Lou Dunlop: Private Eye

Lou has read a lot of Raymond Chandler books, and so his every action is governed by a conscience that speaks in Philip Marlowe's tough-guy tones. A girl named Cathy has been missing for a long time, and another classmate, Jessie, wants Lou to help her find out what happened. The clues take Jessie and Lou on several wild-goose chases but finally lead to a policeman who's been assigned to the school to check vandalism: he's murdered Cathy and then hidden the body. An ad on the last pages reveals that this book is first in a series; but it's a mild mystery without any of the crackle that it aspires to with its Chandler/Marlowe references. Jessie, with platinum hair and a no-nonsense attitude, is the more interesting character of the two. Ages 13-15. (June)