Case Closed Vol. 45by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Conan and his friends are on a fishing trip when someone ends up the victim of an attempted murder. They are able to solve the case and catch the attacker, while also smoothing things out for a happy ending. Then, Conan helps Richard Moore solve the murder of a baseball player. And finally, Conan and his friends get an unexpected murder case on a star-watching trip.Sometimes I find this series to be a little hit or miss. This volume is one of my favorites that I've read. The first story has logic that's easy to follow. I like the simplicity and ingenuity of the attack. However, I found Conan's knowledge of fishing terms and the children's ability to hold two adults "captive" as suspects and interrogate them a bit of a stretch. I also appreciate how the woman voices her dislike of a sexist comment, and then that comment is turned around so that it's actually a complement and adding some humor to a serious situation. The motivation here is not great, but it's plausible. The second story allows Mr. Moore to shine on his own a bit. This makes for a more realistic story, especially given the notoriety of the victim and suspect. Conan also gets a bad vibe about this guy when he makes a call. There doesn't seem to be anything stemming from it right now, but Conan's hunches are often right. Who knows where this may show up later on. The motivation for the murder is very realistic. This kind of escalation is scary because it happens. The third story is the most grisly of the three, and it leaves us on a cliffhanger. I can't wait to read how this case and its clues are explained. It's more challenging to follow because it's playing with writing names or initials with whole and broken cigarettes, which includes kanji and katakana! This story is also a play on Clue, with invites to an isolated building supposedly sent by the man they find dead. Obviously, the innkeeper is the prime suspect (though the story tries to give us another option first), which is also like saying "the Butler did it" with the Clue allusion. Case Closed is rated for older teens, but I would easily give it to younger teens as well. The deaths in it are mild compared to most of the media that age group is consuming. Plus, the main characters are less than 10 years old, making this a perfect series for readers closer to that age group. That said, adults will definitely love the mystery aspects. Sometimes there are great clues and hunches to follow, and other times I'm left just being surprised like with a Scooby-Doo episode. Written: December 26, 2012
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