The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

This book is on our Battle of the Books list, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. The narrator reluctantly tells the story, because he's concerned about the readers safety. A girl, Cass, and a boy, Max-Ernest, become "collaborators" to try to discover the mystery surrounding the disappearance/death of a famous magician. The children find a symphony of smells and the magician's notebook, but that only leads to danger. An eerily beautiful lady and her large, male accomplice become interested in the items and eventually turn up at the children's school. When a student disappears, Cass and Max-Ernest suspect he was kidnapped by the strange couple, and Cass sneaks into The Midnight Senorium and Spa to investigate. Max-Ernest realizes it's a trap, and travels to the spa to save her. However, his appearance leads to the discovery of a secret society of evil, and may end in their doom.

The plot revolves around an idea of synesthesia; a condition where people's senses are mixed up. Smells can cause them to see colors, colors can cause them to experience taste, etc. The twin magician brothers are able to use this talent to secretly communicate messages. However, the woman and man seem to have found another use for it. And what's up with the couple and their followers constantly wearing gloves? What are they hiding? I enjoyed how the narrator occasionally reminds the reader about the peril of reading the book. The narrator also shares that "Only bad books have happy endings," and this book leads into a sequel.