Hiss me deadly : from the tattered casebook of Chet Gecko, private eye. Vol. 13

A crime has been committed that strikes at the heart of Chet's very own family. Some slippery sneak has stolen his mother's beloved pearls, leaving Chet angrier than a nest of hornets on eviction day. When additional items go missing, Principal Zero turns up the heat by hiring Chet to flush out the thief. Will our gecko hero deliver the goods before it's too late? He'd better. Because this time, it's personal. This thirteenth entry in Chet and Natalie's tattered casebook is chock-full of the hilarious characters, wacky one-liners, and fast-paced mystery that have made this series a favorite among middle grade readers.

Emerson Hicky is thick with thieves.

Children's Literature

Chet Gecko is a grammar school private eye. If you have read any of the other books in the series, you know what you are in for—a mystery to solve and lots of puns, and of course a complete rip-off of earlier private eye movies and books that were popular forty and fifty years ago. Chet is not fond of school, but he is pretty good at sleuthing and he and his sidekick Natalie Attired (a mockingbird) are constantly trading quips and barbs. In this crazy adventure, Chet has been asked by his younger sister to help her recover their mother's pearls. She took them without permission for show- and-tell and they were stolen from the classroom during recess. It gets more complicated as more things disappear from the classrooms, and Chet cannot seem to make much headway. His prime suspects are Johnny Ringo, one of the meaner kids at school, and the music professor (Gustav Mauler). Chet has even been enlisted by the school principal to help solve the crime (for that he will get three free "get out of jail" passes—it seems that Chet has an attitude problem and is frequently sent to the principal's office). It all has to be resolved before the school fair where the fabulous Flubberjee Egg will be on display. Can Chet solve the crime in time? Can Chet get over his fear of clowns? Kids will have a laugh but relate to the school dynamics, and parents who may be reading the book aloud to younger kids will enjoy the puns that will float right over most of these kids' heads.

Chet Gecko is hired by Principal Zero to investigate the disappearance of valuable items from Emerson Hicky Elementary--including Mama Gecko's pearls.