The Dead Kid Detective Agency [Paperback]

Evan Munday (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2011 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Thirteen-year-old October Schwartz is new in town; short on friends and the child of a clinically depressed science teacher, she spends her free time in the Sticksville Cemetery and it isn’t long before she befriends the ghosts of five dead teenagers, each from a different era of the past. Using October’s smarts and the ghosts’ abilities to walk through walls and roam around undetected, they form the Dead Kid Detective Agency, a group committed to solving Sticksville’s most mysterious mysteries. So when the high school’s beloved French teacher dies in a suspicious car accident, it provides the agency with its first bona fide case, putting them in the midst of a murder plot thick with car chases, cafeteria fights, and sociopathic math teachers, and sending them on an adventure that might just uncover the truth about a bomb that exploded 40 years ago.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An engaging tale with a resilient heroine, a dead but lively supporting cast and enough wit to grease the wheels." —Kirkus Book Reviews (September 2011)

"Munday's new series is a welcome black sheep to this literary family, touching on various historical periods with tongue placed firmly in cheek. Fun, fresh and punchy, The Dead Kid Detective Agency adds life and a good dose of humour to Canadian history." —www.VikkiVanSickle.wordpress.com (September 9, 2011)

"Evan Munday . . . proves to be the funniest thing to hit Canadian YA since Susan Juby. . . . Munday is one to watch, as this first novel in a planned series proves in spades." —Quill & Quire (October 2011)

"This book is historical fiction with a twist of mystery. . . . A fun read for ages nine to 12." —Calgary Herald (October 2, 2011)

"Let's hope this book is the start of a series, because it's a good one. . . . This book will appeal to the same audience as the Lemony Snicket series of Unfortunate Events books, that is, bright kids and adults who have a darker sense of humour." —Waterloo Region Record (October 1, 2011)

"The 'dead kids' are well drawn and entertaining. Full marks for innovation." —Winnipeg Free Press (October 15, 2011)

About the Author

Evan Munday is the publicist at Coach House Books. He is the illustrator of the novel Stripmalling, and the author and illustrator of the graphic novel series Quarter-Life Crisis. He lives in Toronto.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550229710
• ISBN-13: 978-1550229714
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,067,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dead Kid Detective Agency, October 24, 2011

By 

DesertJules "DJ" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dead Kid Detective Agency (Paperback)

October Schwartz is new in town and she's about to turn thirteen. She doesn't fit in and gets picked on, a lot. So, although she's friends with a couple of fellow misfits at school, October starts spending her time in the cemetery - conveniently located through the gate in their backyard.

Inspired by the atmosphere, she decides to fight the boredom by writing a scary book about a cool demon-pounding chick. Which means more time in the cemetery, for ambience. Well, her dad did say go outside, didn't he?

What October doesn't know is that the cemetery is home to five kids, about her age, from different eras of the town. Those five ghosts are only allowed to come out once a year, for a few days until Halloween. They aren't happy to find out October isn't a ghost - but, eventually, the six manage to become friends.

When the French teacher dies in a mysterious accident at school, October decides to investigate - with the help of the five dead kids. Well, it makes sense, doesn't it? They can walk through walls and get into places that she can't. Of course, not all of them can read and write, so there are some problems along the way.

Before they know it the kids (including October's school friends, who don't know about the ghosts) are knee-deep in murder plots, car chases, and searching for clues. Will they find out the truth? Will they get caught? And what happens when the five dead kids have to go back at midnight on Halloween?

*****
This has to be one of the greatest young fiction titles I've read since I was a tween/teen. The characters drew me in and took me back several decades. I found myself hunched over the laptop, scrolling like a maniac, eager to keep up with the kids.

Although there's a lot of time in a cemetery and murder plots and evil doings, it's not a frightening story. It's an exciting, fun adventure. And certainly made me hope that there are going to be many more cases for the Dead Kid Detective Agency.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic galley of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com <[...]> professional readers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars: An entertaining mystery for middle grade readers., November 19, 2011

By 

Heidi "Rainy Day Ramblings" (Portand, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dead Kid Detective Agency (Paperback)

It is the first day of high school for the plucky, precocious, semi goth girl, October. Today she is starting at her new school in Sticksville and she is especially nervous because she is only thirteen, a year younger than her peers. She hopes that no one will learn her actual age. Anxiously, she shoulders her backpack and meanders past the old cemetery adjacent to her house. While others may be a little jittery living next door to the graveyard, October is intrigued by the crumbling headstones and tranquil atmosphere. Alas, school calls; head down she ducks through the congested halls hoping to go unnoticed and somehow endure the day. No such luck; sandwiched beside her locker is the resident queen bee, Ashley and her swarm of drones. Ms. Popular sneers her direction and immediately dubs her "zombie tramp". So much for coasting through her debut at Sticksville. October withstands the day and she even makes a couple of friends. She might just survive after all. The days begin to pass by and afternoons are soon spent scribbling away on her horror novel in the graveyard. Then her favorite teacher Mr. O'Shea is killed in an untimely accident, crushed by the lift in the auto shop. October has a nagging suspicion that his death was no accident. Somehow she manages to accidentally summon five ghosts and The Dead Kid Detective Agency is born. The question is was her teacher murdered and if so by whom? Can the dead kids and October solve the crime?

What I Liked:

*The tone of this book will appeal to the middle grade readers. It is slightly sarcastic and witty. An abundance of funny aside commentary will surely generate some snickers.
*There are plenty of humorous illustrations dotted throughout the pages. It has definitely been awhile since I read a book with pictures. Leading me to wonder, why aren't more adult books illustrated? I like the visual depictions of the scenes.
*The characterization in this book is fun. October is adventurous, resourceful, a bit of an underdog and she has a quick wit. The five ghosts are all from unique time periods and ethnic backgrounds. It was fun watching them navigate in our time and experience them trying to learn the ropes of modern day technology. *I enjoyed the depiction of some of her teachers, as we know educators are varied and often eccentric. Mr. Santuzzi was especially funny with his bad clothes, suspicious hair ( was it a toupee or not?) and military style of teaching. Meeting her teachers certainly gave me flashbacks to my own school days.
*The plot keeps you guessing. I honestly spent most of the book trying to figure out the mystery. The story will lead you to one suspect, only to steer you on a detour to another. There are some twists and surprises along the way. A lively, little mystery.

And The Not So Much:

*I struggled with this book being labeled as a middle grade novel. While some parts would appeal to the younger crowd they were many aspects that led me to believe that this was more suited for a more mature reader. For instance the book is set in high school, which of course presents many issues that are pertienent for that age group. It would be better if October was in junior high, more relatable for the target reader. One plot revolves around a terror cell in Quebec that operated during the late 1960's; that in my opinion is subject matter that is a little over the head of younger readers. There was a scene that involved some teenage drinking and smoking, again material for an older reader or preferably not at all.
*This book starts out with a first person narration, October's view point but the author couldn't seem to make up his mind, he switches to third person narrative and then it is back and forth, which is distracting. Then there were these diary entries from a frenchman in the late 1960's. The first time one popped up I was definitely confused. After awhile it made sense as to why they there written into the plot but I do not feel that it integrated smoothly into the story. Personally, I was a somewhat bored with the journal pages.
*The story presented several intriguing story lines, such as the mystery surrounding the disappearance of October's mother when she was three. The early introduction of the missing mother indicated that it would be a story line followed to the end. Instead it is left hanging at the end of the novel for completion in a future book. If the author was not going to finish the story line then why bring it up in the beginning? He also introduces each of the dead kids and discusses the strange circumstances surrounding their deaths. Not one of the ghosts knew the specifics of their demise. It is hinted that this will be answered in future novels but I wanted at least some answers in this book.

The Dead Kid Detective Agency is a witty introduction into a series for middle grade readers. While the book does have a few problems it is still an enjoyable read. However, I think it is best suited for older middle grade readers. It is quirky and funny and October and the dead kids are like able characters. It will be fun to see where the series goes from here.

Favorite Quotations:

"The air was crisp and a bit cold for early September, like a Granny Smith apple left in the freezer by accident."

"The boy looked like he'd been slapped across the face with a glove full of nickels."

"Her mouth hung open like an expectant mailbox."

"My high school social status, to this point on life support, was now officially dead."

"I thought I had honed my skills at sneaking out of the house to, like ninja level."

"Do boring people need therapy."

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dead Kid Detective Agency, November 17, 2011

By 

Liliana "Lili" (WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dead Kid Detective Agency (Paperback)

Thanks to the publisher for the reviewing copy :)

October just moved to a new town with her clinically depressed father where she will be starting a new life at a new school. To make things worse, she's only 13 and she'll be entering high school already (yeah, she's that smart! She skipped a whole grade at her old school). Because she has an affinity for the color black and she likes to read in the cemetery, she's considered a "freak." High school kids can be such jerks! But I like October :) She's a pretty cool kid. Anyway, as she's starting to settle in, there is a murder that takes place...and it is someone October was starting to know and actually like (I don't want to give too much away ;))Even though it seemed like a very tragic accident, October suspects that there was more to it. And thus the Dead Kid Detective Agency was born! October and the ghosts of 5 dead kids around her age try to figure out who and why they committed the murder.

I was very aware that this book was aimed at kids around the middle school age when I requested to review it...but someone's gotta review it, right? lol. Anyway, I thought this book sounded very interesting; I do like a good ghost story, you know ;) And I am happy to say that it didn't disappoint!

I really liked the plot and the mystery behind it. Remember that murderer I was talking about? I sooo did not guess correctly who that was! In fact, I was so surprised when I found out who it was, that I had to read it twice! I really like books that prove my guesses wrong because in the end it's a surprise...and I love twisty ends wrapped in surprises!

Anyway, the plot was great, the twists were great, and the characters I also liked. They were all very diverse, especially the ghost kids who each came from a different era. And all the weird names the characters had was fun :)

In general, I absolutely loved the book! I especially liked the few drawings it had throughout the book. That was different and definitely something I enjoyed. The book was beyond funny! Like my cousin says, "total hilarity, man!" At some points it had me in total hysterics and my dad kept giving me this funny look, lol. But a book that can make me laugh like that is always a plus. I also liked how the narrator kept referring to us--the readers. That actually something I don't come across too often, but I enjoy it because it makes me feel like I'm somehow involved in the story too. There was one thing I didn't understand however: it kept changing POV--from 3rd person to 1st person and back to 3rd. I truthfully didn't notice it change POV until I was like halfway through the chapter, and it actually didn't bother me, but it's something that I noticed and don't really understand why that was happening.

Oh! And any book that mentions Greek mythology gets another super special plus just for doing so (if you don't know, I am a huge fan of Greek mythology): "October's plan sprung out fully-formed, like the goddess Athena from Zeus's head. Check out your Greek myths, kids. Those stories are messed up to the extreme." Ha! I love that! And its sooo true! :D

I recommend this book for kids around the middle school age. My brother is actually in 8th grade and I recommended this book to him as I was reading it. However, I think anyone can read it, not just kids. Especially if you don't mind the lack of romance...which I don't.

This book is of course worthy of 5 stars. And this is a 19-year-old girl saying...I can't wait for book 2! :D