AGATHA NOMINEE

A Zeke Armstrong Mystery Vol II

ISBN # 1-929976-28-3, Trade Paperback, 216 Pages

Zeke Armstrong goes to New York City for the Big Apple Inline Skate-Off...and takes a bite out of crime. After a skater dressed in green injures an elderly lady in Central Park, the police treat the case as a mugging. Zeke knows it's more than that. He follows the skater to his secret lair and overhears him making mysterious plans with another man to do the lady further harm. Will Zeke figure out what they're up to in time to save the day and skate the final race? Or will the bad guys stop him in his tracks?

GREEN STREAK is the second book in the Zeke Armstrong Mystery Series, which fills a unique niche of sports-oriented mysteries for kids. The series is designed to put the fun back into reading, whether one is a reluctant or voracious reader. When the first Zeke Armstrong book, RED CARD, won an Agatha Award, Matthew LaBrot was only fifteen years old, the youngest winner in the history of that prestigious award. RED CARD was also named to the Accelerated Reader list and has been nominated by YALSA for inclusion on the 2004 Mystery list. Hale and LaBrot are already writing Zeke’s next adventure—a snowboarding mystery titled WHITE OUT.

REVIEWS

Reviewed by Kaw valley Senior Newspaper

July 2004 Issue

Second in the Zeke Armstrong series.

Zeke Armstrong's physician and architect parents work for an international organization that builds hospitals and clinics in remote areas.  Zeke has considerably more unusual learning experiences than the average 13-year-old.  Now he is living in Dallas with his Uncle Dane, a writer of thrillers, to attend regular high school.

He and his best friend Richard Gao are in New York City to compete in an in-line skating marathon.  After a trial run they assist an elderly lady when she is mugged and her purse is taken--the mugger was on skates.

She's not the destitute crone she appears to be, and the boys wind up in the middle of a very serious situation--as always.

The authors are an uncle and nephew team, so the dialogue is not only crisp, it is appropriate to age and action.  A good choice for a sports-minded youngster!

Reviewed by Gary Roen

The Midwest Book Review

Zeke Armstrong and his best friend Pow Wow are in the Big Apple for an inline skate-off competition.  While practicing for the race they spot a woman being robbed by one of the racers.  Thus begins a new crime novel for the amateur sleuths who later solve the mystery of this old lady and why someone would want to hurt her.  The authors have written a very fast moving story that is filled with interesting characters.

Reviewed by Mark Baker, Amazon.com Top 500 Reviewer

Posted on BarnesandNoble.com

Zeke is in a Race to Solve This Mystery

Zeke Armstrong and his friend Pow Wow Gao are in New York City for the annual Big Apple Inline Skate-Off. After the qualifying race, they witness the random mugging of a woman they had just met. When Zeke follows the thief, he’s convinced there’s more to it then a normal crime. Is the victim still in danger? What about Zeke and the Gaos? And will this mystery interfere with the big race the next day?

This book is perfect for the sports buff or mystery fan. Between the race and the mystery, there are plenty of action sequences. I got sucked in and read more then I had intended one night. I had a few plot points figured out before Zeke, but I was caught off guard by many of the twists. And it had me ready to cheer at the end. Zeke is a fun character, and watching him get himself out of some pretty hairy situations is certainly entertaining.

Kids looking for some action in what they read will love both of the books in this fun series. I may be over the target age group, but I’m already looking forward to Zeke’s next adventure. These books are certain to entertain anyone looking for a good story.

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner, Amazon.com's #1 Reviewer

Posted on Amazon.com

Thirteen year old friends Zeke "Sherlock" Armstrong and Richard "Pow Wow" Gao are participating in the Big Apple Inline Skate-Off. Zeke's parents make their way home from overseas and his Uncle Dane is delayed; Pow Wow's parents supervise the two teens. While waiting on a line to buy refreshments, an elderly woman Ms. Natalie talks to the lads about sundry things including taking her medicine.

Not much later, Zeke notices that a guy dressed in all green on inline skates races towards Ms. Natalie. The "Jittery Man" as Zeke calls him knocks the senior citizen down and flees with her purse. While Pow Wow attends to the unconscious Ms. Natalie, Zeke chases after the Jittery Man because he knows that his comatose new acquaintance needs her medicine immediately. Zeke tricks the Jittery Man and his accomplice regaining the medicine bottle, but at the cost of his skates. The thugs come after a recovering Ms. Natalie so that they can steal her fortune, but the two teens stand in their way.

Think Hardy Boys and you have a reasonable indication of Zeke and Pow Wow though the stars of GREEN STREAK are unique in their own manner and Zeke is more a solo sleuth. The story line goes as fast as the guys go on their inline skate, which is at a terrific rate of speed. The sleuthing duo makes a fine refreshing pair as they try to keep Ms. Natalie safe whether it's skating around Manhattan or riding to Roosevelt Island. Young adults will appreciate this wonderful teen thriller and seek other colorful tales like the award winning RED CARD and the upcoming WHITE OUT.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars!

Hale and LaBrot Bring Zeke Armstrong to New York City for a Chance to Save an Ailing Heiress in Jeopardy

"Young readers will have such fun reading about Zeke Armstrong’s adventures in New York City. This thirteen year old boy is smart and on top of his game—whether it’s inline skating or solving mysteries." – Carol Higgins Clark, New York Times bestselling author of the Regan Reilly Mystery series

"High speed thrills! An in-line skater's dream! Zeke Armstrong is back in the race of his life! Green Streak is another winner from Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot! From start to finish line, this one is hard to beat!" – Parnell Hall, author of the Stanley Hastings and Puzzle Lady mystery series

Ever since their first book, RED CARD: A Zeke Armstrong Mystery, won an Agatha Award in May 2003 for Best Children’s/Young Adult Mystery, uncle-and-nephew team Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot have been hard at work on GREEN STREAK, the second installment in their popular series.

KiD BiTS - Buffalo News 4/21/2004

SOMETHING TO READ
Green Streak, a Zeke Armstrong Mystery by Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot (Top Publications, $8.95).

Their first mystery, "Red Card," won an Agatha award last year for best children's young adult mystery. Now Hale and his 16-year-old nephew have cooked up another great adventure starring a 13-year-old detective.

Zeke and his best friend Pow Wow Gao are competing in an inline skate-off in New York City when Zeke sees another racer knock over an old lady and steal her purse. Zeke follows (on skates) and overhears a conversation that makes him think this wasn't just a simple mugging. The victim turns out to be an extremely wealthy woman, and Zeke is convinced she's in danger. But will anyone believe him?

Inline skaters and mystery lovers will enjoy this fast-paced, well-plotted mystery, ending with a confrontation on the Roosevelt Island aerial tram. Next up for Zeke: a snowboarding mystery titled "White Out."

- Jean Westmoore