Time Stops for No Mouse

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It's impossible not to like Hermux Tantamoq, the watchmaking mouse. He relaxes in a flannel shirt printed with pictures of cheeses from around the world, he has a caged pet ladybug named Terfle, he writes endearing thank-you letters to the universe each night, and he has a big heart--a heart that aches for the fearless aviatrix Ms. Linka Perflinger, who unexpectedly visits his shop requesting an emergency rush repair of her wristwatch. Little does he know that this brief rendezvous with the jaunty adventuress will change his life forever. When a week goes by without word from her, he doesn't know whether to be worried or angry. He drafts a slightly unpleasant, then desperate, then not-too-sweet, not-too-sour letter to her and awaits her response. Nothing. Even nasty encounters with his neighbor (the horribly garish and affected cosmetics tycoon Tucka Mertslin) and pleasant interludes with his artist friend Mirrin don't distract him from his new heart-quickening obsession.

His worst fears start to cement when a yellow-eyed, thin-lipped, sharp-tongued rat comes to his shop and says with a dreadful smile, "I've come for Linka Perflinger's watch." Hermux isn't about to fork over his beloved's watch without a claim check, and ends up following the rat... all the way to Linka's house! And, what's this? Is she being kidnapped? The plot thickens as Hermux boldly enters her apartment (what has gotten into him?) and discovers a mysterious letter from Teulabonari and an overturned spicy-smelling plant. As he says to his ladybug that night, "This is the beginning of a new career for me. Either as a detective or a jailbird. Only time will tell. If it turns out to be the latter I will be asking you for hints on decorating my cage." Soon he begins to make a connection with these strange clues and the cosmetics mogul Tucka, who pulls him into her scheme to create eternal youth in a bottle (to be taken internally).

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
If you and your child like mysteries, here's one that will take you on a roller-coaster ride in a race against time to save a mad doctor from wreaking havoc on his town, and perhaps the world. Did we mention that the hero is a mouse, and the mad doctor is a rat?

Welcome to the tiny town of Pinchester, where mice, rats, moles, and minks work hard during the day, go to the opera at night, and munch donuts from Lanayda Prink's coffee shop in between. And Hermux Tantamoq, a local watchmaker who enjoys speaking with his pet ladybug and munching extra-stinky cheese, is much like any other mouse. Then one day, beautiful aviatrix extraordinaire Linka Perflinger gives Hermux her watch to repair -- and promptly disappears. Hermux, who has developed a crush, suspects foul play and vows to find her. He stumbles across the key to the mystery surrounding Linka's disappearance when he intercepts the journal of an adventurous botanist wandering in the mystical country of Teulabonari, home of the native chinchillas (yes, chinchillas). Unfortunately, there are many who would stop at nothing to get their hands on the journal and the priceless information it holds, and Hermux is soon embroiled in a dangerous scheme involving a greedy cosmetics tycoon, a sinister plastic surgeon, a pushy newspaper reporter, a gang of ruthless lab rats, and a scheme that may destroy his peaceful town.

Hoeye's gift for storytelling pulls even the most hesitant reader into this little world, where mice are heroes, rats are murderers, and the mythical Fountain of Youth is a reality. Younger readers may get impatient with Hoeye's painstaking detail as he shows readers every step Hermux makes, but they'll soon realize that even the most minor scene plays a major part in this mystery. In addition, the short chapters make the book perfect for bedtime reading, and readers will have quite a time calling out the funny names of the characters. (Michele D. Thomas)

ANNOTATION

When Linka Perflinger, a jaunty mouse, brings a watch into Hermux Tantamoq's shop to be repaired and then disappears, Hermux is caught up in a dangerous search for eternal youth as he tries to find out what happened to Linka.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When spunky aviatrix Linka Perflinger walks into Hermux Tantamoq’s watch shop in Pinchester, it’s obvious that she’s anything but ordinary. And when she mysteriously disappears, it’s clear Hermux must find her. Hermux unexpectedly stumbles across the key to the mystery when he intercepts the journal of an adventurous botanist who is missing in the faraway jungles of Teulabonari. A trail of clues leads directly to The Last Resort. The doctor who runs this exclusive spa, the reclusive Hiril Mennus, is putting the final touches on a machine that will put coin-operated plastic surgery into every shopping mall. Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse that pits Hermux against an eccentric cosmetics tycoon, a sinister plastic surgeon, and a squad of ruthless lab rats, the watchmaker discovers that no one – not even himself – is quite what they seem.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This first book in the Hermux Tantamoq Adventure series introduces the titular watchmaking mouse, Hermux Tantamoq, his pet ladybug and his crush. According to PW, the author's "galloping plot, evocative descriptions and exuberantly sophisticated wit keep the pages rapidly turning." Ages 10-up. (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Christopher Moning

Michael Hoeye's novel, billed as "A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure," introduces an unwilling, and often unwitting, mouse adventurer, Hermux Tantamoq. Hermux, a simple watchmaker by trade, is thrown into a tangle of heroic proportions when the brave aviatrix, Linka Perflinger, walks into his shop one day. Ms. Perflinger, fresh from her latest death-defying adventure, needs her watch repaired quickly. When Ms. Perflinger disappears, however, it is Hermux who finds himself smack dab in the middle of espionage and intrigue. Hermux is dismayed to find his settled life turned upside down. Hoeye handles a wide array of wonderfully named, colorful characters with skill and grace, including Tucka Mertslin, prima donna and bane of Hermux's existence; Terfla, Hermux's beloved pet ladybug; Dr. Mennus, the sinister mastermind of evil plots; and Mirrin, a blind friend who instills in Hermux an appreciation for Beauty. Hermux is a skillfully drawn protagonist, concocted with just the right portions of humor, sympathy, and intelligence. Fans of anthropomorphic fiction will be clamoring for more. Other readers will be won over by the charm and charisma of this fine first novel. 2002, G.P. Putnam's Sons,

VOYA - Marian Rafal

Gentleman, watchmaker, and mouse, Hermux Tantamoq has a passion for precision and routine. A gentle soul, he is an observer of life, thankful for the small, ordinary things￯﾿ﾽdonuts, hot tea, flannel shirts, and his pet ladybug, Terfle. His peaceful life is turned upside down when dashing, daredevil aviatrix Linka Perflinger rushes into his shop with a broken watch and quickly steals his heart. A week passes, and the adventuress does not return for her watch. Instead, a tall, gray rat with a long, narrow face and sharp tongue tries to retrieve it. Tantamoq finds himself up to his whiskers in deception and intrigue. Earnest and inquisitive, Tantamoq tangles with nasty neighbor and cosmetics tycoon, Tucka Mertslin; gets caught up with the sinister plastic surgeon, Dr. Mennus, founder of The Last Resort health spa; and stumbles upon a trail of clues that leads to the fountain of youth. Will the intrepid furry sleuth find Ms. Perflinger in time? Will he discover real beauty and love? The snappy, sophisticated writing makes this adventure a delight from start to finish. The city of Pinchester comes alive brilliantly with its multispecies population of rats, mice, gophers, and other small furry folk and evokes an almost Edwardian sense of place￯﾿ﾽdespite Mertslin's very modern airs. Hoeye's novel is a delightful romp for imaginative readers and fantasy fans. The second book in the Hermux Tantamoq Adventure series, The Sands of Time (Terfle, 2001) is available in paperback. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2002 (orig.2000), 1999, Putnam's, 244p,

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-A delightful look into the life of Hermux Tantamoq. This no-nonsense mouse is a watchmaker by profession, and leads a simple life. Everything changes when he meets Ms. Linka Perflinger, adventuress. She needs her watch repaired, but then mysteriously disappears. Mr. Tantamoq begins to question her absence, mostly out of infatuation, but also out of a growing sense of responsibility for her welfare. As more diabolical elements begin to fall into place, he becomes more concerned with the fate of everyone living in the city of Pinchester, including himself. Hoeye tells a good tale in the style of Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series (Philomel) or Robert C. O'Brien's Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Atheneum, 1971). Suspense and fantasy are intertwined in this story, which once started is difficult to put down. Hoeye mixes an interesting cast of characters with a multileveled story that will keep readers' attention from beginning to end.-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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