Stink Files, Dossier 001: The Postman Always Brings Mice, The - Hardcover

Holm & Hamel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060529792 ISBN 13: 9780060529796

Publisher: HarperColl, 2004

Synopsis

James Edward Bristlefur is having a very bad time.Raised in London by a British secret agent, this international cat of mystery has traveled the world, foiled conspiracies thicker than cream, and rooted out evildoers wherever he and his human found them. But when he tries to follow the trail of a mysterious assassin to Norway, things go horribly, horribly wrong.

To James's shock, a baggage mix-up delivers him to an animal shelter . . . in New Jersey! Even worse, an ordinary suburban boy takes him home and names him Mr. Stink. Oh, the humiliation!At first his only goal is to escape and return to the world of top-secret intrigue. But soon he finds that the long paw of evil reaches all the way to America. As every spy knows, things are rarely what they seem. . . .

About this title

About the Author:

Holm & Hamel can neither confirm nor deny any knowledge regarding the whereabouts of Agent Bristlefur, alias Mr. Stink. They may or may not live in the vicinity of Washington, D.C., and they are rumored to have more than zero but fewer than two cats.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-5–James Edward Bristlefur, feline companion of British master spy Sir Archibald, vows revenge when his human is murdered. However, before he can trace the killer, he is shanghaied to New Jersey. After a dismal incarceration in a bleak animal shelter, the cat is adopted by a family he considers way below his standards. It's not just the grape-colored minivan or the middle-class furniture, or even the insulting name that fifth-grader Aaron calls him. James considers the whole New World experience far beneath him. Even American mice fail to understand proper etiquette. The urbane cat plots to escape and return to England to continue his investigation, but reluctantly becomes involved with his new humans. When he discovers that Aaron is the victim of a neighborhood bully, the Feline Code of Honor obliges the furry agent to intervene. In addition, James gradually begins to suspect his presence in America is no coincidence and that the answer to Sir Archibald's death might be on this side of the water. The cat's upper-class, James Bond-style narration provides a humorous contrast to the Jersey accent of the local dogs and mice and the everyday American English of the humans. The black-and-white illustrations emphasize this class contrast as well. The question of Sir Archibald's murderer is left for another volume, but mystery fans will find plenty to enjoy in this first adventure.–Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperColl
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060529792
• ISBN 13: 9780060529796
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 129
• Illustrator: Weinman Brad