Every mystery begins with someone willing to notice the things other people overlook — a strange sound in the rain, a missing sandwich, a light left on too late at night.

I’m glad you stopped here long enough to look a little closer.

No matter which edition you choose, I hope you find something inside these pages worth keeping close: a clue, a question, a memory… or maybe just the reminder that the world is still full of wonder.

Bud still thinks I ask too many questions.

He’s probably right.

But Grandfather once told me that curiosity is how we keep the world from becoming ordinary.

So wherever you go next, keep your notebook close.

And keep paying attention.

You never know when a mystery might be waiting for you.

— Captain Harlene & Bud
Maplewood, Colorado