In 1910, Audacity Jones is an eleven-year-old orphan living a monotonous life at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls, and wondering why nothing exciting ever happens--but when the mysterious Commodore Crutchfield whisks her away to Washington D.C., she finds herself involved in a sinister and dangerous plot against the president of the United States.

Audacity Jones and her best friend, Bimmy, are on their way to New York City, with Cypher, who is now a detective in the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, and their assignment involves Harry Houdini and the illusion he is planning--and it will take all of Audie's skills, and the help of her clever cat Min, to prevent the performance from being sabotaged.