The Odds of Getting Even

Starred review from September 1, 2015
Folks from Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, lay on the colorful phrases thick as gum molasses in the wintertime, with character and personality as plentiful as okra at a Southern wake. However, it's no wake that brings together the whole town in this second follow-up to Turnage's award-winning debut, Three Times Lucky (2012), it's the trial of Tupelo's century. And sixth-grader Mo LeBeau and her detecting partner, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, are once again at the center of it all. Turnage continues to delight with her mix of homespun humor, well-plotted mystery, and delicious characterization. At 342 pages, the novel is longer than its two predecessors, but readers probably won't notice. Lavender, Dale's brother and Mo's unknowing intended (in just seven more years), is in mortal danger, and Dale and Lavender's no-good daddy, Macon, is on trial, so there's more than enough to fill a book and keep the founding members of the Desperado Detective Agency occupied. The fun is in the telling, and Turnage's telling shows alacrity as well as aplomb. The author gracefully weaves a laundry list of characters with a plot that has a lot of moving pieces, and she does it with charm and humor, hitting the sweet spot for young readers searching for more-complex tales but not ready to leave the silly behind. As always, Turnage's tale is full of heart and perfect for reading on a front porch. (Mystery. 8-12)

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August 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-The third title in the series of clever and funny mysteries set in tiny Tupelo Landing with spunky sixth grader, Mo LoBeau. This tale opens with Mo and her best friends Dale and Harm ready to testify against Dale's felonious father, Macon Johnson, for his part in kidnapping the Colonel and Miss Lana in The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing (Penguin, 2014). However, as Mo says, things go sideways, and Macon makes a break for it. There are plenty of high jinks, including a veritable crime spree, with all evidence pointing to Macon, despite Dale's firm belief in his father's innocence in these particular crimes. Turnage's characters continue to grow as they cope with the trials of sixth grade, criminal mischief, and the sometimes opposing loyalties of family and friendship. Themes of fatherhood and retribution wind through the tale, adding an element of gravitas. The writing plays with language, delighting readers with Mo's similes and Dale's malapropisms (which Mo helpfully interprets). The mystery is well crafted and fast paced; readers will gallop through the nonstop action to a satisfying conclusion. VERDICT A must-read for fans of the first two volumes, and a rewarding adventure all on its own.-Gretchen Crowley, Alexandria City Public Libraries, VA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2015
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* What with Dale's daddy breaking out of jail just before his trial, money stolen from the Creekside Baptist Church, and jewelry taken from a local home, the community of Tupelo Landing, North Carolina (population 148) is decidedly on edge. Kid detectives Mo, Dale, and Harm are on the case, but sorting out leads is as confusing as separating the guilty from the (relatively) innocent citizenry. Meanwhile, Dale mulls over his neighbors' adoption applications for the puppies his dog will soon deliver, even as his gut response is that no one is worthy. Though the mystery drives the plot, fans of Turnage's Newbery Honor Book Three Times Lucky (2012), and its follow-up, The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing (2014), may not work too hard at the whodunit puzzle. Most will simply enjoy rejoining these idiosyncratic, tough-but-vulnerable characters for another rewarding adventure. Branded as a Mo & Dale Mystery, this sequel is narrated by Mo in her distinctive, imaginative voice. The writing lulls you with laughter and then occasionally blindsides you with unexpected tenderness. When Dale uncharacteristically makes a remark that hurts Mo, she reacts to his immediate apology with the thought, His sudden hug pressed into my heart like a child's hand into clay. Welcome back to Tupelo Landing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2016
A string of felonies in Tupelo Landing, NC, prompts sixth-grade sleuths Dale, Mo, and Harm (Ycf2]Three Times LuckyYcf1]; Ycf2]The Ghosts of Tupelo LandingYcf1]) to revive the Desperado Detective Agency. When Dale's father is accused of breaking out of jail, the Desperados must choose between being successful detectives or staunch friends. Friendship prevails in this fine novel full of complex, carefully developed characters.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2015
Small Southern towns are seldom what they seem, and Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, is no exception. Boasting a population of 148, it's the site of a string of felonies including murder, bank robbery, and kidnapping. Throw in a ghost, and the per capita offenses are enough for sixth-grade sleuths Dale, Mo, and Harm to revive the Desperado Detective Agency. When Dale's father, Macon, is accused of breaking out of jail (see Three Times Lucky, rev. 7/12, and The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing, rev. 1/14, for the backstories to his incarceration and other events in this novel), the Desperados, particularly Mo, have to decide if they want to be successful detectives or staunch friends. Does Mo, as de facto head of the group, follow her gut and hunt down Macon, or does she relinquish power to Dale and support his conviction that his father is innocent? Friendship prevails in this fine novel, with a number of unobtrusive acts of kindness flourishing throughout. There's a complexity to the characters, from mean-as-a-snake Macon to drop-dead-handsome Lavender, all carefully developed throughout the series, creating a terrific read with a hint of at least one more volume to come. betty carter

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)