The 5th installment in James Ponti's "City Spies" series is called "Mission Manhattan" but takes readers on a thrilling spy adventure that also unfolds in Venice and Washington D.C. The young spies are tasked with protecting a young Brazilian environmental activist named Beatriz who has vaulted to global stardom because of her activism but also has apparently drawn danger. The Brazilian connection leads tp us learning more of Rio's backstory, such as how he became a food connoisseur and a master at sleight-of-hand. Mother's son, now known as Cairo, is a new member of the team but still maintains a secret connection to his mother Clementine, who may work for the evil syndicate Umbra, but also might be a double agent. This story was my favorite in the series so far because of the settings. I loved the beautiful descriptions of the canals of Venice as well as the action that unfolds in one my favorite NYC landmarks, the New York Public Library. I also really liked the interaction the young spies had with C, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service. Mission Manhattan comes with my highest recommendation, a fantastic fifth story about some extraordinary young people and their found family.