Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Mad Mouse
This is Chris Grabenstein's second novel about Sea Haven, NJ and partners Ceepak and Boyle.
The stories are told from the viewpoint of Danny Boyle who started working for the small tourist town's police force as a part-time summer cop. Danny is young and looks up to Officer John Ceepak, a former military, spit and shine, kind of cop. Ceepak has high expectations of himself and all around him. Boyle understands he can't always live up to Ceepak's expectations but tries really hard.
In the first book, Tilt-a-whirl, Ceepak and Boyle solve a high profile murder at the local amusement park, on the Tilt-a-whirl naturally. (Don't ask why there is a roller coaster on the bright pink cover. I can't imagine.)
In Mad Mouse, the title referring once again to a park amusement which does not grace the cover, someone is shooting paint balls at Boyle and his friends on the beach. When the paint balls are replaced with live rounds in subsequent incidents, it becomes aparent that Danny and his friends are the intended victims, not just random targets.
Who might one of them angered enough to cause this. What do the trading cards left at the scenes mean? Can they figure it out before one of them ends up dead?
I enjoy these books very much. The crimes are serious but seeing the world through Danny's eyes lightens them up considerably. Danny's goal for the end of the summer is to be the one summer cop who gets hired on full time. He is idealistic, optimistic and a bit naive. Ceepak has seen so much more of the world and has no such limitations, however we only understand Ceepak as well as Danny can understand him.
Sea Haven is a fun place to visit and I snap these up as soon as they are released.
The stories are told from the viewpoint of Danny Boyle who started working for the small tourist town's police force as a part-time summer cop. Danny is young and looks up to Officer John Ceepak, a former military, spit and shine, kind of cop. Ceepak has high expectations of himself and all around him. Boyle understands he can't always live up to Ceepak's expectations but tries really hard.
In the first book, Tilt-a-whirl, Ceepak and Boyle solve a high profile murder at the local amusement park, on the Tilt-a-whirl naturally. (Don't ask why there is a roller coaster on the bright pink cover. I can't imagine.)
In Mad Mouse, the title referring once again to a park amusement which does not grace the cover, someone is shooting paint balls at Boyle and his friends on the beach. When the paint balls are replaced with live rounds in subsequent incidents, it becomes aparent that Danny and his friends are the intended victims, not just random targets.
Who might one of them angered enough to cause this. What do the trading cards left at the scenes mean? Can they figure it out before one of them ends up dead?
I enjoy these books very much. The crimes are serious but seeing the world through Danny's eyes lightens them up considerably. Danny's goal for the end of the summer is to be the one summer cop who gets hired on full time. He is idealistic, optimistic and a bit naive. Ceepak has seen so much more of the world and has no such limitations, however we only understand Ceepak as well as Danny can understand him.
Sea Haven is a fun place to visit and I snap these up as soon as they are released.
# posted by Kim Reis @ 5:28 AM 
