The Vanishing Point: A Tommy Monroe Mystery

Synopsis

Siblings Tommy and Sara Monroe are on a long train journey from St. Paul to Seattle with their mom, Amy to visit their Grandparents. Expecting a relaxing trip, their plans are derailed when a fellow passenger, Mr. Silas Abernathy, suddenly disappears from his compartment, leaving behind only a cryptic notebook filled with strange sketches and coded messages. Armed with the mysterious notebook, curious Tommy and observant Sara decide they must solve the case themselves, turning their private compartment into a detective headquarters. As the train travels across changing landscapes, they navigate the challenges of a moving crime scene, skeptical train staff like Conductor Davis, and the subtle, unnerving presence of a passenger named Elias Thorne, who seems to be watching everyone. They must decipher the clues in the notebook, which hint at a historical mystery connected to the railway's past, before the train reaches its final destination. Their investigation tests their sibling bond as impulsive Tommy clashes with cautious Sara, but they learn to combine their strengths. Their mom remains mostly unaware, intensely focused on her own important job interview when she gets back home in Minnesota, until the children's sleuthing inadvertently pulls her into the growing danger. A new friend, Leo, whose passion for train history proves unexpectedly helpful, joins their amateur detective team, adding crucial pieces to the puzzle. With red herrings and hidden secrets around every corner, Tommy and Sara race against time to uncover the truth behind Mr. Abernathy's disappearance and discover what he was tracking before the mysterious stranger catches on to their investigation.