The Case of the Petrified Man

Starred review from February 15, 2013
In this quick-on-the-draw funny follow-up to The Case of the Deadly Desperados (2012), 12-year-old P.K. Pinkerton still roams the seedy streets of Virginia City of 1862...and he's still up to his eyeballs in trouble. The good news is his dream of setting up shop as a private eye has come true, even if the "eye" in his newspaper ad does look more like a potato. His first client is a runaway slave girl who witnessed the strangulation of a Soiled Dove named Short Sally Sampson and thinks Sally's killer is stalking her. P.K. is so absorbed in the case it's easy to forget his foster parents were murdered just two weeks before. As in the last Wild West adventure, our half-Lakota hero records his suspenseful story on ledger sheets and struggles with his "Thorn"--his inability to show or read emotion that today might be called high-functioning autism. P.K.'s straight-shooting personality, integrity and good heart make readers want to follow him to the ends of the Earth...if not directly to Short Sally's killer. Run-ins with the truth-twisting Sam Clemens and Civil War references tether this lively mystery to a colorful, if grisly time in U.S. history. A warm, wise, wild and woolly second offering in the Western Mysteries series. (1862 maps of the Washoe and Virginia City, glossary) (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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May 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-P.K. Pinkerton, a half-Lakota 12-year-old sleuth (purportedly related to the famed detective), opens up shop as a private eye in the rough and tumble mining town of Virginia City, Nevada. His first case gets off to a rocky start when a creepy stone doll is delivered with a cryptic message. Next, a frightened young servant who witnessed the murder of "soiled dove" Short Sally Sampson implores him to find the killer. Meanwhile, P.K. fears retaliation from his two enemies from The Case of the Deadly Desperados (Putnam, 2011). P. K. proves to be an endearing main character (and a surprisingly good detective) because of his "thorn"-a form of high-functioning autism that gives him a heightened sense of smell (he collects tobacco samples) and the ability to remember everything he sees. Prompted by his difficulty reading facial expressions and remembering what he hears, he records the details of the case using "ledger sheets," forming chapters. Western fans will especially appreciate the cast of colorful characters that includes gamblers, gunslingers, ladies of the night, Civil War deserters, and even a truth-bending rookie reporter named Samuel Clemens. Infused with humor and fast-paced action, this slightly gritty mystery has a satisfying resolution, making it an enjoyable historical romp.-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2013
Grades 4-6 *Starred Review* Set just after events of The Case of the Deadly Desperados (2012), the second title in the Western Mysteries series finds 12-year-old P. K. Pinkerton opening his own detective agency in Virginia City, Nevada Territory, in 1862. But his first case proves unexpectedly complicated and dangerous when a young girl named Martha, fearing for her life, hires him, having witnessed the murder of Sally, her boss and local saloon gal. Then Martha disappears, P. K. is wrongly arrested, and, with time running out, he must employ his wits, investigative powers, and the occasional disguise to identify and catch the culprit in order to save Marthaand even his own life. P. K. remains a wholly engaging, well-written, complex protagonist. He has self-acknowledged gifts, like an exceptional memory and refined senses, and challenges, like difficulties reading people and nonverbal cues. His intimate, colloquial first-person narrative captures frontier life, and new and returning sundry characters include the compassionate Reverend C. V. Anthony, mentor/cardshark Poker Face Jace, and snarky reporter Sam Clemens. This entertaining, absorbing sequel will hook readers from the get-go, and Lawrence sets up intriguing ambiguities and mysteries for P. K.'s sure-to-be-anticipated next adventure. An appended glossary includes real-life people, places, and events referenced throughout.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)