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Charlie Collier Snoop for Hire #1
The Homemade Stuffing Caper
He's got a knack for puzzling out the most twisted mysteries…
Charlie Collier is a whiz when it comes to brain teasers and word problems. He's also the go-to guy when friends and teachers find themselves in a pickle, but lately Charlie finds himself yearning for a big score. So he puts up signs around the school and waits in his parents' garage to see what mysteries stumble in. And one does! Soon Charlie finds himself hot on the trail of an evildoer and realizes he'll need more than smarts to solve this case. With the help of his trusty sidekick Henry, new client Scarlett, and code-cracking grandmother Charlie puts his reasoning skills to the ultimate test. But will that be enough to unravel this dangerous caper?
Charlie Collier is a whiz when it comes to brain teasers and word problems. He's also the go-to guy when friends and teachers find themselves in a pickle, but lately Charlie finds himself yearning for a big score. So he puts up signs around the school and waits in his parents' garage to see what mysteries stumble in. And one does! Soon Charlie finds himself hot on the trail of an evildoer and realizes he'll need more than smarts to solve this case. With the help of his trusty sidekick Henry, new client Scarlett, and code-cracking grandmother Charlie puts his reasoning skills to the ultimate test. But will that be enough to unravel this dangerous caper?
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2012
5 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
John V. Madormo
14 books36 followersJohn Madormo, Chicago area screenwriter, author, and college professor, signed a contract with Penguin Books for Young Readers for a series of middle-grade mystery novels. The series, entitled Charlie Collier, Snoop for Hire, is a tale about a 12-year-old private detective who sets up shop in his parents’ garage and solves cases for fellow sixth-grade classmates.
- The first installment , The Homemade Stuffing Caper, was released in May, 2012. The second installment, The Camp Phoenix Caper, hit bookstore shelves in February, 2013, and the third book in the series , The Copycat Caper, was released in the winter of 2014. And The Buried Treasure Caper debuted in 2017.
- John signed a contract with Wolfpack Publishing (Las Vegas, NV) for a four-book middle-grade western series titled, "The Abilene Kid." Book # 1 - "Dead Man's Hand" was released April 29, 2025; Book #2 - "Boot Hill Curse" was released May 27, 2025; Book #3 - "Sacred Relics" will be released June 24, 2025; and Book #4 - "Sweet Revenge" will be released July 22, 2025.
- John signed a contract with Lawley Publishing (Phoeniz, AZ) for a two-book middle-grade science fiction series titled, "Crash Crawford, Accidental Astronaut." Book #1 will be released in the winter of 2026; Book #2 will be released in the fall of 2026.
- John signed a contract with Zumaya Publications (Austin, TX) for a middle-grade series titled, “The Adventures of Rutherford, Canine Comic.” Book 1 was released in the fall of 2020. The sequel will be released in the fall of 2025.
- He also signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press (Adams Basin, NY) for a young adult novel titled, “The Summer of Guinevere.” The book was released in April of 2019. The sequel, "The Autumn of Andie," was released in the summer of 2020.
Sold a family comedy screenplay, “Coach Dracula,” to Dog & Rooster Prods., Studio City, CA.
Optioned a family comedy screenplay, “Two-Faced!”, to Doris Roberts (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) Enterprises. Ms. Roberts and her manager/son, Michael Cannata have held the rights for 3 years.
Completed a screenplay adaptation of the young adult novel, THE GHOST OF LIZARD LIGHT by Elvira Woodruff, for Flatiron Films (producers of the 2000 release "Pay It Forward" starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt).
- The first installment , The Homemade Stuffing Caper, was released in May, 2012. The second installment, The Camp Phoenix Caper, hit bookstore shelves in February, 2013, and the third book in the series , The Copycat Caper, was released in the winter of 2014. And The Buried Treasure Caper debuted in 2017.
- John signed a contract with Wolfpack Publishing (Las Vegas, NV) for a four-book middle-grade western series titled, "The Abilene Kid." Book # 1 - "Dead Man's Hand" was released April 29, 2025; Book #2 - "Boot Hill Curse" was released May 27, 2025; Book #3 - "Sacred Relics" will be released June 24, 2025; and Book #4 - "Sweet Revenge" will be released July 22, 2025.
- John signed a contract with Lawley Publishing (Phoeniz, AZ) for a two-book middle-grade science fiction series titled, "Crash Crawford, Accidental Astronaut." Book #1 will be released in the winter of 2026; Book #2 will be released in the fall of 2026.
- John signed a contract with Zumaya Publications (Austin, TX) for a middle-grade series titled, “The Adventures of Rutherford, Canine Comic.” Book 1 was released in the fall of 2020. The sequel will be released in the fall of 2025.
- He also signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press (Adams Basin, NY) for a young adult novel titled, “The Summer of Guinevere.” The book was released in April of 2019. The sequel, "The Autumn of Andie," was released in the summer of 2020.
Sold a family comedy screenplay, “Coach Dracula,” to Dog & Rooster Prods., Studio City, CA.
Optioned a family comedy screenplay, “Two-Faced!”, to Doris Roberts (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) Enterprises. Ms. Roberts and her manager/son, Michael Cannata have held the rights for 3 years.
Completed a screenplay adaptation of the young adult novel, THE GHOST OF LIZARD LIGHT by Elvira Woodruff, for Flatiron Films (producers of the 2000 release "Pay It Forward" starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt).
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 26, 2015
I found this book very interesting and fun to read. This book was the first one in the series and it is about a boy named Charlie. He has a detective agency with his friend Henry because he is very good at solving riddles and brainteasers. The cases that kids pay for him to solve, however,are usually solved in his garage, less than one minute after the problem has been stated. Charlie wants to have a case that will let him go undercover, and be in some kind of real danger. Soon enough, he is offered a job by the library's oldest volunteer, to be a real private investigator. When a girl by the name of Scarlett walks though the door with a case of her missing bird, Eugene, the library volunteer turns the case down but Charlie wants to impress Scarlett and he thinks the crime is connected to a much bigger case. So, he takes the case. In the end, like every good mystery, the unexpected happens.
I liked this book not only because of the suspense but also because their were many riddles and brainteasers included on multiple occasions; when Henry wanted to stump Charlie, or when it was an actual case. For example, can a man from Illinois legally marry his widow's sister?
The answer is no because if his wife is widowed than he is dead. the riddles makes the book more interesting and so, this was an amazing book.
I liked this book not only because of the suspense but also because their were many riddles and brainteasers included on multiple occasions; when Henry wanted to stump Charlie, or when it was an actual case. For example, can a man from Illinois legally marry his widow's sister?
The answer is no because if his wife is widowed than he is dead. the riddles makes the book more interesting and so, this was an amazing book.
October 5, 2019
Eh. Riddles were unoriginal and the pretty regular “fat” comments about multiple characters made me cringe. The mystery plot may hold some kids’ attention, but there’s a lot better books for young readers that fit that bill, in my opinion.
November 4, 2020
I've yet to re-read it, but I loved it when I was 10. I may not read it again to keep the feeling.
June 9, 2012
Kids who are into mysteries may like this one. It has some standard brainteasers (none were new to me, but I'm not twelve), bits of humor, a decent mystery, and a few moments of genuine "they could be in danger" tension (which is much more than I can say for either of John Grisham's first two incredibly benign Theodore Boone mysteries for kids).
Charlie, Henry, and Scarlett are all pretty likeable and realistic, with the exception of Charlie's refusal to use the internet or cell phone to help solve mysteries because "Sam Solomon did it without the internet, so I can, too". A kid of 2012 eschewing the world wide web? Don't think so. Not to mention how much faster he could solve his mysteries with a little help from the net. I also was irked at how Charlie just completely abandoned his promises to Eugene whenever it didn't fit into his plans. I realize kids can be like that (adults, too) but it bothered me that he so quickly did the opposite of what he was told.
Charlie's grandma and Eugene were the only adult characters who played much of a role, and I found both of them fun but unrealistic. The idea of Gram taking on a different persona everyday and letting people think she was nuts was interesting, but she took those behaviors waaaaay over the top.
Eugene seemed like a great guy, but I honestly wanted him to look at Charlie at book's end and say, "You're a good kid, Charlie, and you have potential as a snoop, but I can't use you as an associate because I can't trust you. I gave you two explicit instructions. Only two, and they were important. You failed to follow orders both times. I can't have someone working with me on situations of 'national security' who can't be trusted to obey instructions and not reveal secrets. Come back when you grow up a little. Or a lot." That's what I wanted him to say. Instead, he reacted more along the lines of, "You told what I told you not to tell? Hmm.... Well, okay. You went where I told you not to go, and nearly got all three of you killed? Well, no biggie. You'll get it right on this next mystery." Uh-uh. Hold this boy accountable, else he'll never learn. But that's just me.
I will put this in my school library, and I will recommend it to kids who want a mystery. They haven't been interested in Encyclopedia Brown, but Charlie's story may be just what those kids are looking for.
Oh--one other "complaint"--the story says Charlie is...well, let's just say it nicely: chunky. That's pretty clear. It's stated explicitly and referenced more than once. Then why does the kid on the cover not reflect that? His cheeks are a little chubby, but there's no belly there. A small thing, but an inconsistency, nonetheless.
Review copy provided by Penguin. (Thanks, Sheila!)
Charlie, Henry, and Scarlett are all pretty likeable and realistic, with the exception of Charlie's refusal to use the internet or cell phone to help solve mysteries because "Sam Solomon did it without the internet, so I can, too". A kid of 2012 eschewing the world wide web? Don't think so. Not to mention how much faster he could solve his mysteries with a little help from the net. I also was irked at how Charlie just completely abandoned his promises to Eugene whenever it didn't fit into his plans. I realize kids can be like that (adults, too) but it bothered me that he so quickly did the opposite of what he was told.
Charlie's grandma and Eugene were the only adult characters who played much of a role, and I found both of them fun but unrealistic. The idea of Gram taking on a different persona everyday and letting people think she was nuts was interesting, but she took those behaviors waaaaay over the top.
Eugene seemed like a great guy, but I honestly wanted him to look at Charlie at book's end and say, "You're a good kid, Charlie, and you have potential as a snoop, but I can't use you as an associate because I can't trust you. I gave you two explicit instructions. Only two, and they were important. You failed to follow orders both times. I can't have someone working with me on situations of 'national security' who can't be trusted to obey instructions and not reveal secrets. Come back when you grow up a little. Or a lot." That's what I wanted him to say. Instead, he reacted more along the lines of, "You told what I told you not to tell? Hmm.... Well, okay. You went where I told you not to go, and nearly got all three of you killed? Well, no biggie. You'll get it right on this next mystery." Uh-uh. Hold this boy accountable, else he'll never learn. But that's just me.
I will put this in my school library, and I will recommend it to kids who want a mystery. They haven't been interested in Encyclopedia Brown, but Charlie's story may be just what those kids are looking for.
Oh--one other "complaint"--the story says Charlie is...well, let's just say it nicely: chunky. That's pretty clear. It's stated explicitly and referenced more than once. Then why does the kid on the cover not reflect that? His cheeks are a little chubby, but there's no belly there. A small thing, but an inconsistency, nonetheless.
Review copy provided by Penguin. (Thanks, Sheila!)
July 5, 2017
"This was an untapped market. There were people in need. Damsels in distress. Paying customers. How could I refuse? Someone had to come to their aid. Why not me?"
Charlie Collier is a Jr. sleuth who models himself after his fictional hero, Sam Soloman. He runs a makeshift detective agency out of his garage with the help of his best friend, Henry. It's all pretty run-of-the-mill middle school "crime" that requires a high level of deductive reasoning. But Charlie longs to get a "taste of the big score." Be careful what you wish for ... Charlie is recruited by an unlikely source to become his "associate", and before he knows it, he is in the middle of an investigation that could get him killed. What is happening to all the birds in town? They are disappearing one by one. And now, Scarlett Alexander, with whom Charlie had been "smitten since kindergarten" needs Charlie's help. One of the missing birds belongs to her grandfather. The police think it's only a prank by kids, but as Charlie starts to investigate further, he finds that it is far more sinister than any prank. "Maybe I'd been fooling myself all along. Maybe I should be satisfied with the measly mysteries I was able to solve from the comfort of my garage. Nothing dangerous about that."
Students who enjoy deductive reasoning puzzles should enjoy this book.
Charlie Collier is a Jr. sleuth who models himself after his fictional hero, Sam Soloman. He runs a makeshift detective agency out of his garage with the help of his best friend, Henry. It's all pretty run-of-the-mill middle school "crime" that requires a high level of deductive reasoning. But Charlie longs to get a "taste of the big score." Be careful what you wish for ... Charlie is recruited by an unlikely source to become his "associate", and before he knows it, he is in the middle of an investigation that could get him killed. What is happening to all the birds in town? They are disappearing one by one. And now, Scarlett Alexander, with whom Charlie had been "smitten since kindergarten" needs Charlie's help. One of the missing birds belongs to her grandfather. The police think it's only a prank by kids, but as Charlie starts to investigate further, he finds that it is far more sinister than any prank. "Maybe I'd been fooling myself all along. Maybe I should be satisfied with the measly mysteries I was able to solve from the comfort of my garage. Nothing dangerous about that."
Students who enjoy deductive reasoning puzzles should enjoy this book.
May 29, 2012
Twelve-year-old Charlie Collier has excellent deductive reasoning skills, allowing him to easily solve many puzzles and word problems. Although his parents have forbidden him to run his own ad hoc detective agency with his friend Henry, he still manages to do so. Still, he longs for more challenging cases than those brought to him by his classmates. When his odd grandmother reveals her secret past and introduces him to an actual detective, Eugene, who wants to train him, he is thrilled and quickly tries to prove himself by solving the mystery of the whereabouts of several missing birds. The fact that one of the missing birds is the special pet of his crush, Scarlett Alexander, adds to his motivation. Middle graders will enjoy the story, solving the problems, and following some of the false leads planted in the story. The clever chapter titles, taken from the cases solved by Charlie's fictional detective hero, Sam Solomon, were my favorite part of this book. The word play was delightful; for example, "The Bouncing Czechs Caper," "The Steamed Carats Caper," "The Wok in the Park Caper," and "The Dog Daze Caper."
August 13, 2012
I haven’t read a book like this in, well, a lot of years. The last time was when I could devour 2-3 books a week from my elementary school library.
Charlie Collier took me back to what it’s like to be an 8th grade boy with a burning ambition to emulate a character in a book who was doing the stuff I wanted to do – solve mysteries.
Along with Charlie, you experience what it’s like to encounter new things: first feelings about romance, finding a mentor, seeing your peers in a new way. The book shows the value of reading each time Charlie gets out of jam by recalling his hero, Sam Solomon, a fictional Chicago-based detective who uses his brains to get out of jams.
Charlie Collier’s creator certainly gets inside the head of a 12 year old in a way that is funny and endearing for kids and for adults. There’s a lesson well embedded in the novel: read a lot and you’ll find out how to get out of jams by using your wits.
Full disclosure: The author is a friend and a former colleague who looks forward to the next Charlie Collier adventure.
Charlie Collier took me back to what it’s like to be an 8th grade boy with a burning ambition to emulate a character in a book who was doing the stuff I wanted to do – solve mysteries.
Along with Charlie, you experience what it’s like to encounter new things: first feelings about romance, finding a mentor, seeing your peers in a new way. The book shows the value of reading each time Charlie gets out of jam by recalling his hero, Sam Solomon, a fictional Chicago-based detective who uses his brains to get out of jams.
Charlie Collier’s creator certainly gets inside the head of a 12 year old in a way that is funny and endearing for kids and for adults. There’s a lesson well embedded in the novel: read a lot and you’ll find out how to get out of jams by using your wits.
Full disclosure: The author is a friend and a former colleague who looks forward to the next Charlie Collier adventure.
October 3, 2015
Nice read. For me this fell somewhere on the far side of a casual read. Which is lovely for quiet evening when you don't feel as sharp as you'd like for reading a heavy novel. But yet you'd like a little something to sink your teeth into as it were.
The main flaw though, was that the plot seemed to fall into that same mid-causal category. It seemed like things progressed too easily at times and did't end up as suspenseful as the unsolved mystery had been. A few twists and turns needed to be thrown in to spice things up I think.
But with all that said I still really enjoyed it. Strong characters can pull me through any plot issues. And I must say that these characters were charming. And I feel like they have nice potential to grow in the volumes to come. And truth be told I LOVE the tone of a 20s style first-person mystery. And this had just that.
Looking very forward to reading the next one.
The main flaw though, was that the plot seemed to fall into that same mid-causal category. It seemed like things progressed too easily at times and did't end up as suspenseful as the unsolved mystery had been. A few twists and turns needed to be thrown in to spice things up I think.
But with all that said I still really enjoyed it. Strong characters can pull me through any plot issues. And I must say that these characters were charming. And I feel like they have nice potential to grow in the volumes to come. And truth be told I LOVE the tone of a 20s style first-person mystery. And this had just that.
Looking very forward to reading the next one.
February 13, 2014
**Read as part of the Chicago Public Schools 2014 Battle of the Books.**
Definitely a cute read. It's not a work of literary genius, but I loved the nods to classic mystery fiction. My favorite part is Charlie's discussion of his weight: he doesn't hate himself, but there definitely is a note of vulnerability, and it comes up later on in the story. As a librarian who values diversity in all its forms, I thought it was a Good Thing that my Battlers are reading about a character who wants people up front to value his actions, not his looks.
I also hope Scarlett and Grandma Collier are better developed in the series. Sometimes these are total "boy" books, and they rarely use women and girls as allies. I was dreading Scarlett turning into a femme fatale (well, as "fatale" as a sixth grader can be). Glad she joined the team in the end.
Definitely a cute read. It's not a work of literary genius, but I loved the nods to classic mystery fiction. My favorite part is Charlie's discussion of his weight: he doesn't hate himself, but there definitely is a note of vulnerability, and it comes up later on in the story. As a librarian who values diversity in all its forms, I thought it was a Good Thing that my Battlers are reading about a character who wants people up front to value his actions, not his looks.
I also hope Scarlett and Grandma Collier are better developed in the series. Sometimes these are total "boy" books, and they rarely use women and girls as allies. I was dreading Scarlett turning into a femme fatale (well, as "fatale" as a sixth grader can be). Glad she joined the team in the end.
July 13, 2012
A fat kid with confidence and explore's mindset. It is long time no reading of an engaging a boy detective mystery story lately. In this book, it is pretty powerful to see that a book can be textual mentor to a young boy and a literary character inspires for young life interests and his readership. Charlie is a big fan of the Sam Solomon detective novel that set in 1930's Chicago and Sam Solomon is a bible to Charlie. The fact grandmother's secret agent like role creates a unique grandson and grandparent dynamics. Analogies and expressions in this book are pretty wisely written. An accessible mystery book that invites us to imagine possible undercover identities of our network. When a kid takes on a position proactively, being equipped with professionalism happens!
November 19, 2013
Charlie Collier's dream is to be a private detective. Sadly, most states won't license a seventh grader. That doesn't keep Charlie and his best friend Henry from solving school yard mysteries for a small fee. When his classmate Scarlet asks for help in finding a missing parrot, Charlie may just be in over his head. The novel is filled with references to Charlie's favorite fictional super sleuth Sam Solomon, brain teasers, and oddball characters. Students who enjoy detective mysteries or brain teasers may enjoy this book, but may find it difficult to stick with the story though the slowly paced first 100 pages. An okay read for middle schoolers.
May 12, 2013
The Amazing Adventures of John Smith by Johnson, Peter excellent book teenagers will relate to and enjoy. down to earth and lil different to hold attention. little bit about bully but well done and not unreasonable how he and his friends deal with it. average for me personally but i think teens would really enjoy it. plus it a fast read. FYI the book spefically says that if they had bad lang or sex it wouldn't sell so he WASNT going to put any in. also the bad lang is the word "goofball" gasp...terrible right?!
November 9, 2012
I didn't even finish it. I thought this would be similar to The Puzzling World of Winston Breen (which is great), but this completely fell short to me. The puzzles aren't challenging at all, they're just kind of riddles. The character isn't very interesting and the narration just doesn't fit the age of the character - too many weird little sayings that only grown-ups would say. And the plot is too obvious. It couldn't keep my attention.
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March 13, 2017Fine young adult novel by WONC Director of Broadcasting-turned-author. Set of quirky characters is redolent of Carl Hiaasen (but without the placedness of Hiaasen's south Florida). Charlie's prowess with word puzzles augurs well for his LSAT or GRE score. The character of Scarlett is not quite believable (a social butterfly-hottie who spends her time at her grandfather's barber shop?), but maybe she gets rounded out in the ensuing books.
August 27, 2013
This amazing kids detective novel gives homage to great detective novels in the style of Sam Spade, Phillip Marlowe and maybe even Sherlock Holmes. If kids like mysteries they will love Charlie Collier, his side kick Henry, the damsel in distress Scarlett and especially Charlie's Grandma. My kids pondered, giggled and wondered all the way through it. Great jokes and good mystery. Glad I read it to them.
January 14, 2014
As a former student of the author, I am a bit biased in this book's favor. I am even more biased because my 13-year-old son, who is closer to the target audience, loved this book. The pacing was good, the puzzles are of the variety I want my kids to ponder and solve, and the attention to detail was terrific. This isn't just a book about a kid detective, it's one overlaying another book series (i.e., Sam Solomon's) and drawing from the plots and lessons of those mythical books. Well done!
August 11, 2013
Meh! Not Winston Breen. Not Encyclopedia Brown. This latest spin on pre-teen detective work left me bored. I love deductive reasoning and mysteries for all ages but this new series felt cliché. It's target audience will likely miss the gumshoe references and find it unbelievable that any 7th grader rejects modern technology with such vehemence as the main character.
July 6, 2012
Charlie Collier, seventh-grade detective, and his best friend Henry, use episodes of Charlie's favorite mystery series to help solve the mysterious disappearance of exotic and wild birds all over town.
October 6, 2012
A chunky, very deductive, young middle schooler solves mysteries for his classmates much to his parents chagrin. The main character is likable and reads true although a bit young for his age. Good for mystery/detective fans who wants something not too scary. 2-5th grade.
September 22, 2013
First in a series featuring middle-school kids who solve local mysteries. For those old enough to remember, there is a bit of Dragnet tone. The main character is adept at solving brain teasers for a fun aside.
November 7, 2012
It was a very good mystery because it was a kids mystery and they were solving real cases. The characters were well thought out and interesting.
March 6, 2016
I read this today because many of my students are reading it.. I think for the average sixth grade student, it is a fun and quick read with funny characters and the story moves at a nice pace.
March 11, 2016
A fun, fast step up from Encyclopedia Brown.
December 3, 2013
Wonder if Sam Solomon is really a series...
May 10, 2014
A great series if you have kids who like brain teasers and riddles.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews