Harper Madigan: Junior High Private Eye

By: Chelsea M. Campbell

Narrated by: Nicholas Vennekotter

Length: 4 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Seventh-grade detective Harper Madigan works alone. He doesn't need the vice principal assigning him a new partner to keep him in line, especially a stuffed-shirt wannabe-journalist. And he especially doesn't need his troublemaker ex-girlfriend showing up out the blue and asking for his help. She's accused of attacking the star of the school musical, and with her less-than-sparkling track record, she's only one suspension away from getting expelled.

Only Harper believes she's innocent, and now it's up to him to prove it, even if it means making an enemy of the PTA mafia, risking his agency, and facing the mistakes of his own dark past. But when his new partner insists on doing everything by the book, and his old nemesis - the one bully he can't catch - starts harassing his clients, it's going to take more than just detective work to solve the case.

©2012 Chelsea M. Campbell (P)2013 Chelsea M. Campbell

Fantastic

Great story that is well written. Aimed at middle readers this is one I wouldn’t mind hearing more from, loved the few twists at the end

A Noir-style detective story in a middle school

Harper Madigan runs a detective agency, complete with his own trench coat, at his school, complete with his own "office" and office hours, and a carte blanche hall pass that allows him to complete his investigations. His hard-hitting cases involve things like the case of the stolen lucky pencil. But Harper's been a little down on his luck recently and the vice principal has assigned Austin Phelps, a prospective reporter, to be his partner. But Harper Madigan works alone.

This book is written in a noir style but altered for the middle school/junior high level, and it kicks off with Danigal coming to Harper because she's being accused of assaulting the lead in the school play. She swears she's innocent, but her record in the past year has been less-than-stellar and if she gets suspended one more time, she'll be suspended. And the PTA wants her suspended. Which means Harper has his work cut out for him.

For a detective story, this one is fairly straightforward. There are a few twists, but they aren't particularly crazy ones, and it was pretty easy to predict what would happen next. Despite that, the story was good, and it would still be a good story for middle-school readers.

In typical Noir style, most of the characters are pretty stereotypical, including Harper. The one character that I could say didn't fit into that was Harper's partner, Austin Phelps. He goes from definite mole to sort-of partner to traitor and ultimately ends up as a friend. I enjoyed Austin as a character. Though I know there aren't any sequels to this book, and no more cases for Harper to solve, I would definitely read another one should Campbell decide to write another one.

For this book, I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Nicholas Vennekotter. His narration wasn't really anything to write home about, it also wasn't terrible.

You don't need a hall pass to enjoy this book.

I loved this book.I think this book is more aimed at a younger generation but even so I really enjoyed this book and in fact I stayed up well past me bed time to finish the book. I loved the characters and the way they have to learn to work together and the fact that no case is to small, it really gelled together to make an interesting and fun mystery good enough for a teenager or a mystery fan. The mystery it's self was good. and full of high school drama. The fact that most of the story takes place in a school was a fun element and took me back a few years, especially with those pesky hall passes. I hope there is another case for the junior high private investigator.
Harper Madigan is a high school boy who fights for justice against the school bullies, he doesn't wear a cape but he does wear a trench coat, if only the vice principle would let him. He works out of a condemned cleaning closet but his clients knows just were to find him when they have a problem and no case is to small for this P.i. To try and keep him in line more the vice principle assigns him an assistant in the hopes that he will be a good influence on Harper. But things don't to to plan when Harper's ex girlfriend future at the school is threatened. She is accused of pushing the lead actress off the stage, a crime even her own brother thinks she might have done. Harper is the lone voice to think otherwise, he just doesn't understand why she is keeping information from him. Can Harper find out the reason why the school PTA is trying so hard to expel his ex from the school?
I liked the narrator and thought she did a really good job of bringing the characters to life.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.