The Fourth Stall Part II

The Fourth Stall Part II (Fourth Stall, 2) by Chris Rylander, 2012. 288 pages. Published by Walden Pond Press. Source: Won.

The life of crime is good.Mac has taken down legendary high school crime boss Staples, business has been booming, and Mac and Vince are getting ready for middle school baseball tryouts. But this can't last. Mac has always tried to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. But what happens when you can't tell the difference? This dilemma walks into the fourth stall in the form of Trixie Von Parkway--an eighth grader with a mean look and an even meaner predicament. The new science teacher is terrorizing her, and she needs Mac to get him off her back. Seems simple enough, but as Mac starts to dig deeper, he finds even more trouble brewing at his school, including a new administrator bent on destroying his business, and indications that Trixie isn't who she claims to be. In the past, the worst thing that could have happened to Mac was that he might lose a little money, maybe catch a beating. In "The Fourth Stall Part II," though, there's going to be much more on the line than that.

First sentence:

I knew she would be trouble from the moment I saw her.

Y'all remember how much I loved reading The Fourth Stall, right? Well before I moved I had the opportunity to read The Fourth Stall Part II, which was just as good if not better than the first book. I didn't think Chris Rylander would be able to beat the first book in awesomeness, but he did just that.

One of the things I like best about the Fourth Stall series is the cases that Mac and Vince work on. I enjoy that each of the problems brought before them is more complex then it first appears and that they are usually not an easy fix, like, the problem that Trixie brought them.

As with the first Fourth Stall book, one of the things that makes this a must read is Chris Rylander's writing. He is definitely skilled when it comes to pulling the characters strings and making a plot that will leave you guessing till pretty much the final chapter of the book. His writing while great, is also fun and zippy making you just blow through the pages so you can see what will happen to them.

I was definitely worried for awhile there while I read The Fourth Stall Part II, why, because Mac's 'business' was very nearly shut down, and the end of the book I was sure that poor Mac was done for when it came to solving his schoolmates problems. Why I liked this one better was because I liked the mystery behind Trixie's problem and how it had the opportunity to cause some more trouble between the two guys. Nothing like throwing in a girl to test the bond between dudes to make things...interesting.

Seriously, what I enjoyed the most while reading Fourth Stall II would have to be Mac and Vince. This might just be the one and only series were the two main characters are boys that I absolutely love. What makes Mac and Vince's friendship so great is how well Chris Rylander writes it, and that their friendship is both give and take. I also really like the humor and inside jokes that seem to pop up when you get the two of them together, especially Vince's grandma quotes because they always make me smile.

So, while I have an absolute love for this series because Chris Rylander knows his stuff when it comes to writing about friends and the ups and downs in the relationship. The one thing I will freely admit to not liking about this book would have to be the length because it is almost too short and way too easily devoured. His writing and storytelling is so good that the pages just fly by, and now I must wait to see how the series will end...in a couple months. *wills clock to move faster*

Final Verdict:  If you wish to read a book with great writing, characters, and an intriguing plot then I cannot recommend this series enough because it has it all.

The Fourth Stall Part II earns 5 out of 5 pineapples.

Fourth Stall:
The Fourth Stall 
The Fourth Stall Part II
The Fourth Stall Part III (available February 5, 2013)