'Luke and Alex are on a new adventure down by the river. This time they are joined by Luke's classmate, Kevin who, to Alex's delight, is an excellent cook, having taken over this role in the absence of his father and with his sick mother. Forced to find themselves a new secret hideout, the boys relocate to a disused mineshaft, only to discover it already inhabited by a giant bat. But, after listening to tales from Kevin's mother and grandmother, they soon become convinced that this enormous foul-smelling animal is actually a harpy, sent from Ancient Greece to protect the elixir of life. The boys have to try to solve the mystery and keep both their hideout and the creature safe from prying eyes, especially those of Tugger, the school bully.' Source: Libraries Australia.