I admit it — I’m a sucker for just about anything Eoin Colfer writes, because I ADORE the dangerous and scary Artemis Fowl, whom I can never remember is ONLY TWELVE! When I picked up Half Moon Investigations I was hoping to find another character like Artemis. I did! Only it wasn’t Fletcher Moon, the short, dorky private detective who nobody in his school likes. The character the most like Artemis is Fletcher Moon’s nemesis, one steely-eyed, criminal-minded kid named Red Sharkey.
The Sharkeys are the crime family in Fletcher’s town. Every petty theft, act of vandalism or outrageous school happening is blamed on them, and that’s ’cause usually they’re responsible, and they’re proud of it. From their Dad to the youngest brother, they’re bad news. It’s because of them that Fletcher’s nickname is ‘Half Moon.’ Fletcher’s nose for sniffing out mysteries has never been appreciated by the people in his school, but thanks to Herod Sharkey, Roddy for short, now people like him even less. Especially girls like April and May, who hire him to find some stolen hair. All signs point to another Sharkey theft. If only it were quite so easy to make a Sharkey cop to a crime!
Fletcher’s life of detecting hits a snag when not only is his badge stolen, but he finds he’s been framed for a crime — a real crime. There’s something funny going on at St. Jerome’s Elementary and Middle School, and there’s only twelve hours to solve it. Luckily, Fletcher Moon is on the case.