A beautiful day in the garden turns into a slow-motion mystery for the neighborhood's smartest detective. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and someone is quietly taking giant bites out of the flowers in Nate the Great's backyard. The culprit turns out to be a mysterious green tortoise who is slowly creeping across the lawn. Nate knows that a tortoise does not belong in his flowerbed, but he has no idea where the wandering reptile actually came from. With his faithful dog, Sludge, by his side, Nate takes on the case of the lost pet. Tracking down the tortoise's real home requires a very careful investigation and a massive amount of patience. Following this slow-moving suspect might just be the hardest challenge Nate has ever faced. Young readers will love piecing together the clues as they learn that solving a mystery sometimes takes a lot of time and observation.