1259 ratings | 332 reviews | avg rating:3.62

Bruce’s Year In Books

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Bruce Hale’s Followers (133)

Bruce’s Bookshelves

to-read (562)
currently-reading (8)
read (1371)
abandoned-mid-way (25)
read-but-don-t-really-recall (8)
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Bruce’s Friends (1,167)

Heather

28,564 books | 3,158 friends

Brenda Kearns

461 books | 1,360 friends

Natalie Aguirre

1,491 books | 406 friends

Naomi Milliner

539 books | 281 friends

Lesa Howard

108 books | 405 friends

Lyn

905 books | 1,095 friends

Sarah Thornbery

629 books | 266 friends

Kristen Valenzuela

5,359 books | 82 friends

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Bruce Hale

Goodreads Author

Born

October 30

Website

http://www.brucehale.com/

Twitter

storyguy1

Genre

Children's, Mystery, Horror

Influences

Raymond Chandler, Dr. Seuss, Tom Robbins ...more

Member Since

January 2008

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A serious book addict, Bruce wanted to be a children's book author since he was in 4th grade (right after he got over wanting to be a pirate, Tarzan, and Daniel Boone). Today he's the author-illustrator of over 70 seriously funny books for kids, so some dreams do come true.

The Malted Falcon, one of his Chet Gecko Mysteries series, was an Edgar Award finalist, and Murder, My Tweet won a Little D Award for Juvenile Humor Writing. Bruce has written everything from picture books and easy readers, to graphic novels and novels.

Bruce's recent Monstertown Mysteries series blends horror and humor, based on his childhood love of monster movies. His other series include Class Pets, about the secret lives of classroom pets, and the forthcoming Outerspa ...more

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Bruce Hale’s books

Average rating: 3.89 · 12,550 ratings · 1,676 reviews · 120 distinct works • Similar authors

	Clark the Shark: A Funny School Story About Having Big Feelings and Using Indoor Voices with Friends by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 3.92 avg rating — 1,748 ratings — published 2013 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Too Many Treats by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 4.38 avg rating — 1,248 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse (Chet Gecko Mystery #1) 3.75 avg rating — 720 ratings — published 2000 — 21 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Howard Fine (Illustrator) 3.88 avg rating — 662 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Bad Detective Agency (1) 3.66 avg rating — 445 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Clark the Shark Dares to Share by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 3.82 avg rating — 424 ratings — published 2013 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Playing with Fire (School for S.P.I.E.S., #1) 3.98 avg rating — 343 ratings — published 2013 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Mystery of Mr. Nice (Chet Gecko Mystery, #2) 3.90 avg rating — 310 ratings — published 2000 — 19 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Clark the Shark: Tooth Trouble (I Can Read Level 1) by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 3.81 avg rating — 304 ratings — published 2014 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Farewell, My Lunchbag (Chet Gecko Mystery, #3) 3.98 avg rating — 268 ratings — published 2001 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Bruce Hale…

25 posts
Bruce Hale's Blog

How do I make my characters sound different from each other?

Dear Writer Guy, I often get feedback that my characters sound the same (voice). What process do you recommend to build distinctions in each character’s voice? Thanks, Judy Dear Judy, At the root of it, this is first a matter of getting out of YOUR head and getting into your characters’ heads. Early on, all our characters might sound the same because we haven’t really worked…

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Series by Bruce Hale

Clark the Shark (10 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author),

Guy Francis (Illustrator)

3.95 avg rating — 4,969 ratings

Chet Gecko Mystery (15 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.87 avg rating — 2,811 ratings

SCHOOL FOR S.P.I.E.S. (3 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author),

Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)

4.10 avg rating — 565 ratings

Monstertown Mysteries (3 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.96 avg rating — 132 ratings

Class Pets (4 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.67 avg rating — 141 ratings

More series by Bruce Hale…

Bruce is Currently Reading

Bruce is currently reading

No Place to Be Single

by Felicia Kingsley

bookshelves: currently-reading

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8 hours, 19 min ago

Bruce is currently reading

Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2)

by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Feb 10, 2026 02:42PM

Bruce is currently reading

Navola

by Paolo Bacigalupi (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 16, 2025 07:54PM

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Bruce’s Recent Updates

Bruce rated a book really liked it Ashram Assassin (Paperback Sleuth #2) by Andrew Cartmel (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A cozy crime tale starring a heroine who loves vintage paperbacks, ganja, and solving mysteries, not necessarily in that order. A brisk, fun read.
8 hours, 18 min ago · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ashram Assassin by Andrew Cartmel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ashram Assassin by Andrew Cartmel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce is currently reading No Place to Be Single by Felicia Kingsley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8 hours, 19 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of No Place to Be Single by Felicia Kingsley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — No Place to Be Single by Felicia Kingsley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce finished reading Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8 hours, 21 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce wants to read Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8 hours, 21 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce wants to read The Hadacol Boogie (Dave Robicheaux, #25) by James Lee Burke	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 03, 2026 04:11PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hadacol Boogie by James Lee Burke. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hadacol Boogie by James Lee Burke <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce wants to read I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 03, 2026 04:09PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce rated a book it was amazing I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 03, 2026 01:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce rated a book really liked it Blood Grove (Easy Rawlins, #15) by Walter Mosley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 02, 2026 07:52PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Blood Grove by Walter Mosley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Blood Grove by Walter Mosley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce is currently reading Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 02, 2026 07:49PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce entered a giveaway The Maid's Secret: A Maid Novel (Molly the Maid) by Nita Prose (Goodreads Author) 24 copies available, ends on March 31, 2026 Enter to win »
Mar 01, 2026 09:58AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Bruce's books…

Quotes by Bruce Hale (?)

“First," said Ms. Johnson, "I want you to know that you are all winners,"

Why do grown-ups always say that? Duh,we know we're not all winners.”
― Bruce Hale, Prince of Underwhere

4 likes

“Sometimes the writing flows, sometimes it's like wading through concrete. But I keep showing up each day, whether the Muse joins me or not.”
― Bruce Hale

2 likes

“air." Jack scowled. His practice had really paid off—his whole face bunched up like a muscle-man's fist. Rocky and Bosco pushed up to standing. Rocky's brawny shoulders flexed like two”
― Bruce Hale, Trouble Is My Beeswax: A Chet Gecko Mystery

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Coffee & Books: Jonny's List and Challenges.	2	33	Sep 21, 2011 12:01PM
The Next Best Boo...: The Title Game	20218	14605	May 30, 2013 12:53PM
2026 Reading Chal...: Kat's 150, 2015 Challenge	21	95	Dec 30, 2015 08:39PM
Cozy Mysteries : Title and Author Game, Round 2	15570	1209	Mar 21, 2016 09:15AM
Cozy Mysteries : Mystery ABC's, Round 2	12168	1139	Mar 21, 2016 12:30PM
Cozy Mysteries : Title and Author game, Round 4	16049	655	Jan 05, 2019 04:49AM

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Bruce’s Quotes

“Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

tags: enjoy-life, fearlessness, live-in-the-moment

5507 likes

Bruce’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-1) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 1: by Lisa

Jun 01, 2012 08:12PM

Thanks for connecting here! See you in LA! :-)

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Bruce’s Year In Books

Bruce Hale’s Followers (133)

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Bruce Hale

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Combine Editions
Bruce Hale’s books

25 posts
Bruce Hale's Blog

How do I make my characters sound different from each other?

Series by Bruce Hale

Bruce is Currently Reading

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Bruce’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Ashram Assassin by Andrew Cartmel

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Preview — No Place to Be Single by Felicia Kingsley

See a Problem?

Preview — Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio

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Preview — Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

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Preview — The Hadacol Boogie by James Lee Burke

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Preview — I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig

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Preview — I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney

See a Problem?

Preview — Blood Grove by Walter Mosley

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Preview — The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose

Topics Mentioning This Author

Bruce’s Quotes

Bruce’s Friend Comments

Bruce Hale’s Followers (133)

Bruce Hale

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssBruce’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Ashram Assassin by Andrew Cartmel

See a Problem?

Preview — No Place to Be Single by Felicia Kingsley

See a Problem?

Preview — Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio

See a Problem?

Preview — Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

See a Problem?

Preview — The Hadacol Boogie by James Lee Burke

See a Problem?

Preview — I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig

See a Problem?

Preview — I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney

See a Problem?

Preview — Blood Grove by Walter Mosley

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Preview — Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone by Christine Riccio

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Preview — The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose

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