In quiet Table Cape Bay, Rocko Jarvis is about as uncool as it gets— especially compared with his popular older sister, Pen. After being bullied at his old school, Rocko is determined to reinvent himself. But every club he starts with his best friend Cosmo attracts exactly two members: Rocko and Cosmo. Their latest attempt is a Scrabble Club, launched from a table in the local café with a handmade sign and very low expectations. Then Mingus Reid, the second-coolest kid in town, asks to join. The three boys soon discover they share a love of detective stories. Solving mysteries would be far cooler than playing Scrabble, but nothing that needs solving ever happens in their small town— until famous author PD Watkins approaches them with a mystery. Watkins is staying at Hindmarsh Hall, the crumbling mansion locals know as the haunted house on the hill. Weird noises keep him awake, objects move when no one is looking and strange messages appear on the walls. Someone— or something— is determined to drive him away. As Rocko, Cosmo and Mingus work together to uncover the truth behind the spooky events at Hindmarsh Hall, the Secret Detectives Club is born.