Explorer Academy #3: The Double Helix by Trudi Trueit

My name is Lani, and I wish I was on the Orion with my best friend Cruz and the other explorers. They get to go on missions in Norway and Spain to save the environment. However, a company called Nebula is trying to force Cruz to give up his mother's journal and the pieces of stone with her secret formula on them. They've already tried drowning him here in Hawaii and burying him under ice in Norway. Cruz is determined to follow his mother's clues in order to complete a formula that could save millions of lives. Nebula isn't ready to give up, and they've upped their efforts to threaten Cruz. His father has gone missing from the surf shop, but luckily, I'm able to investigate his disappearance using my inventions. 

You should read the previous two books in the series first. The title refers to a mark on Cruz's wrist, and its meaning is an ongoing mystery. This time, there are chapters from Nebula's point of view, so you'll be somewhat aware of what they're up to. However, it's still unclear which characters are good and bad. The last book said one of the explorers is working for Nebula, so everyone except for Cruz is suspect. I find myself wondering if a close friend or the cute girl on his team might be working against him. Cruz's roommate behaves strangely at times, although book one seemed to dismiss him as a spy. It seems probable that another staff member will be bad too, since that's happened in the first two books. The question is, which one? The series includes all kinds of impossible inventions, including a multi-sensory virtual room that's incredibly realistic and a PANDA that can analyze objects for DNA. It will then project an image of a moment sometime shortly before the creature's death. The books are easy to read, and I enjoy the science, mystery, and adventure of the stories. The author manages to withhold surprises that can be added if the series' plot ever starts to get stale. Overall, I like what I'm reading and recommend you give it a shot.