Paw & Order

In the Paw & Order offices of private detectives Marlowe and Purrlock, the latter is hungry and the fridge is empty. The cat P.I. insists that he went to the grocery store just the day before, so he’s certain that someone must have stolen all the food. Purrlock is positive it must be the dastardly Meowiearty. In search of something to eat, the pair end up at the Grilled Cheese Festival, only to find out from Rabbit that all the grilled cheese sandwiches had been stolen. Purrlock is again sure that it’s Meowiearty’s doing, but Marlowe isn’t so sure. Police Sgt. Bear is on the scene, gathering clues, but he asks the detectives to work the case; from there, the pair interview two suspects: Jinny Giraffe and Allan Alligator. Both had motive and opportunity, but Purrlock continues to believe that Meowiearty is the real culprit. After their investigation concludes, Marlowe and Purrlock gather the suspects together, review the clues, motives, and opportunities, and reveal the identity of the dastardly villain that ruined the festival for everyone. At the end of a busy, productive day, the two detectives wind down with a nice grilled cheese sandwich. In this fast and fun graphic novel for young readers, Platt lays out the various pieces of the puzzle in a logical order, and Marlowe even breaks the fourth wall to advise readers to go back and examine details for themselves to see if they can figure out the solution on their own The full-color cartoon art is bright and colorful, and the animal characters feel distinct with clear personalities. The detective partners play off each other well, with Marlowe the more serious detective and Purrlock making outrageous accusations or jumping to conclusions. Young mystery lovers are sure to get a kick out of this book.