Ukulele of death

Fran and Ken Stein are different than ordinary private investigators. Their uniqueness? They were "grown" in a lab by their scientist parents, who died in a car crash when they were toddlers. While they look and act like humans (although quite tall, strong, hefty ones), they have USB ports in their armpits to recharge themselves when their power runs low. But their latest case challenges even their superior mental and physical skills. A mysterious woman named Evelyn asks them to find her birth father, and since he collects valuable stringed instruments, she thinks the first step should be to track down a rare ukulele he used to own. Weird, but since Evelyn is paying them, they'll do it her way--at least initially. Before long, however, Fran and Ken find themselves in the middle of some seriously odd adventures, including being nearly roller-bladed to death. With unique, larger-than-life characters (literally), and an outlandish premise, this one may appeal to Janet Evanovich fans, although even Stephanie Plum doesn't have a USB port in her armpit.

Copperman (And Justice for Mall) launches a light and lively paranormal-tinged series featuring New York City--based sister-and-brother detective team Fran and Ken Stein. The tall, strapping siblings are more than just average gumshoes: they're "genetically perfect superbeings" created by a pair of scientists who disappeared decades ago, leaving their "children" in the care of their aunt Margie, a former journalist. Are they human? Yes, except for the fact that they have to plug into a wall socket every now and then to renew their energy. The action picks up when their investigative agency, which specializes in finding birth parents for adoptees, acquires a new client, who wants them to find her bio-dad. Her only clue to his identity is that he is a collector of stringed instruments, and once owned a rare Gibson ukulele that is coming up for auction in London. In the midst of their investigation, both Ken and Fran are abducted by a mad scientist, and their identities--a closely guarded secret for their entire lives--threaten to come to light. Copperman has loads of fun with his blatantly silly conceit, and Fran's narration zips along at a fast and furious pace. Fans of Copperman's Jersey Girl Mysteries will enjoy themselves. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Literary. (May)Correction: The author's last name was misspelled in an earlier version of this review.

Siblings Fran and Ken Stein were orphaned at a young age and as adults have become PIs who help people find their families. A new client wants to find her father; all she knows about him is that he collects rare musical instruments. When the client is murdered, Fran becomes determined to finish the case and find the father. To her surprise, there are connections to her own parents, who were scientists doing advanced medical research when they died in a car crash. This research might be related to the USB ports both siblings have under their arms. Masked figures attempt to kidnap Fran and Ken as they work to find out just what is going on and who is behind it while at the same time allowing themselves to feel the slightest bit of hope that their parents may not in fact be dead. VERDICT With an enjoyable mix of sci-fi and mystery elements, Copperman's latest (after And Justice for Mall) features an intriguing and likable pair of detectives whose complementary skills help them survive and thrive and maybe even find their family.--Dan Forrest

Copperman launches yet another new franchise with perhaps his most offbeat protagonist to date. How could the creator of a sleuth who communes with ghosts, a problem-solver on the autism spectrum, and an animal talent agent with a knack for detection push the envelope even further? By creating a detective who is herself created. Fran Stein learned at a young age that she and her brother, Ken, were made in a lab by her mother, a professor of genetics and biology who taught at Rutgers under the alias Olivia Grey, and her husband, a neurologist known to the world as Brandon Wilder. The Grey-Wilders have long since disappeared, leaving Fran and Ken to be raised by their "Aunt Margie," actually a journalist who was working on a story about the brilliant scientists when they decamped for parts unknown and who then sacrificed her career to raise Fran and Ken. When she grew up, Fran naturally became a private eye specializing in helping adults find their long-lost parents and pressured chronically underemployed Ken into joining her. Their latest client, Evelyn Bannister, wants the pair to find a Gibson Poinsettia ukulele that she claims will lead to her birth father, an avid collector. The siblings think her story stinks like week-old sushi but play along to see what her game really is. Evelyn's murder pushes Fran to keep going, and pursuing the homicide leads her into a perplexing relationship with 5-foot-8 Det. Richard Mankiewicz. (Like most lab-created humans, Fran is on the statuesque side.) The solution is likely to strain the credulity of even die-hard Copperman fans, but what his shaggy dog story lacks in verisimilitude, it makes up in commitment to its wacky premise. What next? Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Fran and Ken Stein are different than ordinary private investigators. Their uniqueness? They were "grown" in a lab by their scientist parents, who died in a car crash when they were toddlers. While they look and act like humans (although quite tall, strong, hefty ones), they have USB ports in their armpits to recharge themselves when their power runs low. But their latest case challenges even their superior mental and physical skills. A mysterious woman named Evelyn asks them to find her birth father, and since he collects valuable stringed instruments, she thinks the first step should be to track down a rare ukulele he used to own. Weird, but since Evelyn is paying them, they'll do it her way—at least initially. Before long, however, Fran and Ken find themselves in the middle of some seriously odd adventures, including being nearly roller-bladed to death. With unique, larger-than-life characters (literally), and an outlandish premise, this one may appeal to Janet Evanovich fans, although even Stephanie Plum doesn't have a USB port in her armpit. Copyright 2023 Booklist Reviews.

Siblings Fran and Ken Stein were orphaned at a young age and as adults have become PIs who help people find their families. A new client wants to find her father; all she knows about him is that he collects rare musical instruments. When the client is murdered, Fran becomes determined to finish the case and find the father. To her surprise, there are connections to her own parents, who were scientists doing advanced medical research when they died in a car crash. This research might be related to the USB ports both siblings have under their arms. Masked figures attempt to kidnap Fran and Ken as they work to find out just what is going on and who is behind it while at the same time allowing themselves to feel the slightest bit of hope that their parents may not in fact be dead. VERDICT With an enjoyable mix of sci-fi and mystery elements, Copperman's latest (after And Justice for Mall) features an intriguing and likable pair of detectives whose complementary skills help them survive and thrive and maybe even find their family.—Dan Forrest

Copperman (And Justice for Mall) launches a light and lively paranormal-tinged series featuring New York City–based sister-and-brother detective team Fran and Ken Stein. The tall, strapping siblings are more than just average gumshoes: they're "genetically perfect superbeings" created by a pair of scientists who disappeared decades ago, leaving their "children" in the care of their aunt Margie, a former journalist. Are they human? Yes, except for the fact that they have to plug into a wall socket every now and then to renew their energy. The action picks up when their investigative agency, which specializes in finding birth parents for adoptees, acquires a new client, who wants them to find her bio-dad. Her only clue to his identity is that he is a collector of stringed instruments, and once owned a rare Gibson ukulele that is coming up for auction in London. In the midst of their investigation, both Ken and Fran are abducted by a mad scientist, and their identities—a closely guarded secret for their entire lives—threaten to come to light. Copperman has loads of fun with his blatantly silly conceit, and Fran's narration zips along at a fast and furious pace. Fans of Copperman's Jersey Girl Mysteries will enjoy themselves. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Literary. (May)Correction: The author's last name was misspelled in an earlier version of this review.