"My name is Saxby Smart and I’m a private detective. I go to St.Egbert’s School, my office is in the garden shed, and these are my casefiles. Unlike most detectives, I don’t have a sidekick - so that part I’m leaving up to YOU.” 

In this series of stories, YOU can be the detective - Saxby presents you with the evidence, and poses some tricky questions...! The titles in this series are:

The Curse Of The Ancient Mask 
The Fangs Of The Dragon
The Pirate’s Blood 
The Hangman’s Lair
The Eye Of The Serpent
Five Seconds To Doomsday
The Poisoned Arrow
Secret Of The Skull

These books can be read in any order - you don't need to start at book 1!

“No clues for guessing what a great read this is for tweens and younger readers... Saxby is a private detective who operates out of his garden shed and - via clever first narrative - his loyal sidekick is the reader. Talk about feeling involved in a book!... Shortish, sharp reads written in a lively and snappy style”  - Liverpool Echo

“Quirky and hilarious” - Red House books

“I was so engrossed with it that I couldn’t put it down!... This is a truly action-packed book” - First News

“The case files are challenging and all three stories are amusing and genuinely puzzling” - Carousel

“This is a fun read made even more enjoyable by being able to turn detective yourself. The clues are there for you to find without being too obvious” - Primary Times

“This is a fantastic book... I would personally read this book over and over and over again” - Verbal online magazine

“Each [case] throws out real clues for the reader - as a Dr Watson foil to the cheerful jokes of Saxby Smart - to follow and to have a good crack at solving things first... This is a good concept very well realised in a different and involving format” - School Library Association

“Simon Cheshire has created good mysteries and combined them with a funny writing style... If you like Anthony Horowitz's Diamond Brothers books, you will enjoy this” - Worcester News

“Good preparation for schooly things such as comprehension” - Daily Telegraph

“I liked the fact that the book let you solve the mystery before the end. It wasn’t difficult to read, and is excellent for leisure reading” - Teen Titles

“A wise-cracking,engaging style... Characterisation is always clear, with humorous comments on the people in question” - School Librarian

"My 11-year-old son loves these tales and gets satisfaction from successfully spotting the clues the author lays. At the same time there is usually just enough information held back to make for an interesting denouement" - Writeaway.org.uk

“Great fun... Ideal reading for children who already like Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, but also a good introduction for younger readers” - Warwick Books

“Saxby is funny and a delight to read about. Readers who want to solve a crime will love it” - Chicklish

"The stories are fast-paced and written with a great deal of humour... Excellent for readers moving on from chapter books with illustrations  to more demanding fiction" - Read Me magazine

"A great read. The mysterious case files are interesting and fun to solve... I would definitely recommend it" - Teen Titles book review magazine

"The Hangman's Lair is an intriguing book. It is well written and very enjoyable; I finished it in half a day. It solves a problem I have had with many other detective books - not being given the time or information to work out the culprit - by leaving breaks with questions for you to solve. A very enjoyable read which I would recommend to everyone" - James Gillespie's High School, Edinburgh

"Simon Cheshire writes comedy mysteries better than anyone. Young readers will love this: there are thrills and humour throughout and good mental exercise as well" - Carousel

"I have just read this to my son and both he and I loved it. The stories are sharply written and fun, and the 'notes from my case files' at the end of each section summarise the facts and helped him to keep track of the plots. We can't wait to read the next one" - Amazon.co.uk reviews

"What is so attractive about this series of stories is the fact that it is the reader who acts as Saxby's side-kick... Add to this exciting, complex plots and a protagonist who is warm and funny and you have a winning formula... The stories lend themselves to group or class reading, because there are plenty of opportunities to discuss the clues and debate the issues. The short chapters and wise-cracking style will encourage even reluctant readers to spot clues before Saxby, employing both logic and observation in a thoroughly agreeable way. This way of writing a detective story is in some ways counter-intuitive: Simon Cheshire allows the reader to solve the clues before the end, rather than following the traditional approach of diverting attention from the truth with red herrings. But this style of writing really does succeed: there are enough twists and turns in the plot to retain the reader's interest right up to the very last page, and the clues, while accessible, are never too obvious. Furthermore, the story is told at a cracking pace which encourages the reader to keep going and find out what happens next, and the strong element of participation means the reader feels as satisfied as the hero when, at the end of each story, Saxby writes the words 'case closed.'" - Thebookbag.co.uk

"Although we are involved in the investigation from beginning to end, the final solution is not always obvious before we reach the denoument and so readers are kept interested for the whole story. It is great fun to guess the outcome of Saxby's detective work, but there also enough twists and turns to ensure that guesses are not always easy. The stories also occasionally include Saxby having to consider the moral issues of right and wrong - these are not simply stories about finding a fellow pupil's missing cat. They involve fraud, theft, organised crime and so on. These stories really will make young readers use their 'little grey cells', whilst also having a laugh at the time as Simon Cheshire's writing is laced with good humour" - The Book Zone blog

"Ever fancied playing Watson to Sherlock Holmes or Lewis to Morse? Well, here is your great chance to be a detective's sidekick! Rather than those frustrating mysteries where the reader doesn't know quite enough to solve the mystery, this book gives you all the clues you need to solve the mysteries, so can you get the answer before Saxby Smart, schoolboy private detective? This book really engages the reader, and will be especially good for reluctant readers, as you just have to concentrate and be drawn in to the story" - parentintouch.co.uk

"The fast-moving and comic storyline will keep readers hooked and wanting to know what happens next – the action-driven plot may be attractive to boys especially. Particular good features are the way in which the reader is invited to review the emerging evidence, through Saxby’s case notes, or pause to reflect on what might just have been revealed about the plot by the strategic inclusion of questions marks. Vocabulary and syntax are both uncomplicated, making this appropriate for young readers who are starting to be able to manage longer stories by themselves" - National Literacy Association

"This riveting book features not just one, but three Saxby Smart mysteries, so get reading! I loved the... fast-paced story lines and I think most children over the age of eight would love this book" - First News Children's Newspaper

"This book is like the new cooler version of Sherlock Holmes (without the murder of course). If you want to get some proper detective stories please read the Saxby Smart private detective series... The book becomes very thrilling as, with the help of his two friends George and Izzy, Saxby goes through the evidence and solves the cases." - Guardian.co.uk Children's Book Reviews

Reviews of the US editions

"This fast-paced U.S. debut for British author Cheshire launches the Saxby Smart, Private Detective series starring a chipper crackerjack sleuth. The protagonist immediately pulls readers into the action... Saxby's resourceful tactics and comedic overstatements will keep kids entertained" - Publishers' Weekly

The reader-as-sidekick device works splendidly: Saxby’s scrawlings offer a window into his problem-solving and invite the reader to do the same, and all three cases have some nice twists and less-than-obvious outcomes, requiring an element of deductive reasoning... The good-natured Saxby will appeal to lots of young readers... Young mystery readers will clamor for more Saxby Smart just as soon as they get through the three cases herein (so they’ll be pleased to hear that more adventures are expected), and even reluctant readers may find Saxby an affable bookmate" - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"The young detective organizes the evidence methodically and, in each case, solves the mystery. Even better, careful readers can do the same... After reading this well-paced and sometimes funny first-person narrative, young mystery fans will be looking for the second volume in the Saxby Smart Private Detective series" - Booklist

"If you leave this book in plain sight, you'll soon have a mystery to solve: which one of your readers got his or her hands on Saxby Smart, Private Detective? Saxby speaks directly to young readers as he challenges them to puzzle things out for themselves... Reluctant readers aren't the only one who will benefit from Saxby Smart, Private Detective. With the carefully presented setup, questions, clues, and false leads, the series will function as a resource for units on mystery structure, enabling the class to solve the mystery together" - Junior Library Guild

"An outstanding first-person saga of a wise-cracking genius detective who goes to school on the side. Three bizarre cases mark this story and invite readers to help solve the mystery" - Midwest Book Review, Oregon

"Speaking congenially to readers, Saxby invites them to help deduce the clues... The cases are timely and twisting enough to keep the light bulb bright in the young sleuth’s mind" - Kirkus Reviews

"The canny preteen sleuth... returns for three more unusually meaty mysteries—all solved with a combination of sharp observation and sharper deductive logic... Outstanding fare for young armchair Sherlocks" - (Starred title) Booklist

"Saxby proves to be the go-to kid for solving mysteries... The cases can be solved by readers, and the questions posed throughout the text make sure that they are following the clues... Saxby will appeal to mystery fanatics and fans of Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Encyclopedia Brown" - School Library Journal

"This book was difficult to put down, even for the reviewer to take notes. Mr. Cheshire, the author, has found a primary character and cohorts that are ageless within the middle-grade readers... grab this and the first book for any bookshelves you may have" - Children's Literature online

Saxby proves to be the go-to kid for solving mysteries... His faithful friends Izzy and Muddy are wonderful sidekicks who go beyond Saxby's observations with outside investigation and research. The cases can be solved by readers, and the questions posed throughout the text make sure that they are following the clues... Saxby will appeal to mystery fanatics and fans of Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Encyclopedia Brown" - Roxbury Public Library, Succasunna, NJ

The video above is one me n' the kids made ourselves. The one below is a review from the rather excellent edontheweb.com

There's an article 'by' Saxby about writing detective stories at So Many Books So Little Time, and there's another piece by him on the book group website bookbabblers

There are articles about Saxby on his American publisher's website here and here. And here's a blog by the Bookwitch

Also, there's a short piece on the Crime Central blog. And another one here! And, wow, another here. And one more here!