Mad Mouse

John Ceepak, Book 2

By: Chris Grabenstein

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

It's almost Labor Day, and the end of summer could mean the end of someone's life in this exciting sequel to Chris Grabenstein's Tilt-a-Whirl.

Young Danny Boyle, the part-time summer cop "down the shore" in Sea Haven, New Jersey, gets taken on a wild ride when he and his longtime beach buddies become the unwitting targets of a madman's twisted scheme for revenge. Fortunately, John Ceepak, the cop with a soldier's unshakable code of honor, stays at Danny's side to help him negotiate the quick twists and turns that threaten to destroy his life, his friends, and everything about the world he loves.

Whipping from the boardwalk to the beach and back again, Mad Mouse keeps zigging and zagging at a breakneck pace, all the way to the surprising finish.

Don't miss other adventures featuring Sea Haven's finest, including the first book in the series, Tilt-a-Whirl, and the third, Whack-a-Mole.

©2006 Chris Grabenstein (P)2007 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"With agile humor, neat plotting, unexpected sweetness, and an irresistible duo, Grabenstein offers a hip new form of cozy." (Booklist)
"Likable good guys, plausible bad guys, a sensible plot and a supple prose style that moves from breezy to poignant." (Kirkus Reviews)

Really fun murder mystery?

After listening to several serious and intense novels, it was time to enjoy a John Ceepak and Danny Boyle light, wacky, and funny police "thriller" set at the beach town of Sea Haven, New Jersey. Mad Mouse is book 2 in the 8 novel John Ceepak series. All of the novels are in the first person of Danny Boyle and Jeff Woodman is his voice. I've listened to most of the books in the Ceepak series and recommend them highly for light and fun reading. It's no surprise that Chris Grabenstein was a stand up comedian long before he started writing books.

The Delayed Effects of Bullying

Even a mad mouse can be dangerous when he chooses to attack. There is an axiom that the winner of the fight is the warrior who'll go farther to win than the rest; a high powered sniper rifle meets that definition nicely.
Danny Boyle and Clark Kent's cousin John Ceepak; Sea Haven's top cops face a sniper whose targets are Danny and his friends. As the story unravels we find out the chief reason behind the sniping is payback for an incidence of bullying when they were all in high school. The copyright date is 2006; so long before Newtown and long after Columbine, and I can't recall which mass shooting occurred in 2005 or 2006 so I'm not certain of the model he was using.
I found the case the author made against bullying was a little too blatant; could have been more subtle for sure, but it was effective. The way the shooter's father treated him was also effective in establishing how the kid had been set up as a target from an early age. I have the Ceepak/Boyle collection in it's entirety and though I don't fins any of the books top rate they are all good. You know what you're getting with Grabenstein and it's pretty good.

I want some scrapple

Raised in New Jersey, I now live in Arizona. These books bring back happy childhood memories of going down the shore with the family. Salt water taffy, miniature golf, fresh seafood. These books are great reading for when I want some light reading, engaging but not overly complex. A good book to take to the beach.

love the g rating and fun story

I like this book because it's an easy read has a good moral and a happy ending. the only thing it's missing is strong female lead.

Good Read

This is the second in the series I've read and I enjoyed them both. Jeff Woodman does a wonderful narration, has a wonderful,smooth voice and brings the characters to life. I love the moral compass and the interplay between the characters and very much the humor.

This series is just plain fun!

This is the second book in the John Cepak series; they are just fun to listen too. I like thrillers and crime novels; this series is in the crime genre but its very light and more on the amusing side than a lot of dark grisly series.

The main character is technically John Cepak but everything is told from the very amusing viewpoint of his young police partner Danny Boyle.

This story did not disappoint and kept the sprit of the series going. This time Danny and his friends are the target of someone from his past.

Sadly the reason the person was after them resonates all too well with what so many young people face. It was done well in this story and you can truly understand why the perpetrator felt the way he did.

Good read

Enjoying this series, now on to book 3. Narrative is entertaining. Easy listen while driving.

Another great book by Grabenstien

Would you consider the audio edition of Mad Mouse to be better than the print version?

For me audio is better. I travel a lot.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I like Ceepack. He makes me laugh.

Which character – as performed by Jeff Woodman – was your favorite?

John Ceepack

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed all off the books this series.

Very Enjoyable!

I love the choice of narrator for these books. This one is even better than Tilt-a-whirl. This is a great summer beach listen. I enjoyed the story and characters very much. You feel like you are driving around a beach town being a spectator watching the characters in action. Satisfying ending too.

Good #2

I'm liking this series so far. #2 was just as good as #1. As with #1 there is a nice twist at the end. On to #3.