With books touching on theft, the Mob, crime-scene investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service, the high-interest Origins: Whodunnit series comes with built-in hooks for middle-schoolers. Laid out to look like old-fashioned case files, each book features four concise chapters that offer a balanced presentation of information, numerous real-life examples, "Did You Know?" fact boxes, relevant illustrations, and approachable writing. Each chapter also features a time line arranged as index cards pinned to a corkboard. Heists makes off with cash, jewels, art, and a few hostages as it discusses famous thefts around the world. These attractive, informative books are solid starting points for research and recreational reading.