Max Finder Mystery Collected Casebook #4

As a modern-day Sherlock Holmes in junior high, Max Finder runs through the pages solving short but interesting mysteries and encouraging readers to help him. While the fourth book in the series, it's easy for new readers to dive right in thanks to character explanations in the beginning. There are 13 mystery tales in all, three of which are short stories; the rest are in comic book form. Each story has a central mystery—like “Who stole the museum's painting?” “Who cheated at chess?” “Who planted the stink bomb?”—that gets solved on the last page, right after Max asks the readers if they've figured it out. On the last page of each story the perpetrator is named, along with how and why he or she committed the crime. Clues are laid out for the sharp eye and clever reader in everything from dialogue to art details in the background, which the clean, inviting art by Perez makes a pleasure to search for. This series is aimed for children and up, so in general younger readers might sift for clues while adults find them with much more ease. These stories previously ran in Owl magazine. Ages 8–up. (Mar.)