| The Ghostwriter Detective Guide: Tools and Tricks of the Trade | |
 | |
| Author | Susan Lurie |
| Illustrator | Felipe Galindo |
| Publication date | 1992 |
| Published by | Bantam Books |
| ISBN | 978-0553480696 |
| Publication Order | |
| Preceded by N/A |
Followed by A Match of Wills |
The Ghostwriter Detective Guide: Tools and Tricks of the Trade is a title in the Ghostwriter book series, featuring Jamal, Lenni, Alex, Gaby, and Tina.
The book includes activities to develop skills in fingerprinting, interpreting clues, making deductions, and using secret codes, messages and disguises. It also has instructions for making your own detective kit and Ghostwriter decoder wheel. Also included are three mini-mysteries for the reader to solve.
Summary[]
The Marathon Mystery Message
Gaby writes in her journal as an introduction to the case. She and her friends are watching a bike marathon on her family’s street, when someone in a trench coat pulls out some fire crackers. The commotion causes some of the riders to crash. Tina gets video coverage of the crash, and Gaby sees cyclist with a silver bike come from off of the course.
Ghostwriter tells then to look at a note. They find a strange message in code, and go to Tina’s house to see the winners of the race on television, as well as her video coverage. They see that Sonya Simms, the rider on the silver bike, has come in first place. She thanks her twin, Gwenna, for helping her.
On Tina’s video, they see Sonya riding off of the course after the fire crackers are set off. Gaby follows Tina to the kitchen as the latter goes to get more popcorn, and sees a newspaper article about how Ace Chasen, who had come in second place in the race, was orphaned after her family died in a fire.
Gaby then solves the code of the note they discovered earlier, which says, “Hi twin! Here we switch to win the race.” She realizes that Sonya had used her identical twin sister to cheat to win the bike race.
The Case of the Shocking-Pink Envelope
An entry from Jamal’s journal starts the mystery. He goes to the bodega to find his grandmother, Bertrin Braithwaite, his dog Winston, and Alex. Jamal talks to the latter about how Lenni’s aunt always sends her money for her birthday every year in a bright pink envelope.
A rude boy named Willie Boylan comes and pushes between Alex and Jamal, but accidently trips over Grandma Jenkins' mail cart. Both the cart, including envelopes needing to be delivered, and a rack of colored cupcakes are knocked down.
Mike Edels, a delivery boy, puts the cupcake rack up and picks up some of the mail. After Willie complains some, he is asked to help and complies, putting some of the cupcake packages back onto the rack, but in the incorrect places. A bit later, Grandma Jenkins notices that both of Lenni’s letters are missing. One of them is in the pink envelope with money from her aunt.
Ghostwriter sends Jamal and Alex a clue about Lenni’s letters. They figure out that someone is carrying the letters in their pocket. Jamal realizes that Willie is the thief since he is color blind, and therefore could not tell the different between the different colored cupcakes, as well as both of Lenni’s envelopes.
The Case of the One-Armed Shoplifter
Again, the case starts with a journal entry, this time from Lenni. She and Jamal have come inside a jewelry story to get out of the rain. Lenni notices a woman in a sling that she had seen earlier, inspecting a watch. However, this time, it seems that the sling is on her other arm.
Lenni and Jamal go to the counter to find that the woman is missing. She notices that a watch is also gone, and a saleslady named Jane realizes that the watch had been stolen. The sales lady is rather suspicious of them. Fortunately, the manager, Mr. Percy, is a fan of Lenni’s father’s music. He allows her and Jamal to look around for clues.
They notice a strong smell around the counter, as well as a strand of red hair. Ghostwriter helps Lenni realize that she had seen only the reflection of the woman with the sling one time. Also, she and Jamal later realize that she is Mr. Percy’s wife.
The manager tells them that another watch is missing. They discover the same clues, and look at the schedule board of the sale clerks. Lenni figures out the thief is the newest sales clerk.
Notes[]
- Although Tina is in the book, she is not one of the main characters mentioned in the beginning. Instead, the ones mentioned are the other four members of the team, as well as Ghostwriter. Tina is only in the first mini-mystery, as well as in the team photograph on the back of the book.
- This book is mentioned in the November 1992 issue of Kid City magazine.
- This book is also mentioned in the 2006 teacher's guide of the Ghostwriter radio show.