The story first talks about how there is a dangerous secret contained within the pages of this book, but readers are in good hands with author Pseudonymous Bosch. He protects the reader by withholding information when he can, by disguising information when he can’t, and by issuing warnings when he feels it necessary .The story starts when real-estate agent for the dead named Gloria finds a mysterious box in a magician's house called, The Symphony of Smells, and gives it to Cassandra and her substitute grandfathers. Eleven-year-old schoolmates Cass and Max-Ernest are nothing alike. Max-Ernest is small for his age. He likes to tell jokes and talk non-stop, even when no one is listening. He lives in a house divided straight down the middle --- one side for each of his divorced parents, who still live together and frequently take him to the doctor to find out what makes him so hyper and causes his “condition.” Max-Ernest has a logical mind. He likes to study, make observations and think things through. He cuts every hair on his head the same length because he “doesn’t like to favor one hair over another.” He is used to being teased and ridiculed and having his lunch stolen, yet he never lets what other people say upset him. But he is pleased when Cass becomes his first real “friend.” Cass, a conspiracy-theory-advocate-in-training, has a wild imagination. She doesn’t care much about her appearance, except that she always covers her large, elfin-like ears, which have a tendency to turn bright red when she is embarrassed or less than truthful. Cass is a survivalist who has no time for trivial matters or friends. Her take on the story about the boy who cried wolf is that it is “better to cry wolf over and over than never to cry wolf at all.” In addition to her school books and homework, she carries a backpack full of survival essentials, including a flashlight, compass, maps, rope, first-aid kit and well, you get the picture. When Cass’s mother goes on a Hawaiian “work plus vacation trip” and leaves Cass with Larry and Wayne, her substitute grandfathers, Cass and Max-Ernest’s adventure and danger begins. Larry and Wayne live around the corner from Cass in an old, abandoned fire station that has been converted to an antiques store and warehouse. One day it was a Wednesday Gloria Fortune, a real estate agent for the dead, shows up at the store with a container of stuff from the home of a magician who has disappeared. After having the house emptied and cleaned out, Gloria has some items she wants Larry and Wayne to take off her hands. One is a redwood box, which is shaped like a briefcase. Inside the box are dozens of sparkling crystal vials, a small brass plaque engraved with “The Symphony of Smells” and a notebook. Cass enlists Max-Ernest's help to uncover the secret behind the “Symphony of Smells” and the message hidden in the notebook. While trying to solve the mystery, they encounter Dr. L. and Ms. Mauvais, wealthy and evil villains who wear white gloves, ride in a limousine and have an unnatural interest in children with special gifts. When Cass tries to rescue an unusually gifted classmate who goes missing after Dr. L. and Ms. Mauvais visit their school, Cass does more than solve a mystery. She learns about the true meaning of loyalty, bravery and friendship.
Mystery surrounds the death of magician Pietro Bergamo. When his few possessions are brought to the fire department turned antique store, Cassandra is intrigued. The exercise equipment and mixer hold no interest for her, but the vial of smells does. Her interest and conclusions subsequently intrigue Max-Ernest. Using Cassandra’s survival expertise and Max’s code-breaking techniques, the two friends find themselves exploring the contents of the magician’s house (and its hidden rooms), a story-yielding notebook and one peculiar spa. All the while Cassandra and Max-Ernest are finding clues and stumbling across discoveries relating to the secret, they are moving more quickly and closely to danger. Cassandra and Max-Ernest are chased by a “Golden Lady” and a deep-voiced, silver-haired man. Although they initially elude the couple, Cassandra and Max-Ernest run into the identity-changing duo again at their own school. While at the school, the couple, who call themselves Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L., kidnap a student and take him away to their Midnight Sun Spa. While being escorted to her suite, she spots Gloria in a younger form lounging about a pool. Gloria is oblivious to the truth and is enjoying her stay. Cass then meets Owen, a stuttering servant who sets up her room and tries to make her comfortable. Cass finds Owen the most likable out of all those at the spa. Later that night Owen comes into Cass's room, speaking with a strange accent and no stutter, a notable characteristic he had when she last met him. Max-Ernest and Cass reunite as Owen leaves to go about some business and they discover that the goal of the Midnight Sun is to achieve eternal youth. The duo save Benjamin and a fire breaks out, but before it is implied that Ms. Mauvais' conspirator Dr. L is Pietro Bergamo's brother Luciano. Owen meets up with Max-Ernest, Cass and Benjamin and they all speed away from the spa in the limousine as the light from the orb atop the pyramid dims and eventually goes out. Along the way home the limo nearly crashes into a truck. When the driver exits the vehicle, he is found to be Grandpa Larry and his dog looking for Cass.
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