“GREEN CURSE is a spooky mystery that starts during a lightning storm in an empty mansion. The tension ratchets up, alluding to ghosts, vampires, tombstones, graves, and a scary old witch-like woman. There’s a mystery within the mystery, multicultural characters, and interesting lore about gemstones of antiquity. My 12-year-old son and I finished this book in one day!”

-–BEN GARTNER, author of The Eye of Ra series

“I really enjoyed reading this book and all the adventures to solve the mystery. Throughout the story, I found many ways to relate to the characters, especially to Rani. I can’t wait to read another book in this series.”

--AALIYAH  K., age 10, McLean, VA

“This book was shocking, fun, and clever. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. One of the best books I have ever read!”

--LIAM M., age 11, Macungie, PA

"The Botanic Hill Detectives—Lexi, Moki, Lanny, and Rani—are on an intriguing quest to find a valuable emerald. This page-turner is sure to be a hit with its vivid descriptions, well-paced story line, and intriguing clues. Kids aged 9-12 will become quickly absorbed and anxiously await the next mystery in this series!"

—STACY ALFANO, 5th grade ELA teacher, Shoemaker Elementary School, Macungie, PA

"It's fun to read a story where kids like me are the heroes and solve mysteries. They are the coolest detectives! Rani and Lexi are especially brave and FIERCE! More mysteries, please!"

--VICTORIA G., age 10, Long Island, NY

"The cliffhangers at the end of some chapters had me reading on and wondering or predicting what would happen next. I also liked the story’s unexpected twists and turns.”

--VARUN R., age 11, Macungie, PA

Five-Star Review by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

Eucalyptus Street: Green Curse by Sherrill Joseph is book 2 of The Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries. Lorenzo de Cordoba was a famous silent movie actor and in 1945 he hid an emerald somewhere in the Eucalyptus Street estate owned by the Cordoba family. Not just any emerald, though – this is a multimillion-dollar stone, the stuff of legend. Seventy years on, and the stone is still hidden. It has gained a reputation for causing many early deaths in the family and has earned the nickname “the green curse.” Cordoba’s great-granddaughter, Isabella, receives a letter on her 21st birthday containing a cryptic poem she must decipher to find the stone. Her neighbors, the Botanic Hills Detectives, step in to help, and more than one thing goes bump in the night on their hunt. As they explore and uncover the estate’s secrets, they discover they are not alone – someone else is after the emerald, and the race is on.

Eucalyptus Street: Green Curse by Sherrill Joseph is a spooky story packed with tension and scary characters along the way – ghosts, vampires, and an old witch. It’s a page-turner with so much going on that you won’t want to put it down and it contains everything you need for an incredible mystery that sends plenty of shivers down the spine. The descriptive writing makes you a part of the story and the detective squad, and you will find yourself joining the hunt for the emerald. The characters are well developed and likable, even the baddies, and, although I hadn't read the first book in the series, there was plenty of detail in this one to enjoy it as a standalone. Like any series, though, you should read them all in order. Eucalyptus Street: Green Curse is fantastic for older kids/younger teens; a thoroughly enjoyable story.