The Seven Keys of Balabad by Paul Haven

12-year-old Oliver, who is living in Balabad with his reporter father and art-historian mother, misses New York. His friends Zee and Mr. Haji are the only things that make living in Balabad tolerable. But things become more interesting when a priceless carpet is stolen from a mosque and Mr. Haji is kidnapped. Oliver and Zee try to unravel the mystery and decipher the connections between Mr. Haji, the carpet, and Zee. The story jumps around a bit from character to character and place to place. But all of the threads of the story come together in the end like a well-woven carpet. Balabad is a fictional country with a rich culture and the characters and settings are well-developed. A perfect book for both adventure and mystery lovers.