Casey Lyall Shares 10 Fun Facts About Howard Wallace, P.I.: Shadow of a Pug

Exciting news for readers and kid detectives everywhere! Howard Wallace (and Ivy!) are tackling another hilarious case in Howard Wallace, P.I.: Shadow of a Pug. 

Wallace and Mason Investigations is back in action, and this time the case is even harder to crack! Howard will have to play nice with third worst enemy, face his ex-best friend, and work with the always sassy Ivy to solve the mystery of the missing mascot. (Not to mention chew a lot of gum!) Shadow of a Pug is even more charming and hilarious than the first, and that’s saying a lot as it was one of our favorite reads of 2016.

There’s a lot more on the line in Shadow of a Pug. While working to find clues and figure out who kidnapped Spartacus the pug, Howard will have to learn how to navigate his middle school hallways, balance his friendships, and learn to really listen to others – something he hasn’t always been so great at. Just like the first, Casey Lyall perfectly captures the noir style in a voice that’s so much fun for readers to adventure along with as they read. There’s plenty of twists and OMG moments that’ll have you tearing through this book faster than Howard and Ivy tear through their stash of Juicy Smash gum.

On the surface, there’s a case to be solved, but the story goes deeper this time around. We get a peek into Ivy’s backstory and home life and the curtain is pulled back on what really happened between Howard and Miles. In between the mystery and the drama the clever puns and silly moments will have you ready to don your brown bathrobe and start solving cases of your own.

When we read a book we really love, we’re always left wanting to know more about the story and the characters, which is why we asked author Casey Lyall to dig deep inside her brilliant mind and share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to write this book in the form of FUN FACTS!

10 Fun Facts about Howard Wallace, P.I.: Shadow of a Pug:

FACT #1: The series is called Howard Wallace, P.I., but Howard’s partner Ivy plays just as important a role. I was excited to delve further into her story in book two and let readers learn more of her history. You can look forward to even more Ivy excitement in book three.
YAYOMG!: *fangirling* BOOK THREE. SHE SAID. BOOK. THREE!!!!

FACT #2: I wrote my first mystery when I was in grade five. It was called John Wink, Private Eye and it was about a detective who lived in Vegetable City and solved the murder of a carrot.

FACT #3: Naming people is fun: Miles, Howard’s former best friend, got his name from Miles Archer, Sam Spade’s ill-fated partner in The Maltese Falcon. I swiped his last name from Jessica Fletcher of Murder, She Wrote. 

FACT #4: The plot of this book is COMPLETELY different from what I had planned. Originally, it was supposed to be a cheating scandal case instead of a missing mascot case!

FACT #5: I never listen to music while I write. A nice, quiet room makes it easier to hear my characters regretting their life choices.

FACT #6: Spartacus the pug is based on my cousin’s dog Rocky because he was a hilarious smol bean who introduced himself by scooting backwards on the couch and tucking his butt under my leg with a big grin. That sort of charm deserved to be immortalized.

FACT #7: Marvin the pawn shop owner is back in book two and I’m super jazzed about it! He’s one of my favourite characters to write. Ivy’s grandma Lillian has quickly become another favourite. I love cranky yet quippy old people. I might have to set them up on their own adventure at some point!

FACT #8: My gum chewing habits rivaled Howard’s while writing these books. Remember to always brush your teeth, kids.

FACT #9: About a third of the way in, I began to deeply regret putting sportsball activity in this book because I realized I was going to have to actually write about sportsball activity. Cue me asking questions such as “They don’t call it goals in basketball, right?”

FACT #10: Marvin’s car is one of my dream cars. Driving around solving crimes in an ancient VW Bug is on my bucket list of goals.

BONUS FACT: The code in the page breaks of Shadow of a Pug spells out something new. See if you can figure it out!

If you think Casey’s fun facts are witty and delightful, you’ll love reading all of Howard and Ivy’s mystery solving, lamenting, and case cracking Howard Wallace, P.I.: Shadow of a Pug! The book is available now, so hop on your favorite moody bike and head to the bookstore! Thanks so much to Casey Lyall for sharing these fun facts with our YAYOMG! readers and letting us get to know Howard in an totally fun way!

Want to learn more about your favorite reads? Check out our interview with author Tamara Ireland Stone where she chats Click’d and shines a light on teens in tech who are changing the world!

Note: We received this book for free from Sterling Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review. We were under no obligation to write a positive review.