they find themselves racing to uncover a deadly plot that could lead to the destruction of New York City. The plot is somewhat engaging in building suspense as the orphans attempt to unveil the hidden traitors, but the delivery of a dark reveal about the orphans is derailed by repetitive foreshadowing that establishes a predictable outcome. In the end, whimsy and a quick pace fail to compensate for the plot's shortcomings. Continued reliance on formula makes this third outing too much like the first two. (Historical fiction. 8-12)