Creatures are disappearing from U.C. Santa Barbara's Marine Biology Department, but eleven year-old Marshall Koeper and his retired police dog, Shadow, are on the case! Along the way another sinister plot is uncovered. Can Mars expose the criminal without putting himself and his friends in mortal danger? And more importantly, once he closes the case, will Liz, a college intern, be impressed enough to go out with him on a date? Fasten your seat belts for action, adventure, and mystery-and a little marine biology too-in this detective novel for middle-grade students.