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SABOTAGE STAGE LEFT by Casey Lyall

SABOTAGE STAGE LEFT

From the Howard Wallace, P.I. series, volume 3

by Casey Lyall

Pub Date: Sept. 4th, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4549-2968-0
Publisher: Sterling

Wallace and Mason Investigations is on the case again!

Howard and Ivy are still solving cases for kids at Grantleyville Middle School even though Howard has been told he will be suspended if he’s caught investigating on school grounds again. There is a graffiti tagger in town, and someone is sabotaging the middle school musical. Thankfully, Howard and Ivy now have a crew to help them with investigations, though Howard has trouble trusting his new associates. Still, the graffiti case bears fruit early (thanks to Howard’s personal attentions). The sabotage case is harder to crack—the list of suspects is long. When they narrow it down, Howard finds himself stung by a smart perpetrator, and he must rely on his associates. Can they trap the saboteur? Or will Wallace and Mason Investigations disband? Lyall continues to expand and improve her characterizations in this funny, entertaining, and suspenseful series of realistic(-ish) mysteries. Howard realizes he just can’t investigate on his own, especially when he is both trapped and suspended. Fans will be happy for the new case, and new readers should not miss out on the first two. Most characters present white, with naming conventions implying diversity.

The series just keeps getting better; fans will hope for more.

(Mystery. 8-12)