 
Red Card: A Zeke Armstrong Mystery (The Zeke Armstrong Mysteries, 1) (The Zeke Armstrong Mysteries, 1)
Average Rating: 5.0 Total Reviews: 14
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 On: 2006-04-02
Nice, solid mystery for kids, with lots of action, and a couple of great nod-nod-wink-wink bits that readers will love!
On: 2004-04-22
My wife and I always check out the books we give our boys (ages 8 and 10). We grew up on the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, and we loved the pleasure those books brought us. Until recently, wed been unable to find anything new on the market in the way of great mystery/adventure fiction. You know what I mean - pure, unadulterated, fast-paced fun. There are a lot of books out there about kids with "issues", which is fine - theyre certainly needed. But if alot of the kids today are anything like my wife and I were when we were young, then theres a need for a modern Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew. Wed all but given up on finding anything like that, until I noticed a teaser on an uncle/nephew mystery writing team in last weeks Apple eNews email from Apple Computer. I checked out the full story on Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot on Apple.coms Pro site. I was intrigued. I ordered both books in the Zeke Armstrong series. I read both Red Card and Green Streak in a single day (when I should have been making sales calls). They blew me away. They took me back to my youth. I gave the books to my wife. She stayed up until 3 AM reading them. They blew her away. They took her back to her youth. We gave them to our boys. They devoured them. For the past two days, all theyve been able to talk about is Zeke and Pow Wow, Zeke and Pow Wow, Zeke and Pow Wow. My wife and I have never seen them so excited about books. At last! In Zeke Armstrong, we have a worthy successor to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Thanks to Apple Computer for bringing him to our attention.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-03
I read this book after Mr. Hale spoke at our library last year. Even if you dont like soccer, youll still love Red Card. It has action and adventure, and its a really good mystery. I didnt figure it out until the end...
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-26
Okay, I got into the Zeke Armstrong Mystery series backward. I read Green Streak first. I loved it. My ten year old son loved it. I ordered Red Card and received it yesterday morning. Like with Green Streak, once I started reading, I couldnt put it down. I had it finished by the time my son came home from school. He picked it up and kept reading until HE finished it. We both understand why this book won the Agatha Award, and we expect Green Streak to win even more awards. Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot have definitely got something going with the Zeke Armstrong Mystery series.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-05-16
Mr. Hale came to our school to tell us about this book. I reccomend it to anybody who likes mysteries. I dont really like soccer, but I still give this book two thumbs up
by: carstairs38 On: 2003-05-14
Zeke Armstrong is playing in a soccer tournament with his team, the Dallas Sundogs. Things are going well, until his coach gets thrown out of a game for loosing his temper with a ref. The next morning, Zeke discovers that the coach has just been shot. After hes rushed to the hospital, another attempt is made on his life. It has to be one of the teams fathers, but whom? The police think they have their man, but Zeke is convinced theyre wrong. Can he make the other parents believe him and save his coachs life?Ill read a good mystery aimed at any age group, and I loved this one. The main character is lots of fun. Im not a big sports fan, but the descriptions of the soccer games held my interest and were easy to follow. In fact, a book that could have been awash in characters did such a good job of introducing them that I had no trouble keeping everyone straight. And the climax had me turning pages as fast as possible to find out what how everything would end. This is an entertaining debut that left me wanting more. I recommend this book to anyone of any age looking for a good mystery.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-05-08
I really just totally loved this book and I was so excited to hear that it just won the Agatha award. How cool!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-09-19
I dont like soccer very much. I didnt want to read this book but my mom made me read the first chapter because she paid for the book. Well I read the first chapter then I read all the others. This is a really good book. Zeke Armstrong is like James Bond except hes only 13. Theres soccer in the book but its not really what the book is about. Everybody should read this book.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-07-24
Red Card is a young adult mystery novel. It kept me up all night trying to figure out the mystery. Loved the characters, the action and story. I cant wait until the next book from Zeke Armstrong comes out!
On: 2002-07-19
Daniel J Hale and Mathew LaBrots Red Card combines the classic mystery with an action-packed plot, creating an engaging novel that can be a positive and adventurous experience for our nations sports-playing youth.
On: 2002-07-13
I loved it and I thought it was a book that everyone should read because it surprises you at the end of the book in many ways and it is really action packed too. so I suggest that parents and kids alike should read this awesome book.
 On: 2002-07-04
Red Card is the perfect book for summer, or anytime you find yourself looking for a quick, highly entertaining read. The protagonist is Zeke Armstrong. Hes thirteen years old. He plays soccer. He solves mysteries. Hes got a secret. The book opens in the middle of a soccer game at the Lone Star Invitational Soccer Tournament. Zekes team wins, but afterwards his coach is shot and left for dead. Zeke is the first person on the scene. After doing what he can for his coach and calling for help, he starts gathering clues. The action shifts back to the tournament, and then a second attempt is made on the coachs life. Zeke starts to put things together, but none of the adults or his teammates will take him seriously. To make matters worse, the attacker may now be after Zeke. It was a lot of fun watching Zeke try to solve the mystery with the attacker still on the loose and still a threat. Red Cards mix of intriguing detective work, exciting sports action and engaging characters keeps the pages turning. Although the book is geared towards younger teens and up, I cant imagine anyone not enjoying it. Red Card appears to be the first book in a series; if so, Ill definitely buy the next one.
On: 2002-07-04
A great read with lots of adventure. An inspiring tale for young guys. A great gift as well for that clever and observant teenager you know.
On: 2002-07-04
Red Card is a young adult mystery novel with enough action and intrigue to keep any mystery fan satisfied. Red Card is an impressive first novel from authors Daniel J. Hale and his nephew, Matthew LeBrot.
Zeke Armstrong and his soccer team, the Sundogs, are involved in a tournament when someone shoots the coach and leaves him for dead. A second attempt is made on the coachs life at the hospital. One of the players fathers is caught red handed holding a pillow over the coachs head and is arrested.
Things are not always what they seem. Armstrong believes he has clues that will prove to the police the man in custody for the attempted murder is the wrong man. Being just 13 years old, the police do not take him serious. And neither do the moms and dads of the players on his team. Even his friends think he should give the Sherlock behavior a rest. See, but Armstrong is not only a talented soccer player, he also possesses a secret identity that only he, his Uncle Dane and a few others know about. He lives to solve crimes.
With a cast of plausible suspects for wanting the coach dead, Armstrong and his closest friends work to figure out who keeps trying to kill their coach. It is a highly climactic and action-packed finish, when everything unravels and more lives are in jeopardy that Armstrong struggles not only to catch the killer, but also fights to save the lives of his friends ... and his own life.
Red Card is the kind of book that demands a readers attention. It is the type of mystery that can be read in one sitting. It contains enough suspense to keep the pages turning. And with the well-developed characters and story line, readers will be thrilled to know there are more scheduled in the series.
--Phillip Tomasso III, author of Johnny Blade and Third Ring
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