The Odds of Getting Even by Sheila Turnage

This is the third mystery of the Desperado Detective agency.  In this one Dale's father, Mason, escapes from jail just as Tupelo Landing experiences a crime spree.  Everyone blames Mason, but Dale believes his father is innocent. The Desperado Detective agency, including their newest member, Harm Crenshaw, are in a race against time to find the real perpetrator before allegations against Mason destroy Dale's family.

Anyone who, like me, have fallen in love with all the quirky characters Turnage has created in Tupelo Landing will enjoy this latest mystery.  I was glad that Turnage didn't continue with the ghost theme in book 2, but created a strait up mystery, though the Scooby Doo like grand reveal at the end (if it weren't for those meddling kids...)  felt a little contrived. More than the plot, it is the characters that carry this series, and if Turnage keeps writing them, I will probably keep reading them. 342 p.