Home of the Brave: A Fina Mendoza Mystery (The Fina Mendoza Mysteries)

Break-ins, vandalism, fires ― everyone blames a homeless man they call "the Bear." Everyone except 11-year-old detective Fina Mendoza. Solving this mystery will take bravery she didn't know she had. Fina and her sister Gabby are back in Los Angeles for the summer. While their congressman father campaigns for reelection, they reunite with their large, close-knit Mexican American family to share the food and traditions that make the city feel like home. But when Fina reconnects with her best friend, she discovers something rotten in her old neighborhood. Amid the new megamansions and an explosion of electric cars, she sees a battered old RV and the scary-looking man neighbors call the Bear. A brush fire ignites during the July 4th fireworks and fear and suspicion sweep through the community. Neighbors are quick to point fingers at the Bear, but the curious detective suspects a deeper mystery. Fina learns the man is a military veteran and an artist ― not the monster everyone assumes. With her own aunts and grandmother pressuring City Hall to take action, time is running out. Fina investigates with courage and compassion and believes the real troublemaker has paws and claws.