Shadow of a Pug (Howard Wallace, P.I., Book 2)

by Casey Lyall

Overview

“[it lands] in new territory, and the characters interact realistically and have real kid problems. . . . young mystery fans should be glad. —Kirkus Reviews
“The dialogue between Howard and Ivy continues to be delightfully witty and clever.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
 
“My partner scanned the message and a slow grin took over her face as she said our four favorite words: ‘We have a case.’”
HOWARD WALLACE IS BACK!
 
Middle-school detectives Howard Wallace and Ivy Mason are itching for a juicy case. But when their friend and cohort Marvin hires them to prove his nephew— über-bully Carl Dean—didn’t pugnap the school mascot, they’re less than thrilled. To succeed, not only must Howard and Ivy play nice with Carl, they’ll have to dodge a scrappy reporter and come face-to-face with Howard’s worst enemy, his ex-best friend Miles Fletcher.

Can Howard deal with all these complications and still be there for Ivy when her life is turned upside down? Or will he once again find himself a friendless P.I.?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454919551
Publisher:	Sterling Children's Books
Publication date:	09/05/2017
Series:	Howard Wallace, P.I. Series , #2
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	650,098
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.60(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Casey Lyall is a middle-grade writer from Southwestern Ontario. She works at her local library and is the author of the first two books in the Howard Wallace, P.I. series and the picture book Inky’s Great Escape. Find her on Twitter as @CKLyall and at caseylyall.com.

Editorial Reviews

2017-05-24
Wallace and Mason Investigations is on the case of the missing mascot. Noir-obsessed Howard Wallace and down-to-earth Ivy Mason, middle school detectives, catch a new case. Junk-shop owner Marvin, to whom Howard owes many favors, wants his grandnephew Carl's name cleared. It seems that Carl, who happens to be on Howard's enemies list (for wedgies past), stands accused of kidnapping his own basketball team's mascot, Spartacus the pug, and so he's been suspended from the team. Howard and Ivy take the case, but due to past problems at school, they can't detect during the week. That stricture is lifted when coach Mr. Williams hires them to find the pug before the big game. Twists turn and turn again, and the detective duo nearly breaks up as they work and surprise themselves by teaming with former enemies. Lyall's sophomore effort lacks some of the zing of series opener Howard Wallace, P.I. (2016), but mystery fans should enjoy it anyway. It leaps from the tired trope of the stolen mascot to land in new territory, and the characters interact realistically and have real kid problems. It doesn't have much to do with Shadow of a Doubt, from which it surely draws its name, but the target audience won't notice. Ethnicity is denoted with naming conventions; the story hews to the white default. Another sequel is in the offing, and young mystery fans should be glad. (Mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Shadow of a Pug (Howard Wallace, P.I., Book 2)

“Twists turn and turn again, and the detective duo nearly breaks up as they work and surprise themselves by teaming with former enemies. . . . mystery fans should enjoy it . . . [it lands] in new territory, and the characters interact realistically and have real kid problems. . . . Another sequel is in the offing, and young mystery fans should be glad. —Kirkus Reviews

“Business has been booming for the middle-school P.I. team of Howard and Ivy ever since their uncovering of bribery among the student council (in Howard Wallace, P.I., BCCB 9/16), but the open-and-shut cases have been boring for thrillseeker Howard. When the school mascot is stolen and their gym teacher hires them to get the dog back, Ivy and Howard look forward to the challenge and the action—until Howard realizes that the case will have him working with his ex-best friend Miles, who ditched Howard for the cool kids last year. Now Ivy seems to be distancing herself as well, and Howard embarks on investigative double duty, tracking down the pup and sussing out his pals’ evasions. The missing-mascot premise is not a new one but Lyall punches it up with Howard’s adolescent noir narration, and the dialogue between Howard and Ivy continues to be delightfully witty and clever. This book digs much further into the emotional turmoil that was only hinted at in the previous plot in both Howard’s and Ivy’s lives, and that focus reveals how truly tight their bond is, making their quippy back and forth all that more appealing in its affection. The mystery is a bit of a cakewalk, but the investigators, their narcs, and their suspects are enough of a draw, and fans of Howard will be happy to see friendship rifts healed and more cases to come.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher