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The Caden Chronicles #1
Dead Man's Hand
In an exciting, engaging, and often humorous style, Eddie Jones has created a mystery trilogy about Nick, a curious young man, who begins to question everything around him, including his faith.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 23, 2012
55 people are currently reading
1098 people want to read
About the author
Eddie Jones
37 books119 followersEddie is an award-winning author of middle-grade fiction with HarperCollins. Father of two boys, he's also a pirate at heart who loves to surf.
Eddie's middle grade series are wholesome reading with a flair for unexpected adventure. The Caden Chronicles series has a spooky but spiritual message based on real "monsters" in the Bible. The sixth book in the series, "Rumor of a Werewolf", released in June 2019 and is a finalist for the Selah awards in Middle Grade fiction.
"The Caribbean Chronicles" is a time-travel pirate adventure series based on a boy who suffers from absence seizures. The third book, "The End of Calico Jack", released September 2019 and is a finalist for the Selah award in Young Adult fiction. All of Eddie's pirate and "monster" mystery books are award-winners.
An avid sailor with a great sense of humor, Eddie has been married to a girl he met at a stoplight in West Palm Beach during spring break many, many years ago.
Awards for Middle Grade and YA novels
* Winner of the Selah award for tween / teen mysteries
* INSPY Award
* Moonbeam Children's Book Award
Readers Are Leaders - Buy a Boy a Book!
WritersCoach.us
Eddiejones.org
eddie@eddiejones.org
Twitter.com/EddieJonesTweet
Facebook.com/EddieJonesHumor
Instagram.com/authoreddiejones
Eddie's middle grade series are wholesome reading with a flair for unexpected adventure. The Caden Chronicles series has a spooky but spiritual message based on real "monsters" in the Bible. The sixth book in the series, "Rumor of a Werewolf", released in June 2019 and is a finalist for the Selah awards in Middle Grade fiction.
"The Caribbean Chronicles" is a time-travel pirate adventure series based on a boy who suffers from absence seizures. The third book, "The End of Calico Jack", released September 2019 and is a finalist for the Selah award in Young Adult fiction. All of Eddie's pirate and "monster" mystery books are award-winners.
An avid sailor with a great sense of humor, Eddie has been married to a girl he met at a stoplight in West Palm Beach during spring break many, many years ago.
Awards for Middle Grade and YA novels
* Winner of the Selah award for tween / teen mysteries
* INSPY Award
* Moonbeam Children's Book Award
Readers Are Leaders - Buy a Boy a Book!
WritersCoach.us
Eddiejones.org
eddie@eddiejones.org
Twitter.com/EddieJonesTweet
Facebook.com/EddieJonesHumor
Instagram.com/authoreddiejones
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
October 6, 2020
Murder mysteries have always been one of my favorite types of stories. I love trying to figure out who did the crime along with the main character as they search through clues and suspects and arrive at the answer. Some mysteries can end up being too obvious, and others tend to be too difficult to follow along with. Dead Man's Hand by Eddie Jones falls somewhere in the middle. I found myself guessing at who the criminal might be, because it seemed somewhat obvious, but then there were a couple twists that were almost impossible to guess ahead of time. But, did I enjoy the book? Yeah, I did.
Dead Man's Hand centers on Nick Caden and his family trip to an old Ghost Town in Colorado. They think they're in for a lot of fun in the Old West, or at least the rest of the family does. Nick's not so sure it's going to be that great of a time -- in fact, he's expecting this to be one of the most boring weeks of his life. That's until he comes across a dead body that vanishes. Is it just a trick like all the other stunts in town? Or is something more sinister going on? Nick's on the case, and along the way, he's going to try his best to steer clear of the ghosts of the Ghost Town.
Written entirely from Nick's point of view, this book is a quick read, aimed at middle grade readers, but with surprisingly dark moments. The writing is very fast-paced, but sometimes the plot meanders a little bit as Nick investigates suspects and tries to figure out what's going on. At some points I wanted to say, "But that would never happen in real life..." but eventually I decided to suspend reality and just go along with the story.
However, this book does one thing that really annoys me when an author is trying to drag out a mystery. At one point, a character sees something, but then refuses to tell Nick about it for nearly the whole book, and that one thing could have solved the case much sooner. Obviously, the drama is being played out for the mystery's sake, but I wish Eddie Jones had found a more creative way around this particular plot point.
This book does contain some references to Christianity, including some Bible references that were actually kind of fascinating from the perspective of a "ghost hunter." I had never thought about a couple of the passages that way before, and it was certainly intriguing, but a minor part of the story. However, there is one reference that I kept waiting to see where it would go, but never did go anywhere. At one point, a bandit in town starts yelling at the sheriff in Spanish, and quotes John 14:6 in Spanish. However, this is not translated for the reader who doesn't know Spanish, and I thought it kind of odd for the bandit to yell at the sheriff, rather than something else like "You'll never catch me," etc. It just came across as somewhat odd, and perhaps disrespectful to the bandit, Spanish, and the verse.
In the end, this is a fun, easy read, and definitely not a waste of time. If you enjoy the Old West or murder mysteries for a middle grade audience, give this one a go!
Dead Man's Hand centers on Nick Caden and his family trip to an old Ghost Town in Colorado. They think they're in for a lot of fun in the Old West, or at least the rest of the family does. Nick's not so sure it's going to be that great of a time -- in fact, he's expecting this to be one of the most boring weeks of his life. That's until he comes across a dead body that vanishes. Is it just a trick like all the other stunts in town? Or is something more sinister going on? Nick's on the case, and along the way, he's going to try his best to steer clear of the ghosts of the Ghost Town.
Written entirely from Nick's point of view, this book is a quick read, aimed at middle grade readers, but with surprisingly dark moments. The writing is very fast-paced, but sometimes the plot meanders a little bit as Nick investigates suspects and tries to figure out what's going on. At some points I wanted to say, "But that would never happen in real life..." but eventually I decided to suspend reality and just go along with the story.
However, this book does one thing that really annoys me when an author is trying to drag out a mystery. At one point, a character sees something, but then refuses to tell Nick about it for nearly the whole book, and that one thing could have solved the case much sooner. Obviously, the drama is being played out for the mystery's sake, but I wish Eddie Jones had found a more creative way around this particular plot point.
This book does contain some references to Christianity, including some Bible references that were actually kind of fascinating from the perspective of a "ghost hunter." I had never thought about a couple of the passages that way before, and it was certainly intriguing, but a minor part of the story. However, there is one reference that I kept waiting to see where it would go, but never did go anywhere. At one point, a bandit in town starts yelling at the sheriff in Spanish, and quotes John 14:6 in Spanish. However, this is not translated for the reader who doesn't know Spanish, and I thought it kind of odd for the bandit to yell at the sheriff, rather than something else like "You'll never catch me," etc. It just came across as somewhat odd, and perhaps disrespectful to the bandit, Spanish, and the verse.
In the end, this is a fun, easy read, and definitely not a waste of time. If you enjoy the Old West or murder mysteries for a middle grade audience, give this one a go!
November 25, 2012
I won this as a First Reads giveaway. I was given an ARC. The only thing I felt cheated out of was the pictures that are suppose to be included. I could tell since there was place holder text at work. I would have loved to see those pictures. =(
For my star rating - I think this book is actually a 3.5 stars. However, I'm rounding up based on charity and benefit of the doubt. I mean this is a first book in a series which does avoid a lot of problems first books face and it is indeed an enjoyable good read. I will look into the next book in this series, but I have a bit of concern on how that book is going to play out. For specifics, it's at the end of my review under the spoiler link.
I'm an adult who love young adult books. I think this is a good book for young readers and adults a like to enjoy. It is on the clean side. So for those of us who like young adult fiction that delves into real issues like Crank does, this is not it. It's a good clean fun mystery. Think Hardy Boys, only not as lame. Now if you're a parent I do suggest you read this with, before, or along side your child. There are things brought up that you probably want to clarify or talk about like the actual history of the Old West and religion, specifically the Bible being brought up.
I really enjoyed this book. Nick Caden was well done. There's a fine line when writing teenage characters, especially for teenage readers. You need the character to be believable and relatable so the character needs to be up to date. On the other hand sometimes with an over load of pop culture references, slang terms and attitude teenage characters will be overdone obviously by an older author trying to come off as cool and hip. The teenage character becomes cringe worthy and a caricature. Thankfully, Nick Caden falls into the former category. He's a relatable believable 14 year old boy. I'm quite fond of him actually. I was won over by his love of NCIS and Criminal Minds.
I think basically all the characters were well done. Nick's family and their dynamics was among the high points. I'm a bit iffy on Annie though. She didn't seem to come together very well. Of course, maybe there's just some detail we're missing in her background that really brings her together. She does remain a mystery.
I loved the mystery and Nick's stubborn logical view of things. It was refreshing. It actually put me in the mind of Scooby Doo and that's quite a good thing considering how awesome that show was (the original, of course, not that new CGI crap with live actors) and how much I love Scooby Doo. Too often with mysteries you can see it coming from a mile away. Not true in this case. I really was guessing til the end of the book. The plot with it's twists and turns was well done. I have no complaints in this department. It's actually the best part of the book. The part that made me want to keep on reading and find out how it ends.
Minor Issues:
Why is a 14 year old having to worry about cholesterol? There's no mention of why. He certainly seems physical fit in the book based on certain things he did and no mention of anything to give the reader any impression otherwise.
At the end of the book there's mention of him wearing glasses but it's not mentioned any place else. With all the running, climbing, riding and whatnot going on you'd think Nick would mention glasses. Especially since given the physical activities going on the glasses would get slippery due to sweat or fall off or be a hassle.
They never did reveal how the awesome special effects are done. I mean the special effects really were far too advanced for anything we have going currently. The gun part was explained but the whole 'people becoming translucent and dissolving into the ground right in front of visitors' wasn't. Unless we're just suppose to assume they really are ghosts? I guess that's what the line "nagging questions of the ultimate destiny of a person's body, soul and spirit?" in the blurb was getting at.
On page 62, there's some dialogue regarding the Bible and some crazy passages in there about ghosts, zombies and vampires. Oh my! It's a great poking fun at some of the outrageous claims in the Bible.
For specific quotes regarding the Bible and my take on them:
For my star rating - I think this book is actually a 3.5 stars. However, I'm rounding up based on charity and benefit of the doubt. I mean this is a first book in a series which does avoid a lot of problems first books face and it is indeed an enjoyable good read. I will look into the next book in this series, but I have a bit of concern on how that book is going to play out. For specifics, it's at the end of my review under the spoiler link.
I'm an adult who love young adult books. I think this is a good book for young readers and adults a like to enjoy. It is on the clean side. So for those of us who like young adult fiction that delves into real issues like Crank does, this is not it. It's a good clean fun mystery. Think Hardy Boys, only not as lame. Now if you're a parent I do suggest you read this with, before, or along side your child. There are things brought up that you probably want to clarify or talk about like the actual history of the Old West and religion, specifically the Bible being brought up.
I really enjoyed this book. Nick Caden was well done. There's a fine line when writing teenage characters, especially for teenage readers. You need the character to be believable and relatable so the character needs to be up to date. On the other hand sometimes with an over load of pop culture references, slang terms and attitude teenage characters will be overdone obviously by an older author trying to come off as cool and hip. The teenage character becomes cringe worthy and a caricature. Thankfully, Nick Caden falls into the former category. He's a relatable believable 14 year old boy. I'm quite fond of him actually. I was won over by his love of NCIS and Criminal Minds.
I think basically all the characters were well done. Nick's family and their dynamics was among the high points. I'm a bit iffy on Annie though. She didn't seem to come together very well. Of course, maybe there's just some detail we're missing in her background that really brings her together. She does remain a mystery.
I loved the mystery and Nick's stubborn logical view of things. It was refreshing. It actually put me in the mind of Scooby Doo and that's quite a good thing considering how awesome that show was (the original, of course, not that new CGI crap with live actors) and how much I love Scooby Doo. Too often with mysteries you can see it coming from a mile away. Not true in this case. I really was guessing til the end of the book. The plot with it's twists and turns was well done. I have no complaints in this department. It's actually the best part of the book. The part that made me want to keep on reading and find out how it ends.
Minor Issues:
Why is a 14 year old having to worry about cholesterol? There's no mention of why. He certainly seems physical fit in the book based on certain things he did and no mention of anything to give the reader any impression otherwise.
At the end of the book there's mention of him wearing glasses but it's not mentioned any place else. With all the running, climbing, riding and whatnot going on you'd think Nick would mention glasses. Especially since given the physical activities going on the glasses would get slippery due to sweat or fall off or be a hassle.
They never did reveal how the awesome special effects are done. I mean the special effects really were far too advanced for anything we have going currently. The gun part was explained but the whole 'people becoming translucent and dissolving into the ground right in front of visitors' wasn't. Unless we're just suppose to assume they really are ghosts? I guess that's what the line "nagging questions of the ultimate destiny of a person's body, soul and spirit?" in the blurb was getting at.
On page 62, there's some dialogue regarding the Bible and some crazy passages in there about ghosts, zombies and vampires. Oh my! It's a great poking fun at some of the outrageous claims in the Bible.
For specific quotes regarding the Bible and my take on them:
April 12, 2016
An unsolicited Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes have been pulled from an ARC and may be subject to change.
When Nick and his family are on a vacation to an out of sorts town in the middle of no-where’s-ville, he stumbles upon a mystery that needs to be solved. There is a murderer on the loose, and Nick is determined to find out who it is. His sleuthing skills are put to the test as he finds out who it is, and how they’re doing it.
Nick is your average teenage boy, and I absolutely loved the fact that he was resourceful enough to find out who the suspects were. I also like the fact that his character enjoyed solving real life cases by watching TV shows such as Criminal Minds and C.S.I.. I also liked that there wasn’t a ton of Christian references but enough to write a good quote or two. The romance was also cute, but not overly cheesy since these two are just pre-teens.
There is always something special about cowboys and the Wild Wild West, and this one is no exception. I thought the story was well done, and the writing was interlaced with quirky suspects, and a fast moving plot. The author depicts a lot of the setting and I absolutely love it when they’re creative with the world building. It paints a clear and imaginative picture in my head and doesn’t take a while to erase. At first, I was hesitant to read the book since there were scenes where ghosts come and go and I’m such a chicken, I put it down so I could read it during the day.
Characters
Good characters, good distinct personalities, and they do mature in the end.
Pacing
Good pacing. A little slow at the beginning.
Cover & Design
Not catching enough, and I probably missed something because I don’t remember Nick carrying a microphone during the entire book.
Plot
Very good mystery that had me guessing until the very end.
Overall, a good enough page turner story that will get your detective skills to good use!
When Nick and his family are on a vacation to an out of sorts town in the middle of no-where’s-ville, he stumbles upon a mystery that needs to be solved. There is a murderer on the loose, and Nick is determined to find out who it is. His sleuthing skills are put to the test as he finds out who it is, and how they’re doing it.
Nick is your average teenage boy, and I absolutely loved the fact that he was resourceful enough to find out who the suspects were. I also like the fact that his character enjoyed solving real life cases by watching TV shows such as Criminal Minds and C.S.I.. I also liked that there wasn’t a ton of Christian references but enough to write a good quote or two. The romance was also cute, but not overly cheesy since these two are just pre-teens.
There is always something special about cowboys and the Wild Wild West, and this one is no exception. I thought the story was well done, and the writing was interlaced with quirky suspects, and a fast moving plot. The author depicts a lot of the setting and I absolutely love it when they’re creative with the world building. It paints a clear and imaginative picture in my head and doesn’t take a while to erase. At first, I was hesitant to read the book since there were scenes where ghosts come and go and I’m such a chicken, I put it down so I could read it during the day.
Characters
Good characters, good distinct personalities, and they do mature in the end.
Pacing
Good pacing. A little slow at the beginning.
Cover & Design
Not catching enough, and I probably missed something because I don’t remember Nick carrying a microphone during the entire book.
Plot
Very good mystery that had me guessing until the very end.
Overall, a good enough page turner story that will get your detective skills to good use!
June 29, 2012
I was provided a free ARC from Zondervan for reviewing purposes.
This book really surprised me. It's written for an audience that is younger than I usually read, yet it still ended up being a well-developed murder mystery. The beginning of the novel was very fast-paced and exciting, then slowed down a bit in the middle with all of the details of the investigation. Nevertheless, it is very well-written and easy to read (and enjoyable to read, actually).
The main character visits a tourist ghost town with his family, where he immediately stumbles upon a dead body. He reports it to the town sheriff only to find that the body has completely disappeared when they go back to check out the crime scene. The boy then spends the rest of his time investigating the murder. Is there a murderer on the loose, or possibly real ghosts in the ghost town wreaking havoc?
This novel felt very authentic to me, with a modern teenage boy accurately portrayed along with the rest of his family. The description of the ghost town and it's inhabitants were also excellent (far better than I was expecting for a children's novel). I would recommend this to not only the intended audience (young males) but also to adults looking for an easy-read murder mystery.
This book really surprised me. It's written for an audience that is younger than I usually read, yet it still ended up being a well-developed murder mystery. The beginning of the novel was very fast-paced and exciting, then slowed down a bit in the middle with all of the details of the investigation. Nevertheless, it is very well-written and easy to read (and enjoyable to read, actually).
The main character visits a tourist ghost town with his family, where he immediately stumbles upon a dead body. He reports it to the town sheriff only to find that the body has completely disappeared when they go back to check out the crime scene. The boy then spends the rest of his time investigating the murder. Is there a murderer on the loose, or possibly real ghosts in the ghost town wreaking havoc?
This novel felt very authentic to me, with a modern teenage boy accurately portrayed along with the rest of his family. The description of the ghost town and it's inhabitants were also excellent (far better than I was expecting for a children's novel). I would recommend this to not only the intended audience (young males) but also to adults looking for an easy-read murder mystery.
October 8, 2012
I grew up reading the Hardy Boys, and Eddie Jones' Dead Man's Hand reminds me a lot of those books. My son (10) read it and loved it. He called it a great ghost story with lots of action and adventure.
August 24, 2021
Nick and his family take a vacation to Deadwood Ranch, which is a ranch with shows and entertainment based on the Wild West. Nick is not happy about taking the trip, so as soon as he arrives he is drawn to a sports car that he hears revving in a barn. When he goes up to the hayloft, he sees what he thinks is a murder of one of the performers playing Billy the Kid. Nick reports what he saw, but the body has disappeared and everyone thinks that the actor took another job and left. Nick knows what he saw and once he gets the help of his computer crime solving skills, he decides to investigate what he believes was a murder.
Dead Man's Hand includes a nice mystery with lots of suspects and clues to keep the reader interested. There is also a paranormal aspect that keeps popping up in the story to keep the reader guessing. Nick is a fairly bratty teenager, who is not very likable among other characters who are barely developed, making it difficult to find a reason to enjoy Nick's pursuit of a possible killer. Overall, Dead Man's Hand is an average mystery with an obnoxious protagonist.
Dead Man's Hand includes a nice mystery with lots of suspects and clues to keep the reader interested. There is also a paranormal aspect that keeps popping up in the story to keep the reader guessing. Nick is a fairly bratty teenager, who is not very likable among other characters who are barely developed, making it difficult to find a reason to enjoy Nick's pursuit of a possible killer. Overall, Dead Man's Hand is an average mystery with an obnoxious protagonist.
August 3, 2022
Decent start to a series
This was an enjoyable first book, and I'm curious to see what other mysteries Nick gets involved in. While it took a bit for me to get into, the later part of the story picked up and drew my interest. Looking forward to the next book.
This was an enjoyable first book, and I'm curious to see what other mysteries Nick gets involved in. While it took a bit for me to get into, the later part of the story picked up and drew my interest. Looking forward to the next book.
May 7, 2015
I received Dead Man’s Hand by Eddie Jones from ZonderKidz publishing and this is my honest review.
Dead Man’s Hand is a story about a young boy named Nick Caden who thinks of himself as a detective. (his family and friends think otherwise) Anyways Nick and his family decide to go on vacation to Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town, which Nick isn’t too excited about until he is convinced that he has witnessed a murder in the towns barn. This causes Nick to want to investigate and that is exactly what he does.
Lets talk about Nick, his character is pretty entertaining. I loved that no matter what people told him he never gave up. So many people were against him being a detective at first (even his own family) so watching him do whatever it took to uncover the murder it was courageous on his part and I really like that in a character.
The plot of this story intrigued me a lot because in the press release it is stated that if you like mysteries and crime TV that you’ll love this book. That statement alone made me want to read this book, because ever since 4th grade every time my teacher asked me what types of books I liked my answer would be mysteries. This also led to my collection on Nancy Drew, and The Hardy Boys books. Also I am obsessed with crime TV shows my netflix is filled to the brim with every crime show it has and I cannot get enough of them. So as you can imagine, I really enjoyed this book.
The only thing that I was a little disappointed about with this book is that also in the press release it said that this series was supernatural, and while reading I didn’t really come across any supernatural elements. Sure the characters talked about ghosts, and there was a haunted place in the book but there wasn’t enough about these things for it to be supernatural in my mind. It says though that the whole series is supernatural so hopefully book too will be better in that department.
Nevertheless I started this book and had it finished in less than 24 hours (told you I liked mysteries) I found myself right along with Nick trying to figure out who I thought was the killer but Jones did a great job keeping the killer underwraps because at the end when I found out who the killer was I was totally dumbfounded! I did not expect the killer to be who he was. The story gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I can’t wait to read book 2 which I already have in my possession!
Dead Man’s Hand is a story about a young boy named Nick Caden who thinks of himself as a detective. (his family and friends think otherwise) Anyways Nick and his family decide to go on vacation to Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town, which Nick isn’t too excited about until he is convinced that he has witnessed a murder in the towns barn. This causes Nick to want to investigate and that is exactly what he does.
Lets talk about Nick, his character is pretty entertaining. I loved that no matter what people told him he never gave up. So many people were against him being a detective at first (even his own family) so watching him do whatever it took to uncover the murder it was courageous on his part and I really like that in a character.
The plot of this story intrigued me a lot because in the press release it is stated that if you like mysteries and crime TV that you’ll love this book. That statement alone made me want to read this book, because ever since 4th grade every time my teacher asked me what types of books I liked my answer would be mysteries. This also led to my collection on Nancy Drew, and The Hardy Boys books. Also I am obsessed with crime TV shows my netflix is filled to the brim with every crime show it has and I cannot get enough of them. So as you can imagine, I really enjoyed this book.
The only thing that I was a little disappointed about with this book is that also in the press release it said that this series was supernatural, and while reading I didn’t really come across any supernatural elements. Sure the characters talked about ghosts, and there was a haunted place in the book but there wasn’t enough about these things for it to be supernatural in my mind. It says though that the whole series is supernatural so hopefully book too will be better in that department.
Nevertheless I started this book and had it finished in less than 24 hours (told you I liked mysteries) I found myself right along with Nick trying to figure out who I thought was the killer but Jones did a great job keeping the killer underwraps because at the end when I found out who the killer was I was totally dumbfounded! I did not expect the killer to be who he was. The story gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I can’t wait to read book 2 which I already have in my possession!
August 28, 2012
*Won ARC through Goodreads giveaway*
I am so surprised with this book. This book is categorized as young adult. I haven't read a young adult novel in a long time but as I read this book, I was pulled back into the days of my youth. The story is narrated by Nick Caden, Certified Cyber Sleuth. He's a bright, intelligent teen of fifteen years old who loves to solve mysteries. Luckily (rather unlukily), he's faced with his first real murder investigation. The murder of Billy the Kid.
Upon arriving to Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town with his family, he's witness to a murder. After finding the dead body of Billy the Kid, he leaves to report to the sheriff. When they arrive back to the scene of the crime, the body is gone. This sets in motion the search for the real killer. Although everyone is sure no murder has taken place, Nick Caden does not let it deter his goal in finding whodunit.
Eddie Jones does a great job at writing from a teen's perspective and holding the readers interest. When reading about teens, at times, I become very agitated and annoyed at their brattyness, but this time I had no problem enjoying the story from Caden's view. Although the writing is simplistic, the novel is well written and engrossing.
This book is not my usual read but I can see many teen's and preteens enjoying this series. There's suspense, mystery, and intrigue. I gave this book 4 stars based on what I think I would have wanted at the age this book is geared for. It has all the elements needed: Interesting story, an intriguing main character, and action.
I am so surprised with this book. This book is categorized as young adult. I haven't read a young adult novel in a long time but as I read this book, I was pulled back into the days of my youth. The story is narrated by Nick Caden, Certified Cyber Sleuth. He's a bright, intelligent teen of fifteen years old who loves to solve mysteries. Luckily (rather unlukily), he's faced with his first real murder investigation. The murder of Billy the Kid.
Upon arriving to Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town with his family, he's witness to a murder. After finding the dead body of Billy the Kid, he leaves to report to the sheriff. When they arrive back to the scene of the crime, the body is gone. This sets in motion the search for the real killer. Although everyone is sure no murder has taken place, Nick Caden does not let it deter his goal in finding whodunit.
Eddie Jones does a great job at writing from a teen's perspective and holding the readers interest. When reading about teens, at times, I become very agitated and annoyed at their brattyness, but this time I had no problem enjoying the story from Caden's view. Although the writing is simplistic, the novel is well written and engrossing.
This book is not my usual read but I can see many teen's and preteens enjoying this series. There's suspense, mystery, and intrigue. I gave this book 4 stars based on what I think I would have wanted at the age this book is geared for. It has all the elements needed: Interesting story, an intriguing main character, and action.
September 1, 2012
I am reviewing a advanced reading copy provided by Zondervan via Goodreads first-reads.
A good ole wild west (kinda!) murder mystery aimed at young teens. Overall a good book but I had trouble relating to the main character Nick at the beginning of the book. Simply put, I just didn't believe him. Like the adults in the book, I found myself having trouble believing him and often wondered if it was some sort of elaborate hoax or customized vacation experience. Since the book is entirely from Nick's point of view, I would expect to be behind him from the start without any doubts. About a quarter of the way through though, I really started to believe and then enjoyed the details, clues, and false trails you expect from a good murder mystery. As is I would give this three stars but am giving it four for potential since it is likely in edits now, hopefully one helping the reader understand Nick's motivations earlier on.
A good ole wild west (kinda!) murder mystery aimed at young teens. Overall a good book but I had trouble relating to the main character Nick at the beginning of the book. Simply put, I just didn't believe him. Like the adults in the book, I found myself having trouble believing him and often wondered if it was some sort of elaborate hoax or customized vacation experience. Since the book is entirely from Nick's point of view, I would expect to be behind him from the start without any doubts. About a quarter of the way through though, I really started to believe and then enjoyed the details, clues, and false trails you expect from a good murder mystery. As is I would give this three stars but am giving it four for potential since it is likely in edits now, hopefully one helping the reader understand Nick's motivations earlier on.
September 7, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
When Nick and his family go on a holiday to an old west ghost town, they stumble upon a mystery that put Nick’s sleuthing abilities to a real test. I liked the set up of this novel – it was fairly original. Nick’s behavior is authnetic to teens, and the murder mystery was complex enough to hold my interest.
When Nick and his family go on a holiday to an old west ghost town, they stumble upon a mystery that put Nick’s sleuthing abilities to a real test. I liked the set up of this novel – it was fairly original. Nick’s behavior is authnetic to teens, and the murder mystery was complex enough to hold my interest.
July 2, 2013
The suspense dragged me in from the very beginning. As an aunt who buys books for her nephews, I was delighted to find a book I know they will love but holds firm to the truth. I appreciated how the author deals with a popular topic while maintaining good perspective. I'm excited to find a new author to pull from for those gift-giving occasions. Besides, I get to read them first!
September 2, 2012
I am reading this book aloud to my seventh grade english class and they absolutely love it. It is really intriguing and gets the childrens attention. (And mine) It is so hard not to read ahead because i am so engrossed in the book too!
July 12, 2024
Whenever I pick up a new book I go in with low expectations that way when it impresses me it hits better, this was no expectation. To be honest I'm not really sure what I was expecting but overall I found this to be very enjoyable, I read it in two days and the mystery kept me interested the whole way through.
In regards to the audience I would recommend this to, it definitely would work for that area between middle and ya, Caden is 14 and genuinely feels like a 14 year old. He is bit awkward around the ladies but also has his hyper focus subjects that keep him busy, if not a little annoying to the adults around him. Who I can see really enjoying this are boys moving from middle grade to YA books, it's easy to read but the mystery will keep them on their toes and thinking. There is the wild west, shootouts, car talk and of course Caden acting like a detective.
Another element I really appreciated was how real the family dynamic felt, a think a lot of kids can see their home life reflected in this. A lot of the time family dynamics can be overly happy and good natured in books geared towards younger audiences but this one takes the opposite approach and shows how families bicker, can be short tempered, and overall a pain in each others sides, it's a family dynamic that really exists.
The mystery was very well done and even had me guessing all the way up to the end who the culprit was. I enjoyed the setting of visiting this wild west reenactment tourist location and the mystery took zero time being introduced into the plot. Caden is great character who really feels like the kind of person who gets so caught up in what they want to do. You would think you would have to suspend a little bit of disbelief that that everyone is fine with this 14 yr old "investigating" but I think the location used helped make it easier to believe that this could happen, since you don't know if everyone is playing along or actually trying to cover their tracks.
The only part I had an issue with was the train car actor and his storytelling. While I understand the approach of making the character tell the history of the wild west in a comedic form to keep the passengers entertained, I personally thought it was in bad taste to dwindle down the atrocities that the Indigenous people went through to be something funny. I know the book isn't meant to teach kids but it felt so wrong to make those events something to laugh about.
Aside from that one issue I will be hunting down the 2nd book and seeing what happens next for Caden, what is nice though is that you can read this and not have to move on as it's a full complete story. Also I loved the art that is in my copy, though Caden never has glasses in any of them and yet he says he wears glasses? What's up with that haha?
In regards to the audience I would recommend this to, it definitely would work for that area between middle and ya, Caden is 14 and genuinely feels like a 14 year old. He is bit awkward around the ladies but also has his hyper focus subjects that keep him busy, if not a little annoying to the adults around him. Who I can see really enjoying this are boys moving from middle grade to YA books, it's easy to read but the mystery will keep them on their toes and thinking. There is the wild west, shootouts, car talk and of course Caden acting like a detective.
Another element I really appreciated was how real the family dynamic felt, a think a lot of kids can see their home life reflected in this. A lot of the time family dynamics can be overly happy and good natured in books geared towards younger audiences but this one takes the opposite approach and shows how families bicker, can be short tempered, and overall a pain in each others sides, it's a family dynamic that really exists.
The mystery was very well done and even had me guessing all the way up to the end who the culprit was. I enjoyed the setting of visiting this wild west reenactment tourist location and the mystery took zero time being introduced into the plot. Caden is great character who really feels like the kind of person who gets so caught up in what they want to do. You would think you would have to suspend a little bit of disbelief that that everyone is fine with this 14 yr old "investigating" but I think the location used helped make it easier to believe that this could happen, since you don't know if everyone is playing along or actually trying to cover their tracks.
The only part I had an issue with was the train car actor and his storytelling. While I understand the approach of making the character tell the history of the wild west in a comedic form to keep the passengers entertained, I personally thought it was in bad taste to dwindle down the atrocities that the Indigenous people went through to be something funny. I know the book isn't meant to teach kids but it felt so wrong to make those events something to laugh about.
Aside from that one issue I will be hunting down the 2nd book and seeing what happens next for Caden, what is nice though is that you can read this and not have to move on as it's a full complete story. Also I loved the art that is in my copy, though Caden never has glasses in any of them and yet he says he wears glasses? What's up with that haha?
February 6, 2013
She's Got Books on Her Mind
Nick's been dragged along to go on a family vacation to an old Wild West town where cowboy actors play the part of the most well know outlaws - Jessie James, Billy the Kid, Annie Oakley, and more. Nick's dreading hanging out in an old town where there is no cell reception, no internet, and surely there is nothing fun to do. That all changes when Nick discovers a dead body in a barn but when he goes to tell the marshal by the time the marshal sends someone out to check if there is a murder case on their hands the body is gone. There are no blood stains to corroborate Nick's claim. They all say it was probably just part of the act. There are projections to make it look like someone was shot and there are trapdoors to take the "bodies" away to put on a good show. Nick doesn't buy it. He knows what he saw and he will find the truth no matter what it costs even if he has to put his own life in danger.
Back home Nick has this detective club where him and a bunch of friends use this computer system to help solve crimes they see on television shows. It's all fun and games but not to Nick. He takes it all seriously. He even comments from time to time what he does with his friends which I don't think is a good move if you want someone to take you seriously but it at least gives you some background on the story. He is determined to figure out what happened to Billy the Kid, the actor's stage name who's body he found, who supposedly left for Hollywood after he got a role in a movie. Nick is very analytical and knows what questions to ask and what questions he should not just in case that the person he is talking to is the killer. He gets to ask these questions because he was deputized by the marshal so he wouldn't go blabbing about an imagined murder to the other customers. Most people he talks to humor him but they usually end up getting offended by what he asks which makes you know that he doesn't pull any punches. Meanwhile his parents go along with it like it's okay that they never see their son around on their vacation. These are the most irresponsible parents I've met in a while in a book. How could you let your kid wonder off in a strange place? He's fourteen (or thirteen I was confused about his age because he's not supposed to be fourteen till a month or something but they keep on saying he's fourteen...) which makes him a minor who you know likes to get in trouble. You need to pay attention to your child before he gets killed!
He partners up (sort of) with the Annie Oakley of the town who's real name is Annabel. She's Nick's same age with freckles all over her face and a tomboy attitude. She is sent to keep an eye on him by her uncle (the marshal) to make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble. That proves to not have helped because wherever this boy goes trouble follows him. He's raising tough questions all the while the killer could be planning his accidental death for all we know. Nick is brazen and just goes with everything. I feel like I kind if missed something with his story because the parents think he will cause some trouble before the vacation begins, they keep on talking about this computer program, and his club back home. It just felt like I was reading a sequel instead of the first story sometimes. I really wish Annie and possibly his little sister Wendy would have been part of the story more. I think there was a missed opportunity with Wendy not being by her brother's side helping solve the case. She's going to go with him wherever the series takes them so why not let her be her annoying self that contributes her own opinions to help solve cases? It makes perfect sense! I don't mind the parents being in the background because that usually happens anyways but I want to see the sister more.
I really liked where the mystery took me. There were various amounts of suspects even people who surprised me. Nick did a good job investigating and letting me see the different possible motives and see the sides of people that make them look like the killer. There was a moment where I felt like this person seems like the killer. It made sense that they were and guess what? I was right. I don't think it was obvious especially not the motive. The motive came out of nowhere for me. I think it just clicked with me but with others it just might not. Everything was really good about this book except one or two things including me wanting Wendy more in the story. I also felt that it was a little unrealistic that Nick's parents and other adults would let him go around and humor him about a murder. It was a little strange but I can understand that younger kids may not see it that way. There was also a little religious thing I can see going on. There was mention of it once and I kind of brushed it aside because it wasn't a big deal. It was just part of this story and it was just a little part for those of you who don't like that in their books. But, then I see where it's possibly leading into this whole religious case next time... I don't know if I would want to read it. I am curious to see what the next story will bring anyways.
With this story I have to say I really enjoyed it no matter what little things I nitpicked on earlier. It's a very "boy" book that I think reluctant readers will like especially with the setting being the Wild West and it being about murder but I also think girls will equally like it based upon the mystery and Annie's character. The story is very different than what I'm used to which I love. Nick's journey is something new to me and I really enjoyed the way he thought. He was a great blend of calm and impulsive at the same time. He was confident in what he doing and gave us a real good show in his own way.
Nick's been dragged along to go on a family vacation to an old Wild West town where cowboy actors play the part of the most well know outlaws - Jessie James, Billy the Kid, Annie Oakley, and more. Nick's dreading hanging out in an old town where there is no cell reception, no internet, and surely there is nothing fun to do. That all changes when Nick discovers a dead body in a barn but when he goes to tell the marshal by the time the marshal sends someone out to check if there is a murder case on their hands the body is gone. There are no blood stains to corroborate Nick's claim. They all say it was probably just part of the act. There are projections to make it look like someone was shot and there are trapdoors to take the "bodies" away to put on a good show. Nick doesn't buy it. He knows what he saw and he will find the truth no matter what it costs even if he has to put his own life in danger.
Back home Nick has this detective club where him and a bunch of friends use this computer system to help solve crimes they see on television shows. It's all fun and games but not to Nick. He takes it all seriously. He even comments from time to time what he does with his friends which I don't think is a good move if you want someone to take you seriously but it at least gives you some background on the story. He is determined to figure out what happened to Billy the Kid, the actor's stage name who's body he found, who supposedly left for Hollywood after he got a role in a movie. Nick is very analytical and knows what questions to ask and what questions he should not just in case that the person he is talking to is the killer. He gets to ask these questions because he was deputized by the marshal so he wouldn't go blabbing about an imagined murder to the other customers. Most people he talks to humor him but they usually end up getting offended by what he asks which makes you know that he doesn't pull any punches. Meanwhile his parents go along with it like it's okay that they never see their son around on their vacation. These are the most irresponsible parents I've met in a while in a book. How could you let your kid wonder off in a strange place? He's fourteen (or thirteen I was confused about his age because he's not supposed to be fourteen till a month or something but they keep on saying he's fourteen...) which makes him a minor who you know likes to get in trouble. You need to pay attention to your child before he gets killed!
He partners up (sort of) with the Annie Oakley of the town who's real name is Annabel. She's Nick's same age with freckles all over her face and a tomboy attitude. She is sent to keep an eye on him by her uncle (the marshal) to make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble. That proves to not have helped because wherever this boy goes trouble follows him. He's raising tough questions all the while the killer could be planning his accidental death for all we know. Nick is brazen and just goes with everything. I feel like I kind if missed something with his story because the parents think he will cause some trouble before the vacation begins, they keep on talking about this computer program, and his club back home. It just felt like I was reading a sequel instead of the first story sometimes. I really wish Annie and possibly his little sister Wendy would have been part of the story more. I think there was a missed opportunity with Wendy not being by her brother's side helping solve the case. She's going to go with him wherever the series takes them so why not let her be her annoying self that contributes her own opinions to help solve cases? It makes perfect sense! I don't mind the parents being in the background because that usually happens anyways but I want to see the sister more.
I really liked where the mystery took me. There were various amounts of suspects even people who surprised me. Nick did a good job investigating and letting me see the different possible motives and see the sides of people that make them look like the killer. There was a moment where I felt like this person seems like the killer. It made sense that they were and guess what? I was right. I don't think it was obvious especially not the motive. The motive came out of nowhere for me. I think it just clicked with me but with others it just might not. Everything was really good about this book except one or two things including me wanting Wendy more in the story. I also felt that it was a little unrealistic that Nick's parents and other adults would let him go around and humor him about a murder. It was a little strange but I can understand that younger kids may not see it that way. There was also a little religious thing I can see going on. There was mention of it once and I kind of brushed it aside because it wasn't a big deal. It was just part of this story and it was just a little part for those of you who don't like that in their books. But, then I see where it's possibly leading into this whole religious case next time... I don't know if I would want to read it. I am curious to see what the next story will bring anyways.
With this story I have to say I really enjoyed it no matter what little things I nitpicked on earlier. It's a very "boy" book that I think reluctant readers will like especially with the setting being the Wild West and it being about murder but I also think girls will equally like it based upon the mystery and Annie's character. The story is very different than what I'm used to which I love. Nick's journey is something new to me and I really enjoyed the way he thought. He was a great blend of calm and impulsive at the same time. He was confident in what he doing and gave us a real good show in his own way.
June 8, 2017
This book was a very interesting teen mystery. I would recommend this book to teens and young adults. This book takes place in deadwood South Dakota and is about the murder mystery of Billy the Kid. Nick Caden finds a dead man in a shed a few miles out of town one day, he goes down into town and lets the sheriff and the marshal know what he witnessed. Neither one of those two people believed Nick. Nick decided to take matters in his own hands and try to find the person who convicted the murder. With the help of his sister Wendy they try to find evidence from the murder. The rest is for the reader to figure out by him/herself. In my opinion this book had many interesting twists and plot. But there were places in the book where it was getting kind of repetitive and boring.
October 11, 2019
The Caden Chronicles series is clean, wholesome reading for boys with a spooky spiritual message.
This was actually a pretty good book. Nick is teen reporter Cool Ghoul Gazette. It's a group that watches murder mystery shows and then uses that to investigate and solve real crimes.
Nick and his family arrive in a old Ghost Town camp thinking he is going to be bored out of mind. Things quickly get exciting with a real life Ghost town who done it murder.
This book seems to be geared towards teen boys. Nick can be rude at times and disrespectful to adults.
Not a good example for the young boys reading this book.
I really enjoyed the book.
This was actually a pretty good book. Nick is teen reporter Cool Ghoul Gazette. It's a group that watches murder mystery shows and then uses that to investigate and solve real crimes.
Nick and his family arrive in a old Ghost Town camp thinking he is going to be bored out of mind. Things quickly get exciting with a real life Ghost town who done it murder.
This book seems to be geared towards teen boys. Nick can be rude at times and disrespectful to adults.
Not a good example for the young boys reading this book.
I really enjoyed the book.
March 16, 2020
Nick Caden uncovers the body of Billy the Kid, making this a Wild, Wild, West story. It's all for show ... right?
I love Deadwood. Been there several times since I live in South Dakota. Dead Man's Hand brings it alive ... or in this case ... dead? There's action on every page, leading to an exciting conclusion. As stated in the book description, It's a Wild, West, ride. And I loved it!
I love Deadwood. Been there several times since I live in South Dakota. Dead Man's Hand brings it alive ... or in this case ... dead? There's action on every page, leading to an exciting conclusion. As stated in the book description, It's a Wild, West, ride. And I loved it!
September 5, 2020
I review this audiobook for the author.
I enjoyed the story and the theme. I think that the book jumps right into the action and carries on that way through the whole story, the characters had flaws and were therefore more relatable, but the story of a kid that runs around try to solve a mystery was good but a bit predictable and a little slow. The narrators were good
I enjoyed the story and the theme. I think that the book jumps right into the action and carries on that way through the whole story, the characters had flaws and were therefore more relatable, but the story of a kid that runs around try to solve a mystery was good but a bit predictable and a little slow. The narrators were good
December 10, 2021
Good YA Read
I really enjoyed Dead Man’s Hand. The mystery is well-thought out and kept me guessing until the end. I liked the characters and the writing is spot on, like all of Eddie’s book. I highly recommend it, especially for young people.
I really enjoyed Dead Man’s Hand. The mystery is well-thought out and kept me guessing until the end. I liked the characters and the writing is spot on, like all of Eddie’s book. I highly recommend it, especially for young people.
August 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this and plan to continue the series.
April 16, 2025
I absolutely adore this mystery series of books !
October 22, 2012
This may not be a real cowboy western, but hey, it's set in one of those make-believe cowboy towns that I saw in the "Sweet Valley series" and that I always wanted to visit (whew, that's a long sentence).
Dead Man's Hand is the first in the series of The Caden Chronicles, which I'm guessing is a mystery series. In this book, Nick Caden, our protagonist, is at a family vacation in Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town. He's just arrived when he finds the dead body of Billy the Kid. BUT, when he alerts the sheriff, the body's gone! And thanks to an agreement between the Sheriff and his father, Nick's allowed to investigate - under certain conditions.
I suppose that since this was the author's first book, he's still getting into the hang of things. My biggest problem with the book was the narration. It's told in first-person form, but somehow, it doesn't feel right. I remember being fourteen, and while I wasn't that mature, I didn't remember being so bratty. Honestly, I'll believe it if Nick was like, ten. I'm not sure why, it was just a feeling I got.
The plot was, ok. Nothing spectacular, but it's about the same as most YA mystery novels. I'm already thinking of re-reading the book to see what clues I missed, because the culprit was nothing like I expected.
Finally, the whole spirit/death theme. I think, that the book may have overemphasised the whole spiritual thing in the blurb, because it felt like this was added in last minute. Sure, there was the mysterious Bible with the relevant versus highlighted (and props to the author for doing what Chesterton suggested and making the familiar seem unfamiliar), but I don't recall it helping the plot in a noticable way. And why did Nick suddenly want to investigate the mystery of Jesus?
But I think, the whole review can be summed up in this - I read the book in one sitting. That should tell you how compelling it is.
Disclaimer: I received a free book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.
First posted at IntoTheBook
Dead Man's Hand is the first in the series of The Caden Chronicles, which I'm guessing is a mystery series. In this book, Nick Caden, our protagonist, is at a family vacation in Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town. He's just arrived when he finds the dead body of Billy the Kid. BUT, when he alerts the sheriff, the body's gone! And thanks to an agreement between the Sheriff and his father, Nick's allowed to investigate - under certain conditions.
I suppose that since this was the author's first book, he's still getting into the hang of things. My biggest problem with the book was the narration. It's told in first-person form, but somehow, it doesn't feel right. I remember being fourteen, and while I wasn't that mature, I didn't remember being so bratty. Honestly, I'll believe it if Nick was like, ten. I'm not sure why, it was just a feeling I got.
The plot was, ok. Nothing spectacular, but it's about the same as most YA mystery novels. I'm already thinking of re-reading the book to see what clues I missed, because the culprit was nothing like I expected.
Finally, the whole spirit/death theme. I think, that the book may have overemphasised the whole spiritual thing in the blurb, because it felt like this was added in last minute. Sure, there was the mysterious Bible with the relevant versus highlighted (and props to the author for doing what Chesterton suggested and making the familiar seem unfamiliar), but I don't recall it helping the plot in a noticable way. And why did Nick suddenly want to investigate the mystery of Jesus?
But I think, the whole review can be summed up in this - I read the book in one sitting. That should tell you how compelling it is.
Disclaimer: I received a free book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.
First posted at IntoTheBook
May 26, 2013
If you are looking for a great mystery for your tween/teen to read this summer then this book is the one for you. This is a book that both boys and girls will enjoy. Nick Caden is doomed to spend his summer vacation with his parents and his young sister Wendy at the Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town in Montana.
He can think of nothing more boring. It is supposed to be an old time western ghost town complete with cowboys, re-enactments and history lessons. To me this sounded wonderful. I live in Florida and when I was in my teens we had an old western town in Ocala, Florida called Six Gun Territory. This story immediately took me back to that time and place. I had great memories there. I assumed that since I loved something like that, then maybe a teen would as well.
Nick stumbles upon the dead body of Billy the Kid. When he gets the sheriff and they return to the spot, there is no body. He is told that it was probably all a part of the act. Nick doesn’t buy it. In his free time back home he and his friends participate in a Cyber-Super Sleuth club. Solving mysteries is what he does and he is determined to solve this one. He is helped in this adventure by Annabel, also known as Annie Oakley. Her uncle, Marshal Buckleberry deputizes him and allows him to question the tourists as long as he doesn’t mention the dead body. You know that at some point he is going to question the wrong person and that can and will lead to trouble.
This is the first book in the Caden Chronicles and not the last one I will read. This is a book I know several of my students will enjoy. From the book we learn that Nick’s family are not Christians. Nick finds a Bible with highlighted passages and begins to question things. This is very light on the Christian end of things. I do hope there is more along that line in the second book. I know as an author myself that balancing on that fine line is very difficult. I do believe that Eddie Jones is up to the challenge. I recommend that tweens, teens and adults read this book. It would definitely make a great summer read.
He can think of nothing more boring. It is supposed to be an old time western ghost town complete with cowboys, re-enactments and history lessons. To me this sounded wonderful. I live in Florida and when I was in my teens we had an old western town in Ocala, Florida called Six Gun Territory. This story immediately took me back to that time and place. I had great memories there. I assumed that since I loved something like that, then maybe a teen would as well.
Nick stumbles upon the dead body of Billy the Kid. When he gets the sheriff and they return to the spot, there is no body. He is told that it was probably all a part of the act. Nick doesn’t buy it. In his free time back home he and his friends participate in a Cyber-Super Sleuth club. Solving mysteries is what he does and he is determined to solve this one. He is helped in this adventure by Annabel, also known as Annie Oakley. Her uncle, Marshal Buckleberry deputizes him and allows him to question the tourists as long as he doesn’t mention the dead body. You know that at some point he is going to question the wrong person and that can and will lead to trouble.
This is the first book in the Caden Chronicles and not the last one I will read. This is a book I know several of my students will enjoy. From the book we learn that Nick’s family are not Christians. Nick finds a Bible with highlighted passages and begins to question things. This is very light on the Christian end of things. I do hope there is more along that line in the second book. I know as an author myself that balancing on that fine line is very difficult. I do believe that Eddie Jones is up to the challenge. I recommend that tweens, teens and adults read this book. It would definitely make a great summer read.
November 6, 2012
Review by Jill Williamson
Nick Caden and his family travel to Montana for a family vacation at Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town, where they’re entertained by such characters as Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Annie Oakley. Nick would rather be in Las Vegas for a video game convention. But then Nick stumbles onto a dead body, and once he brings the sheriff back to the scene of the crime, the body is gone. Now no one will believe him. So it’s up to Nick to solve the crime himself—which is a hobby of his anyway. His parents want him to stay out of trouble, but Nick won’t stop until he solves the murder.
I don’t think there are enough mystery books or boy books for young readers that are written from a Christian worldview, so I’m excited about this book. And it reminded me of the Hardy Boy books I read as a kid. Nick and his family are not Christians, though, and there is a point where he asks his mom about the Bible and she makes it clear that she doesn’t believe the book is true. But Nick finds a Bible with highlighted passages that make him curious.
Nick was determined to solve the case. At first I was a little confused. I couldn’t tell if there really had been a dead body or if it was part of the Ghost Town’s act. And I wasn’t certain until the very end, which was kind of fun, to be kept guessing. Everyone is a suspect in Nick’s eyes, including his new friend Annie. He gathers his clues and processes them based on his “training” as a Cyber Sleuth, something he and his friends do in their spare time to solve cold cases. I’m still not sure how the highlighted Bible fit in to the mystery, but Nick figures it out and saves the day. This is a clean and fun story. Check it out.
*I received this book from Zondervan in return for an honest review of my opinions.
Nick Caden and his family travel to Montana for a family vacation at Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town, where they’re entertained by such characters as Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Annie Oakley. Nick would rather be in Las Vegas for a video game convention. But then Nick stumbles onto a dead body, and once he brings the sheriff back to the scene of the crime, the body is gone. Now no one will believe him. So it’s up to Nick to solve the crime himself—which is a hobby of his anyway. His parents want him to stay out of trouble, but Nick won’t stop until he solves the murder.
I don’t think there are enough mystery books or boy books for young readers that are written from a Christian worldview, so I’m excited about this book. And it reminded me of the Hardy Boy books I read as a kid. Nick and his family are not Christians, though, and there is a point where he asks his mom about the Bible and she makes it clear that she doesn’t believe the book is true. But Nick finds a Bible with highlighted passages that make him curious.
Nick was determined to solve the case. At first I was a little confused. I couldn’t tell if there really had been a dead body or if it was part of the Ghost Town’s act. And I wasn’t certain until the very end, which was kind of fun, to be kept guessing. Everyone is a suspect in Nick’s eyes, including his new friend Annie. He gathers his clues and processes them based on his “training” as a Cyber Sleuth, something he and his friends do in their spare time to solve cold cases. I’m still not sure how the highlighted Bible fit in to the mystery, but Nick figures it out and saves the day. This is a clean and fun story. Check it out.
*I received this book from Zondervan in return for an honest review of my opinions.
October 25, 2012
stars
Dead Man's Hand is a fun teenager detective whose family goes on vacation in a Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town. He finds a billy dying from a gunshot but by the time he got the Sheriff to come the body disappeared.
Nick Caden is 15 year old whose hobby is solving crimes. Nick and his friends have got plots of detective shows on a computer farm. Then they take real cases and get the facts and the computer rates who likely the killer is.
Nick knows he saw a dead guy but no one believes him. But the Sheriff of the Deadwood canyon is letting Nick investigate but he can't talk about a dead body missing around the tourist.
Annie is 15 too. She seams to be around when the trouble happens. She just says her Uncle the sheriff asled her to keep an eye on him.
Everyone is a suspect in Nick's eyes. He asks for albies,about the missing actor,just tries to find out all he can.
The adults are getting annoyed by all of Nick's questions. Nick is having fun trying to figure out where the body might be and who did it.
Nick keeps everyone guessing till the end. The adults are ready for Nick to stop. People are laughing at him,No one believes that billy is dead because of messages being left on sheriff's phone.
Its a different dective idea. I also liked hearing about the ghost town. Would not mind reading some more books by Eddie Jones based on this one.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
11/01/2012 PUB Zondervan Imprint ZonderKidz 224 pages recomend for 9 to 12 year old boys.
Dead Man's Hand is a fun teenager detective whose family goes on vacation in a Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town. He finds a billy dying from a gunshot but by the time he got the Sheriff to come the body disappeared.
Nick Caden is 15 year old whose hobby is solving crimes. Nick and his friends have got plots of detective shows on a computer farm. Then they take real cases and get the facts and the computer rates who likely the killer is.
Nick knows he saw a dead guy but no one believes him. But the Sheriff of the Deadwood canyon is letting Nick investigate but he can't talk about a dead body missing around the tourist.
Annie is 15 too. She seams to be around when the trouble happens. She just says her Uncle the sheriff asled her to keep an eye on him.
Everyone is a suspect in Nick's eyes. He asks for albies,about the missing actor,just tries to find out all he can.
The adults are getting annoyed by all of Nick's questions. Nick is having fun trying to figure out where the body might be and who did it.
Nick keeps everyone guessing till the end. The adults are ready for Nick to stop. People are laughing at him,No one believes that billy is dead because of messages being left on sheriff's phone.
Its a different dective idea. I also liked hearing about the ghost town. Would not mind reading some more books by Eddie Jones based on this one.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
11/01/2012 PUB Zondervan Imprint ZonderKidz 224 pages recomend for 9 to 12 year old boys.
January 8, 2013
Eddie Jones’ Dead Man’s Hand is the first book in The Caden Chronicles. Readers are introduced to Nick Caden, a fifteen-year-old boy who has a knack for doing detective work. When he and his sister, Wendy, are dragged by their parents to Montana’s Deadwood Canyon Ghost Town for a wild-west adventurous vacation, he didn’t expect to be in a middle of a murder mystery when he stumbles onto a dead body. Calling the sheriff to investigate the scene, the body mysteriously disappears. Nick would rather be playing a video game convention in Las Vegas, but with his present situation, he must rely on his quick wit and eye for details to solve a murder mystery.
The adventure that author Eddie has created for Nick definitely has all the elements for a wild-west mystery. Although the town has an infatuation with Hollywood trickery, it will have readers scratching their heads trying to figure out if the murder is real or staged. It feels like a mystery within a mystery and it was a facet of the book that makes it unique from other mystery novels. Eddie’s writing style is the perfect tone for this kind of story. Exciting and fast-paced, it will appeal to readers of all ages. The dynamics between characters, especially with Nick’s family are among the high points. Nick’s immovable coherent view of things is a refreshing approach to mysteries as it deters away from seeing things coming from a mile away. And it was the case for Dead Man’s Hand, it will have readers guessing throughout until the end.
The adventure that author Eddie has created for Nick definitely has all the elements for a wild-west mystery. Although the town has an infatuation with Hollywood trickery, it will have readers scratching their heads trying to figure out if the murder is real or staged. It feels like a mystery within a mystery and it was a facet of the book that makes it unique from other mystery novels. Eddie’s writing style is the perfect tone for this kind of story. Exciting and fast-paced, it will appeal to readers of all ages. The dynamics between characters, especially with Nick’s family are among the high points. Nick’s immovable coherent view of things is a refreshing approach to mysteries as it deters away from seeing things coming from a mile away. And it was the case for Dead Man’s Hand, it will have readers guessing throughout until the end.
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May 13, 2015This book is about a boy named Nick Caden who is a detective and a member of a website called Cybersleuths. Cybersleuths is a website where members can investigate murders from movies or in this case real life. The setting is Deadwood Canyon where Caden family is taking a vacation. The draw to Deadwood Canyon is that it is a Hollywood style ghost town with shootouts, bank robberies, and more. Nick's family members are Frank the dad, Sylvia the mom, and Wendy the sister. Another character is Annie or Annie Oakley which is her stage name. She is about Nick's age and is the person who strangely shows everywhere he goes. Wyatt Earp is the old security guard. Buckleberry is the Marshal of Deadwood Canyon and Garrett is the deputy. The story starts out with the Caden family driving up and noticing that no one is there at the gate to greet them, so they honk their car horn. After a while someone comes out to greet them. The gate is opened and they begin unpacking their bags. Nick decides to have a look around Deadwood Canyon. While looking around he notices blood dripping on his shoulder. He decides to investigate the source and finds a dead body. Later on in the book the Marshal makes Nick a deputy. The Marshal is not sure that Nick's conclusion that someone was murdered is true due to the fact that all of the deaths in Deadwood are staged. You will have to read the book to find out more.
October 23, 2012
Dead Man's Hand by Eddie Jones is a mystery adventure with biblical principles. The book is very well written and even I got lost in the story as I read it.
Instead of writing a review from an adult perspective, I had my 9 year old son read it and tell me what he thought. Thomas loves to read. He has read the first 3 Harry Potter books and is currently immersed in the adult Star Wars books. He was hesitant to read Dead Man's Hand because it was "too thin and not hard enough."
He obeyed his mama and did read the book. When he was finished his first question was, "Where's the next book?" He told me about the dead body, the details of the investigation (you have to read it!) and every other twist and turn in the book. All with his eyes sparkling and excitement in his voice.
From Thomas:
This book was fun to read. I didn't want to read it. But there are ghosts, chases and lots of fun stuff in the book. I can't wait to read what Nick does next. This book is good for boys and girls. Girls may be scared. I don't think my sister should read it. She's too little. [mom note - she's 7] I really, really, really liked this book.
**I received a free ARC from the author for an unbiased review.**
Instead of writing a review from an adult perspective, I had my 9 year old son read it and tell me what he thought. Thomas loves to read. He has read the first 3 Harry Potter books and is currently immersed in the adult Star Wars books. He was hesitant to read Dead Man's Hand because it was "too thin and not hard enough."
He obeyed his mama and did read the book. When he was finished his first question was, "Where's the next book?" He told me about the dead body, the details of the investigation (you have to read it!) and every other twist and turn in the book. All with his eyes sparkling and excitement in his voice.
From Thomas:
This book was fun to read. I didn't want to read it. But there are ghosts, chases and lots of fun stuff in the book. I can't wait to read what Nick does next. This book is good for boys and girls. Girls may be scared. I don't think my sister should read it. She's too little. [mom note - she's 7] I really, really, really liked this book.
**I received a free ARC from the author for an unbiased review.**
November 4, 2012
Review written by Danna.
for more reviews visit: Maji Bookshelf
Woah. This is a really good murder mystery with a touch of romance. I loved it! It was an amazing read and kept me up all night. At first i kinda dragged my way through the book until a charecter died in the second chapter ( I flipped out a little and texted all my friend, none of which cared :) ), which was the problem in the plotline. I got all excited and pretty much plowed my way through the rest of the book ( getting in quite a bit of trouble for not doing my homework :) ).
The characters reminded me of the Westing game, all of them being prime suspects except for the detective, all of them pointing fingers to the other suspect. At the end, the person who talked the least was the killer. How ironic. I have always been a fan of first person writing, so the syle suited my needs.
The ending was pretty satisfying but still made me all excited about the next book. I thought that the fact that Mr. Jones wrapped up the story by making up another murder mystery was so clever! I would recommend this book to an audience of 6-9 graders. Keep reading, fellow readers!
for more reviews visit: Maji Bookshelf
Woah. This is a really good murder mystery with a touch of romance. I loved it! It was an amazing read and kept me up all night. At first i kinda dragged my way through the book until a charecter died in the second chapter ( I flipped out a little and texted all my friend, none of which cared :) ), which was the problem in the plotline. I got all excited and pretty much plowed my way through the rest of the book ( getting in quite a bit of trouble for not doing my homework :) ).
The characters reminded me of the Westing game, all of them being prime suspects except for the detective, all of them pointing fingers to the other suspect. At the end, the person who talked the least was the killer. How ironic. I have always been a fan of first person writing, so the syle suited my needs.
The ending was pretty satisfying but still made me all excited about the next book. I thought that the fact that Mr. Jones wrapped up the story by making up another murder mystery was so clever! I would recommend this book to an audience of 6-9 graders. Keep reading, fellow readers!
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