The annual Winchester Pickle Festival has been canceled. All the pickles and cucumbers have been stolen and everyone is sad, especially nine-year-old Libby and her younger brother Ben. When there doesn't seem to be any hope left for holding the event, the children's neighbor Deputy Pete, riding his horse Charcoal, comes home for a vacation. His dog Pepper is running alongside him. The children ask the deputy to help solve the mystery and get the pickles back in time to save the celebration. Another boy, ten-year-old Jose Benitez, joins the sleuths as they interview people, investigate crime scenes, look for clues, and even set up a trap for the thief. Deputy Pete and the Purloined Pickles Puzzle is an exciting mystery the young reader will not want to miss.