Jacob Two-Two's First Spy Case - Tapa dura

Winner of the Mr. Christie's Book Award.

Jacob Two-Two is back, in this third exciting adventure, one that seeks deliverance from injustices at school and leads him into the fascinating, costume-clad world of spycraft.

At Privilege House, where Jacob and his best friends go to school, trouble is brewing. Their gentle headmaster has been replaced by Mr. I.M. Greedyguts, who arrives huffing and puffing, triple chins wobbling, munching a foot-long sandwich. But though he is served sumptuous repasts, the boys’ food is prepared by Perfectly Loathsome Leo Louse, who, with his miserly mum, makes certain that the school meals are either tasteless, horrible, or downright disgusting.

Just when things seem hopeless, a new neighbour, Mr. X. Barnaby Dinglebat, Master Spy, descends onto the scene. Dressed in the wonderful disguises of his trade, he regales Jacob with stories of his escapades around the world, teaches him about the art of spycraft, and devises a plan for solving the problem of yucky school lunches. Jacob Two-Two and Mr. Dinglebat, with the help of Jacob’s sister and brother, “the fearless O’Toole” and “the interpid Shapiro,” in their Child Power capacity, will see to it that the meals at school take a turn for the better.

Find out how they do it, and along the way learn about “The Clairvoyant’s Gamble” and about decoding secret messages in this new, deliciously funny, event-filled story by well-known novelist Mordecai Richler, the creator of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang and Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur.

Mordecai Richler was born in Montreal in 1931. The author of ten successful novels, numerous screenplays, and several books of non-fiction, his novel, Barney's Version, was an acclaimed bestseller and the winner of The Giller Prize, the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour, the QSpell Award, and the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Novel in the Caribbean and Canada region. Richler also won two Governor General’s Awards and was shortlisted twice for the Booker Prize.

Mordecai Richler died in Montreal in July 2001.