Milo Pine is a twelve-year-old boy who lives with his adoptive parents at Greenglass House, an inn that caters to smugglers. Milo is curious and smart but also struggles with the Search for Identity since he is a Chinese adoptee and does not know anything about his family of origin. The narrative describes Milo’s internal conflict when he sees others judging him: “How did a Chinese kid wind up in Nagspeake with that lady for a mom? Obviously adopted” (7). He loves his parents, but he wonders about his biological family and why they put him up for adoption. Milo’s life changes when a group of unexpected guests arrives at Greenglass House during the winter holidays. Each guest has a mysterious connection to the house and its history, and they all seem to be looking for something hidden in the inn. With the help of his new friend Meddy, Milo soon learns that the guests are all connected in some way to the famous Nagspeake smuggler Doc Holystone and that they may be searching for his last treasure hidden somewhere in the house. Throughout the narrative, Milo matures emotionally and intellectually and his quest to solve the mystery parallels his journey toward self-acceptance.