Review of The Dirt Bike Detective #2

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Helen Akoth
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Review of The Dirt Bike Detective #2

Post by Helen Akoth »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Dirt Bike Detective #2" by Douglas L Hoover.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Dirt Bike Detective #2: The Beast in the Shadows is a young adult mystery and adventure novel by Douglas L. Hoover, and it is set in Raven Ridge. Although part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. It follows the lives of Oliver and their detective leader, Chase, among other detectives, as they try to solve some mysteries. A pizza was lost in transit. One of the pizzas, which was being delivered by Spencer, Chase's sister's boyfriend, went missing before reaching the Davises who ordered it. As a result, Spencer was fired by his boss, Mr. Valencia, of the Valencia Pizza Shop. Chase's sister, Aspyn, did not believe her boyfriend could have eaten a pizza he was supposed to deliver to a customer. Something had to be wrong somewhere. She then hired his brother, Chase, and his team of award-winning detectives to investigate the matter to uncover how the pizza disappeared—a critical operation that would either convict or vindicate Spencer, her love.

Elsewhere, a hiker named Mr. Stevenson was mauled and killed by something that appeared to be a beast the same night the pizza went missing. More suspicious was that the hiker was attacked around the same time the pizza went missing and not far away from where Spencer was supposed to deliver the pizza. Was there a link between the two incidents? What will they find out? But this was for sure: many hurdles awaited Oliver and his team, and their probings would be anything but safe.

This story caught my attention right from the start and maintained it until the end. The author gave it the first-person narrative approach, and it was told from Chase's point of view. The detectives came up with various theories and scenarios surrounding the missing pizza and the hiker's death. As a result, it was hard to guess who the perpetrator was. It could be anyone, and this kept me glued as I tried to uncover who the perpetrator was, which enhanced my enjoyment of this novel. This book has a wide range of characters, a rich diversity that contributed to my enjoyment of it. Apart from humans, there are supernatural and beastly characters like higher-ups, werewolves, bullies, shadows, and ghosts, among others. I also liked how well the novel wrapped up. The ending perfectly tied up loose ends, and it took a turn and twist I could not have predicted earlier, thanks to our genius lead investigator, Chase. The relatable display of the characters' emotions also made me enjoy it more.

What I liked the most about the book were the characters. Think of diversity in traits: risk-taking, intuition, intelligence, resourcefulness, querulousness, sassiness, antagonism, malice, infatuation, and conceit. In particular, I liked Oliver's musings about Jax, his secret crush. To Oliver, Jax seemed like a pure angel who fell directly from the heavens just to be his. All the sweet adjectives were reserved for her. Teenagers will relate to these hormone-fueled fantasies, and adults will be taken back to that stage of life. As an adult, Oliver and Jax took me back to my teenage years and made me reminisce, as I could relate to the scenes.

Overall, there was absolutely nothing I disliked about this book. I found only a few errors, indicating that it was professionally edited. Therefore, I am glad to give it the perfect score of five out of five stars. I immensely enjoyed it and can't wait to continue this adventure in the sequel.

I highly recommend this book to middle graders and high schoolers who like well-written, character-driven novels incorporating fantasy. In general, fans of young adult mystery, adventure, and crime novels will appreciate this. On the other hand, I didn't encounter any issues that would make me caution any reader against picking it. The book only contains common disapproval terms like silly and stupid that the target audience can handle.

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The Dirt Bike Detective #2
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Charles Ashinze
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Post by Charles Ashinze »

It's fascinating how the author came up with a mystery story originating from an undelivered pizza experience. The storyline seems captivating and unique. I also appreciate the proper editing as no errors were found.
Ajibola Gabriel
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Post by Ajibola Gabriel »

Seems like an interesting book for young adults. I do not think it is a book that I will enjoy reading. The storyline sounds like something children will enjoy reading.
zynnyx_
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Post by zynnyx_ »

I love detective books, and I love the themes highlighted in this book. Nice review.
:D
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