I love corny jokes—well, most corny jokes, that is. “Mystery at the Club Sandwich” is just full of ‘em, and puns and all sorts of things that will probably make the parents laugh more than the children, but that’s okay.
Our main character is hardened detective Nick Trunk, who is an elephant. He’s a private investigator who doesn’t charge much—he works for peanuts.
One day, a lady who looked like trouble walked into his office and introduced herself as Maggie Trouble. She came on behalf of a lady named Lola who lost her marbles. She wants Nick to come investigate the marble theft. It took place at the Club Sandwich.
Nick looks around the dressing room and finds a feather and a smudge of peanut butter. Neither one was left by Lola, so he assumes they’re clues. The peanut butter is an expensive brand, and the feather was an ostrich feather, the kind used on costumes. Maybe one of the performers at the club had taken the marbles.
He went back and began his investigation. The magician seemed suspicious, and perhaps even a little fishy, after pulling a trout out of a hat. But after questioning him, Nick didn’t have anything concrete. The more he thinks about it, the more it would appear that Maggie Trouble was the culprit.
Heading into Lola’s dressing room, he finds the missing marbles in the bottom of the fish bowl, where Maggie had stashed them in a hurry. All was right with the world, and he still works for peanuts.
If you want a story that you and your child can enjoy together, give “Mystery at the Club Sandwich” a try. But be prepared to explain the jokes to your kids, because they will ask why you’re laughing.
(This book was published in 2004 by Clarion and was illustrated by the author.)
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