Spooks: Books for Boys

Charles Oliver Jones #1

by Robert Holland

Book by Holland, Robert

219 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Robert Holland lives with his family in Woodstock, Connecticut and for some small part of each year migrates to Martha's Vineyard. He has been writing for forty-seven years, though since starting his Books for Boys eleven years ago, he has never had more fun ... except when he's fishing.
Robert writes five types of books; Books for Boys, Books For Girls, Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Children's book's.

Reviews

[Judy Watters · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I have read a YA mystery that kept me guessing with multiple twists and turns. Robert Holland captured my interest and drew me into his 2005 Spooks from the very first paragraph. With two friends giving their insights into the case using first person point of view, I came to know both teens very well, one a jock and the other an amateur PI. However, Charlie's and Pete's characters unfolded in layers as they solved a dangerous mystery that included fake government agents, spies, and greedy relatives. The strange house that holds so many twists and turns, became a character in itself. Throughout the story, the house taught that what you first see isn't necessarily the entire picture. To solve a mystery, you need to look closer and think logically. In the end, the two boys learn the uniqueness of each other that develops into a friendship that will not soon end. I am sad to say that in researching Robert Holland, I found that he passed away in December 2017. I still look forward to reading his other books that he has left for the YA market to enjoy.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh, calling this a "Book for Boys" is outdated. Anyone can enjoy this book. While the main character, Charles, excels at rather many pursuits, he's an interesting character. I enjoyed the way the chapters were told either by him or his buddy Peter, and, being a Sherlock Holmes aficionado, I enjoyed his ratiocinative thinking. Just the type of fun mystery to be enjoyed by any gender!

[Mariska Davids · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off a little slow, but fun to read from two perspectives. In the end the mystery got real interesting.