Public Enemy Number Two (Diamond Brothers Mysteries)

Rating:
Summary: Be the First Grown-up on your block!
Review: If you're British, and read, you probably know of Anthony Horowitz. He's more prolific than a rabbit on steroids. The problem is, most of his output is classified as "Young Adult", i.e. kid's books. DO NOT BE DETERRED! Sure his Alex Rider (teenage spy) and Diamond Brothers (Teenage & idiot private eyes) feature barely pubescent heroes. And, sure, literate teens, if that's not an oxymoron, will get a big kick out of the adventure stories, but the ones who will really love them are literate (and film literate) adults! The first book in the Diamond series was "The Falcon's Malteser" and if you need to be told what THAT was a take-off on, stop reading now. The second book in the series (only two have been released so far on this side of the Atlantic) is "Public Enemy Number Two" and to fully enjoy it you have to be familiar with no less a film than, wait for it, James Cagney's "White Heat". A kid's book? Based on a 40's film noir about a psychopathic mama's boy killer? If you can wrap your mind around that, and the numerous horrendous/hilarious puns and wordplay that Horowitz indulges in, then this is for you. Oh, and when you're finished you MIGHT let that literate teen read it. But get it back! These books are to be treasured. Oh (#2), the reason for only 4 stars is that I feel calling these books "YA" does the public a disservice.