Half Moon Investigations
| Written by: | Eoin Colfer |
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| First published: | March 2006 |
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"My name is Fletcher Moon and I am a private detective. I've seen a lot of things that normal people never see. I've seen lunchboxes stripped of everything but fruit. I've seen counterfeit homework networks that operate in five countries, and I've seen truckloads of candy taken from babies. Up for a challenge?"
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Half Moon Investigations is a 2006 novel by Eoin Colfer, which has also been adapted into a BBC children's television series in 2009.
Meet Fletcher Moon.
Half-pint schoolboy and fully qualified private investigator. Since graduating online, he has solved all sorts of minor mysteries at school and at home. It was only a matter of time before things got serious...
These are strange days in the town of Lock. There has been a spate of odd crimes, including the theft of something very special belonging to one April Devereux. Fletcher investigates – and the finger of suspicion is soon pointing firmly in the direction of the notorious Sharkey brothers, Herod and Red.
It looks like an open and shut case.
But nothing is quite as it seems. And, as Fletcher delves deeper, it‘s not long before the hunter becomes the hunted...
Tropes used in Half Moon Investigations include:
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Herod to Red.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: Fletcher and Red to almost an extreme point because of Fletcher's small stature.
- Clear My Name
- Embarrassing Nickname: Fletcher "Half" Moon.
- Kid Detective: Fletcher Moon is a 12-year-old detective. Somewhat strange is that Fletcher is a certified Private Eye, as in certified in the US (He took an online course.), even though he lives in Ireland, where Private Eyes don't need a license.
- Knight Templar Parent: May's father, to the point of committing crimes to get rid of anyone who placed above his daughter at a talent competition.
- Mama Bear: Do not threaten Fletcher in front of his mother.
- Nonuniform Uniform
- Pink Means Feminine: April Devereux had a "Pink Club", which turned out to be a cover for a club determined to get girls a good education and will go to any measure to do so.
- Popular Is Dumb: Red is popular, in his own way. And also one grade behind in school.
- Scotireland: An unusual case, Colfer is Irish and set the book there but the series was made in Scotland by The BBC.
- Shout-Out: the name "Art Fowler" sounds familiar...
- CSI is named dropped a lot. Fletcher is fed up of having people assume that's what he does.
- Straw Feminist: Some of the villains are a group of elementary schoolgirls who worship some important woman and try to get as many boys as they can expelled from their school. They also are violent and not afraid to do illegal things. You don't want to be a elementary schoolboy near them.
- Teacher's Pet: April and her gang. This factor helps their plan along
- Temporal Theme Naming: April and May, who are cousins.
- Title Drop: At the end of the book, Fletcher and Red are discussing names for their teams. It stops just short of actually being this, but it's set up so the reader knows the title will be the next line Fletcher speas.
- Troubled but Cute: According to Fletcher's narration, Red falls under this trope for most girls.
- Two Guys and a Girl: In the show, Fletcher, Red, and Mia. And, refreshingly, no Love Triangle in sight.
Tropes to be moved to Half Moon Investigations (TV series):
- Adaptation Expansion: 13 episodes in the series, only one of which dealt with some of the book plot.
- There's also new characters, particularly girl journalist Mia Stone, who joins Fletcher and Red to make a Power Trio
- Ascended Extra: Hazel Moon, and Herod and Genie Sharkey are this to an extent in the show. Also, April Devereux.
- Intrepid Reporter: Mia in the live action adaptation.
- Overtook the Series: See Adaptation Expansion
- Splash of Color: Used extensively in the TV version for scenes showing how the Crime Of The Week was actually commited (black-and-white otherwise), most notably with spot colour on the pink clothes worn by the Pinks and a yellow jacket that was a Clue. Never two different colours in the same scene, though.