Central protagonist Ali Cross is a middle schooler, the youngest of three kids and the one most fiercely dedicated to following in his famous detective-father’s footsteps. He loves mystery stories and trains himself to think like a detective. Ali’s best friend, Gabe Qualls, goes missing, and Ali tries to solve his disappearance. At the same time, his father is accused of assault; Ali’s mind works overtime on both cases.

Ali can be hot-tempered. Nicknamed for the great boxer Muhammad Ali, the boy’s greatest strength, determination, also propels him toward his greatest weakness, impulsivity. It’s supremely hard for Ali to withstand the relentless barrage of negative press hurled against his father, and it’s equally tough for him to take the ongoing taunts and threats from Kahlil Weyland. He makes some of his biggest mistakes when he feels overwhelmed by such frustration.

The single most important lesson Ali learns during the story is the art of patience. By no means does he learn it completely, but he manages finally to tame his hasty reactions long enough to achieve some victories. He stays quiet when reporters confront him at the police station. He holds himself back from calling out to Gabe when he finds him on the street and instead follows him and learns the location of the burglary lair.