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Titles in Order of Publication:
 Book 1: RED CARD
Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot
Top Publications, LTD.
ISBN: 1929976151
Ages 9-12
180 pages
Zeke Armstrong, who was born in an African jungle treehouse and made his home in seven exotic countries, has moved to Texas to live with his uncle while his parents work in India. He misses them but enjoys his Uncle Dane, his soccer games, his buddies --- and solving the mysteries he always manages to attract. He has a big secret (I'm not telling it!) that he guards with his life.
The current mystery surrounds Zeke's soccer coach. Zeke's team, the Dallas Sundogs, is competing in the Lone Star Invitational. Zeke discovers Coach Ryan unconscious on the soccer field. He's been shot. Although all clues point to one suspect, Zeke knows that person is innocent. But no one will believe him. Zeke's fears that the true shooter may take further action spur him to race through a maze-like path of clues, with many dead ends and false turns. In the meantime, Zeke and his teammates fight to stay in the soccer tournament.
Wow! Nonstop detecting and crime-stopping action interspersed with equally exciting soccer games combine to make this book difficult to put down. But, hey, don't just take MY word for it! I'm not the only one who thinks this is an awesome read --- RED CARD won the 2003 Agatha Award for Best Young Adult Mystery, making one of the co-authors, Matthew LaBrot (who was fifteen at the time), the youngest winner ever.
 Book 2: GREEN STREAK
Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot
Top Publications, LTD.
ISBN: 1929976283
Ages 9-12
231 pages
Zeke Armstrong and his buddy, Pow Wow Gao, are in New York to compete in the Big Apple Inline Skate-Off when they meet a very nice elderly woman at a concession stand. She introduces herself as Ms. Nattie and buys them each a lemonade. Before she sips hers, she adds the contents of a capsule, mentioning she must take her medication every eight hours.
As Zeke and Pow Wow take their leave, a man skates right into Nattie, knocking her down and stealing her purse. The boys call for help when they see that she's unconscious. Zeke realizes Nattie's medication is in her stolen handbag. He sees that most of her lemonade spilled. Knowing that she hasn't swallowed the medication she urgently needs, Zeke skates off to find her purse. He discovers a huge plot behind the purse snatching. Zeke's quest to help his new friend leads him into danger as he unravels the clues.
Before he solves the mystery, though, he must face and conquer his own private terror. Can he? Will he?
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