The North Hollywood Detective Club in The Case of the Hollywood Art Heist

Can four teen detectives solve an impossible crime, free an innocent man from jail, and still get their homework done on time?It's a hot summer and 14-year-old Jeffrey Jones is grounded again. It doesn't matter that he and his best friend Pablo helped solve a baffling neighborhood burglary, it's the danger Jeffrey put himself in that sent his father's blood pressure through the roof. Now he's sentenced to an endless summer of mowing lawns and cleaning out dusty, cobweb-covered garages for cranky old Mr. Kozlowski.But when the brother of the cute girl next door is arrested for stealing a valuable painting, Jeffrey can't help himself. He and Pablo start a detective club and set out to investigate the crime.Together with their friends Marisol and Susie, they find themselves in a dark and dangerous mystery where no one is telling the truth and everyone has something to hide. With time running out, the four friends must marshal all of their detective skills to recover the stolen painting, rescue the older brother, and prove their own worth.A Personal Note to ParentsThese are the type of solve-them-yourself, teen detective mystery books that I enjoyed reading in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade, often late at night while under the covers and holding a flashlight. They're actually the first in an entire new genre of books for young readers: mature middle-grade and young adult mystery fiction."Books are precious things, but more than that, they are the strong backbone of civilization. They are the thread upon which it all hangs, and they can save us when all else is lost."—Louis L'AmourOther Books in This Mystery Series:The Case of the Dead Man's TreasureThe Case of the Christmas CounterfeitersThe Case of the Deadly Double-CrossThe Case of the Jilted JulietHomework is Hard, Murder is EasyThe Case of the Dead Man's Treasure: When Jeffrey's high school teacher hires him to find the driver responsible for a hit-and-run car accident, he thinks it's an easy case—until an unexpected turn sends him and his friends spiraling into a search for an ancient treasure.The Case of the Christmas Counterfeiters:While the rest of the world prepares to celebrate Christmas, 15-year-old Jeffrey and his friends uncover a plot to flood their city with two billion dollars in counterfeit currency. Their investigaton leads them to a criminal mastermind, his hoodlum son, and a mysterious 15-year-old girl who holds the key to the entire puzzle. Action-packed from start to finish, readers have voted this their favorite book in the series!The Case of the Deadly Double-Cross:Framed for murder! All Jeffrey wanted to do was help a friend from school find her missing father. He had no way of knowing it would lead to his being arrested for the man's murder. Now after a daring escape, he and his friends must solve an impossible crime and catch a killer—before the police catch them.The Case of the Jilted Juliet:A mysterious note found in a school library book causes Jeffrey and his friends to suspect that a girl who committed suicide was actually murdered. Their investigation leads to a haunted library, a web of lies and long-buried secrets, and a list of suspects that includes their own high school principal.Homework is Hard, Murder is Easy:A murder has been committed and 15-year-old Jeffrey thinks he knows who did it. There's only one problem. The person Jeffrey suspects is the most popular football player at school, and at the time of the girl's death he was on the field in front of hundreds of witnesses, leading his team to victory. How can a person possibly be two places at once? An exciting mystery for teens and tweens. Read more