Jumper and the Apple Crate

A funny, off-beat mystery with an unlikely sleuth. This book is a finalist for the 2018 Oregon Book Awards. Jumper is a man in his mid twenties who doesn’t have much education; that’s obvious by the way he mishandles language. But he has a big heart, an irresistible optimism, and an odd hobby: he likes to jump off garage roofs and trees. Plus, he’s an amateur detective, an avocation he learned by watching T.V. shows. In a previous book, Jumper and the Bones, he dealt with a dangerous gang that threatened him and his friends. In Jumper and the Apple Crate, he confronts a bizarre burglary in his own apartment building. His investigation leads the reader on a wild ride through zoos and circuses and some of the seedier parts of Denver. The book is funny with some serious moments. It appeals to both adults and mature younger readers.