The Sherlock Society: Chapters 15–24

by James Ponti
Alex and Zoe Sherlock, with friends Lina and Yadi, start a detective agency in Miami. Helped by their grandfather and guided by the family motto "Do what's right, not what's easy," their first case entails a notorious crime boss, corporate corruption, and a near escape from a burning yacht; but do they have enough evidence to solve the case?

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapters 15–24, Chapters 25–35
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. escalate
    increase in extent or intensity
    There was a tense silence, but luckily, Dad walked in before it escalated.
  2. ploy
    a maneuver in a game, conversation, or situation
    “What are you doing?”
    “Listening to really bad music while I wait on hold with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. It’s a clever ploy, when you think about it. I’m sure the music makes most people hang up before they get helped. It must cut down on their workload a ton.”
  3. slog
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    “I searched for the Lost Patrol for two weeks and found absolutely nothing except for snakes, alligators, and a really bad rash,” Grandpa replied.
    “But that’s because you had to slog through it on foot,” Yadi said.
  4. activist
    a reformer who works to achieve social or political change
    "She was also a reporter, an author, an activist, a suffragette, a World War I soldier, and many other things. She lived to be one hundred eight and filled each of those years to the max."
  5. suffragette
    a woman advocate of women's right to vote
    "She was also a reporter, an author, an activist, a suffragette, a World War I soldier, and many other things. She lived to be one hundred eight and filled each of those years to the max."
  6. footage
    film that has been recorded
    “Not only have there been countless sightings, but one of the camera operators on my Pizza Impossible commercial shot three minutes of skunk ape footage for a National Geographic documentary.”
  7. documentary
    a film presenting the facts about a person or event
    “Not only have there been countless sightings, but one of the camera operators on my Pizza Impossible commercial shot three minutes of skunk ape footage for a National Geographic documentary.”
  8. centrifuge
    an apparatus that separates particles from a suspension
    Unlike the wet lab, the dry lab was spacious and well air-conditioned. It was filled with scientific equipment ranging from beakers and test tubes to microscopes and a centrifuge. Grandpa and Zoe were standing next to a long black lab table.
  9. allocate
    distribute according to a plan or set apart for a purpose
    “Great,” Zoe said. “Let’s go use it.”
    “It’s not that easy,” Dad replied. “Time has to be reserved, the expenses have to be allocated to a specific grant or department, and there’s a waiting list.”
  10. regenerative
    marked by renewal or restoration through natural processes
    At different times, we’d been compared to starfish (regenerative powers after a setback), sharks and remoras (the importance of symbiotic relationships, although that led to an argument about which one of us got to be the shark), and humpback whales, who protect sea lions from orcas (altruism).
  11. symbiotic
    of organisms living together, especially to mutual advantage
    At different times, we’d been compared to starfish (regenerative powers after a setback), sharks and remoras (the importance of symbiotic relationships, although that led to an argument about which one of us got to be the shark), and humpback whales, who protect sea lions from orcas (altruism).
  12. altruism
    the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
    At different times, we’d been compared to starfish (regenerative powers after a setback), sharks and remoras (the importance of symbiotic relationships, although that led to an argument about which one of us got to be the shark), and humpback whales, who protect sea lions from orcas (altruism).
  13. convoluted
    highly complex or intricate
    “Wow,” Zoe said the next morning when we entered Yadi’s room. “I thought the walls would be covered with photographs, maps, and newspaper clippings all connected with string to prove some convoluted conspiracy theory. But this almost looks normal.”
  14. deduce
    conclude by reasoning
    “Judging by the location of the junk and the tire tracks that we saw,” Lina said, using her finger to draw an imaginary line on the image, “we can deduce that they pulled up here, backed up the trailer this way, and then turned around to leave. Just like Alex pointed out yesterday.”
  15. caveat
    a warning against certain acts
    “That sounds overly complicated,” Mom said.
    “Do what’s right, not what’s easy,” Zoe countered.
    “With the caveat that you need to do what’s safe,” Mom replied. “I don’t want you near poisoned water.”
Created on Fri Jul 24 20:40:17 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Aug 25 13:24:36 EDT 2026)

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