4.5 stars. Guy Langman is a lazy high school student whose dad, a man with a mysterious past, died less than a year ago. Guy starts trying to piece together his dad's past, writing down quotes from him and searching through his possessions. Meanwhile, at school, Guy's best friend convinces him that the best way to meet girls is to join the new Forensics Club, so Guy joins and starts learning more about investigative techniques. While conducting a fake "investigation" for the club, Guy stumbles across a real dead body, and he's pretty sure this is somehow linked to his dad's past, giving him another mystery to solve.

This book is laugh-out-loud funny. Guy is an entertaining main character, and I couldn't help but like him from the very first page. The relationship he had with his best friend, Anoop, was hilarious, and I could easily picture the two of them. Their dialogue was realistic, sarcastic, and very high school boy-like. Not all of it was classy or high-brow, but considering the fact that they're average high school boys, what do you expect? All their jokes made them easier to like and relate to.

The mystery aspect of the book is definitely not the main part of the book; rather, Guy's growing fascination with forensics and various friendships is the main theme driving the book forward. I thought the balance between the two was well done, although it definitely kept the book from being especially thrilling or mysterious. The mystery kept me entertained, but it was not the sole reason I kept turning pages. I enjoyed their investigations and the way Guy and his friends slowly grew to believe that their Forensics Club lessons had made them experts. It was fun to see this group of high school kids grow so into forensics that they were excited to tackle a real mystery with real techniques they'd learned.

Guy's family relationships were not nearly as developed. Guy and his mom aren't particularly close, and Guy's dad is only described in Guy's written words. I think the book could have been stronger if these relationships had been a little more developed, or Guy's dad a more "real" presence instead of a mythical man who was never truly "seen" by the reader. I think perhaps the problem with his family life is that these relationships were touched upon but not nearly explored as much as they could have been. A little more depth would have rounded out the book well.

Still, I found this to be an excellent read overall, and I think teens - especially boys - would love it. Josh Berk is such a talented author with a knack for humor, and I'm really excited to see what he will come up with next. This was such a fun story, with mystery, friendships, a hint of romance (or at least daydreamed notioned of it!), and plenty of humor.