Among the River Pirates: A Skippy Dare Mystery Story

A weather‑worn motor launch and its attached barge drift lazily up the Hudson, piloted by a grizzled father and his eager son, Skippy. The pair have finally saved enough to buy the vessel—dubbed the Minnie M. Baxter—and hope to leave behind the shady work that once paid the bills. Their quiet determination is tinged with the rough edges of a life spent on the river’s margins, and the boy’s wide‑eyed curiosity hints at adventures yet to come.

But the river is not a peaceful thoroughfare. Rumors of “river pirates” whisper through the waterfront taverns, and the father’s newfound respectability may attract unwanted attention. As the sun sets behind the towering skyline, the duo finds themselves drawn into a tangled web of hidden cargo, secret deals, and a mystery that could test the very honesty they strive to achieve.