The kidnappers : a mystery / Willo Davis Roberts.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

When Joey saw Willie--his worst enemy--kidnapped, he had to tell someone. Unfortunately for Joey, his penchant for stretching the truth prevented people from believing him at first. Joey and his friend Pink, two memorable detectives, set out on an adventure that makes a friend of Willie and readers everywhere.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Joey Bishop witnesses a kidnapping and comes to regret his reputation for making up stories. Later, when he is kidnapped himself, Joey must rely on his own wits to escape the culprits. Ages 8-12. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6‘In a new twist on the old "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" story, 11-year-old Joey Bishop's well-deserved reputation as a liar and teller of tall tales gets in the way of helping to solve a crime. When Joey accidentally hits the class bully in the nose, he knows it's only a matter of time before Willie seeks revenge. Hiding outside of his expensive New York City private school after most of the chauffeurs have come and gone, Joey witnesses the abduction of his worst enemy. By the time he convinces others of the veracity of his story, he realizes that having seen the kidnapping is nearly as dangerous as being kidnapped. The fast-paced mystery unfolds with suspense and excitement, as Joey is nearly run down and then abducted himself. A double-crossing by an old friend and the making of a new one conclude this first-person narrative. Joey's frustrations with his schoolmates and family add humor to the mystery. While the subplots tend to dilute the tension, this remains a quick, satisfying read.‘Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 4^-7. Roberts has created another suspenseful mystery for young readers, although devoted fans may recognize some similarities with A View from the Cherry Tree (1975): the witness to a crime, who can't get anyone to believe his story, soon finds himself being hunted down by the villain. Here, Joel Bishop, a student at an elite private school, witnesses the kidnapping of his classmate, Willie. Unfortunately, Joel has been known to tell a few tall tales and has recently been fighting with Willie, making his story very hard to believe. In fact, only his sister and his best friend believe him; everyone else is too distracted by an upcoming party to pay attention, even when it looks like Joel might be the next victim. When Joel is actually kidnapped, he discovers, to his horror, that the family chauffeur is in on the crime. It takes some quick thinking and ingenuity on Joel's part to outwit the kidnappers and escape unharmed. The combination of a witty narrative and a suspenseful plot makes this a good page-turner that will leave even the most reluctant readers glued to their seats. --Helen Rosenberg

Horn Book Review

Known for his tall tales and his run-ins with a bully named Willie, Joey Bishop has difficulty convincing anyone that he witnessed Willie's abduction outside the boys' elite prep school. The story features a stereotypically taciturn father and socialite mother, and the kidnappers' hideout--just one apartment below the Bishops'--strains credibility. However, Joey is an engaging protagonist, and the mystery is fast paced. From HORN BOOK Fall 1998, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

An 11-year-old's reputation for wild stories comes back to haunt him when he's sole witness to a kidnapping but can't get anyone to take him seriously. After seeing classmate Willie Groves pulled into a car outside their exclusive priVate school, Joey beats his head against a wall of adult disbelief for hours; Ernie the chauffeur laughs it off, his family is skeptical, he gets a lecture about playing pranks from the 911 operator, and when he finally badgers his parents into calling the Groves, they reach a maid taking messages. Joey passes a restless night, his vivid imagination working overtime on what Willie must be going through. When police show up the next day, he's vindicated, but a new and more pressing worry intrudes after first a cab, and then the kidnap car nearly run him down. Roberts (Twisted Summer, 1996, etc.) cranks up the suspense, delivering several ingenious twists in the process; as it turns out, the crooks are hiding in Joey's apartment building, and after a surprise meeting in the elevator Joey finds himself locked up with an unharmed and bored Willie. Readers will feel Joey's fear and frustration keenly in this expertly done page-turner. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.