Hawkeye Collins and Amy Adams

Hawkeye Collins and Amy Adams are fictional characters created for a series of children's puzzle-mystery books titled Can You Solve the Mystery?, originally published 1983–1985 and credited to the pseudonym M. Masters. The series frames the pair as twelve-year-old amateur detectives living in the fictional town of Lakewood Hills, Minnesota; the books were later reprinted and translated in subsequent years (1992, 2006–2007, 2013). Authorship attribution varies in catalog records (pseudonymous credit to M. Masters; bibliographic entries sometimes link to Robert D. Zimmerman), a discrepancy noted in source descriptions.

Descriptions in the series are sparse and functional rather than highly detailed. Christopher Collins bears the sobriquet 'Hawkeye,' indicating his defining trait of keen observation; every story includes a sketch credited to Hawkeye Collins that serves as a visual clue. Amy (Amanda) Adams is described as an athletic red-haired girl who is 'quick of mind, quick of feet and quick of temper.' The pair are twelve years old and live on Crestview Drive across from each other. Recurring nonhuman visual presence in the series includes Hawkeye's dog, Nosey. Parental occupations are noted in the texts (e.g., Peter Collins, attorney; Linda Collins, real-estate agent; Amy's father an airline pilot; Amy's mother a medical doctor), situating the children in a middle-class milieu, but detailed physical descriptions (height, specific clothing) are not provided in the cited sources.

The books present Hawkeye's primary skill as exceptional observation and the capacity to produce quick, information-rich sketches of crime scenes; Amy contributes athleticism, quick thinking, and decisiveness. Together they perform elementary investigative methods appropriate to children's detective fiction. The narrative form gives readers textual clues accompanied by Hawkeye's sketches and includes hints and brief explanations of the investigative techniques used. Solutions are printed at the back of each book in mirror image so readers can check their reasoning after attempting each puzzle.