Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone know he can barely read or write. But those troubles don't compare with grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason's best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family's orchard. An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can't understand why Lieutenant Baird won't believe the story Mason has told about that day.
Mason's new friend, tiny Calvin Chumsky, is the funny and philosophical partner who brings out the best in Mason. To escape relentless bullying by other neighborhood kids, the boys create a secret underground haven for themselves. When Calvin goes missing, Mason finds himself in deeper trouble. He's desperate to figure out what happened to Calvin, and eventually, Benny. But will anyone believe him?
