Neil Numberman

The first pages drew me in and had me laughing. Joey Fly is in the tradition of the hardboiled detective who's seen it all. ("The name's Fly. Joey Fly, private eye.") All the elements are there: the colorful similes ("Crime sticks to this city like a one-winged fly on a fifty-cent swatter."), the beautiful client ("She was a tall drip of water. And I was suddenly feeling parched.") and the terse, no-nonsense dialog. The monochrome palette of the illustrations provides a mock noir ambience. Additionally there is much humor: Joey Fly isn't that hardboiled so much as caught up in the whole idea of being hardboiled, as when he wishes "some cool theme music" would play when he introduces himself. His hiring instincts aren't too keen either; his new scorpion assistant is so exasperating and snarly you wonder why Joey keeps him on. The mystery of a missing diamond pencil box is fairly weak but uncovering a murderer wouldn't be as kid-friendly. As a whole the package is so entertaining, readers will look forward to what promises to be sequels. Added bonus for the detail-oriented: a list of objects to find in the illustrations.… (plus d'informations)