The Westing Game is one of my favorite mysteries and is something along the lines of Agatha Christie. There's a murder, a bomber, a burglar, 16 suspects, and the most elaborate game imaginable. There are more twists and turns in this story that you can guess. And just when you think you have it, you don't!
The Westing Game starts off with Barney Northrup, a realtor and totally fake person, renting off all the apartments and business places to all sorts of different people within the newly built Sunset Towers. Two months after they all move in, Sam Westing, the wealthy entrepreneur and namesake of the town, is found dead in his bed in his mansion up the hill from Sunset Towers. And just like that...the game is started.
Most of the tenants and residents of Sunset Towers are invited to come to the mansion for the reading of the will and find out instead that they will be playing a game...and game that will give them $2,000,000 if they win. And to win, they must find the name of the murderer.
The players are paired up and given clues, and they work together to solve the crime. Tensions run high, and a few bombs go off, landing 2 victims in the hospital. Everyone is suspicious of everyone else, and all the clues seem to lead in different directions. As time dwindles, no one really knows who did it, but they're all doing their best. Working together might just be the solution, but it might end up being too late. Will anyone win? Who did it? Does anyone nab the $2,000,000? All the answers are just a book away!
What I like about this book: There are some fabulous characters in this book. One that I enjoy the most is Turtle, a 13 year old girl whose real name is Tabitha Ruth. She's clever, fierce, and tough. Also, the clues and built up to the solution is brilliant. They all lead one way, but it all ends up being a red herring to lead you astray. It's fun and exciting!
What I don't like about this book: Because there are so many characters, sometimes they are hard to keep track of who is who. When I would read this with my middle school students, we would have a chart to fill out to help remind us who each character was. That's the only downfall of this book.
I would recommend this story for middle school boys and girls, and really anyone who enjoys a great mystery! The Westing Game is a must read!
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