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FRESHMEN DETECTIVE BLUES
Eddie, age fourteen, and Jack, age seventeen, find a skeleton weighted down in Muir Lake, and Jack thinks it just might be his father who's been missing for nine years.
- GenresYoung AdultMystery
205 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
P.J. Petersen
32 books12 followersP. J. Petersen grew up on a farm six miles from Geyserville, California. He says, "I was sure that I lived in the most boring place in the world--a prune farm in the middle of nowhere. Since my family didn't have the time or money to travel, I did my traveling through books. I read everything I could get my hands on. Most of my books came from the Geyserville Public Library, which was one tiny room served by the county Bookmobile. I loved the place, especially on the day after the Bookmobile came."
Mr. Petersen wanted to be a writer from the beginning. He had other ambitions, like being an airline pilot and a baseball player, but he always intended to write books.
He was not an immediate success. He wrote seriously for over twenty years without selling a single word. Then he had his best idea--to write a book for his daughter Karen, a seventh grader at the time. He had never written for young people, but he knew the kind of books his daughter liked. That book, WOULD YOU SETTLE FOR IMPROBABLE?, was his first published novel. He has been writing books for young people ever since.
Mr. Petersen lives with his wife, Marian, in Redding, California. He has two grown daughters, Karen and Carla, and two grandchildren, Ryan and Emma. A graduate of Stanford University with a Ph.D. in American literature from the University of New Mexico, he taught at Shasta College from 1964 to December 2000. Now that he has retired from teaching, he is available for school visits, workshops, or conferences.
Mr. Petersen wanted to be a writer from the beginning. He had other ambitions, like being an airline pilot and a baseball player, but he always intended to write books.
He was not an immediate success. He wrote seriously for over twenty years without selling a single word. Then he had his best idea--to write a book for his daughter Karen, a seventh grader at the time. He had never written for young people, but he knew the kind of books his daughter liked. That book, WOULD YOU SETTLE FOR IMPROBABLE?, was his first published novel. He has been writing books for young people ever since.
Mr. Petersen lives with his wife, Marian, in Redding, California. He has two grown daughters, Karen and Carla, and two grandchildren, Ryan and Emma. A graduate of Stanford University with a Ph.D. in American literature from the University of New Mexico, he taught at Shasta College from 1964 to December 2000. Now that he has retired from teaching, he is available for school visits, workshops, or conferences.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 7, 2013
This is a great book. The author has a great grasp of how to write dialogue and the narrative is told in the same realistic way. I read this book aloud to my middle school students every year and I have only had two kids who solved the mystery before the end (and even then, their theories were a tiny bit off). It keeps you guessing until the end and I cared about the characters. It takes place in the 80's, but aside from the repeated use of a pay phone and a few mentions of cassette tapes, teens of today will be easily able to relate to the characters. Very enjoyable read with no gore or bad language.
August 22, 2007
not bad at all for a Young Adult book.
had almost as many twists and turns as a Brandilyn Collins book, just not as much "gore" and detail
had almost as many twists and turns as a Brandilyn Collins book, just not as much "gore" and detail
May 22, 2016
Because of a drought, the lake where Eddie’s mother owns a marina has sunk—like his spirits. He’s in love with a girl whose family won’t let her date yet, and maybe he can cure his freshman blues by scavenging in the muddy floor of the lake with his friend Jack.
They have fun finding fishing lures, tackle, and lost shoes. And then an outboard motor—with a skeleton attached.
Jack’s father had vanished long ago, leaving few friends. Could the lake be his final resting place? Was he murdered? Who killed him? As Eddie and Jack dig around in the murky waters of the past, they discover that the trail of suspects leaders to their own families and friends.
In this face-paced story, told with droll wit and chilling realism, Eddie and Jack explore the meaning of friendship and loyalty while exposing secrets, long suppressed, at the marina.
Summary in the book. I thought it deserved 2b included.
I liked that ther was an element of mystery &love. He came out of algebra class & bumped in2 Wendy, knocking her books ovr. He’s known her since kindergarten & She’s alwys ben cute&funny but as a freshman in high school, it’s important. He cudn’t stop grinning.
It was interesting how Eddie &his friend Jack wud scour the lake wen it dried out, lookin 4things 2sell that had ben dropped in.
Eddie asked Jack if he thought a person cud fall in love in a split sec. “1 min. he’s not in love &the next he is.” Jack says it’s happened 2him not more than 40 or 50 times. 17 yo’s must rly move fast. Jack is 17 &Eddie’s 14. How cud he cum across that many girls, esp. 1’s he thought he loved? Eddie says not just thinkin sum1’s pretty, but ovr the edge—like bein hit w/a bowling ball in the stomach. Jack says make it 30 times. I dint like Jack.
Jack says fallin in love hurts &Eddie says he thought Jack only loved Julie—his sister, bcuz that’s wut he alwys tells her. So he’s lyin 2her? Wut a standup guy. Eddie says they hav sumthin goin, they seemed 2b in love but they both dated other ppl&neither 1 seemed jealous. It dint seem natural 2Eddie. I’m glad he thought that. I’m surprised he duznt hav a prob w/a guy treatin his sister like that. Jack says “Ther’s love, &then there’s love. Julie—she’s diff. .. That’s the stars-in-the-sky, rockets-exploding, heartbreaking, soul-shakin real enchilada.”
Jack asks Eddie who he’s in love w/this wk. I dint like the sound of that. He asks “Wut’s w/this ‘this wk’ business? I’ve nvr ben in love b4.” Jack asks wut about Marcie? Eddie says it’s not the same thing. Jack laughed &says it nvr is&Eddie says he duznt want 2talk about it. Wher did that cum from? I thought Eddie was diff&this was the 1st time he cared about a girl.
Jack finds a skeleton as he’s diggin in the mud &Eddie was annoying bcuz he’s picturing gettin in the newspaper &havin his pic taken, &Wendy pinnin his pic up, &there bein a reward. He asks Jack if he’s ok on the way back, but Jack waves him off. Eddie leaves him alone, bcuz he has probs of his own—like choosin which shirt 2wear in the pic. He dint even find the bones and he’s trying to take credit for it. Eddie seems all about fame& fortune &glory 4a girl he claims 2love—all vry shallow &childish.
Wen they dock Eddie asks him whether they call the sheriff or the newspaper. Jack says he duznt want 2call any1. He doesn’t want 2get in a hurry. Eddie is like “Wut’s the prob? We call up the paper &the sheriff. Then we end up bein heroes &gettin our pic in the paper.” Jack says the body was tied 2the motor, so sum1 wanted the body 2sink&stay there. Eddie says “Wow.” This was even better. I cudn’t wait until Wendy found out I was a figure in a murder case.” Jack sed “So this is weird stuff” &Eddie, not gettin it at all, continues: “I’ll bet there will b a reward.” So much 4 likin him. He was gettin on my nerves.
Jack tells him2 4get that stuff. Eddie asks “Wut’s the matter? Don’t u want 2split w/me?” Jack shoves him hard, sayin will u shut up&listen? Thank u Jack, he rly needed that. Jack says his old man disappeared 9 yrs ago&no 1’s seen or heard from him since. I dint like the line “I think we just found Daddy.” It sounded kind of stupid esp4 such a serious moment, like makin light of sumthin that shudnt hav ben.
Eddie is goin2 his house &sum1 appears on his roof, Rick Batt, &yells “Bang, bang, ur dead. 3 bullets in ur head.” It’s his cousins, Ricky &Tony &it was funny how he sed they’re called the Batt brats by everybody but their parents &Eddie’s mom defended them until the day Tony got stuck in the chimney. Their mom, Barbara, is a cousin 2 Eddie’s mom. He tells Eddie he’s dead&he says get off the roof. Ricky says make me, stupid and Tony repeats it. Eddie says “I don’t care. Say hi 2the screech owl 4me.” Ricky says there’s no screech owl up here. He says “Just stand still wen he flies past. That way he usually won’t bite.” It was funny he was tryin2 scare them.
He goes outside 2call Wendy. He gets scared which was funny. It’s Pooch Wexler, the old man hanging around the boat shop w/Woody, the owner & bald guy. Eddie ?s him about if there’s much of a stealing prob here &the biggest thing that’s evr ben stolen, tryin2 do a lil detecting, but he can’t get anything of use out of him. I liked all the adversity Eddie faced, gettin scared, his sister hoggin the phone &everything. It was funny bcuz it was 1 calamity after another.
It was interesting how every1 had a schedule in Grizzly Creek Marina. His dad always woke up at the same time, ran the same time &ate breakfast at the same time. He cud pinpoint where his dad wud be running by what time it was. &two men wud be watching the news and Jack’s mom would be making cinnamon rolls for the boat shop.
Julie’s always makin them late. &Jack always says something nice to her when she gets in the truck. He has a line waiting. Jack gets in beside her after dealing with the Batt brothers. He smiles at her, saying “The only trouble with seeing you first thing in the morning is that there’s nowhere to go from there but down.”
On the way to school Jack has Vince, the sergeant at the police station, stop and he tells him they found something in the lake yesterday. Eddie feels relieved, but only wished Jack had told the newspaper 1st. Enough with the newspaper! Jack only tells him about the license plate, claims he wants to know bcuz he heard there was a model A in the lake. The guy is teasin him, askin if he believes in Santa Clause and the tooth fairy. It’s a lie to explain y he wants the plates run.
This time it wasn’t Julie’s fault they were late. They got in behind a logging truck for 5 miles &wen they got there no1 was in the parking lot. But the teachers dint notice bcuz every1 was distracted by the rain. The next day at school the drought is ovr as it rains&hails. The lake fills up&they hav a lil trouble findin the spot where they marked the body w/driftwood.
“If u find a girl that nobody likes, there’s probably a reason 4it.”
Leave it 2a guy 2 think that way. Can’t admit u like a girl unless somebody else does. That’s really demeaning and doesn’t consider the girl’s feelings.
Jack gets out&looks in the water 4the skeleton. Eddie stands on the bank a ways away &holds the string 2the boat. Jack keeps lookin, the water is up 2his chest &he’s poking around w/a stick. Eddie, the naysayer, yells at him 2 4get it&he says shut up& leave him alone. Nice, respectful relationship. They were both aggravating me! I dint like that they told each other 2shut up. Eddie climbs in2 the boat &crouches in2 a ball, wraps his arms around himself. Wut a baby in comparison. He cud hav helped.
Jack takes 1of the bones bak w/him. I expected them 2contact the police imm. but Pooch warms them in the shop by the heater&that’s it. They didn’t do anything about it. It was annoying cuz the lake was rising. After dinner Eddie calls Wendy but only gets 2talk 2her mom &finds out she’s asleep &already had her assignments.
The story definitely took on a monotonous feel, them doin the same things at the same time of day. Each day wud start off the same &it’s only ben 3 days in the story. Jack picks them up 4school, Julie’s takin 2long, they talk in the truck, they wait 4Vince, they’re late 4school, after school they go2 the lake. It needed some variety. Jack pulls 2the shoulder of the road&waits 4Vince. Vince says it’s off a 1968 Chevy &belonged 2 August Bartolozzi from San Francisco. Jack asks 4the piece of paper as a reminder not 2get his hopes up. Vince says he duznt need a reminder, he’s nvr goin2 let him 4get it that he thought he had a model A. It was kind of stupid how he told him all the info, then sed he cudnt hav the paper w/the info cuz it was confidential. If it was confidential then y did he tell him? Jack wrote down the address on a piece of paper wen he gets back in the truck.
Eddie is goin around tryin 2b the detective Columbo, a klutz that says dumb things but always outsmarts every1. There’s always a reaction wen Columbo mentions the suspect’s name, but every time he asks sum1 about August there’s no reaction at all. He does a Columbo impression at the dinner table askin if any of them know August. Julie gasps &drops her fork&he looks at her, but it was only cuz there was a guy 4her at the window. It was funny how they weren’t gettin anywhere w/the investigation. But I cudnt beleve Julie was seein another guy. Jack came ovr later &Eddie sed Julie wasn’t there, &he knew, he saw her go off w/that turkey&she must b rly bored. He dint sound jealous but come on, this is ridiculous! Who wudn’t mind that?
It was funny Monday at school Eddie goes up2 Wendy&she’s w/Wayne. He asks him “U rly think she’ll do it?” &Wayne asks wut he’s talkin about. Eddie says u know, Tina&her bet. He tells him there’s $100 on Tina skinny dipping in the pool&a bunch of seniors r out there. He goes off down the hall& Wendy looks at him&says “Skinny-dipping?” He says that walk’ll do him some good. &he givs her a postcard from Grizzly Creek Marina. I wish he wud’ve remembered 2get her a postcard from San Francisco cuz he sed he wud.
They go 2the library &study the microfilm, where they find an article about a bank robber shot &found in a lady’s garage. It’s August &ppl interviewed sed he wasn’t friendly, he dint care about his job&sed it wasn’t the life 4him. Jack thinks his dad was the 2nd robber shot&he came 2 Jack’s mom 4help only he ended up dyin, &insted of lettin Jack find out his dad was a criminal she dumped his body in the lake &that was a smart thing 2do cuz it saved on funeral costs Julie asks “&wut proof do u hav4 this?” He says “Not a speck.” She says “Wonderful! It’s typical Jack. He tries 2b so cool& logical, then jumps 2ridiculous conclusions.” He says “Typical Julie. If she duznt like the answer, she figures you’ve done the problem wrong.”
Julie &Eddie set2 investigating on their own2 prove Jack wrong. Julie wants 2prove him wrong just to wipe the smug smile off his face, cuz he thinks he’s got it all figured out. Julie goes thru her mom’s records 2c if any1 stayed at their cabins, sees that their dad was in San Fran. then and they tell Jack the next day, glad to know something he doesn’t. He doesn’t think their dad had anything to do with it &Eddie proposes his car was parked somewhere and the robber crawled in the back and his dad found him when he got home. They’re not buying it and later that day they learn from their mom that they took a plane out of SF and the kids were with him. They also learn Pooch inherited a lot of $ &bought the house boat, b4 that he’d drag a boat out of the water every day cuz he wudn’t rent1, always ask4 free things. They also learn that Barbara was young&wild &her husband Roger was older&no good. He runs over 2 Opal’s house 2find out more; she says her son Franklin was interested in Barbara “But he wasn’t her type. She liked trash.” & “U know, Eddie, wen I c that girl&those raggedy kids, I figure she got just wut she deserves.” She’s a real character. She sed Barb. took off w/o sayin bye&then came last fall &his mom took her in. All those yrs ago she left in the fall.
Eddie goes 2tell Jack &he isn’t home—his mom says he’s havin dinner w/Lisa or Linda, she can’t rmbr which. Wut kind of datin is this?
Barbara told them 2 come bak later if it’s necessary. Jack tells Eddie it’s messin up his love life, bcuz he was supposed 2tak Stephanie 2the movies &had 2cancel; they’re goin out4 pizza later tho, but they’re seein Barbara at 9pm. How late is he allowed out?? Such unfaithfulness. &u’d think Eddie wud stick up 4his sis but Eddie says enjoy ur pizza. Wut is this?!
Now Julie duznt care about the mystery, cuz it’s goin2 hurt sum1. It’s like Eddie is the only 1 that rly cares—about knowin sum1 in his town dumped a body& wanting the truth, cuz the town isn’t safe now&he wonders at every1’s capability of doin it. Julie asks if he wants 2hurt somebody, &2promise not 2tell Vince. Eddie ?s Pooch about where he got the $ 4the houseboat&if he has secrets &he gets mad. Later Jack asks if he nos about August &the bank, tryin2 shake him up. I was glad they were both continuing w/it but they kept blowin their cover &makin ppl mad&I wished they wud b smarter about it. It was cute wen Eddie calls&gets Wendy 4the 1st time &he says he has a valentine 4her&she laughs &says u better hav. She has1 4him.
Jack goes 2look 4the license plate 2show Pooch, but discovers the bag is gone.
Jack goes 2the door &givs Julie her flowers on Valentines day, glad he dint buy multiple flowers &giv 2diff. girls. Eddie givs Wendy hers&she kisses him, good 4him. After school Julie comes in w/candy from other guys&he says it’s good he’s not the jealous type &she says if he was she wudnt share. They also swing by the nursery 2get flowers college guys hav given her. &Jack is goin2 study w/Carol—on Valentine’s Day. Eddie says “Ur not goin out w/Julie on Valentine’s Day? They’re goin2 a party 2mrw night. Maks no sense. Eddie finally says he duznt get it. “If ur in love w/Julie how cum u go out w/other girls?” Jack shrugs. “Variety. U can’t just live on chocolate cake, even if it’s ur fav.” He asks “If Julie wanted 2go out w/u every night, wud u turn her down?” Jack laughed &sed “Wen that happens, I’ll c.” Eddie says he duznt get them. They used 2go steady&now they don’t but they both still love each other the same way. They finally talked about it—it took way2 long. Julie wants college &a career &Jack wants a marine repair shop&she duznt approve. He tells Eddie him&Julie aren’t goin2 get married. That’s just the way things r. Wth?! That’s awful.
Turns out Pooch was married &wen his wife died he inherited everything. Eddie tells Julie &she says it only leaves their mom. She’s got pics of the place at that time, &the improvements cost more $ than they were makin.
At school Eddie tapes an empty pink envelope on Wayne’s locker just 2keep him away so he can b alone w/Wendy. He asks him “Who’s sending u secret messages?” That was pretty funny. Wendy says speaking of messages,&she goes off w/Eddie &tells him she wishes she cud’ve gone on the picnic w/him. She went skiing w/her family &Wayne’s. She tells him Wayne is like a brother 2her. He says he’ll call 2night &she says it might b better if u dint. He says he might call&say he has the wrong # so she knows she’s thinkin of him. She squeezes his arm&says she’ll know anyway.
Jack thinks that Eddie’s mom sold some of her coin collection 2make the repairs, so they check the safe &that’s wut she did. So she isn’t involved &the mystery continued.
It was funny how Jack tells the Batts if they hav the license plate he’ll trade them Milky Ways. They bring 6 license plates, 1of which is a govmnt vehicle &1 off Woody’s truck. Jack says 1of them ought 2put it bak on&Eddie says he wonders which1. Jack sed prob. The1 who needs a favor 2night, cuz he’s takin Eddie 2the game 2c Wendy.
Jack advises Eddie 2wait a couple yrs4 Wendy wen she’ll b cuter &he’ll have a car&in the meantime he can pass the time w/Marjorie who’s 16, cuz she has a car&he won’t hav2 spend time w/her parents. He tells Ed he’s2 fussy &freshman can’t afford 2b fussy. Terrible advice. I wish he wud change his views on girls.
Jack asks his mom&she hasn’t ben in his room, they realize it’s Julie. She’s the1 that took the bag. She threw it in the lake cuz she thought she was protecting their mom. That gets Eddie 2thinkin of ppl protecting their moms. He duznt say anything &we dk who he’s thinkin of. That night he wakes up&writes a note, gives 2the person. He goes fishin w/Jack that day&tells him. Jack is mad but he stays in the boat &they wait 4the meetin time. It’s Woody that shows up&I dint expect that. Turns out his brother had called him sayin he’d held up a bank&ben shot&his partner was alredy dead. Wen Woody gets there Franklin is dead, so he taks his body&puts it in the lake so his mom won’t find out. He sends gifts from Franklin from “overseas,” TV &flowers. He gets no credit 4bein a good son, Franklin is the old woman’s favo& I hated she wudnt find out the truth that everything was from Woody & Franklin was the bad son. She had such a bad opinion of Woody, it wasn’t fair. I dint like that about the story. &how it ended, I wanted 2no that Julie &Jack stayed 2gether &married. Jack proposes they start a guide service where they take ppl out fishin &Eddie says “Y not? It’s got 2b btr than the detective business.” It ended w/the Batt brats settin sumthin on fire&I dint care 2end w/them. I did like Vince comin &knowin Jack lied about the model A.
It was enjoyable, written well &I wanted 2keep readin¬ put it down. The characters were definitely, well, characters. They were all interesting &consistent. There was sumthin funny on every page, so I wud hav ben writin quotes all the time had I added everything. The author def has a sense of humor. I’m 23&I rly liked readin it; I dint think it was immature even tho he was 14. &I knew it was written a while back cuz of the cassette tapes &some references 2 things that r old-school but it dint get in the way of readin it&many of it applies 2modern day life. It had mystery &a lil love& friendship &plenty of humor. As long as it’s funny readers r goin2 want 2keep readin. I’m so glad I decided 2buy this book, cuz I usually don’t buy books w/guys as the MC. This book was $1 or $2 &well worth the$. I was sorry wen it was over &wished it had gone on. It shud hav ben a series w/the characters’ lives continuing.
They have fun finding fishing lures, tackle, and lost shoes. And then an outboard motor—with a skeleton attached.
Jack’s father had vanished long ago, leaving few friends. Could the lake be his final resting place? Was he murdered? Who killed him? As Eddie and Jack dig around in the murky waters of the past, they discover that the trail of suspects leaders to their own families and friends.
In this face-paced story, told with droll wit and chilling realism, Eddie and Jack explore the meaning of friendship and loyalty while exposing secrets, long suppressed, at the marina.
Summary in the book. I thought it deserved 2b included.
I liked that ther was an element of mystery &love. He came out of algebra class & bumped in2 Wendy, knocking her books ovr. He’s known her since kindergarten & She’s alwys ben cute&funny but as a freshman in high school, it’s important. He cudn’t stop grinning.
It was interesting how Eddie &his friend Jack wud scour the lake wen it dried out, lookin 4things 2sell that had ben dropped in.
Eddie asked Jack if he thought a person cud fall in love in a split sec. “1 min. he’s not in love &the next he is.” Jack says it’s happened 2him not more than 40 or 50 times. 17 yo’s must rly move fast. Jack is 17 &Eddie’s 14. How cud he cum across that many girls, esp. 1’s he thought he loved? Eddie says not just thinkin sum1’s pretty, but ovr the edge—like bein hit w/a bowling ball in the stomach. Jack says make it 30 times. I dint like Jack.
Jack says fallin in love hurts &Eddie says he thought Jack only loved Julie—his sister, bcuz that’s wut he alwys tells her. So he’s lyin 2her? Wut a standup guy. Eddie says they hav sumthin goin, they seemed 2b in love but they both dated other ppl&neither 1 seemed jealous. It dint seem natural 2Eddie. I’m glad he thought that. I’m surprised he duznt hav a prob w/a guy treatin his sister like that. Jack says “Ther’s love, &then there’s love. Julie—she’s diff. .. That’s the stars-in-the-sky, rockets-exploding, heartbreaking, soul-shakin real enchilada.”
Jack asks Eddie who he’s in love w/this wk. I dint like the sound of that. He asks “Wut’s w/this ‘this wk’ business? I’ve nvr ben in love b4.” Jack asks wut about Marcie? Eddie says it’s not the same thing. Jack laughed &says it nvr is&Eddie says he duznt want 2talk about it. Wher did that cum from? I thought Eddie was diff&this was the 1st time he cared about a girl.
Jack finds a skeleton as he’s diggin in the mud &Eddie was annoying bcuz he’s picturing gettin in the newspaper &havin his pic taken, &Wendy pinnin his pic up, &there bein a reward. He asks Jack if he’s ok on the way back, but Jack waves him off. Eddie leaves him alone, bcuz he has probs of his own—like choosin which shirt 2wear in the pic. He dint even find the bones and he’s trying to take credit for it. Eddie seems all about fame& fortune &glory 4a girl he claims 2love—all vry shallow &childish.
Wen they dock Eddie asks him whether they call the sheriff or the newspaper. Jack says he duznt want 2call any1. He doesn’t want 2get in a hurry. Eddie is like “Wut’s the prob? We call up the paper &the sheriff. Then we end up bein heroes &gettin our pic in the paper.” Jack says the body was tied 2the motor, so sum1 wanted the body 2sink&stay there. Eddie says “Wow.” This was even better. I cudn’t wait until Wendy found out I was a figure in a murder case.” Jack sed “So this is weird stuff” &Eddie, not gettin it at all, continues: “I’ll bet there will b a reward.” So much 4 likin him. He was gettin on my nerves.
Jack tells him2 4get that stuff. Eddie asks “Wut’s the matter? Don’t u want 2split w/me?” Jack shoves him hard, sayin will u shut up&listen? Thank u Jack, he rly needed that. Jack says his old man disappeared 9 yrs ago&no 1’s seen or heard from him since. I dint like the line “I think we just found Daddy.” It sounded kind of stupid esp4 such a serious moment, like makin light of sumthin that shudnt hav ben.
Eddie is goin2 his house &sum1 appears on his roof, Rick Batt, &yells “Bang, bang, ur dead. 3 bullets in ur head.” It’s his cousins, Ricky &Tony &it was funny how he sed they’re called the Batt brats by everybody but their parents &Eddie’s mom defended them until the day Tony got stuck in the chimney. Their mom, Barbara, is a cousin 2 Eddie’s mom. He tells Eddie he’s dead&he says get off the roof. Ricky says make me, stupid and Tony repeats it. Eddie says “I don’t care. Say hi 2the screech owl 4me.” Ricky says there’s no screech owl up here. He says “Just stand still wen he flies past. That way he usually won’t bite.” It was funny he was tryin2 scare them.
He goes outside 2call Wendy. He gets scared which was funny. It’s Pooch Wexler, the old man hanging around the boat shop w/Woody, the owner & bald guy. Eddie ?s him about if there’s much of a stealing prob here &the biggest thing that’s evr ben stolen, tryin2 do a lil detecting, but he can’t get anything of use out of him. I liked all the adversity Eddie faced, gettin scared, his sister hoggin the phone &everything. It was funny bcuz it was 1 calamity after another.
It was interesting how every1 had a schedule in Grizzly Creek Marina. His dad always woke up at the same time, ran the same time &ate breakfast at the same time. He cud pinpoint where his dad wud be running by what time it was. &two men wud be watching the news and Jack’s mom would be making cinnamon rolls for the boat shop.
Julie’s always makin them late. &Jack always says something nice to her when she gets in the truck. He has a line waiting. Jack gets in beside her after dealing with the Batt brothers. He smiles at her, saying “The only trouble with seeing you first thing in the morning is that there’s nowhere to go from there but down.”
On the way to school Jack has Vince, the sergeant at the police station, stop and he tells him they found something in the lake yesterday. Eddie feels relieved, but only wished Jack had told the newspaper 1st. Enough with the newspaper! Jack only tells him about the license plate, claims he wants to know bcuz he heard there was a model A in the lake. The guy is teasin him, askin if he believes in Santa Clause and the tooth fairy. It’s a lie to explain y he wants the plates run.
This time it wasn’t Julie’s fault they were late. They got in behind a logging truck for 5 miles &wen they got there no1 was in the parking lot. But the teachers dint notice bcuz every1 was distracted by the rain. The next day at school the drought is ovr as it rains&hails. The lake fills up&they hav a lil trouble findin the spot where they marked the body w/driftwood.
“If u find a girl that nobody likes, there’s probably a reason 4it.”
Leave it 2a guy 2 think that way. Can’t admit u like a girl unless somebody else does. That’s really demeaning and doesn’t consider the girl’s feelings.
Jack gets out&looks in the water 4the skeleton. Eddie stands on the bank a ways away &holds the string 2the boat. Jack keeps lookin, the water is up 2his chest &he’s poking around w/a stick. Eddie, the naysayer, yells at him 2 4get it&he says shut up& leave him alone. Nice, respectful relationship. They were both aggravating me! I dint like that they told each other 2shut up. Eddie climbs in2 the boat &crouches in2 a ball, wraps his arms around himself. Wut a baby in comparison. He cud hav helped.
Jack takes 1of the bones bak w/him. I expected them 2contact the police imm. but Pooch warms them in the shop by the heater&that’s it. They didn’t do anything about it. It was annoying cuz the lake was rising. After dinner Eddie calls Wendy but only gets 2talk 2her mom &finds out she’s asleep &already had her assignments.
The story definitely took on a monotonous feel, them doin the same things at the same time of day. Each day wud start off the same &it’s only ben 3 days in the story. Jack picks them up 4school, Julie’s takin 2long, they talk in the truck, they wait 4Vince, they’re late 4school, after school they go2 the lake. It needed some variety. Jack pulls 2the shoulder of the road&waits 4Vince. Vince says it’s off a 1968 Chevy &belonged 2 August Bartolozzi from San Francisco. Jack asks 4the piece of paper as a reminder not 2get his hopes up. Vince says he duznt need a reminder, he’s nvr goin2 let him 4get it that he thought he had a model A. It was kind of stupid how he told him all the info, then sed he cudnt hav the paper w/the info cuz it was confidential. If it was confidential then y did he tell him? Jack wrote down the address on a piece of paper wen he gets back in the truck.
Eddie is goin around tryin 2b the detective Columbo, a klutz that says dumb things but always outsmarts every1. There’s always a reaction wen Columbo mentions the suspect’s name, but every time he asks sum1 about August there’s no reaction at all. He does a Columbo impression at the dinner table askin if any of them know August. Julie gasps &drops her fork&he looks at her, but it was only cuz there was a guy 4her at the window. It was funny how they weren’t gettin anywhere w/the investigation. But I cudnt beleve Julie was seein another guy. Jack came ovr later &Eddie sed Julie wasn’t there, &he knew, he saw her go off w/that turkey&she must b rly bored. He dint sound jealous but come on, this is ridiculous! Who wudn’t mind that?
It was funny Monday at school Eddie goes up2 Wendy&she’s w/Wayne. He asks him “U rly think she’ll do it?” &Wayne asks wut he’s talkin about. Eddie says u know, Tina&her bet. He tells him there’s $100 on Tina skinny dipping in the pool&a bunch of seniors r out there. He goes off down the hall& Wendy looks at him&says “Skinny-dipping?” He says that walk’ll do him some good. &he givs her a postcard from Grizzly Creek Marina. I wish he wud’ve remembered 2get her a postcard from San Francisco cuz he sed he wud.
They go 2the library &study the microfilm, where they find an article about a bank robber shot &found in a lady’s garage. It’s August &ppl interviewed sed he wasn’t friendly, he dint care about his job&sed it wasn’t the life 4him. Jack thinks his dad was the 2nd robber shot&he came 2 Jack’s mom 4help only he ended up dyin, &insted of lettin Jack find out his dad was a criminal she dumped his body in the lake &that was a smart thing 2do cuz it saved on funeral costs Julie asks “&wut proof do u hav4 this?” He says “Not a speck.” She says “Wonderful! It’s typical Jack. He tries 2b so cool& logical, then jumps 2ridiculous conclusions.” He says “Typical Julie. If she duznt like the answer, she figures you’ve done the problem wrong.”
Julie &Eddie set2 investigating on their own2 prove Jack wrong. Julie wants 2prove him wrong just to wipe the smug smile off his face, cuz he thinks he’s got it all figured out. Julie goes thru her mom’s records 2c if any1 stayed at their cabins, sees that their dad was in San Fran. then and they tell Jack the next day, glad to know something he doesn’t. He doesn’t think their dad had anything to do with it &Eddie proposes his car was parked somewhere and the robber crawled in the back and his dad found him when he got home. They’re not buying it and later that day they learn from their mom that they took a plane out of SF and the kids were with him. They also learn Pooch inherited a lot of $ &bought the house boat, b4 that he’d drag a boat out of the water every day cuz he wudn’t rent1, always ask4 free things. They also learn that Barbara was young&wild &her husband Roger was older&no good. He runs over 2 Opal’s house 2find out more; she says her son Franklin was interested in Barbara “But he wasn’t her type. She liked trash.” & “U know, Eddie, wen I c that girl&those raggedy kids, I figure she got just wut she deserves.” She’s a real character. She sed Barb. took off w/o sayin bye&then came last fall &his mom took her in. All those yrs ago she left in the fall.
Eddie goes 2tell Jack &he isn’t home—his mom says he’s havin dinner w/Lisa or Linda, she can’t rmbr which. Wut kind of datin is this?
Barbara told them 2 come bak later if it’s necessary. Jack tells Eddie it’s messin up his love life, bcuz he was supposed 2tak Stephanie 2the movies &had 2cancel; they’re goin out4 pizza later tho, but they’re seein Barbara at 9pm. How late is he allowed out?? Such unfaithfulness. &u’d think Eddie wud stick up 4his sis but Eddie says enjoy ur pizza. Wut is this?!
Now Julie duznt care about the mystery, cuz it’s goin2 hurt sum1. It’s like Eddie is the only 1 that rly cares—about knowin sum1 in his town dumped a body& wanting the truth, cuz the town isn’t safe now&he wonders at every1’s capability of doin it. Julie asks if he wants 2hurt somebody, &2promise not 2tell Vince. Eddie ?s Pooch about where he got the $ 4the houseboat&if he has secrets &he gets mad. Later Jack asks if he nos about August &the bank, tryin2 shake him up. I was glad they were both continuing w/it but they kept blowin their cover &makin ppl mad&I wished they wud b smarter about it. It was cute wen Eddie calls&gets Wendy 4the 1st time &he says he has a valentine 4her&she laughs &says u better hav. She has1 4him.
Jack goes 2look 4the license plate 2show Pooch, but discovers the bag is gone.
Jack goes 2the door &givs Julie her flowers on Valentines day, glad he dint buy multiple flowers &giv 2diff. girls. Eddie givs Wendy hers&she kisses him, good 4him. After school Julie comes in w/candy from other guys&he says it’s good he’s not the jealous type &she says if he was she wudnt share. They also swing by the nursery 2get flowers college guys hav given her. &Jack is goin2 study w/Carol—on Valentine’s Day. Eddie says “Ur not goin out w/Julie on Valentine’s Day? They’re goin2 a party 2mrw night. Maks no sense. Eddie finally says he duznt get it. “If ur in love w/Julie how cum u go out w/other girls?” Jack shrugs. “Variety. U can’t just live on chocolate cake, even if it’s ur fav.” He asks “If Julie wanted 2go out w/u every night, wud u turn her down?” Jack laughed &sed “Wen that happens, I’ll c.” Eddie says he duznt get them. They used 2go steady&now they don’t but they both still love each other the same way. They finally talked about it—it took way2 long. Julie wants college &a career &Jack wants a marine repair shop&she duznt approve. He tells Eddie him&Julie aren’t goin2 get married. That’s just the way things r. Wth?! That’s awful.
Turns out Pooch was married &wen his wife died he inherited everything. Eddie tells Julie &she says it only leaves their mom. She’s got pics of the place at that time, &the improvements cost more $ than they were makin.
At school Eddie tapes an empty pink envelope on Wayne’s locker just 2keep him away so he can b alone w/Wendy. He asks him “Who’s sending u secret messages?” That was pretty funny. Wendy says speaking of messages,&she goes off w/Eddie &tells him she wishes she cud’ve gone on the picnic w/him. She went skiing w/her family &Wayne’s. She tells him Wayne is like a brother 2her. He says he’ll call 2night &she says it might b better if u dint. He says he might call&say he has the wrong # so she knows she’s thinkin of him. She squeezes his arm&says she’ll know anyway.
Jack thinks that Eddie’s mom sold some of her coin collection 2make the repairs, so they check the safe &that’s wut she did. So she isn’t involved &the mystery continued.
It was funny how Jack tells the Batts if they hav the license plate he’ll trade them Milky Ways. They bring 6 license plates, 1of which is a govmnt vehicle &1 off Woody’s truck. Jack says 1of them ought 2put it bak on&Eddie says he wonders which1. Jack sed prob. The1 who needs a favor 2night, cuz he’s takin Eddie 2the game 2c Wendy.
Jack advises Eddie 2wait a couple yrs4 Wendy wen she’ll b cuter &he’ll have a car&in the meantime he can pass the time w/Marjorie who’s 16, cuz she has a car&he won’t hav2 spend time w/her parents. He tells Ed he’s2 fussy &freshman can’t afford 2b fussy. Terrible advice. I wish he wud change his views on girls.
Jack asks his mom&she hasn’t ben in his room, they realize it’s Julie. She’s the1 that took the bag. She threw it in the lake cuz she thought she was protecting their mom. That gets Eddie 2thinkin of ppl protecting their moms. He duznt say anything &we dk who he’s thinkin of. That night he wakes up&writes a note, gives 2the person. He goes fishin w/Jack that day&tells him. Jack is mad but he stays in the boat &they wait 4the meetin time. It’s Woody that shows up&I dint expect that. Turns out his brother had called him sayin he’d held up a bank&ben shot&his partner was alredy dead. Wen Woody gets there Franklin is dead, so he taks his body&puts it in the lake so his mom won’t find out. He sends gifts from Franklin from “overseas,” TV &flowers. He gets no credit 4bein a good son, Franklin is the old woman’s favo& I hated she wudnt find out the truth that everything was from Woody & Franklin was the bad son. She had such a bad opinion of Woody, it wasn’t fair. I dint like that about the story. &how it ended, I wanted 2no that Julie &Jack stayed 2gether &married. Jack proposes they start a guide service where they take ppl out fishin &Eddie says “Y not? It’s got 2b btr than the detective business.” It ended w/the Batt brats settin sumthin on fire&I dint care 2end w/them. I did like Vince comin &knowin Jack lied about the model A.
It was enjoyable, written well &I wanted 2keep readin¬ put it down. The characters were definitely, well, characters. They were all interesting &consistent. There was sumthin funny on every page, so I wud hav ben writin quotes all the time had I added everything. The author def has a sense of humor. I’m 23&I rly liked readin it; I dint think it was immature even tho he was 14. &I knew it was written a while back cuz of the cassette tapes &some references 2 things that r old-school but it dint get in the way of readin it&many of it applies 2modern day life. It had mystery &a lil love& friendship &plenty of humor. As long as it’s funny readers r goin2 want 2keep readin. I’m so glad I decided 2buy this book, cuz I usually don’t buy books w/guys as the MC. This book was $1 or $2 &well worth the$. I was sorry wen it was over &wished it had gone on. It shud hav ben a series w/the characters’ lives continuing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2022
Gave this book a try because Petersen is a local author and my copy was signed by the author (to my older sister). Unfortunately, I've never been a huge fan of mysteries, and I just couldn't bring myself to care about the skeleton at the bottom of the lake.
There are some relatable 80s moments about payphones and TV sets, and having a crush. But, alas, I am not the intended audience for this book, and it was not for me.
There are some relatable 80s moments about payphones and TV sets, and having a crush. But, alas, I am not the intended audience for this book, and it was not for me.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews