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Even readers not steeped in hard-boiled detective fiction will be amused by Lyall's middle-school take on the genre. Seventh-grade P.I. Howard is hired to uncover the miscreant who's trying to frame the student council treasurer for mishandling funds. The new girl in town becomes Howard's junior partner, facilitating an unforced introduction to his detecting methods. Despite comic exaggeration, the social interactions ring true.