Case Closed: Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science

Are there any kids out there who don't, at some point or another, dream of unlocking ancient secrets? No? Was that just me? Hopefully not, because those kids will enjoy this book as much as I did!

Case Closed by Susan Hughes is a fantastic book with so much cool and interesting information about ancient mysteries and secrets. How does someone just vanish? How does an entire population, an entire city? That's what modern scientists hope to uncover in the cases presented within.

The format is really engaging, with each case assigned a file and presented with information about what is missing, when and where it was last seen, and possible reasons for disappearance. It begins with background information and then dives into the modern day attempts at unlocking the secrets. Each mysterious disappearance has a solution uncovered by modern science...or do they?

While some of the cases of more well-known, such as Anastasia and her family, many of them were cases I had never heard of. I found myself fascinated learning about the great city of Ubar. A thriving city in the Arabian Peninsula, Ubar was a wealthy hub on a well-traveled trade route. Historians best guess' date the city back 5000 years. But, nearly 2000 years ago, it vanished. Completely wiped off the map. 13th century scholars believed that King Shaddad was arrogant and sinful, encouraging his citizens to behave wickedly and therefore inciting God's wrath, bringing great winds and evil creatures to destroy their city. Little else was done in the way of investigating until 1983, when a call to NASA reignited the search for the city. Using satellites, scientists began to probe into the disappearance and believe they have discovered where the city once stood. But...I won't spoil the surprise for you! Hopefully your curiosity will get the best of you and you will check out the book, or at least Google the city.

The mix of illustrations and photos of actual equipment helps to blend the old and new in this exciting book! Great for detective and crime show fans too!