Our Man Weston (original 1982; edition 1986)

Twins Tom and Sidney Weston have just arrived at a resort where they have summer jobs. Tom is determined to work just hard enough, enjoy himself during his free time, and have a great summer. Sidney, however, is determined to uncover any sinister plots that might be hatched by the resort guests or staff . . . and with so many people around, surely there will be at least a few, right? As an amateur sleuth, Sidney has gained some notoriety with various law enforcement and defense organizations (many of whom look forward to his frequent communications for their entertainment value, as he always has some wacky theory or other). Tom fears that Sidney's antics will lose both of them their jobs, particularly since their supervisor can never tell the two boys apart. Unbeknownst to Tom, however, Sidney's most recent suspicions have a grain of truth in them, for there are criminals among the resort's guests. Will Sidney figure out who the real spies are before it's too late?

While this book does contain touches of Korman's trademark humor, it does not succeed in being as side-splittingly hilarious as others of Korman's early works. Readers new to this author would be better off looking for A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag or This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall. However, young readers who can't get enough of Korman will probably find this book enjoyable as well. ( )