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Chet Gecko Mystery #1
The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse
When fellow fourth grader Shirley Chameleon asks Chet Gecko to find her missing brother Billy, Chet follows a mysterious trail of clues that includes the Rat Sisters, a riddling junkyard dog, and a vicious Gila monster named Herman.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2000
27 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Hale
113 books133 followersA 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 Outerspace Mystery Pizza Club books, due in 2024.
A Fulbright Scholar (in Storytelling), Bruce is also a popular speaker, both in the U.S. and internationally. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and knuckleheaded dog Riley. When he's not writing or reading, you may find him hiking, kickboxing, or singing with a latin-jazz band called Mezcal Martini.
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 Outerspace Mystery Pizza Club books, due in 2024.
A Fulbright Scholar (in Storytelling), Bruce is also a popular speaker, both in the U.S. and internationally. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and knuckleheaded dog Riley. When he's not writing or reading, you may find him hiking, kickboxing, or singing with a latin-jazz band called Mezcal Martini.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
September 1, 2024
As a teen reader, “The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse” was a mixed bag for me. The book follows Chet Gecko, a fourth-grade private eye, as he navigates a quirky mystery involving missing classmates and a host of eccentric characters.
What I Liked:
Humor and Quirkiness: The book is filled with puns, jokes, and a lighthearted tone that makes it an easy and fun read. Chet’s wisecracks and the oddball cast of characters, like the Rat Sisters and Coach “Beef” Stroganoff, kept me entertained.
Illustrations: The black-and-white illustrations add a lot of charm and help bring the characters to life. They made the story more engaging and visually appealing.
What Could Be Better:
Plot Simplicity: The mystery itself felt a bit too straightforward and predictable. As a teen, I was hoping for more twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat.
Target Audience: While the book is great for younger readers, it might not fully capture the interest of older teens looking for more complex stories and character development.
Overall, “The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse” is a decent read with its humor and unique characters, but it might be better suited for younger readers or those looking for a light, quick read. If you’re in the mood for something whimsical and don’t mind a simpler plot, give it a try!
What I Liked:
Humor and Quirkiness: The book is filled with puns, jokes, and a lighthearted tone that makes it an easy and fun read. Chet’s wisecracks and the oddball cast of characters, like the Rat Sisters and Coach “Beef” Stroganoff, kept me entertained.
Illustrations: The black-and-white illustrations add a lot of charm and help bring the characters to life. They made the story more engaging and visually appealing.
What Could Be Better:
Plot Simplicity: The mystery itself felt a bit too straightforward and predictable. As a teen, I was hoping for more twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat.
Target Audience: While the book is great for younger readers, it might not fully capture the interest of older teens looking for more complex stories and character development.
Overall, “The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse” is a decent read with its humor and unique characters, but it might be better suited for younger readers or those looking for a light, quick read. If you’re in the mood for something whimsical and don’t mind a simpler plot, give it a try!
January 27, 2019
Loved the spare dialog. Not a word wasted. Chet's noir infused wisecracks kept it lively. I finished the book in go. Can't wait to read the next one!
March 6, 2017
At first glance, I thought this book was going to be pretty decent, but boy was I wrong! I actually kinda liked it. This book starts off with a fourth grade, private eye, Chet Gecko. A girl comes up to him and tells him that his brother is missing. But when Chet tells the girl that she needs to pay a fee, she says she doesn't have any money. So, instead, she promises him that he'll get pie, (stinkbug pie) if he finds him at the end of the day and suddenly he has a case to solve. Read this book to find out if Chet can find her missing brother. I think this book would be great for 2 and 3rd graders.
March 28, 2016
3 stars for me, but 4 for elementary readers. Funny take on noir detective novels with a bona fide mystery for young readers. Some challenging vocabulary, well-written. Clever and funny, if corny. A great start to the series for those interested in this age-group. Recommended for boys especially from about 8 to 11 years old. They find Bruce Hale hilarious.
November 15, 2010
awsome book
December 5, 2011
Nice. I knew I recognized the dialogue from somewhere. Funny.
August 10, 2015
I didn't really like this at all, but I can see how it would be fun for a kid who is just starting mysteries.
June 22, 2010
These were so funny! I remember staying up late at night to finish this!
May 18, 2024
I had one more day before the end of this challenge where we read juvenile and YA books (to enhance our ability to provide readers' advisory services to customers seeking out such books) and so I had just enough time to sneak in a short one. I decided upon this one, which as you can see is the first in a series.
Chet Gecko is a fourth grader. He's also a private investigator, not to mention he's also a gecko. The younger brother of his friend Shirley Chameleon has gone missing, and she needs her brother found before the football game starts the next day. Chet's investigation takes him to the principal's office, the football field, the cafeteria, classrooms led by some of the most terrible animal teachers one could imagine, and even to a James Bond-style cliffhanger where he escapes by the scales of his tail.
I was amused by the combination of fourth-grade intrigue and humor, and the fairly well written hardboiled monologues and dialogue in the book. When he goes to the principal's office to see if he can track down a kid with some information, he notes that the classmates waiting on the other side of the room must be football players, because they're as wide as a refrigerator, but don't have the little light inside. The principal, in dismissing Chet, notes that he doesn't like Chet's attitude much; Chet answers that he doesn't really like it either -- to the point that he lies awake at night over it.
Chet's school is not just for reptiles. There are birds and mammals as well, some of whom are helpful and some of whom are decidedly less so. Chet turns out to be the man for the job, even though the case of the missing Billy Chameleon doesn't end exactly as he expects.
Chet Gecko is a fourth grader. He's also a private investigator, not to mention he's also a gecko. The younger brother of his friend Shirley Chameleon has gone missing, and she needs her brother found before the football game starts the next day. Chet's investigation takes him to the principal's office, the football field, the cafeteria, classrooms led by some of the most terrible animal teachers one could imagine, and even to a James Bond-style cliffhanger where he escapes by the scales of his tail.
I was amused by the combination of fourth-grade intrigue and humor, and the fairly well written hardboiled monologues and dialogue in the book. When he goes to the principal's office to see if he can track down a kid with some information, he notes that the classmates waiting on the other side of the room must be football players, because they're as wide as a refrigerator, but don't have the little light inside. The principal, in dismissing Chet, notes that he doesn't like Chet's attitude much; Chet answers that he doesn't really like it either -- to the point that he lies awake at night over it.
Chet's school is not just for reptiles. There are birds and mammals as well, some of whom are helpful and some of whom are decidedly less so. Chet turns out to be the man for the job, even though the case of the missing Billy Chameleon doesn't end exactly as he expects.
May 12, 2024
This is a first readers' chapter book that I think most 7-8 year olds would like, especially boys. Not sure they'd get all the Raymond Chandler/Humfrey Bogart nuances (which I thought were great), but it's fun and includes all the things boys like (smells, underwear jokes, getting the better of bullies, thinking girls are icky, etc.)
It IS very short (117 pages, but in largish print and includes illustrations that sometimes took up whole pages, and the last 20% of the book is a few sample pages of the next book and advertisements for the rest of the books in the series).
Also, like your basic hard-boiled mystery genre, it doesn't have many good female characters. The best was Natalie the mockingbird. You can find better mysteries for young girls.
It IS very short (117 pages, but in largish print and includes illustrations that sometimes took up whole pages, and the last 20% of the book is a few sample pages of the next book and advertisements for the rest of the books in the series).
Also, like your basic hard-boiled mystery genre, it doesn't have many good female characters. The best was Natalie the mockingbird. You can find better mysteries for young girls.
February 8, 2018
I read this with my first grade reading buddy; it was her choice. She's an advanced reader but most of the jokes went over her head, which is to be expected. She doesn't have a knowledge of film noir to contextualize it. It's a perfectly competent spoof of the genre but it doesn't go beyond that in any way with out-dated gender roles and cardboard character archetypes. I don't think most older kids would know enough of the genre to get the jokes either and there's not enough there to make it worthwhile for adults to read.
December 30, 2018
Set-up for the Chet Gecko Mystery series has Chet taking on a case at school where the little brother of a girl he likes is missing. The doll does not give Chet all the info she has and he has to do a little detective work. He gets a sidekick he didn't want with Natalie but it is a good thing she's there. She's got the brains.
I enjoyed this book. The world building is good. It reminded me of a 1940's Film Noir movie. I liked Chet's thought process. He needs Natalie but eventually figures it out. I loved the humor and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
I enjoyed this book. The world building is good. It reminded me of a 1940's Film Noir movie. I liked Chet's thought process. He needs Natalie but eventually figures it out. I loved the humor and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
February 13, 2020
Another old series in my library that will likely get weeded. I read this aloud to 3rd grade classes and well all enjoyed it. It reminded us a little of Timmy Failure which we read earlier in the year. I enjoyed a lot of the references that 8 year olds will not get or possibly even their parents (Casablanca for example). I like books that allow me to perform different voices and characters. Add in bad jokes and gross situations and it's a crowd pleaser. I don't think the kids will rush to check out the rest of the series, but it kept their attention.
January 3, 2019
It's been a loooooong (add some more zeros) time since I have read this series, but I vividly remember begging the librarians to buy the other books in the series at my library.
Chet's wit is hilarious and his partnership with Natalie is entertaining. Even if I didn't know all about the noir genre at the time, I laughed a bunch. It's also how I learned about "dames." I recommend this to any kid to introduce them to fun mysteries. =)
Chet's wit is hilarious and his partnership with Natalie is entertaining. Even if I didn't know all about the noir genre at the time, I laughed a bunch. It's also how I learned about "dames." I recommend this to any kid to introduce them to fun mysteries. =)
June 26, 2019
Chet Gecko -Private Eye, and forth grader at Emerson Hicky Elementary is on the case to find Shirley Chameleon's missing brother Billy. Along with his partner, Natalie Attired, they have until before the start of the football game at the end of the school day to locate Billy. With the clues they have Chet and Natalie race against the kickoff to solve this mystery.
January 4, 2026
Nice book. Not a single word wasted. Chet's wisecracks kept me going. I'm sure Deadpool would be proud. Natalie's jokes are basically useless, but just make us laugh. Chet's tattletale sister is annoying. And Brick couldn't detect the goal post even if it was right in front of him.
A message to Brick:
Don't underestimate Geckos. Or detectives.
A message to Brick:
Don't underestimate Geckos. Or detectives.
January 5, 2026
This grew on me as the story went along. Chet the chameleon is a fourth grader/detective. He tries to solve the mystery of where Shirley's little brother Billy went when he goes missing. Will Herman the Gila monster prevail? Fun characters and plot.
January 12, 2018
Anthropomorphic animals at school
Private eye story—noir
Quick read
Private eye story—noir
Quick read
May 29, 2019
This was a cute and funny mystery.
March 16, 2021
I love his mysteries.
July 24, 2021
Hysterical!
September 30, 2021
The part I liked best: reading aloud in my gritty noir detective voice
December 22, 2022
Chet Gecko mysteries are always entertaining. I like the nods to noir.
April 11, 2024
I've found a new series for my daughter and I to enjoy together. We love the old school language and humor.
May 29, 2025
I loved mystery books.It was fun to see the clues reveal and finally come to a result. I like how Chet went deep thinking into everything.
November 19, 2025
The way I used to finish these books in one sitting when I was in elementary 😭
April 10, 2018
Chet Gecko gets pulled into helping Shirley find her missing brother, but he soon learns it’s a bigger case with more suspects that could threaten the reputation of him and his school.
May 5, 2020
I liked when he/the Chameleon got caught and went to detention. It is my favorite part because when he was in room 3, his partner, the mockingbird, copied the principal's voice and tricked the teacher to go to principal's office.
January 16, 2015
This is the first book in the Chet Gecko Mystery by Bruce Hale. We've read a few of the books in this series (completely out of order) and both times our girls weren't quite ready for the word play and the style of the storytelling. I have waited a couple of years in between each book for our girls to be old enough to get the humor. Lately we've enjoyed revisiting the series by listening to Jon Cryer narrate the stories aloud on audiobook.
Finally, I think they understand at least most of the puns and the hard-boiled detective style of story. They really like the Ace Lacewing picture books, so they understand the concept and are ready for these chapter books.
This was an entertaining story, filled with drama and intrigue and the solution was very interesting, if a bit odd. The anthropomorphized characters are very humorous, and I love the name of Chet's partner, Natalie Attired.
Finally, I think they understand at least most of the puns and the hard-boiled detective style of story. They really like the Ace Lacewing picture books, so they understand the concept and are ready for these chapter books.
This was an entertaining story, filled with drama and intrigue and the solution was very interesting, if a bit odd. The anthropomorphized characters are very humorous, and I love the name of Chet's partner, Natalie Attired.
July 12, 2008
A comical parody of dime store gumshoe novels (plus plenty of the grossout factor from bugs and cooties), this first of the
Chet Gecko Mysteries earns my tentative recommendation.
Chet Gecko, 4th grade private eye, is a bug loving, crime solving gecko charged with finding Shirley Chameleon's little brother before the big football game. Chet gets help from Natalie, his Mockingbird friend who's talents come in very handy!
Very funny with tons of cheesy jokes, I can absolutely assure you that several kids will laugh out loud while reading it! Parents though might not like the irreverence displayed to authority figures and how Chet runs off from school to investigate his case. There is also some unfortunate stereotypes of football players (who display almost unintelligible dialogue) which I am hoping the series grows out of.
Chet Gecko Mysteries earns my tentative recommendation.
Chet Gecko, 4th grade private eye, is a bug loving, crime solving gecko charged with finding Shirley Chameleon's little brother before the big football game. Chet gets help from Natalie, his Mockingbird friend who's talents come in very handy!
Very funny with tons of cheesy jokes, I can absolutely assure you that several kids will laugh out loud while reading it! Parents though might not like the irreverence displayed to authority figures and how Chet runs off from school to investigate his case. There is also some unfortunate stereotypes of football players (who display almost unintelligible dialogue) which I am hoping the series grows out of.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews