Bess Truly has had enough adventure for the summer of 1956, and hopes a trip to the east coast will give her some needed quiet time before school starts for the coming year. Her father plans a long trip of flying his craft, the Starlighter, across the country all the way to the coast of North Carolina to celebrate Orville Wright’s birthday on National Aviation Day in August. Bess is happy to help fly the craft, but she is even more excited to see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.
Relaxing at the beach and floating in the ocean are all that Bess wants. At first, things only get better, as her friends Aurora Baca, Lydia Lanier, and Jesse Armstrong, get to meet her on the coast of Nags Head. But then, strange events begin to happen. A giant wave pushes sharks close to shore in large numbers. A fishing captain claims to have seen a giant sea monster offshore. And an evening beach walk leads to the discovery of a ship, damaged beyond repair, as if a giant bite had been taken out of it.
Bess must discover the secret behind all these strange events, find a way to stop them, and escape from the dangers of mysterious spies that seem to appear and disappear on the island in moments. And then she finally has to face off against the deadly threat of … the hyaline shark!

Of course I had to bring my favorite character, Bess Truly, modeled on my own daughter, to my home on the Outer Banks. It was really fun describing the beach as it was in 1956, with so few houses, but also discovering how places like hotels and fishing centers were new and just built back then. This book is a lot of fun for both the preteen and teen reader, as well as adults who love those fun adventure stories they read as kids.