Mad Mouse: A John Ceepak Mystery [Hardcover]

Chris Grabenstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2006

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 mad-man’s twisted scheme for revenge. Fortunately, John Ceepak, the cop with a soldier’s unshakeable 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Grabenstein's second humorous procedural (after 2005's Tilt-a-Whirl) reunites that incongruous pair, Sea Haven, N.J., police officer John Ceepak, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom who lives by the code "I will not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do," and his callow young sidekick, Danny Boyle, who's promoted from part-time summer cop to full-time status. Paintball vandalism becomes something more serious when the assailant switches to actual gunfire, targeting Boyle and his circle of friends. In scenes reminiscent of Jaws, the local mayor, anxious that tourist dollars not be scared away, tries to conceal the significance of the shootings, but the politician offers little resistance to the detective duo's investigative efforts. Some readers may find that the jokey tone jars with a plot that echoes the real-life D.C. sniper case, but those for whom a laugh counts more than realistic action will be amused. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Set on a colorful Jersey Shore boardwalk, graced with a Bruce Springsteen soundtrack, and starring an aw-shucks charming pair of cop buddies, Grabenstein's second seaside amusement-park-ride mystery lives up to the promise of his smash-hit debut, Tilt-a-Whirl (2005). Easygoing part-time summer cop Danny Boyle is hoping to be promoted to full-time rookie, so he pays close attention to his impressive partner, John Ceepak, a decorated Iraq War veteran whose extreme correctness and keen intelligence are matched by a low-key bigheartedness. Sea Haven is gearing up for a gigantic Labor Day celebration, and Danny is falling hard for Katie, but summer fun is cruelly interrupted by a sniper stalking Danny, Katie, and their friends, and leaving calling cards featuring Derek Jeter and comic-book superheroes. As the mayor pressures the cops to find this taunting killer before the holiday festivities begin, cool Ceepak and bumbling Boyle wield their superpowers: kindness, honesty, and courage. With agile humor, neat plotting, unexpected sweetness, and an irresistible duo, Grabenstein offers a hip new form of cozy. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf; First. edition (April 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786717602
• ISBN-13: 978-0786717606
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chris Grabenstein did improvisational comedy in New York City with Bruce Willis before James Patterson hired him to write advertising copy.

His first John Ceepak/Jersey Shore mystery TILT A WHIRL won the Anthony Award for Best First Mystery in 2006 and was followed by the critically acclaimed MAD MOUSE, WHACK-A-MOLE, HELL HOLE, MIND SCRAMBLER, ROLLING THUNDER (nominated for The Best Sidekick award) and, coming in 2012, FUN HOUSE. A Ceepak short story RING TOSS appeared in the June 2010 issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

Chris has also published two holiday thrillers: SLAY RIDE and HELL FOR THE HOLIDAYS and became a New York Times Best Selling author thanks to his short story "The Demon In The Dunes," which appeared in the anthology DEATH'S EXCELLENT VACATION, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner (thanks Charlaine and Toni!)

FOR YOUNGER READERS....

His fist book for middle grades readers, THE CROSSROADS, won both the 2008 Agatha and Anthony Awards as Best Children's/YA novel, appeared on several "Best" lists, and has been optioned to become a movie. The second book in the series, THE HANGING HILL, also won the Agatha Award. The third Haunted Mystery, THE SMOKY CORRIDOR, all about a zombie who lives in the basement of a middle school, was published by Random House in August. The fourth book in the series, THE BLACK HEART CRYPT, will be published in 2011.

Chris wrote CURIOSITY CAT, the play within the book from THE HANGING HILL, for friends at the Children's Theater of Knoxville. The script is now available for production everywhere through world renowned play publisher Samuel French.

Chris's new middle grades caper series, RILEY MACK AND THE OTHER KNOWN TROUBLEMAKERS (an Ocean's Eleven starring eleven-year-olds) will be published by HarperCollins in January 2012 with the sequel slated for 2013.

Chris has also written for Jim Henson's Muppets and co-wrote THE CHRISTMAS GIFT, starring John Denver, a made-for-TV movie that first aired on CBS in 1986 and still shows up somewhere on cable very early in the morning every holiday season.

Chris's dog Fred, however, has the best credits in the family: Fred starred on Broadway in CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Past Comes Back to Haunt Danny, September 23, 2006

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mad Mouse: A John Ceepak Mystery (Hardcover)

Summer Cop Danny Boyle and his friends have made a tradition of celebrating National Toasted Marshmallow Day. For the last ten years, they have gotten together every year on a beach in their town of Sea Haven, New Jersey to toast marshmallows, drink beer, and hang out.

This year, things turn serious when someone tags them with paintballs. One of the paintballs hits Becca's eye, turning a yearly tradition into a serious night.

Sea Haven is planning a huge bash for Labor Day. Naturally, this incident doesn't sit well with everyone in the business community whose survival during the next nine months rests on the huge business they expect this one weekend of the summer. Danny and his partner, John Ceepak, are assigned the case; with the implication that Danny's application to be a full time cop is riding on a quick solution.

They think they are on the right track when another attack happens. Again, Danny and a friend are the target. Only this time, the paintballs are followed by a bullet.

I'm not normally a thriller fan, but I just couldn't pass up the setting of a resort town. I loved the first one, and enjoyed this one even more. The plot starts quickly. It seems to be moving along fine, but when the second attack comes, things pick up into high gear and the pace never slows down. Since Danny is our narrator, this gives us more of a stake in the outcome, and I must admit to cheating ahead to see who lived until the end.

The only real drawback to the story involves Ceepak. Ceepak lives by a code. Actually, I like his code and respect the character because of it. However, it is mentioned so often I got tired of hearing about it. A few mentions to establish the character were fine, but it should have been dropped by the second half of the story.

Still, this is a minor complaint in an otherwise outstanding story. Give yourself plenty of time to read it because you will be hooked.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Round 2 of murder, mayhem and mirth on Mad Mouse, August 5, 2006

By 

Susan "loverofbooks" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mad Mouse: A John Ceepak Mystery (Hardcover)

Simply put: Mad Mouse did not disappoint!!! I can only add to all the other reviews in my gushing praise of the second installment of John Ceepak and Danny Boyle's adventures at the Jersey Shore!! To the author (who I can't seem to reach by email)--cannot wait for the further adventures of the two above characters and am also looking forward to Slay Ride, your next serial....Thank you, thank you and again---keep up with the terrific writing, plot lines and most of all the giggles that just keep happening!!! Susan

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WITTY, CLEVER AND ZANY, October 26, 2006

By 

jeanne-scott (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mad Mouse: A John Ceepak Mystery (Hardcover)

In the beach town of Sea Haven, the town council is getting ready for the big Labor Day celebration, a guaranteed money maker for the town. They want everything to go smoothly and all the summer visitors to have the time of their life. Nothing can mess this up..........or can it?
When a paintball incident appears to cause a disturbing injury to Danny Boyle's friend during a beach outing, the town fathers want the incident hushed up. When it is discovered that not only paintballs were being fired, but bullets too, the demand to clear it all up and take care of any loose ends is made perfectly clear.
Unfortunately, this does not seem to be possible as repeat incidents occur.
Our heroes enter the picture, John Ceepak, an Iraq war vet who lives by a strict code of honor and Danny Boyle, a care-free guy who lives by the seat of his pants, are partnered in the police force and delve into the case looking for answers, but all they seem to get are more questions. Suddenly it seems that maybe Danny and his friends are in the crosshairs of some deranged individual but the motive for the attacks remains elusive, as does the shooter.
The story is a wild ride, fast paced with unexpected twists and turns that are put together with a deft hand!! Chris Grabenstein is a truly skilled author, creating dialogue that is both clever and sidesplittingly funny!! His characters are witty and entertaining. His story line is unexpected and captivating!!! His cast of characters, while witty and clever, range the gamut from serious cop, care-free kid, mail order brides,goth kids, beach bums to stereotypical town fathers and wealthy overbearing parents. Chris Grabenstein raises the bar to a new standard with Mad Mouse!!