Forbidden City by James Ponti - ESSENTIAL

 Forbidden City (City Spies #3) by James Ponti, 442 pages. Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), 2022. $18

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

MI6 needs to thwart Umbra’s attempts to recruit a prominent North Korean nuclear physicist, and the youthful City Spies are up to the task. This mission takes place on two continents and involves serious undercover work and a code so baffling it is deemed unbreakable. Paris becomes the star of this mission when he goes undercover at a chess tournament where he can make contact with the nuclear physicist’s chess prodigy son. The rest of the team has challenging and dangerous roles as well: breaking codes and going undercover as a reporter.

This is the third installment of the City Spies series and it holds up well. The plot doesn’t disappoint and the action is steady and engaging. The characters are likeable and I found myself worried for their safety. There are some great chess analogies and the boy band was a nice touch. I found myself swept up in the story and the great locales. Fun read with action, family, friendship, and intrigue.

Michelle in the Middle