Mrs Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved. But when the principal claims Mrs. Starch has gone on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta don't buy it. They guess that delinquent Smoke plays a part in her disappearance. And he does. But not in the way they think. More is going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. Nick and Marta will have to reckon with an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, a singing substitute teacher, and a ticked-off Florida panther, before they really begin to see the big picture.