“Most detective stories start with a phrase such as ‘It was a dark and stormy night’ or ‘The moment she walked through the door, I knew she was trouble.’ But this story, I dare say, is not like most detective stories. This is the story of the greatest detective who ever lived.” So begins the tale of eleven-year-old John Boarhog, the main character of Tom Phillips’ new middle-grade book, “The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves: Egypt’s Fire.”

Phillips will be at Mountain Shire Books & Gifts in Winter Park on Sunday, June 12 at 10:30 a.m. for a signing of “Egypt’s Fire,” which was released on June 7. John is an orphan living secretly in New York’s Museum of Natural History, and is framed for stealing a “cursed” ruby from the museum’s Egyptian exhibit. John teams up with Detective Toadius McGee, who believes the ruby was stolen by a criminal mastermind, to clear his name and find the real thief. This is the first book in a mystery series following John’s eccentric adventures as he solves crime alongside Detective Toadius. 

Phillips said he had a lot of fun writing the book, which follows in the likes of Harry Potter or A Series of Unfortunate Events.

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“I wrote it for reluctant readers to get kids into reading and enjoy it. Kids are up for anything, so it’s really fun to write a zany adventure for kids that pushes their reading level,” Phillips said.  

Phillips currently lives in Los Angeles, but was born and raised in Grand Lake.

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“You can take the boy out of the mountains, but you can’t take the mountains out of the boy,” Phillips said. “I don’t think I’d be successful in my life if it weren’t for the community and the lessons I learned in Grand County.”

Because of his Grand County roots, Phillips decided to begin his book tour here. In addition to his stop at Mountain Shire, the author will stop at several bookstores in Denver and throughout Colorado before heading through the rest of the country for his tour.  

Can’t make the event but want a signed copy? Call Mountain Shire at 970-363-7042 to pre-order. Get an unsigned or signed copy either online at MountainShireBooks.com or in-store at their Cooper Creek location.

Next up: Sky-Hi’s interview with the author on his book’s success, what inspired him to start a children’s detective series, and life in Grand County.