City of the Dead
In this fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies go codebreaking in Cairo in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls.
Codename Kathmandu, better known as Kat, loves logic and order, has a favorite eight-digit number, and can spot a pattern from a mile away. So when a series of cyberattacks hits key locations in London while the spies are testing security for the British Museum, it’s clear that Kat’s skill for finding reason in what seems like randomness makes her the perfect candidate to lead the job.
And while the team follows the deciphered messages to Egypt and the ancient City of the Dead to discover who is behind the attacks and why, Kat soon realizes that there’s another layer to the mystery.
With more players, more clues, and involving higher levels of British Intelligence than ever before, this mission is one of the most complex that the group has faced to date. And it’s also going to bring about a change to the City Spies…
James Ponti
James Ponti writes the kind of books that make young readers feel like they’re in on the secret—that the world is full of puzzles, hidden missions, and brilliant kids just waiting to take the lead. With his knack for weaving mystery, humor, and heart into every chapter, Ponti has carved out a special space in middle-grade fiction—one where intelligence is celebrated and friendship is just as powerful as bravery.
Long before he was writing about young spies and sleuths, Ponti was crafting stories behind the scenes of TV shows. A former screenwriter and producer, he developed his storytelling instincts in the world of children’s television, learning the rhythm of a good joke, the importance of pacing, and how to keep a young audience hooked. That training grounds his novels in a cinematic energy—quick-witted dialogue, cliffhangers in just the right places, and characters that feel like real kids, not just plot devices.
City Spies
There’s something thrilling about watching a team come together—not just any team, but one made up of kids from around the world, each with a secret past and a very particular set of skills. City Spies taps into that energy with precision, turning the idea of elite espionage on its head and handing the mission over to the most unlikely agents: teenagers.
City Spies consists of seven books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
