Kevin Chandler lives next door to Bill the butcher - the meanest man in town. Bill's son, Dylan, bullies Kevin and his friend, Ben. One night, on his way home from Ben's house, Kevin sees Dylan going into the ramshackle garage behind the Butcher house and he thinks he hears a dog whimpering. The Butchers don't own a dog and everyone knows Dylan hurts dogs, so Kevin decides he must find out what's happening in that garage. He asks Ben to help him, and when his sister, Emma, finds out, she wants to help, too. Why does Dylan Butcher have a dog in his garage? Is it the missing dog Ben's father read about in the newspaper? How will the boys get into the locked garage to find out what's going on without Dylan or his mean father finding them? Recommended for ages 9 and up, and for anyone, young and old alike, who enjoys a good mystery.