Nancy Spector, Monster Detective: The Case of the Missing Spot (A Graphic Novel)

by Stephen W Martin, Linh Pham (Illustrator)

Overview

Intrepid eight-year-old detective Nancy Spector and her talking dog, Jinx, search high and low for an invisible dog in this laugh-a-minute, fast-paced graphic novel perfect for fans of Dungeon Critters and The Mighty Jack.

The Invisible Man has a problem. His dog, Spot, is missing. Complicating matters, Spot is also invisible. So the Invisible Man turns to Nancy Spector for help. Nancy eagerly takes the case, and she and her grumpy best friend, a (visible) dog named Jinx, dive into the investigation.
 
As they follow Spot's trail, they find themselves:

• Riding dragons
• Searching the monster diner—because all dogs like hot dogs
• Fleeing from vicious chipmunk unicorns
• Shopping in a store that is a gelatinous candy cube named Bob
•  And paying a visit to Nancy’s vampire friend Eugene’s hamster’s funeral 

Every time they think Spot is right around the corner, things get more and more confusing, but Nancy knows that to a great detective, there is no such thing as a bad clue. And Nancy knows she's a great detective. Now she just needs to crack the case. . .
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643753058
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/10/2024
Series:	Nancy Spector, Monster Detective Series , #1
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	7 - 11 Years

About the Author

Stephen W. Martin is an Emmy-nominated writer on the Netflix animated series Trash Truck and is the author of many picture books, including Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion. As a Canadian living in California, he misses poutine and the noble beavers. Find him online at stephen-w-martin.com.

Linh Pham is an award-winning illustrator and visual development artist. She currently works as a lead designer at Vivid Greetings, where her custom digital greeting cards have garnered over 1 million views worldwide. In television and film, Linh has worked in animation, rigging, lighting, character design, and visual development bringing all sorts of wonderous monsters to life. She lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband, daughter, two black dogs, and one white cat.

Editorial Reviews

There’s no mystery here—this is one inspired, poignant, and imaginative tale.—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2024-08-30
Meet Nancy Spector, a feisty, accomplished detective.

Big-eyed, violet-haired, tan-skinned Nancy and her opinionated talking dog, Jinx, have a new client: an invisible professor who has lost his invisible pooch, Spot. The pair search the Professor’s house and lab, as well as Spot’s amazingly well-equipped invisible doghouse. This graphic novel moves briskly, with surprising twists and turns, including an underground encounter with “adorable creatures of death,” in one of many original settings. Pham’s manga-esque illustrations artfully bring to life Nancy’s supernatural-infused world: a two-headed pterosaurlike creature, a young vampire’s spooky mansion, a diner where monsters nosh on eyeballs and fish heads, and a cemetery where Nancy visits her late parents. When Nancy becomes discouraged after a trap baited with a hot dog catches her monster friend Fred instead of Spot, her parents find a subtle way to show their support as flowers spontaneously blossom on their graves. Nancy is a complex character, direct and sure of herself but humanized by moments of doubt. Ultimately, her self-confidence returns, resulting in a happy conclusion, not to mention a brand-new evil nemesis. Readers of this clever take on the mystery genre will be eager for repeat readings and anticipate a sequel.

There’s no mystery here—this is one inspired, poignant, and imaginative tale.(Graphic fantasy. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews