When the Coopers are summoned to a country newly under a war-hungry dictator to investigate a mysterious stone, they have no idea what they're in for. The dictator is cruel, vicious, and enjoys killing those who stand in his way, or even just stand near him because. If the Coopers can't figure out the mystery of the desert stone and make it disappear, he may make them pay for it with their lives.

While this was still an interesting Cooper Kids tale, it felt forced. There was name-dropping in the beginning to remind us of the rest of the crew and then they weren't brought in at all later on. The whole experience could have been left off the story and more focus placed on later details.

I did enjoy though that we got to see Lila and Jay act like normal kids for once. Yay to interacting with other children.

Out of the series so far, this has been my least favorite. It's still written well, has great character development and an interesting storyline, but it feels like it forgot the previous books existed and this one choked you with the religious side. I've got three more left, hoping to enjoy them a bit more.