Theft of the Ruby Lotus

What worked:
Ria has a complicated relationship with her mother. Her mother works for the Metropolitan Museum, but she spends much of her time trying to get relics returned to the countries from which they were stolen. The book opens with the mother announcing that Ria and her grandmother will be moving to Germany with her. The mother is not present for much of the story. Ria doesn’t understand why her mother suddenly left the museum, or was fired, so Ria is left to make up answers when problems and questions arise. A news article reports that robbers attempted to steal a legendary sword from India, but they were only able to pry a large red ruby from it. Then, Ria finds the ruby and a cryptic message in an envelope mailed to her mother. Did her mother help steal it? Who mailed it?
The plot is the mystery surrounding the sword and the stolen ruby. Who stole the Ruby, and why was it mailed to Ria’s mother? Who is the cute boy Ria meets outside the museum? He keeps showing up, but Ria’s friends don’t trust him. Who are the two women they keep seeing, and are they part of the Lotus Society, a radical group started in the early 1970s? Is the Lotus Society still active, and are they the thieves targeting the sword and ruby? How much trouble are Ria and her friends in for attempting to return the ruby to the museum?
Each chapter is titled with “In Which…” and three comments that hint at events to come. For example, one chapter is titled “In Which We Make a Discovery in a Bathroom Stall, Concoct a Concept of a Plan, and Get Spied On.” Another says, “In Which We Are Suspects on the Run, Hide Behind Some Gods, and Do a Little Bit More Stealing.” The titles prepare readers for the chapter, and some of them add a little humor. A section after the plot’s resolution provides information about some concepts in the story. Repatriation is at the heart of the conflict, holograms become important, and ideas about the Indian queen and sword are based on real history.
What didn’t work as well:
Ria, Annie, and Miracle come from three different cultures, but it doesn’t work as well in this book. Ria has some Indian in her; the narrative is told in her first -person voice, and the sword comes from India. Her culture is well-represented, but details about the other ones are somewhat lost amid the adventure and descriptions of the Indian culture. Perhaps the other cultures will be more important in the future, but they didn’t work as well as they might have.
The final verdict:
The mystery offers twists and turns, as Ria and her friends try to identify their opponents and repatriate the sword and ruby to India. Young readers will learn a bit about Indian culture as the characters avoid trouble and danger all around New York City. I recommend you try this book for yourself.