This 18th entry into the Rick Brant series finds Rick and Scotty on vacation with Rick’s new houseboat, visiting government agent Steve Ames down in Chesapeake Bay.



Their plan is to meet Mr. and Mrs. Brant, Barby Brant, and Jan Miller at Steve’s vacation house and float languidly back to Spindrift Island up in New Jersey. But, Rick and Scotty seem to draw trouble like a freshly cooked steak draws flies.



A strange encounter during a storm leads to a mystery involving UFOs, flying stingrays, missing crabmen, and shady neighbors. The Maryland/Chesapeake Bay backdrop provides a fantastic, eerie maritime atmosphere with lots of opportunities to showcase local seafood cuisine.



If you love 20th-century juvenile fiction, you’ll enjoy the usual Rick Brant blend of science, government intelligence, and secret agents. There’s also the surprise visit of a cross-over character from an entirely different book series!