Sal Murdocca

"A case that's tougher to crack than an oyster shell."

When Todd and Noelle's friend, a night watchman, is knocked out and robbed, the only clue is a carved wooden figure left by the thief, and the Third-Grade Detectives try to find the criminal, even though Mr. Merlin, their teacher, is not available.

When her dog Rover is accused of tearing up Mrs. Ruston's tomato plants, Noelle investigates with her friend Todd and finds long yellow hairs that may point to the real culprit.

The Third-Grade Detectives are looking forward to their field trip to a local art museum, where a priceless fifteenth-century statue of Joan of Arc is on loan from a Paris museum. But they discover the statue has been stolen. The police find the statue smashed and thrown in a Dumpster. It looks like a case for the Third Grade Detectives even if the museum director doesn't want their help.

With the help of their third-grade teacher and classmates, Noelle and Todd discover who sent an anonymous letter to Amber Lee. Todd uses clues from earwax and a pink handkerchief in order to discover which of his schoolmates has been in his treehouse.

While on a field trip to a local art museum, the Third-Grade Detectives investigate the disappearance of a fifteenth-century statue of Joan of Arc.