When Max Monroe discovers an old detective agency in his grandfather's backyard, he also uncovers a spooky secret: the ghost of his great-uncle Larry! Max has always been obsessed with mystery books, so when Larry is given a second chance to prove he's a capable detective, they team up to help find a missing birthday girl. Can they rule out the many suspects—including a clown and a practical joker—before the birthday girl's mom comes home?

Max is thrilled when his favorite writer, Rhonda Remington, calls up the detective agency. But Rhonda is less than thrilled: someone has warned her to beware on the night of a big storytelling competition. Max is on the case, but his unusual partner—the ghost of his great-uncle Larry—is his usual bumbling self. Will they solve the mystery or lose the plot? It's the spookiest case yet in the Ghost and Max Monroe series!

In this first title in the detective fiction series by L. M. Falcone, ten-year-old Max Monroe is intrigued to discover that the carriage house behind his grandpa’s home was once the office of the Monroe Detective Agency. Then he learns the agency had belonged to his grandpa’s dead brother, Larry. But Max didn’t know he had a great-uncle. “Well, he’s dead,” says Grandpa Harry, “but his ghost still haunts the detective agency.” It seems Uncle Larry died of a broken heart because he “never solved one measly case.” However, a surprise phone call from a magician named Marty the Magnificent with an offer of a detective job seems like the second chance Larry has been begging for. Except, Larry is a ghost — he can’t work a case in the real world. But Max can! With Larry’s help, of course. The offbeat idea of a boy detective with a ghost as a sidekick provides this story with lots of opportunities for inside jokes and misunderstandings. This is a terrific chapter book series for newly independent readers who are ready for something more challenging than a first reader, with simple sentences, humorous dialogue and very short chapters, designed to make the reading experience less daunting. The limited black-and-white illustrations (around one per chapter) by Kim Smith provide details that enrich the story. The series provides a great introduction to the mystery genre, perfect for honing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

Someone has stolen the Zamboni sisters' giant zucchini, which was certain to win first prize at the Harvest Fair. Max Monroe is on the case, with the help of his peculiar sidekick—the ghost of his great-uncle Larry. They encounter a cast of unusual suspects. But who would—or even could—steal a two-hundred-pound vegetable? One thing is for sure: this isn't your garden-variety mystery!