book cover of Lou Dunlop: Private Eye
 

Lou Dunlop: Private Eye

(1987)
(The second book in the Crosswinds series)
A novel by

 
 
High school student Lou Dunlop is an average guy with above average problems. His father, a police officer, is keeping an extremely close eye on him. His best friend, Eric, has lots of money and wants the two of them to travel around the world. And the famous fictional detective, Philip Marlowe, often talks to him - but only in his mind. But Lou's world gets even more complicated when a girl disappears without a trace from his school. When Jessie Phillips, the missing girl's best friend, and a strange case in her own right, recruits Lou to help search for her friend, they both get more than they bargained for. Lou discovers that sometimes the people you think you can count on let you down, while the least likely people come through for you.

Glen Ebisch creates a challenging mystery in LOU DUNLOP: PRIVATE EYE. The myriad suspects and motives keep the pace moving as Lou learns the secrets behind his classmate's disappearance. Lou himself is a fascinating character as his alter ego encourages or criticizes his actions. Emotionally vulnerable and filled with self-doubt, most teens will identify with him as they find him both humorous and sensitive. An excellent read, LOU DUNLOP: PRIVATE EYE is highly recommended. --C. Penn Wordweaving.

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. Publishers Weekly


Genre: Young Adult Romance

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