Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

These are simply a fun collection of books about a very intelligent 12 year old criminal boy who terrorizes a hidden fairy community. Artemis and his body guard, Butler, have one challenge after another being a thorn in Holly's career as a Fairy Police Officer. In the first book, Artemis is definitely a criminal and steals the Fairy people's gold. As the books progress Artemis at one time must ask the Fairy people for help and vice a versa. A very entertaining read.

The first book Artemis somehow has figured out that the fairy people exist and there is a book that tells everything about them. He traces down a drunk fairy and gets this book from him and learns to read the fairy language so that he can swindle money from the fairy folk. He does not make friends with them and out smarts them at every turn. It's not just fairies, but dwarves, centaurs, all magical creatures. Future books has the fairy people helping Artemis locate and save his father who was kidnapped by the mafia. Without the help of Holly, Artemis's father would be dead. Of course, after this incident, his father decides to retire from the criminal business and spend time as a loving family. Unfortunately, Artemis hasn't quite decided whether he is ready for a 'normal' life. He needs the challenge since he is one of the smartest kids on the planet and enjoys the brain work. Later Holly's people find themselves in trouble and must break down and ask Artemis for help on two occasions. Holly, Butler, and Artemis, through their adventures, end up becoming good friends and defeating fairy folk gone bad and another very smart young girl who also knows about the underground community. I still have the last book to read and am curious what is in store for Artemis and his friends.