ISBN: 9781459801035
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Pub Date: April/01/2012
Pages: 128
The lie happened. But I’ve liked Ella for eons. Possibly as long as five months. In all that time, I never got up the nerve to talk to her.
Agent Angus has gone mental(ist) for Ella.
Angus and his best buddy, Shahid, share a love of science and their robot, Gordon. But recently, the artistic Ella Eckles has had a peculiar effect on Angus. When a stink bomb at the school provides a chance for him to talk to her, he claims to share her interest in reading facial expressions and declares his ambition to become a crime-solving mentalist. He impresses Ella by identifying the stink bomber, but fails to mention he witnessed a scrawny kid setting off the bomb. When Ella’s treasured sketchbook is stolen, she asks Angus to find the thief. Shahid thinks Angus should confess that he’s not a mentalist, but Angus is certain he can learn to read people and recover Ella’s sketchbook. He asks Shahid to help him investigate the suspects: Gaga Girl; the art teacher, Mr. Wilder; and finally, “scrawny kid.” Equipped with rearview sunglasses and an informant who lurks in the washroom, the duo bungles their way through a series of encounters that alarm Shahid and provide Angus with some unfamiliar exercise.
Reviews
CM Magazine – February 10, 2012
“With relatable emotions and well placed moments of humour, Denman slips readers easily into Angus’s head. Best friend Shahid acts as an excellent foil and also creates spots of tension that give their relationship a realistically rocky trajectory…With plenty of wit and seamless movement…Agent Angus reads fluidly enough for any reluctant reader to sail through.”
Booklist – May 1, 2012
“Fast and funny, with many surprising twists and turns, this short, clever mystery in the Orca Currents series will grab avid and reluctant readers with the contemporary drama of secrets, sleuthing, and romance…The tension will hook readers to the last page.”