Playground Noir

Philip "Pip" Fencer is a hard-bitten, hard-boiled detective, addicted to candy cigarettes and with a knack for getting into trouble. His beat? The rough-and-tumble hallways of C.J. Daly Elementary School, circa 1987. For three bucks a day, plus expenses, nine-year-old Pip will take on any case, from petty theft (stolen water pistols) to extortion (bullies demanding lunch money), and he'll do it all in his own inimitable style.

This book collects all six Playground Noir stories.

The Black Trapper Keeper. A haughty blonde asks Pip to help recover her stolen necklace. But is there more to this seemingly simple case than meets the eye?

Goodbye, My Galaga. Pip investigates a string of robberies at the local arcade, which culminate in the theft of a full-sized Galaga cabinet. Can Pip catch the thief before he strikes again?

The Slumberous Party. Pip's own sister hires him to find out who's been spreading nasty rumors about her at school. She invites the suspects to a slumber party, to play the ultimate game of truth or dare...and it's up to Pip to figure out who's been backstabbing who.

The Kid With the Atomic Brain. A weapons deal (for Nerf guns and water pistols) in the park goes bad, and Pip, hired to run security, is caught in the middle of it. In this cutthroat world, he soon discovers that he can't trust anyone.

The Far Side of the Slide. What starts as a simple case of extortion -- bullies appropriating lunch money from C.J. Daly's hapless second-graders -- turns into something much more serious. Soon Pip is investigating a shady baseball card racket, and kicking himself for agreeing to take the case in the first place.

The Long Recess. On the last day of school, Pip finds himself matching wits with the prankster who destroyed the school's plumbing. He's got less than an hour to identify this mad cherry-bomber...and if he can't find him, it'll be Pip himself facing the principal's wrath.