The Detention Detectives

Hanbridge High proves to be a much more exciting school than Jonno could have imagined-and he hadn’t been doing much imagining as all he wanted to do was stay in his hometown of Grensham with all his friends and not be uprooted to another part of the country. However, when he and Daniel-the class nerd and Star Trek addict-come across the body of Mr Baynton, their P.E. teacher, in the sports equipment store things take a far more dramatic turn. Enter Lydia, editor of the school newspaper and desperately looking for a scoop that will convince her peers that she truly is a star journalist.

The boys are reluctant to involve her but she proves to be a cunning and skilful sleuth and so, despite police involvement in the case, the three team up to try and discover who has murdered Mr Baynton. Jonno is determined to prove to his parents that moving was a bad idea so he adds finding a dead body to his ‘take me back home’ arsenal. Normally an obedient and outgoing boy, he becomes surly and unco-operative at home-and as much as he dares to at school.

He soon becomes aware that he is not the only one with problems as Daniel’s mother is seriously ill and Daniel is her principal carer. He is assisted by Lois, Mr Baynton’s wife, who has been arrested as chief suspect for her husband’s murder. If Lois’s name isn’t cleared Daniel will lose her help and Social Services will intervene to have him fostered. Lydia’s life is also beset with troubles: she lives with her grandparents as her mother deserted her to live abroad and her domineering grandmother makes a prison of her life. Little by little, Jonno recognises that he is needed and the murder hunt changes the nature of the friendship between the trio from toleration to respect and, eventually, friendship.

The story is as funny as it is clever, moving seamlessly from slapstick comedy to high drama, with illuminating footnotes to explain Star Trek and detective story references. The interweaving and strengthening of the bond between the three children gives emotional depth and veracity to the narrative. However, when the murder seems to be solved, there is one final twist at the end of the book which signals a further, hitherto unnoticed suspect-and, happily, the stage is firmly set for a sequel.