Horn Book Review
The fourth installment of Timmy's wild antics finds him no more evolved as a detective. For this nonsensical case, Timmy embarks on a cross-country jaunt with nemesis Molly Moskins and his sidekick, bon-bon-eating polar bear Total. Here's more of the same ridiculous yet clever humor and droll cartoons expected of the series but with a touching conclusion that lends Timmy some welcome gravitas. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Detective Timmy Failure is on the caseprobably not a good thing for anyone involved. Timmy (formerly of Total Failure Inc., but he had to fire his partner, Total the polar bear) has a new case: someone stole the funds from YIP YAP, a charity created to raise money to buy books for the bookless tot Yergi Plimkin. Unfortunately, Timmy's mother is forcing him to use his precious spring break to help her boyfriend, Doorman Dave, move to Chicago. The investigation goes on the road, with the help of Timmy's best friend, Rollo Tookus, via telephone. Who will Timmy find as a scapegoater, discover to be the perpetrator? This case may answer these crucial questions: can Molly Moskins, criminal mastermind, be rehabilitated? Will Total the polar bear ever get enough bonbons? And what did Timmy actually hear his mother and Doorman Dave talking about that could change everything? Cartoonist Pastis brings his intelligent yet clueless, arrogantly overconfident detective back for a fourth nonsensical (and nonexistent) case. Some of the humor (such as the plays on song titles, quotes, and lyrics that name most chapters"Rainy Days and Mothers Always Get Me Down," for instance) will fly over the heads of all in the target audience. Nevertheless, for fans of the bestselling series, this one's more of the same. Abundantly illustrated fun for readers who are tired of the Wimpy Kid. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
It's all change, all the time for Timmy Failure. He has fired Total the polar bear from the detective agency, his mother's boyfriend is moving to Chicago, and Timmy is traveling cross-country with Molly Muskins, who may or may not be a criminal mastermind. The trip has interrupted Timmy's latest investigation involving stolen money from a class fund-raiser. But Timmy never has trouble finding dots to connect, and he and Molly go on the run in Chicago in order to solve the case. The observant reader will have already deduced that Timmy's motivation is more than crime fighting; he is avoiding a truth close to home. Timmy, while still taking refuge in the fantasy world of his polar bear and the detective agency, has noticeably grown over the series. In particular, his behavior toward overly affectionate Molly reveals an empathetic side of Timmy, as he observes how her father constantly belittles her. At times laugh-out-loud funny, then disarmingly sweet, Timmy's brand of failure continues to succeed with style. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This new addition to Pastis' best-selling series will get an additional boost from a planned author tour.--Dean, Kara Copyright 2015 Booklist
