Two mysteries in one book! At Alice's birthday party, somebody - or some "animal" - has ruined the birthday cake. Facing accusations from Alice's brother and his cat, Nelson (Martha's nemesis), Martha proclaims her innocence in spite of overwhelming cake crumb evidence. Finally clearing her name, Martha moves on to apply her detective skills to uncover a plot to rob a local jewelry store. But it turns out that the main suspects are police detectives on a stakeout. Has Martha foiled the stakeout plan for good, or can she rally her canine friends to help her catch the real criminals?Includes a cast of characters introduction and two pages of word-fun activities.

Author Biography

Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for GOOD STONES (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including MARTHA SPEAKS, which was chosen as a NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book for 1992. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts.