Customer Reviews

Half-Moon Investigations

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Artemis Fowl" Author Eoin Colfer was asked at his 40th birthday party why he hadn't written a "teen book" yet. After this, and spending the evening recounting adventures with his childhood friends, this book is the end product. THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE "NOT SO INNOCENT."

The novel tells the hilarious exploits of another pre-teen genius Fletcher Moon, a mere 12 years old and already a graduate of an online detective course with a badge and everything. Fletcher Moon has never been like other kids. For one thing, he has had to suffer the humiliating nickname "Half Moon" because of his short stature. But the real reason Fletcher is different is that ever since he was born, he's had the nose for sniffing out mysteries. His first case: April Devereux, classmate and archetypical "mean girl", hires him to find out who swiped the lock of a pop star's hair that she bought on eBay. Suspicion centers on Red Sharkey, oldest son of the town's most notorious crime family. Unraveling the mystery leads Fletcher to break rule No. 1 in his detective's handbook-"Be invisible"-as Fletcher follows the clues, a conspiracy begins to emerge. But before he can solve the case, his prized badge goes missing and Fletcher finds himself framed for a serious crime. To clear his name, he will have to go on the run from the authorities, and ally himself with his chief suspect, left with 12 hours to prove his innocence by finding the guilty party.

In typical Eoin Colfer style the supporting characters are large in number, but are definitely not without distinction: a tyrant school principal aided by menacing twin Dobermans, and Fletcher's older sister, Hazel, who works out her boy troubles by writing plays and poetry while locked in her bedroom, Moon's eight-year-old, snot-nosed snitch who always has green yo-yo's hanging from his nostrils that he snorts in and out. And Fletcher himself, who with the world-weary..I mean...school-weary style of the dime=store detective, tells his tale, and the process gets: brained, nearly beat up, knocked out, knock-down and more. If only it were in black and white. It is plain to seen Colfer enjoyed writing about characters he really knew growing up, and this book has some of his best banter and most likable characters. This time Colfer's setting is suburban, but as always tailored specifically to Ireland, which is part of his series' charm. It's got `hurling" and "Step-dancing" how can you not love it? While the ending leaves a trail for future investigations. I'll be looking forward to more installments in this series. Readers ages 9-up.

Half Moon Investigations is a surprisingly (and refreshingly) NON fantasy novel from Eion Colfer. I love the Artemis Fowl books and found The Supernaturalist to be interesting (if not great) so it's obvious I would pick this book up right away. I'd never heard of it until I saw it in the shop and the cool cover and Eion Colfer's name in big letters was the selling point for me, regardless of whether or not the actual blurb made the book look any good.

Fletcher Moon is twelve and a fully licensed private detective. He takes his job very seriously even though the adults regard it as a game. But it ain't no game, not at all. There is a murky plot brewing in Fletcher's high school and he's been hired to get to the bottom of it. But he can't trust anyone and he uncovers more lies than truths. In this respect the book is kinda similar to the movie Brick by Rian Johnson.

I like the approach Colfer uses. He doesn't want to be too childish and insult his target audience but he can't take the story out of the young adult section. It's a fine line to walk and he makes it all the way.

The first-person narrative is punchy and to-the-point. No time is wasted padding and the story breezes along, going from twist to twist. It's the kind of book that you read all at once because there's no part that seems like a safe place to leave it at.

Like Artemis Fowl books, it seems that Colfer is planning on a new franchise with Half Moon Investigations. If so, I eagerly await the next.

I have read every single Artemis Fowl and I will gladly read them again and again.I was worried that Eoin would mess up the book because I felt it was out of his comfort zone.(No offense Colfer, but you seem to enjoy evil, foul and wicked characters in your books.) But despite my doubts, this is by far Eoin's best.I found the plot and story to be wonderfully charming and realistic. Normally I enjoy fantasy books but this is my new fave. I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading it.

This would make a MUCH better movie than Artemis Fowl, and there was not as many uncomfortable moments like in Artemis. And yes I'm referring to Mulch. This is your best Colfer, and I hope to see a second SOON!

A very fun book, as always Colfer creates characters that just make you want to keep reading. Fletcher (Half) Moon, is a real detective--having taken an online course and recieved a badge in the mail, but he is only eleven years old. His cases usually involve finding lost toys etc. However, as the story unfolds it begins to include what he considers the crime family of his town and other nefarious people.

Its a wonderful book told in a sort of film noir style, though with much more humor. Fletcher also manages to find a partner for his work in a very interesting ally, perhaps the most interesting character of the book.
Definately a fun read for kids who enjoy a mystery, it does have some violence (Fletcher does get attacked, but he doesn't seem to mind). Lots of fun to read, probably good for third grade and up.

Lock, Ireland isn't the most crime-ridden place in the world. In fact, aside from a petty theft here and there, it seems that Lock is more of what you would call a...boring suburb. Which is why twelve-year-old Fletcher Moon isn't the happiest kid in class. Fletcher is a quirky fellow. Never one to follow trends, Fletcher has always danced to the beat of his own song. More intelligent than your average middle school student, Fletcher realized that detective work was in the cards for him before he was out of diapers. So, forgoing normal child-like activities, Fletcher, nicknamed "Half-Moon" by his teasing classmates due to his tiny stature did the unthinkable: using his father's birthdate, he enrolled in legendary detective Bob Bernstein's Internet class to receive his detective license. After two years of intense studying, Fletcher managed to graduate at the top of his class, the proud owner of a detective badge. With his graduation from the Internet class, Fletcher takes on the title of being the world's youngest detective, and he couldn't be more proud. The fact that his silver-plated detective's badge is quite well-known around town only adds to his joy. The only problem is that, even with detective badge in tow, Fletcher is bored out of his mind. Hardly any cases come his way, and when they do they are for trivial things that can be solved in minutes, and are never accompanied by payment other than a chocolate Mars bar every now and then. But then Fletcher's world is turned upside down. Within a matter of minutes, not only does Fletcher's detective badge gets swiped right out from under his nose, but he's hired to solve a crime by ten-year-old fifth-grader, April Devereux, who drapes herself in the color pink, and acts like a walking Barbie doll. With a little detective work, Fletcher realizes that both crimes have clues that lead straight to the Sharkeys. The Sharkeys aren't your typical family. Known throughout the town of Lock as criminal masterminds, whenever trouble brews, you can blame it on the closest Sharkey. Lucky for them, they garner the knack that keeps them out of prison, no matter what; but Fletcher is convinced that the Sharkeys luck is about to turn sour. With some payment thrown his way thanks to the poor-little-rich-girl April, Fletcher begins to follow a wide array of clues that begin to signal a conspiracy in the small town. Fletcher knows that he'll be able to crack the case in a matter of time, but before he's given the chance to do so, he finds himself framed for a serious crime that he knows he didn't commit. Unfortunately, everyone within Lock is convinced that he's guilty, even though he's known as being a wimpy weirdo with a penchant for sticking his nose into other people's business. Now, in an attempt to clear his name, and protect his reputation as a law-abiding, serious private detective, Fletcher finds himself forced to team up with the unlikeliest of allies to do a little extra snooping around, and make a run from the authorities. With only twelve hours to clear his name, and solve the case, Fletcher begins to wonder if he'll be able to finger the guilty party before time runs out, and he finds himself in a jail cell of his own.

With so few mystery novels on the market for middle readers nowadays, I was absolutely thrilled when I unexpectedly stumbled upon Eoin Colfer's HALF MOON INVESTIGATIONS. As a fan of ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, COLUMBO, and NANCY DREW, I knew that I would certainly enjoy the tale; but I had no idea that I wouldn't be able to put it down until it was complete. Fletcher is one of the greatest characters to grace the pages of children's literature in years. His zany ideas, weird wardrobe, uber-brains, and ability to integrate himself into fights of all different shapes and sizes at the drop of the hat are hilarious; however, it's his uncanny ability to assemble clues like puzzle pieces, and solve crimes in no time flat that make him an engrossing individual. His bizarre relationship with Red Sharkey provides the reader with a handful of strange scenarios that pit them against each other at times, and leave them the best of friends at others. What's so appealing about Red is his dual-personality. Throughout the story, he shows different sides of himself that give the reader the lowdown on why his behavior is so conflicting. April Devereux, however, provides quite a few laughs. She's a spoiled tyrant whom you can't help but adore. Her pink-followers are creepy, and her determination to basically take over the world is a riot. What's so refreshing about HALF MOON INVESTIGATIONS is Colfer's ability to combine so many wacky characters into one story, and have them all work with one another to build an amazing storyline that truly draws the reader in. The display of different cast systems is another thing that adds diversity to this tale, as we have the opportunity to see the differences between how each family lives. The fact that Fletcher is a chocoholic, of course, adds to the story, as well. Colfer's talent is showcased marvelously throughout HALF MOON INVESTIGATIONS. Solving the crime is a true challenge that leaves you stumped until the very end; and the cliffhanger ending promises that perhaps - hopefully - a sequel is a-brewing. A hypnotizing tale that combines humor with sleuthing to create the ultimate mystery.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

hadn't read any eoin colfer before, it looked intriguing, bought it for fun, gulped it down and enjoyed every minute! extremely well-written and intelligent, the humor is hilarious and could be enjoyed at any age which is the sign of a great writer...he's not talking dumb or down to kids, adults (of which i pretend to be one) can enjoy this just as much or more. i hope many many more half moon investigations are coming our way! and on the strength of this book, i immediately ordered artemis fowl...am hoping for great things!

Half-Moon Investigations is my favorite by Colfer so far. Some were disappointed by how different it was from Artemis Fowl, but that is exactly what was enjoyable for me. He moves from science fiction to something much more down-to-earth.

The humor in this book is great. Its perfect for reading aloud. There were points at which I found it hard to continue reading (aloud) I was laughing so hard.

One review suggested that the kid's genius was unbelievable, whereas because Artemis Fowl was rich it made sense that he was a genius. First of all, Half-Moon is anything but a genius. He just thinks he's a genius. Secondly, he needs others (as Artemis Fowl figures out after a much longer period). Hey, and why is it more believable that someone rich be a genius? This book really made me want Colfer to write a sequel . . . what happens next?

If I had to rate this in comparison with other Colfer books I'd place it above Artemis Fowl in its quality and far above Supernaturalist, which, in my opinion was the worst I've read of Colfer's.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I cracked open the cover. I loved the first three Artemis Fowl books, and I almost made the mistake of skipping HALF MOON INVESTIGATIONS, because it wasn't Artemis Fowl. What a mistake that would have been.

This book was a refreshing break from fantasy books for me, allowing me to delve into a very believable world of what a young private investigator might be like. It was a blast from start to finish, and I found myself falling in love with all the characters. The voice was so fun -- he captured that old noir PI feel in the body of a young boy, and it worked perfectly.

This is a great summer read! Fast-paced, and a blast from start to finish.

I knew when smoky jazz filled the car that I was in for trouble, and I was right. I had to leave ten minutes early for everything because I just had to finish the chapter. The combination of Eoin Colfer's dime-store humor and Sean Patrick Reilly's melodramatic brogue makes me believe I have entered the world of a P.I.

The characters are just wonderful, falling into mystery novel stereotypes while still managing to surprise you at every turn. The plot is engaging, the dialogue is entertaining, and the adventure is non-stop. This book has all the elements of a great read and an even better listen.

This is another great book, by a great author! My kids got me started reading the Artemis Fowl books and I was half expecting something in the same series when I ordered this book -- but I wasn't disappointed with this book even if it has nothing to do with Artemis Fowl! Fletcher Moon, the main character, is very interesting and looks at himself with perspective and humor. This led me to readily care about him and the relationships he built as the book developed. The mysteries are good, but happily, this wasn't just a format mystery; it included humor, personality, and growth.

My advice? Buy the book, read it, enjoy it, and convince others to read it too. Even us adults can learn more about ourselves from books like this -- pain free!