Synopsis

The town of Plumport is a small and quiet town, filled with neighbors who would just as well help you with your groceries as much as gossip about the newcomer to town. Their biggest point of pride is the Annual Autumn Jubilee;  where you can enter pie-eating contests, baking competitions, and eat your weight in fried foods.

Something nefarious is afoot!

Tween detective, Trent Tuttle, has a new case in the works. Little Susie Sumpter’s pumpkin has been stolen. Everyone in town, from the mailman to the bus driver, knew that her pumpkin was favored to win the Plumport Prized Pumpkin contest.

Who would steal a child’s pumpkin?

Trent Tuttle has already made up in his mind a list of suspects. Any one of them could have the motive to commit this most heinous crime. All that’s left now is to question them and root out the culprit.

Will he be able to find the thief in time for Little Susie to win the Plumport Prized Pumpkin contest? Is her pumpkin truly big enough to win? And what are the flavors of pies being used for the pie-eating contest?

Cast of Characters

Collette Cinnamon

The local Elementary school’s science teacher, though she aspires to be the local Elementary school’s Art teacher. She was last year’s runner-up when the ugliest (not the biggest according to her) pumpkin won over hers. She has created the perfect growth formula using the school’s equipment after hours to secure this year’s win.

Has her desire for perfection won over her duty to protect her own students?

Donnie Doolidge

The town’s mailman who has made it his second job to be in everyone else’s business. He was disqualified from competing in this year’s Plumport Prized Pumpkin contest due to a technicality. He has also not let anyone forget it. Is this theft a part of his master plan for revenge? Or is there something else up his sleeve that he has yet to reveal?

Lee Lake

The newcomer to town who has just bought the Hinsin’s old house. He’s also taken over running the local animal shelter and his amended adoption protocols have made it easier for anyone to take home their very own pet. His move from the big city has caused quite the stir amongst the locals. He seems to truly want a “small-town experience”. But is that just a ploy to put everyone at ease so no one suspects him for such a treacherous crime?

Little Susie Sumpter

She entered the Plumport Prized Pumpkin contest because she thought it would be fun. Not thinking at all she had a chance to win, she was only in fourth grade after all. She named her pumpkin Lyle and talked to it every morning before school and every night before bed. She heard that plants grew better that way. One morning, Lyle was simply gone without a trace. She knows Trent Tuttle is in the seventh grade, but he was known to help the younger kids for a lower price. She gathered up the rest of her birthday candy and left that morning, determined to make him an offer.

Mrs. Maise May

Her husband was the one who would enter the Plumport Prized Pumpkin contest every year. He recently passed, and this was her way of honoring him, though she would rather spend her week attending the Ceramic Spectacular, one town over to expand her ever-growing collection of ceramic mushrooms. Was this her misguided way of grieving her dear husband? 

Trent Tuttle

He first got the itch to solve mysteries when he snuck into the town’s movie theater where a film noir festival was happening. He found a vacant corner and only left when the usher shooed him out. He’s been hooked ever since! He flew through the local library’s entire mystery section, rented all the movies and television series the video store had, and even wrote his own. That was not enough. He’s been the town’s tween detective for a year now and has earned a reputation of getting results quickly. Mostly being paid in candy, coupons, and comic books; his fee has never been an issue.