The Name of This Book Is Secret

The Name of This Book Is Secret (2007) is the first book in the middle grade fantasy series The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch, the pen name of writer Raphael Simon. The book is told by an intrusive narrator, the author, Pseudonymous Bosch. The narrator frequently breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly and interrupts the story to warn the reader of the dangerous nature of the story he is telling, sometimes considering stopping the account altogether but ultimately continuing.

The book follows 11-year-old protagonists Cass and Max-Ernest, who are investigating the death of local magician Pietro Bergamo. Their investigation brings them into contact with the cult the Midnight Sun, and their quest for the Secret, which is believed to be a formula for immortality. The novel uses narrative devices like riddles and codebreaking to integrate the reader into the experience of the narrative.

This study guide references the 2008 first paperback edition.

Plot Summary

The story begins with 11-year-old Cass and Max-Ernest, who are both misfits. Cass is a self-proclaimed survivalist, hypervigilant of potential disasters and constantly predicting catastrophes that never occur, to the eternal aggravation of the adults around her. Max-Ernest is a strictly logical thinker who externally processes his thoughts through ceaseless chatter, to the annoyance of his peers and the exasperation of his parents, who take him to specialists to diagnose his “condition.”

The narrative begins when Cass comes into contact with the Symphony of Smells, a mysterious wooden box that is brought to her grandfathers’ antique shop by their acquaintance, probate specialist Gloria Fortune. Gloria is clearing out the house of a dead magician for resale; among his possessions is the Symphony of Smells, which contains scented vials inside.

The next day, Cass takes the Symphony of Smells to school, where she meets Max-Ernest for the first time. Although she initially finds him annoying, Cass warms up to Max-Ernest after he validates her theory that the school must be built on a toxic waste dump; Cass came to this conclusion after spotting a dead mouse on the field earlier. As the two investigate the box, they realize that it contains a coded message for help, which they deduce must be from the magician who owned the box. Cass and Max-Ernest decide to investigate the matter themselves, since they were the ones who decoded the message.

The two investigate the magician’s house and find a large, leather-bound notebook in what appears to have been the magician’s workroom; however, while they are there, Gloria shows up, giving a tour to an unnerving couple: Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L. The couple present the perfect picture of youth, and they wear long, white gloves at all times. Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L unsettle Cass, especially when she learns that they are looking for the notebook. Cass and Max-Ernest escape, but not before Ms. Mauvais spots Cass with the notebook.

Back at Max-Ernest’s house, Cass and Max-Ernest open the notebook to find it entirely blank; they must crack another code to read the magician’s notes. Once cracked, the code reveals the clue “UNDERNEATH,” which leads them to discover that the magician wrote his true notes on the underside of all the pages. Cass and Max-Ernest read the magician’s story; they learn that his real name was Pietro Bergamo and that he had a twin brother named Luciano. Pietro says they were fraternal twins, as Luciano had a crescent-shaped birthmark on his neck, but he felt they were identical in mind and heart. Pietro and Luciano both had synesthesia, which means “a blending of the senses,” a condition that involves two or more of the senses intertwining, meaning that input from one provokes an association with another, unrelated sense.

Pietro and Luciano used their synesthesia to craft a very popular circus act, a “feast for the senses.” One day, they received the Symphony of Smells from an unknown sender and incorporated it into their circus act to great success. The sender turned out to be a woman Pietro calls “The Golden Lady.” His description of her matches Ms. Mauvais, and Cass is certain it must be her, although Max-Ernest has doubts because the ages don’t match up.

The Golden Lady wanted to do business with Pietro and Luciano, but while Luciano was entranced by her, Pietro was suspicious, and the brothers argued before parting ways. The Golden Lady kidnapped Luciano, and Pietro spent the rest of his life looking for his brother, although he never found him. However, Pietro did find a connection to the Golden Lady, as he uncovered more cases where children with synesthesia were kidnapped by a woman matching her description. Pietro’s story abruptly ends there, as the remaining pages were torn from the notebook.

That same day, Cass sees Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L touring her school. Although they claim to be scoping out schools for their son, Cass is certain they are looking for her and Max-Ernest. Later, she sees the couple get into a limousine with a logo for “The Midnight Sun Spa and Sensorium” on the door. She sees the face of a young boy looking out from the back window, and although he looks familiar, Cass can’t place him. When Benjamin Blake, a boy from Cass and Max-Ernest’s school, is kidnapped, Cass realizes that Benjamin has synesthesia and is convinced Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L are behind it. Max-Ernest is less certain, and the two argue, ultimately parting ways. Cass decides to investigate the Midnight Sun Spa on her own, where she is certain Benjamin has been taken.

Cass infiltrates the Midnight Sun under a false identity, but before she can locate Benjamin, Ms. Mauvais reveals that she knew Cass’s identity all along. She takes Cass to dinner, where she promises a “surprise guest” will be waiting; to Cass’s relief, this turns out to be Max-Ernest, who came to the spa to rescue Cass. During dinner, Ms. Mauvais spills wine on her gloves and is forced to remove them, revealing her extremely aged hands and confirming Cass’s theory that the Golden Lady and Ms. Mauvais are one and the same. Ms. Mauvais demands that Cass and Max-Ernest give her the notebook; they comply, recognizing that they have no other option.

Dr. L cracks the code, and Ms. Mauvais reads Pietro’s story; when she gets to the end, she demands that Cass and Max-Ernest return the missing pages. Cass and Max-Ernest try to explain that they don’t have them, but Ms. Mauvais doesn’t believe them and imprisons them. Dr. L comes to grill Cass and Max-Ernest later, and during this exchange, he reveals information about the true purpose of the Midnight Sun: It is actually a cult of alchemists searching for the Secret, which is believed to be a formula for immortality. Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L believe Pietro found the Secret and are desperate to attain this information. Cass notices a crescent-shaped birthmark on the back of Dr. L’s neck, revealing that he is Luciano Bergamo.

The other members of the Midnight Sun cult arrive that night for a ritual. It turns out that the minds of synesthetes are believed to be the key to the Secret, and Dr. L plans to extract Benjamin Blake’s brain and spinal fluid. Cass and Max-Ernest escape with the help of Owen, a butler who also is a spy; they hear the ceremony from a hidden room and realize they must save Benjamin immediately. Cass and Max-Ernest use the Symphony of Smells to distract Dr. L, who thinks Pietro is trying to communicate with him. The Midnight Sun building catches fire and burns to the ground, but Cass, Max-Ernest, and Benjamin escape, with Owen as their getaway driver.

Cass and Max-Ernest reunite with their families; however, when they try to tell the authorities about the Midnight Sun cult, no one believes them. At the end of the novel, Gloria visits the fire station again, bearing another box full of the magician’s things. This box contains some hidden packages, one addressed to Cass and the other to Max-Ernest. Cass receives top-notch survival gear, and Max-Ernest receives a Decoder. But that’s not all: There is also a secret message for them. Once decoded, the message invites Cass and Max-Ernest to join the Terces Society, a group that opposes the Midnight Sun and protects the Secret. This letter is signed only “P. B.,” which the reader can infer stands for “Pietro Bergamo.”