The Adventures of Jack Lime

Jack Lime Mystery #1

by James Leck

Things might get rough, they might even get a little messy, but I was okay with rough and messy as long as I could shut the lid on this dirty case. Meet Jack Lime, private investigator, who solves problems for his fellow Iona High students. Sometimes he falls for the dames who hire him, sometimes he falls in the river and sometimes he falls asleep (he's narcoleptic). But rest assured that whether he's tracking down a missing banana-seat bike or a kidnapped hamster, or cracking open a trivia tournament betting ring, Lime will follow every lead. Readers will identify with this funny, cynical sleuth who has the makings of a top-notch PI, though his personal life frequently goes awry. In these three stand-alone detective stories, readers will immerse themselves in an offbeat fictional world populated with eccentric characters where everything is not as it seems.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Adventure, Contemporary, Canada

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2010

About the author

James Leck was born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, in 1973. At the time, his hobbies included eating, sleeping and pooping his pants. Since then, much has changed.

He has worked as a high school teacher in Canada, Japan and Kuwait, and has had the good fortune to travel extensively. Some of his favorite stories from his travels include the time he accidentally ordered an entire chicken (and only a chicken) for his dinner in Korea; the time all his clothes, backpack and towel were dragged out to sea by a rogue wave in Guam; and the time he accidentally paid $40 for a bottle of apple juice in Oman. His travels have taught him to expect the unexpected and to roll with the waves life sends you.

Three things influenced him to write the Jack Lime mysteries: Scooby-Doo, Inspector Jacques Clouseau and Sherlock Holmes. However, Jack is based on the hard-boiled detectives of the 1940s and '50s. James always loved those mysteries because the detectives didn't solve the crimes through brilliant deduction, but rather through sheer determination and grit.

His latest book, After Dark, is a small salute to the great horror stories and movies he read and watched growing up. Charlie Harker, the hero in After Dark, has a passion for sleeping in, napping and avoiding work at all costs, and James has to admit that these qualities might be based on his own quest for absolute laziness during his summer vacations growing up.

Currently, James lives in Dartmouth with his wife and two children. He still enjoys sleeping and eating but has moved beyond pooping his pants.

Reviews

[Lyn Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book with a huge smile and the word, "Yes," spoken aloud, the same way I began it. That may be high praise for a senior reader to assign to a middle grade book, but, yes, this book is a delight. I chose it simply because I overheard a customer in the Dartmouth Book Exchange (the best local bookstore) say it was written by a local high school teacher--even before I knew the genre and age designation, then despite the back cover blurbs referring to a hostage hamster and a heinous wedgie. Because there is more to a book than its cover, I often read the first page to see if the author's style suits my reading taste, and I was captured by James Leck's writing.

I loved it from the first page, when I realized Jack Lime was going to be a young Phillip Marlowe or Easy Rawlins, a private eye with overt emotions, raw attitudes, and an appreciative awareness of a pretty girl that was bound to be his downfall. I still loved the book when I finished the last story, which reminded me of a Dobie Gillis adventure, another favourite fictional character whose schemes tend to backfire in an amusing twist. If you like a detective who follows his feelings and his heart, you will like Jack Lime, no matter your age. Heartily recommended!

[Jesus Grajales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I start reading this Book, the first impression about the book was that it was going to be boring. The result was different it had some action comedy it have a little of everything. I recommend this book to everyone that like books about mysteries. Also this book contains a lot of adventure and it keeps you intertain and makes you laugh

[Sue Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read-aloud, that I found myself reading Jack Lime's internal dialogue with a 1940s Private Dick "drawl" and in my mind's eye, we were in a black-and-white film solving 3 very unique cases. The length of each case was perfect for an evening read- suitable for Grades 4 to 9. We are looking forward to reading more of Jack Lime's Adventures.

I loved the following line: “I woke up in a fog as thick as a three-day-old cup of joe."

[Joseph M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book. If you want too read a fun and adventurous mystery book then this is the boo for you. This book is about a boy that attends Iona HS he is a PI( private investigator) who solves cases for kids at his high school but one day everything changes.

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

Reviewed by Rachel Seigel

Meet Jack Lime. He’s a narcoleptic teenage sleuth, living and solving “problems” for his fellow students in the sleepy town of Iona. Whether it’s tracking down a stolen bicycle or rescuing a kidnapped (or rodent napped) hamster, Jack is on the case. That is, if he doesn’t fall asleep first.

Jack is a highly entertaining and original character, and his unusual “condition” adds to his complexity. He could easily have been a cliché of the genre, but he’s more awkward teenager than hardboiled detective. He’s a new kid in a small town who doesn’t quite fit in, and he uses his detective business to get himself noticed. Although he does manage to solve his cases, he’s more likely to end up with a black eye or an atomic wedgie for his trouble than to get the girl. The cast of secondary characters are perfectly quirky, and while they may seem a bit exaggerated, they keep the stories light and funny.

Writing in the style of the hardboiled detective serials of the early twentieth century, James Leck perfectly captures the mood and the atmosphere of the genre, without seeming dated or old-fashioned. The language is vivid and descriptive, and the first-person narration is witty and clever, making the book a lot of fun to read. The book is also structured as three short stories, which will appeal to reluctant middle school readers.

This is the first in a planned series. Older fans of other literary sleuths such as Nate the Great and Encyclopedia Brown will enjoy reading about this entertaining and endearing new detective.

Canadian Children's Book News (Spring 2010, Vol. 33, No. 2)

[Elisa M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book 3 1/2 stars- why does this website not allow for halvsies?! A big part of the charm of this book (actually, by far the best thing about it) is the hard-boiled, 1930's, private-eye language that the author uses, and I'm not sure that kids are going to get that, although I found it laugh-out-loud funny at times. I'd recommend the book for grades 6 and up. Jack Lime is sort of a grown-up Encyclopedia Brown. It's pretty mild stuff: stolen bicycles, kidnapped hamsters, etc., although poor Jack does get beat on quite a bit. Which makes me wonder- who exacly is the book written for? While the plot might interest those in 4th grade, the vocabulary is more for 6th and up, and the whole private-eye thing would most likely be lost on anyone aside from the rare high school student who enjoys old movies.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really happy that there is a guy book in the same vein as the Echo Falls Series and Sammy Keyes. The short mysteries are charming, and I love the homage to 1940s noir. Though the stories are set in high school, I would recommend this for 5th or 6th grade boys.

[Humza Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a fun book, and one that is good to enjoy breezing through. The medical condition Jack has makes this story more fun, and the way he goes about his business is also enjoyable. It's not a mystery book per se, but it had certain elements of it that made it akin to one. Overall a fun and intriguing book.

[Kylee]

I have a question what’s the climax I’m having trouble figuring out what it is plsss reply until tomorrow cause my paper is due and my teacher isn’t responding??

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book, I usually hate books so I think people should read this book

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book makes me cringe so hard first of all the main character is a huge simp and he acts weird and I hate the general idea of the book

[Kimberly Mullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent,reminds me of the old privalte detective movies I like to watch

[Conan Tigard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Adventures of Jack Lime is a modern detective novel written in the style of 1940's noir dime store novels. Jack is a tough talker, but isn't a tough guy. Constantly being beaten up while on a case, Jack forges ahead to solve the case. His lives with his Grandmother because both of his parents died (we don't know how yet.) He helps anyone that comes to him with a problem, and all he asks in return is a favor. He doesn't want the favor now, but will come to them sometime in the future and ask for it.

James Leck has created a wonderfully entertaining character in Jack Lime. I love the 1940's slang he uses when he talks with people. The feel of the book reminds me of all the old black and white gumshoe movies I watched as a kid. This book made me want to hunker down in a big ol' leather chair under a blanket, while relaxing in front of a lit fireplace, and absorb what was happening in the story. This doesn't happen often to me, so I found this book to be pretty special. Loved it.

The three stories are all highly compelling. It was really nice that for the last story we finally learn about how Jack came to Iona and why he is a detective. What we don't learn is how his parents died, we just know that Jack lives with his grandmother now and that he is quite a handful. The stories are quickly-paced and as I was reading I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.

Overall, The Adventures of Jack Lime is by James Leck is absolutely terrific. I very much enjoyed reading the book and hope that there are more adventures with Jack Lime in the near future. I want to be there when Jack helps solve the problems of more of his fellow students. With only three stories, the only problem I had with this book was that it wasn't long enough. I wanted more, but I guess that I will have to wait for the next book.

I rated this book a 9½ out of 10.

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed THE ADVENTURES OF JACK LIME for a number of reasons, but the first and foremost reason? The language and imagery. I am a huge fan of those old PI movies with the voice over, dark lighting, woman in a trench coat, the whole nine yards. And this book delivered! Seven though it’s set in a modern day high school, the language is very much that internal monologue of an old-time PI – same with the descriptions of people and places. I would have read this book just for that feeling alone.

JACK LIME is a shorter book, and isn’t a traditional narrative – something I both liked and disliked. The story is made up of three “cases” in which Jack uses his skills as a PI to help out his classmates. Each case shows a bit more of who Jack is as a person, his history (like why he’s narcoleptic), the community…all in that awesome PI movie-style writing and dialogue. However, the book felt unfinished to me. Though I appreciate the story format, I would have liked a bit more to it – it seemed to end a rather abruptly.

THE ADVENTURES OF JACK LIME is a funny, enjoyable read that I think will be appreciated by older teens/young adults and younger teens alike. I could see this book working very well in a series (sort of like the Encyclopedia Brown books when I was young), especially since the book is divided into cases identified by time and day. While I think the old-time PI talk would be lost on younger readers (and even most teens), I can see the format being well-liked since it lends itself very well to stopping points. Reluctant readers may feel less overwhelmed knowing they have clear-cut start and stop points and won’t need to remember too many over-arching plot points. Jack Lime is definitely a book I see doing well in a classroom.

[Harold Ogle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something between Encyclopedia Brown and the movie Brick, The Adventures of Jack Lime presents the first-person case files of a teenager from California who finds himself shunted off to live with his grandmother in rural Ohio after his parents are both killed. In order to stay sane, he adopts the personality of a wise-cracking film noir detective, and opens shop as a gumshoe for hire at the high school. In the end, it isn't enough, and he develops narcolepsy as well. The book details three of his cases, presented out of chronological order. It's enjoyable for the extremely stylized language which is almost a parody of tough-talking private dicks on the 40s.

"...she had a cute way of talking out of the side of her mouth. I thought I could get hooked on a girl like her if I wasn't careful, and I wasn't planning on being careful."

Not just the language, but the actual sorts of cases and the plot elements hearken back to a lot of classic pulp detective novels from Hammett or Chandler: in every case, Jack gets seriously beat up for sticking his nose into other people's business. Like with "Veronica Mars," there is actually a reasonable back-story for why and how Jack Lime got into the shamus business, though we don't get the whole story until the last case file, where he is duped into fixing a swindle by a cabal of privileged white kid cons. He vows that he'll never let anyone else get made into a patsy by these villains, and starts on his career, looking for opportunities to deliver their comeuppance. I enjoyed this, though I definitely feel that it is aimed at high school teens and not children.

[Jcallard13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Adventures of Jack Lime is a three piece novel, with three different stories, all about the same person, Jack Lime. In each section, the main character, from a gated community, solves a mystery, or a problem someone has. Jack Lime is student from Iona High with a sleep defect, he is prone to falling asleep at the worst times. He goes around, looking for trouble, or as he puts it, “fixing other peoples’ problems.”
Now, I haven’t heard of this book from anyone and I can see why. It’s supposed to be “realistic fiction” while in realty it is way too farfetched. Lime is able to put things together like two plus two which Hawking wouldn’t be able to figure out. And now to how it’s actually written, in its three parts the lead up you could call suspenseful, but in actuality it was all bland until the final moment where he put all the pieces together.
Characters are not fully developed, except for the women, in which Lime cannot stop talking about their luscious hair and beautiful aspects. Other than that, it’s hard to picture the characters that lime came in contact with.
Although there are some things the author needs to work on, the book did have some good attributes. Even though I couldn’t picture all of the characters well physically, I knew what their personality was like. This made it easy for me connected to them
Overall, I would recommend this book only to those who like a little mystery and putting things together. It was written alright but had a nice conclusion at the end.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute refreshing read! Jack Lime is a private investigator at his high school and this little book has three of his tales. While he is in high school, I would recommend this more for junior high kids--it seems a bit young. Jack gets beat up a lot for snooping. He calls out the prom king for cheating on his girlfriend, tries to figure out who stole a bike and tells his doctor how he got sucked into the crime solving realm in the first place. Most interestingly, Jack suffers from narcolepsy and falls asleep during the worst possible times, like when he's thrown in a river.

Short stories aren't the most popular collections in my library, but lots of kids come in asking for mysteries. Wish this were a full-blown novel because I loved Jack Lime. I checked out the author's website and found another reason why he's cool: "Currently, James lives in Kuwait with his wife and two children where he teaches high school English. He still enjoys sleeping and eating but has moved beyond pooping his pants." Oh, yes, James Leck, you're cool!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have a problem that needs solving? Jack Lime is your guy! Readers follow along as Jack solves three different cases: the first involves a missing bike (that belongs to the brother of a gorgeous girl); the second is about a kidnapped hamster; and the third is about students that have gone mysteriously missing. Jack doesn’t work for free, of course, but rather than work for money, he collects favors that he can use later on.

Jack’s one weakness is his narcolepsy; when situations get stressful, his body wants to fall asleep—and it often does! He doesn’t let this stop him though; he is serious about being the private eye students go to for help (although he does, at times, wake up in the hospital!).

This is a funny book—readers are bound to like Jack immediately. The three cases are told using entries that note the day, time, and location Jack finds the information he shares. This book would be great for readers who enjoyed the Chet Gecko series when they were younger.

[Jody Bachelder · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to find a good mystery for the middle school level, and I was sure this would fit the bill. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed both with the writing and with the character development. Jack Lime is a high school private eye -- he solves cases for anyone who asks, and only requires a favor in return. He's kind of hip and funny, talks in a detective-y way (in the vein of old-time private detectives), but I found that to be annoying after a while. The plot is not written in a linear way -- it jumps around, which might be difficult for a reluctant reader, the target audience for this book. His cases are juvenile school stuff (a missing bike, kidnapped hamster) which may not hold the attention of a high school boy -- again, the target audience. We feel sympathy for Jack because his parents died in a car crash and he's suffering still from the trauma, which manifests itself in falling asleep when he's stressed. I think I'm going to have a hard time selling this one.

[Jeff Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Lime is a quirky, tough and endearing high school misfit who adopts the persona of a hard boiled film noir gumshoe. He lives with his grandmother in a gated "community" named Iona that has all the culture and charm of a fast food franchise minus the sharp uniforms.
I liked this character and felt hope for his search for truth and acceptance despite his comical opposition to his peers.
The cases that Jack becomes involved in should be familiar to the modern student (like recovering a lost bike) but are unique because of Jack's unusual persona.
The first three cases do a good job of describing his setting and character. I am looking forward to reading more of his adventures and watching the secondary characters develop. Perhaps Jack will find acceptance in Iona or turn it on its ear trying.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky, fun book. The narrator is a teenage wise guy, and the writing is very cool detective-y, evoking images of slowly spinning ceiling fans, striped shadows thrown through miniblinds, shady diners, and femme fatales. I loved the lines like,
The girl was nuttier than a pecan pie.
and
Sandra took my hand and looked deep in my eyes. "Be careful, Jack." We were having one of those moments between two people where the world stops and a classic love song kicks in, and you just melt into each other like two hot sticks of butter.
:)
Even though it's modern, the main character seems straight out of a Hitchcock black-and-white flick. Not gripping, but an entertaining, clean, quick read.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads like an old-time film noir movie. Think "Maltese Falcon" for the 9-13 set. There are 3 short stories about the adventures of Jack Lime, 9th grade PI. I'm thinking this book will appeal to boys.

It was written as a diary of sorts - noting the day/time - during one of Jack's investigations. What I didn't like was the way the type appeared on the page. It felt like every page was cram packed with text and with very long paragraphs. However, since there is so much text and fewer pages, it appears from the outside to be a much shorter book - something I think will also suck in readers.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack Lime has made a name for himself in the corporate city of Iona. Fellow classmates come to him to solve crimes ranging from missing pets to missing students. Jack shares three of his adventures with a noir-style narrative reminiscent of old black and white detective movies.The writing invokes the feeling of a sleepy little town that seems innocent on the surface but with mischief and mayhem underneath. Enter Jack Lime to rid the world, okay the high school, of all sorts of criminals. A unique delivery of a mystery for the middle school and teen age-group. The book is short in length which should appeal to older reluctant readers.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book was a bit more intriguing than the execution. Mix Encyclopedia Brown with Philip Marlowe, throw in a dash of narcolepsy, and you have Jack Lime. The three stories of Jack's cases are brief but entertaining. The best of the three was the final story--Jack telling his doctor how he got mixed up in the crazy p.i. racket in the first place. The other two stories had a great narrative voice, but the cases just weren't as interesting. I do hope that Jack has further adventures because the character himself is very appealing.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jack, a high school student, is a private investigator who helps out the students of his school. These three short stories are told in a "Dragnet" fashion as Jack works to solve the three crimes. Jack doesn't work for money, but for future favors from his customers. And, unfortunately, Jack has a narcoleptic condition that always seems to kick in at the worst moment.

This is cutely written and I enjoyed the old-school feel that Jack operates with. I could see this book being used as a read-aloud and having students try to solve the case with Jack.

[Christiane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jack Lime is a sleuth who "solves problems" for his fellow students. Jack's cases include searching for a stolen bike, rescuing a kidnapped hamster, and The Big Dupe, which relates why he became a P.I. Don't let the cutesy plot summaries fool you...Jack is a hard-boiled detective, working the dirty streets of his gated community, where local teens hold a "Flea Market" of stolen goods every Friday night and a $35,000 a year scholarship is worth some underhanded double-dealing.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jack lives with his Grandma down an unnamed lane outside town; his parents died last year in a car wreck. He is a high school gumshoe with a propensity to get into trouble with the information he finds out. This is a series of cases related by Jack himself in semi hard bitten prose. The ending pulls the disparate parts together.

[Clayton Yuen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like a short and sweet, young adult detective series, then Jack Lime is perfect for you. Did I say short and sweet ... well we are talking about three chapters. The mystery is stated and Jack proceeds to investigate the crime, finishing all sleuthing in one chapter. I give this novel (or should I say three short stories) 5 stars because they are perfectly done for the YA audience.

[Halley Goben · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was a little boring. What I mean by that is I like mystery's that are action filled and are about something a little more serious than a case of a missing bike. I think the general idea of the book was good(a kid that solves mystery's) but the actual mystery's themselves were boring.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed in this one. The early review made it sound so promising, but the mysteries are ordinary and the characters are a little to high school to appeal to a 4th/5th grade audience (who would better appreciate the predictable mysteries).