The Homemade Stuffing Caper

Gr 4–6—Charlie Collier, 12, has a gift as an analytical thinker and a love for old school noir detective comics. One day his eccentric grandmother confides in him that she is really a former spy working with her friend, fellow noir detective comic aficionado, Eugene, an official private investigator. He recognizes Charlie's talents and takes him on as a junior partner. When a beautiful classmate comes to inquire about how to find her grandfather's missing bird, Eugene is dismissive, but Charlie takes it on as his first case. As the plot unravels, he realizes that a bird-poaching black-market scandal is about to put his and his friends' lives in danger. Despite the noir motif, this is an innocent book that mystery readers will like. The character development is good, but there are sweeping inconsistencies in the protagonist's mental prowess. The plot is adequately paced, but the realistic feel of the noir novel is at odds with major events such as Charlie's favorite library volunteer also being a former CIA agent with an office modeled after their favorite comic character. This is a good choice for young readers who may be reading above their grade level, but Chris Rylander's The Fourth Stall (HarperCollins, 2011) and Eoin Colfer's Half Moon Investigations (Hyperion, 2006) are better choices for those looking for age-appropriate novels that contain the grit that makes a noir novel truly good.—Devin Burritt, Wells Public Library, ME