From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Amazon.com

After reading this book, I guarantee that you will never visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or any wonderful, old cavern of a museum) without sneaking into the bathrooms to look for Claudia and her brother Jamie. They're standing on the toilets, still, hiding until the museum closes and their adventure begins. Such is the impact of timeless novels . . . they never leave us. E. L. Konigsburg won the 1967 Newbery Medal for this tale of how Claudia and her brother run away to the museum in order to teach their parents a lesson. Little do they know that mystery awaits!

Book Description

Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped -- right into a mystery that made headlines!

Customer Reviews:

I Want to Go There!.......2007-09-15

I want to go to New York to see this museum. This book was incredible and I loved the style of writing and the way the story unfolded letting each character have their own voice. I loved the notes at the end from the author. I really could tell she loved these characters and did care about their ever after. Every child should read this book. Wait, every adult should read this book!

Children's Classic.......2007-07-08

I bought this book for a class that I was student teaching for, and to my dismay none of them heard of it. Thanks to standardized testing books like these collect dust. My class loved it, and I highly recommened having it on the bookshelf for future generations

midnight museum magic.......2007-06-13

Do you like adventure, mystery and fun? Well then this is the book for you. It is about a girl named Claudia (11), and her brother, Jamie(9); they decided to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They worked together which helped them to survive many days and nights in the museum. I learned that you should work together no matter who it is you are working with; your brother, your sister, a friend, or even Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! I'd love to tell you more, but I can't spoil the story befroe you read "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler."

From the Mixed up Flies of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler.......2007-06-12

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler
E.L Konigsburg

Twelve year old Claudia Kincaid, is bored with her life - being an "A" student all the time, not having a big allowance, and having to deal with being the only girl and oldest of all her brothers. So, she decides to change things a bit to make them exciting. She takes all her allowance, her brother's allowance, her brother (Jamie) and a trumpet and violin case and heads off on an enjoyable, fun adventure to the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York City. There, they take tours everyday, sleep in queens' beds and do whatever they please while being careful not to get caught. One day, they uncover a beautiful, exquisite statue of an angel. As they get to know more about this angel, they find out that it is a mystery. No one knows who actually created this angel. Claudia is determined to find out who the artist is. But will she ever figure it out without getting caught?

This book was full of adventure, and filled determination and concentration. I really enjoyed this book because I felt like I was in the story with the characters through their good and bad times. Konigsburg makes this story become so realistic, it comes to life.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good adventure. The plot and setting of Konigsburg's book makes it an incredible, thrilling quest that I am sure you will enjoy! I know I enjoyed it!

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E.Frankweiler.......2007-04-17

E.L. Konigsburg wrote, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a Newberry children or teens book. The book is about two children running away from their house and staying at the Metropolitan Museums of Art. The obstacles they go through to live independently include regrets from going anyway. It reminds you how much you care about your parents. While at the museum the kids find a mysterious puzzle that has clues that to an unexpected conclusion. There are no weaknesses in this book. I read this book because my Aunt is the author. I am not saying this book is good because I am related to the Author but because it is a fantastic and interesting novel. I totally recommend this book to anyone. There is also other books of hers that have won Newberry medals. A movie has been made to go with the book if you are more of a movie kind of guy.

Average customer rating:

5th Grade Class Review
Slow and Convoluted
Excellent mystery
Mysteries, Friendship, and Art
great book, keeps me reading!

Chasing Vermeer
Blue Balliett
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0439372976

Amazon.com

In the classic tradition of E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, debut author Blue Balliett introduces readers to another pair of precocious kids on an artful quest full of patterns, puzzles, and the power of blue M&Ms. Eleven year old Petra and Calder may be in the same sixth grade class, but they barely know each other. It's only after a near collision during a museum field trip that they discover their shared worship of art, their teacher Ms. Hussey, and the blue candy that doesn't melt in your hands. Their burgeoning friendship is strengthened when a creative thief steals a valuable Vermeer painting en route to Chicago, their home town. When the thief leaves a trail of public clues via the newspaper, Petra and Calder decide to try and recover the painting themselves. But tracking down the Vermeer isn't easy, as Calder and Petra try to figure out what a set of pentominos (mathematical puzzle pieces), a mysterious book about unexplainable phenomena and a suddenly very nervous Ms. Hussey have to do with a centuries old artwork. When the thief ups the ante by declaring that he or she may very well destroy the painting, the two friends know they have to make the pieces of the puzzle fit before it's too late!

Already being heralded as The DaVinci Code for kids, Chasing Vermeer will have middle grade readers scrutinizing art books as they try to solve the mystery along with Calder and Petra. In an added bonus, artist Brett Helquist has also hidden a secret pentomino message in several of the book's illustrations for readers to decode. An auspicious and wonderfully satisfying debut that will leave no young detective clueless. --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

When a book of unexplainable occurences brings Petra and Calder together, strange things start to happen: Seemingly unrelated events connect; an eccentric old woman seeks their company; an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has stumped even the FBI?

Customer Reviews:

5th Grade Class Review.......2007-09-17

We read Chasing Vermeer over the summer and here are some of our thoughts. We liked the book because it is a mystery with a good plot. Our eyes flew across the page like scurrying squirrels. The story has two kids who worked on solving the problem. The mystery really made you think, we even had to use math skills. Plus, the novel had really good art work.
However, the beginning of Chasing Vermeer is a little tough to follow and also very confusing. Another thing that we did not like was you had to figure out the codes. A silly complaint from of the class is that blue M&Ms are used instead of yellow because yellow M&Ms taste better!
In conclusion, the majority of the class would recommend this book to a friend. We enjoyed this book because we solved the mystery. We hope you read this book!!

Slow and Convoluted.......2007-08-08

The idea of the book was interesting, however the story progressed slowly-often repeating the same ideas. It was predictable all the way through. My sons ages 8 and 10 were bored by this story and wanted to stop reading it. I encouraged them to finish it because of the great reviews-I kept thinking it would get better but the story never did. There are more interesting mysteries out there. Not sure why this one received such high credits.

Excellent mystery.......2007-06-18

This novel is an engaging mystery that will hold students' interest from beginning to end. The story's main characters are two sixth grade students who don't quite fit in with their classmates. They become the best of friends through a series of coincidences and a common love of the unknown. They will easily connect students to the story, because they have common sixth grade problems. Their involvement with solving a mystery also will intrigue students. The story presents some information on Vermeer, and may inspire further research on this and other artists. It also presents a new way of thinking to students. Instead of always accepting what is obvious, the characters in the novel question and think on their own.

Mysteries, Friendship, and Art.......2007-06-17

This realistic contemporary fiction mystery book, written on a 5.4 reading level, is an engaging novel for middle school students to read and enjoy, and to use to develop deductive thinking skills. The continued emphasis on looking at familiar things differently, at the nature of coincidences, and piecing together details to make a whole, and then repositioning them to make new wholes, is thought-provoking and extremely well written. The author chose to write this novel using the third person point of view, which helps the reader attempt to solve the mystery by providing clues not known to the two protagonists, Petra and Calder. The illustrations are both an integral part of the mystery and a mystery on their own. The illustrator, Brett Helquist, who is also the illustrator for the Lemony Snicket books, has hidden a secret message in his drawings related to the pentominoes' code in the book. In addition, Helquist has sketched several of the Vermeer paintings so that readers can visualize them as they are mentioned, and done important, clue providing, drawings of the settings and the characters. The book ends with bibliographic information and interviews about both Blue Balliett and Brett Helquist for readers who are not willing to give this book up, and an excerpt from the sequel, The Wright 3. Young adults, and older adults, will enjoy this book.

great book, keeps me reading!.......2007-05-28

I am really enjoying Chasing Vermeer. I can't put it down. The story plot is really cool and it is so amazing how the characters unravel what is happening!I would totally recommend this book to kids who are interested in solving puzzles!

Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime!

Average customer rating:

fun problem solving puzzle to introduce art to kids
Art without the "awwww Mom"
Art Fraud Detective
Art with a twist
Mystery lovers will love this book

Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime!
Anna Nilsen
Manufacturer: Kingfisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0753453088

Book Description

The Museum of Art has a big problem. Some of the museum's priceless masterpieces have been stolen and replaced by cunning forgeries! Are your eyes sharp enough to spot the differences between the fake and the real Rousseau? Hone your detective skills and find the tell-tale clues that will help the police track down the master forgers, and bring back the missing masterpieces. This one-of-a-kind book combines a mystery story, fun spot-the-difference puzzles, and a fantastic introduction to some of the world's greatest art. Guaranteed to enthrall children of all ages, Art Fraud Detective includes historical information on each painting, tips on the techniques of the Old Masters, and a glossary of art terms. Features art by: Rembrandt; Constable; Monet; Picasso; Raphael; Van Gogh; and more!

Customer Reviews:

fun problem solving puzzle to introduce art to kids.......2007-04-09

This book was a lot of fun for my son and I. Readers are told that four gangs of forgers have replaced most of an art museum's paintings, and only we can help figure out which are real and which are forged. Using a magnifying glass, you compare 8" by 5" four color paintings to 4" by 4" originals, looking for changes (such as missing items or objects with different coloration). This allows you to fill in a chart which allows you to deduce the forgers, the snitch and the unchanged paintings, thereby saving the museum. 34 painintgs are here, by Van Eyck, Piero, Uccello, Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo, Gossaert, Massys, Holbein, Marinus, Brueghel, Avercamp, Brugghen, Rembrandt, Steenwyck, Velde, Hooch, Vermeer, Chardin, Perronneau, Gainsborough, Turner, Constable, Watteau, Os, Delaroche, Ingres, Morisot, Degas, Monet, Rousseau, Seurat, Van Gogh and Picasso. Each painting is accompanied by a couple of paragraphs about the artist and the painting. We both enjoyed finding the mistakes, filling out the chart and solving the puzzle; the game also stimulated a discussion of painting and artists. It took us a few sessions to solve everything, but it was enjoyable time. I would buy other books by this author.

Art without the "awwww Mom".......2006-11-10

I have found that this book sets the stage for helping children to really look at art. The "fraud puzzle" presented in the book makes the children really spot unique techniques of the artists in several different styles. They are able to see what makes one style of art unique from others over the centuries as styles changed.

Art Fraud Detective.......2006-02-26

I bought this book for my very bright 10 year old granddaughter's birthday. My friend who is a librarian had bought it for her 12 year old niece and said she loved it and has asked if there are anymore in the series which there are. My daughter taped the answer pages together so she couldn't look at the answers and says that my granddaughter can't put it down. She loves it and I am willing to bet she will ask for the next in the series when she finishes Art Fraud Detective. This book is a great way to foster interest in art and artists.

Art with a twist.......2006-02-21

This book is a great way to familiarize children (and adults) with some of the greatest artists in history. Searching for clues as to whether or not each masterpiece is a fraud causes one to closely study the pieces in great detail. My daughters love looking at the art and doing the detective work. They usually want to go through several pieces each time we pull this book out. I highly recommend it to people of all ages!

Mystery lovers will love this book.......2006-01-31

My seven-year-old son says that he wished it were more entertaining. I guess I feel somewhat disappointed that he races through to detect clues to determine the frauds without reading the artist write-ups. But it's a good introduction to art history and appreciation and it certainly captivates those who love to read mysteries.

Average customer rating:

A wonderful step back in time!
I Love A Mystery!
Reason it is the same material
Another Scam Perpetrated on Us OTR Fans
A Must Have!!

I Love A Mystery: Old Time Radio Shows

Manufacturer: Nostalgia Ventures
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1932806121
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful step back in time!.......2007-09-09

The issue of all the old Radio Shows is by far the best decision ever made. I think I now own most of them and always look forward to adding more to my collection. Wonderful!

I Love A Mystery!.......2007-08-09

I used to listen to this show when I was younger. I was so excited to hear it again on a cd. The quality of this cd is good. I recommend this cd to anyone that liked the show.

Reason it is the same material.......2006-04-14

To the other reviewer's point, there is a reason that this collection features the "same old shows" that have been kicking around for years, etc. If you read the Encylopedia of Old-Time Radio, you'll see that tapes of the other shows have not been found to date -- the only ones out there are from the later Hollywood shows, not the New York shows with the original cast. Rumors have circulated for years that the tapes are being hoarded somewhere ... but at any rate, these are the ones that are available, until more are discovered.

Another Scam Perpetrated on Us OTR Fans.......2005-12-19

Here again we have the same shows that have been kicking around for decades hugely over-priced to make yet ANOTHER buck out of someone else's work. There is nothing new here so don't waste your money.

Someday (maybe) someone will put together one of these things and will give us something that will make the collection worthwhile. How about the ORIGINAL CAST of "I LOVE A MYSTERY"?
Michael Raffeto is the original Jack Packard (and is the guy creator Carleton E Morse had in mind when he created the part) He, along with Barton Yarborough as "Doc Long" and Reggie Patterson as "Reggie York", are the cast who put I LOVE A MYSTERY into our living rooms back in the good old days...but...no...we get the same old version everybody's been hearing for years with Russell Thorson as Jack, Jim Boles as Doc and Tony Randall as Reggie.

Now, please, I'm saying nothing against these three actors...(nor against Tom Collins, who took over the part of Reggie after Mr Patterson's death --Tom sure got around---he inherited the part of Chandu the Magician too---the original Chandu was Gayne Whitman---interesting because he's the guy trying to get radio stations to buy ADVENTURES BY MORSE on those two "audition shows" you hear on this cd---they did a FINE job recreating these classic shows back in the early 50s but everyone HAS these or can get them much cheaper than they are being offered here...my point is if you're gonna charge me over twenty bucks for something it better not be something I can get free from any collector (minus the cost of a blank cd or dvd). Give me something I haven't heard!!! Please!!!

In the meantime save your money until the people putting these albums out finally realize they are going to have to put in some work if they want to make some money.

A Must Have!!.......2004-12-07

After being out of print for a long time I Love A Mystery returns. This set is an excellent representation of Carlton E. Morse's radio series. The set of 20 CDs contains the following programs:
From I Love A Mystery:
The Thing that Cried In the Night
Bury Your Dead Arizona
The Million Dollar Curse (still missing episode 10)

The complete run of Morse's I Love Adventure

The complete first story, "City of the Dead", from Adventures by Morse
Plus the two audition shows for Adventures by Morse.

All sound like they have some cleaning done to them, and sound fantastic. This is a great set, and highly recommended!

The New York Trilogy (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Average customer rating:

"The question is the story itself, and whether or not it means something is not for the story to tell."
Was not impressed
Two extraordinary short novels and an exercise by a supreme storyteller
exceptional
Good? Yes. Engaging? that's a different question...

The New York Trilogy (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
Paul Auster
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0143039830

Book Description

Paul Auster's signature work, The New York Trilogy, consists of three interlocking novels: City of Glass, Ghosts, and The Locked Room—haunting and mysterious tales that move at the breathless pace of a thriller.

Customer Reviews:

"The question is the story itself, and whether or not it means something is not for the story to tell." .......2007-06-13

"He had always imagined that the key to good detective work was a close observation of details. The more accurate the scrutiny, the more successful the results. The implication was that human behavior could be understood, that beneath the infinite façade of gestures, tics, and silences, there was finally a coherence, an order, a source of motivation."

Paul Auster's "New York Trilogy," consisting of the novellas "City of Glass," "Ghosts," and "The Locked Room," is an intriguing blend of post-modern fiction, metaphysical philosophy, and detective novels. Through his reliance on the themes and structure of pulp/noir mysteries, Auster delves deeply into questions regarding identity, purpose, obsession, what is real, and examines the often tenuous grip that most people have on their sanity. His exploration is quite compelling and makes for a fascinating read, but it is unfortunate that the quality of the novellas is slightly uneven. The first, "City of Glass," is far too impenetrable and abstruse to be much more than frustrating. While it is clear that its protagonist, Quinn, is desperate to shed his identity in order to escape from the painful loss that has left him paralyzed, it is unclear why he becomes so obsessed with the case that he takes on after doing so. "Ghosts" is a marked improvement, but it is only in the final novella, "The Locked Room," that this trilogy really comes to life. "The Locked Room" is eloquent where its predecessors are vague, pointed when the others are intentionally blurry, and poignant rather than murky. Auster is certainly a great writer, and I will be interested to read more of his works, but "The New York Trilogy" requires a willingness to stick with it in order to get to its heart. But I recommend hanging in there, because that final novella is a true gem, and makes the ride worth your while.

Here's the grade breakdown: "City of Glass": C+, "Ghosts": B, "The Locked Room": A
Average grade: B

Was not impressed.......2007-05-20

I read this book because I loved Paul Aster's Brooklyn Follies. This compilation of 3 short stories may have well been written by a completely different author. They are short detective stories that are slightly intertwined. I did not enjoy this book and do not recommend it.

Two extraordinary short novels and an exercise by a supreme storyteller .......2007-02-08

I do not see this work the way Auster constructed it. To me it is not a 'trilogy' even though there are overlapping themes, and incidents. I see it as a collection of separate pieces. The first and the third are first-rate works of fiction . They are novels which are searches for self. They are -Multiple- identity -mysteries which illustrate Auster's way of seeing life and the world, as unending chance and surprise.
Perhaps the best summary of the Auster credo comes somewhere in the middle of 'The Locked Room' The narrator- best friend of Fanshawe meditates as follows.
" We all want to be told stories and we listen to them in the same way we did when we were young. We imagine the real story inside the words, and to do this we substitute ourselves for the person in the story, pretending that we can understand him because we understand ourselves. This is a deception.We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at times we even have a glimmer of who we are, but in the end we can never be sure, and as our lives go on, we become more and more opaque to ourselves, more and more aware of our own incoherence. No one can cross the boundary into another-for the simple reason that no one can gain access to himself."
Auster is a supreme storyteller. In these works there are stories within stories of incredible power and beauty. In the first book there is a small story of a mother in the Shoah carrying a baby for whom she at last has the satisfaction of attaining and giving milk. The baby has been dead for days. In the concluding work of the Trilogy Auster tells the story of Lorenzo da Ponte whose life he describes as five or six distinct lives, illustrating a principle of Auster's fiction i.e. we can never know for certain where the story of the life is going to next.
I may not agree with Auster's philosophy of life but find him one of the supreme storytellers writing today . I pick up his work and I want to read and read and read.

exceptional.......2006-11-02

"The New York Trilogy", a volume containing three separate novellas: "The City of Glass", "Ghosts" and " The Locked Room", is an intriguing example of the author's game with the readers and, perhaps, with himself. The motif common for all three stories in the mystery, the solution of which is pursued by the main character, and the place of action, New York City (I do not agree with one of the reviewers who said New York could be here any other urban environment as well; certainly it could not be any European city, NYC gives these stories the distinct character and for anyone who has walked the streets through which the characters wander, it is a setting unmistakable for any other; The City's atmosphere hangs over the characters like a cloud).

"The City of Glass" features Quinn, a solitary man, living quietly after the death of his wife and son, and writing detective stories under a pseudonym. One night, Quinn receives a mysterious phone call from a man demanding the services of a private detective, Paul Auster... Although it is clearly a wrong number, Quinn decides to pretend to be Auster and take the challenge, changing his life forever.

A complete change of life circumstances is also a fate of the protagonist of a second (and the shortest) novella "Ghosts". Blue, who is a professional private detective, receives a task from the disguised client, White, to watch Black. The trouble is, Black never does anything interesting except reading or writing, and bored Blue tries to find out, where the real secret of this investigation lies.

In the last novella "The Locked Room", the main character is involved in the publication of the works of his missing childhood friend, Fanshawe. The books are a great success, he marries Fanshawe's wife and he assumes Fanshawe's identity, happily at the beginning...

These novellas are not, as has been pointed out by many reviewers before me, typical mysteries, where clues lead to conclusions and the reader may amuse himself with finding a correct answer. They are, on one hand, explorations of the soul, of the unknown in us, and, on the other hand, and taken together, a postmodern riddle, with literary jokes, cultural clues. They can be read on various levels, which is what really makes them interesting. For somebody, who expects a mystery story from the beginning to the end this book would be a disappointment, However, it is rewarding for the reader interested in reading itself (sounds absurd, I know, but this may be the truth - books play an enormous role in all the novellas). The introduction of Auster, as a detective, but really a writer in the first story, as opposed to Quinn, the writer, who has to become the detective, is only one of the twists here. The exercise with giving the characters the name of the colors (after all, what, if not "real" names make the reader think of the book characters as real? And are the color names unreal? Such names are common enough...) - is another.

By the way, has anyone been lured into drawing Quinn's walk on the street grid of Manhattan?

Good? Yes. Engaging? that's a different question..........2006-08-19

"The New York Trilogy", by celebrated author Paul Auster, is made up of 3, somewhat interlinked, long stories which were originately published separately at various times around 1985-86.
There is no doubt that Paul Auster is a terrific writer so I won't even get into that aspect of the book.
Let's get down to what's really important by trying to pinpoint the subject matter, i.e., what "the new york trilogy" is really about: in a sense, it's a mystery, in the true sense of the word, because even in the end many questions (most, I dare say) are left unanswered, many stones unturned and many cues are simply left hanging in the air.
The NYT has been described as metaphysical detective fiction and the description might in fact prove apt: each of the 3 stories follows the investigations of one man which always turn into an obsession, making the man completely lose touch with the reality. The NYT is thus much about mental processes, we see each of the 3 main chracters gradually become so absorbed by their quest that they lose all sense of proportion and stop thinking like the rest of us.
It's also a novel about writing because writing, depicted as the greatest obsession of all, always plays a role in the stories.
There is also a definite surreal element in most stories and, quite often, they reminded me of Dino Buzzati's short stories.
The author is obviously very pleased with himself, playing with his own name (much like B.E. Ellis does in his recent "Lunar Park") and toying with the other character's names (which pop up in different stories, alluding to the possibility of a strong link between them all).
Did I like the book? As much as it's clever and well-written, it leaves you with a sense of un-completeness, too much stuff remains only vaguely hinted at (I was never one to fall for open-endings. Plus, everything is open here, much more than necessary) and in the ends, the whole thing sound more like an elaborate intellectual game that engaging fiction. Thus, I give the novel 3 stars although this is in no way diminishes my appreciation of the author's talent.

Writing Mysteries: A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America

Average customer rating:

Great Help
The ultimate resource for Mystery Writing
Wide ranging and helpful
Having to mine isn't necessarily a bad thing
Empty advice - scrambled eggs with not enough ham

Writing Mysteries: A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America

Manufacturer: Writer's Digest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1582971021

Amazon.com

The mystery, like other stories, relies on believable characters, a strong narrative, and crisp prose. But it is also "a way of examining the dark side of human nature," says Writing Mysteries editor Sue Grafton. The book's 37 contributors ponder everything from brainstorming ideas to dealing with editors. Jeremiah Healy jump-starts the book with a piece that considers the unwritten "rules" of mystery writing. Stuart Kaminsky discusses research--experts, it turns out, are just waiting for you to contact them--and Sandra Scoppettone discusses vivid villains. Sara Paretsky contemplates the pitfalls of using a recurring hero, and Michael Connelly contributes a fine piece on characterization. "The best crime novels," Connelly says, "are not about how a detective works on a case; they are about how a case works on a detective." Other chapters focus on amateur sleuths, convincing dialogue, depiction of violence, and specialty genres. The book's short chapters form a sort of mystery writer's antipasti plate. Some won't resonate, while others will leave you wishing you had a larger serving. An ideal primer for mystery writers. --Jane Steinberg

Book Description

Writing mystery fiction can be a special kind of puzzle. In this new, revised edition of the Mystery Writers of America classic, Sue Grafton weaves the experience of today's top mystery authors into a comprehensive mystery writing "how-to." Writers will learn how to piece a perfect mystery together and create realistic stories that are taut, immediate and fraught with tension.

The book's contributors include a "who's who" of the mystery writing elite: Faye and Jonathan Kellerman on conducting accurate research; Michael Connelly on mastering characterization; Tony Hillerman on writing without an outline; Lawrence Block on overcoming writer's block; Sara Paretsky on creating successful series characters; Tess Gerritson on writing the medical thriller; Ann Rule on the art of writing true crime. And many more!

Customer Reviews:

Great Help.......2006-08-06

I have other books concerning this subject. What I like about this book is that it contains chapters by different authors. There is nothing like hearing advice from the very authors that you enjoy reading so much.

The ultimate resource for Mystery Writing.......2004-12-22

Mystery Writing is an art in itself. It requires a lot of planning and preparation in order for the mystery story to work. Planting 'red herrings' and false clues in a story is an art that novice writers will have trouble in achieving with their first attempt. That is the reason why this book is so good -- it brings together the creative geniuses in the field of Mystery writing -- and these writers tell you their secrets to producing mystery. Definitely worth the money.

Wide ranging and helpful.......2004-11-12

I found the book to a helpful review of everything from the unwritten rules of writing a mystery through the submission process. Personally, I enjoyed having different people present their views. I can see that it might be annoying if you want just one point of view. My advise is to read whatever section you are interested in and skip sections that you do not care about. Good job!

Having to mine isn't necessarily a bad thing.......2004-09-21

While I agree with the previous poster that one has to do a certain amount of mining with this, and other Writer's Digest anthologies, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I actually had an opportunity to talk about the book recently with Sue Grafton, who edited it, and she said her goal was to take readers from idea through publication, employing the voices of experts in each area. For example, the chapter on series characters is written by Sara Paretsky, whose V.I. Warshawski is a classic demonstration of what she's talking about. In all, I enjoyed and appreciated the disparate voices perhaps more than I might have appreciated the same advice in a monolithic voice.

Empty advice - scrambled eggs with not enough ham.......2004-06-15

A favorite device of the Writer's Digest Books imprint is to collect a couple dozen magazine articles under some organizational headings, add an introduction by a well-known genre name (Sue Grafton, in this case), and publish it as a book. I've found these collections to be uniformly unsatisfying, short on real how-to information and long on shopworn cliches. Writing Mysteries is no exception.

The biggest failing of Writing Mysteries is that, regardless of what the table of contents promises, it presents no real strategy for approaching the complex task of planning and writing a book-length manuscript. Many of the chapters were clearly written to fill magazine column space. They cover topics that have been covered elsewhere time after weary time, too often in an off-hand or precious manner, and they tend to give empty advice - where do you get ideas? anywhere; do you use an outline? sometimes; and on and on. Worse, many of the chapters are rambling and poorly organized, and some deal only tangentially with the topic announced in the chapter title (or subheading).

Amazon.com

When Linda Fairstein describes the route Alexandra Cooper takes from the district attorney's office to NYPD headquarters, you know she's walked that way many times herself. "I took the shortcut over to One Police Plaza, cutting behind the Metropolitan Correctional Center and alongside the staggeringly expensive new federal courthouse, which made our digs, complete with oversized rodents and roaches that obviously thrived on Combat, look like judicial facilities in some third world country."

Like her fictional counterpart, Fairstein is a Manhattan assistant district attorney in charge of a sex-crimes unit. As she did in Final Jeopardy and Likely to Die, Fairstein mires her somewhat unlikely heroine (a beautiful 35-year-old blond with an Ivy League education, a house in Martha's Vineyard, and an affection for betting on quiz shows at cop bars) in a wealth of procedural detail. The "cold hit" of the title, for example, refers to a computer match between DNA samples from a recent rape case with evidence from an older crime.

With her trusty cop sidekicks Mike Chapman (who eats everything in sight and drops wisecracks like they're crumbs) and Mercer Wallace (who is a big fellow and can take a bullet meant for Alex without flinching), Cooper is working on two major cases--a serial rapist who has suddenly decided to come out of hiding and a couple of murders linked to the nasty underground world of fine-art sales. But she also has time to give her fellow sex-crime prosecutors advice on how to handle everything from a man shooting video up women's skirts at a Star Trek convention to a guy who takes his love for racehorses well past the legal limits. Once again, Fairstein has produced a story whose entertainment value is very high. --Dick Adler

Book Description

A chilling new Alexandra Cooper thriller from the acclaimed Manhattan Assistant D.A. who lives the gritty and glamorous life she writes.

The raves are in for Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper novels. "Riveting authenticity," says Vanity Fair. "Grisham-esque," says Time. "There is an anger and a passion in Alex Cooper that is clearly not fictional," says The London Times.

From its dramatic opening scene when a silk-clad corpse washes up from the turbulent waters at Manhattan's northern tip to its stunning conclusion when Alexandra runs for her life, Cold Hit transports the reader behind the scenes with the cops, the criminals, the victims, and the denizens of the art world. Here is the authenticity, the vision, that only Linda Fairstein can provide.

On a steamy August evening, after an exhausting day in the courtroom, Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cooper joins her longtime pals and partners-in-investigation, NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, at a somber crime scene. In her ten years as a sex crimes prosecutor, Alex has seen many victims, but few more poignant than this one, pulled from the water with her hands and feet obscenely tied to a ladder.

Sleep comes uneasily after such a vision, but the knowledge that monsters walk the city's streets, preying on the innocent, motivates Alex and her colleagues in their sometimes heartbreaking work. Perhaps this time they will be lucky. A "cold hit" could match DNA from the crime scene with a suspect's DNA profile in the police database. Or is this case a more sinister kind of "cold hit"? Who was this latest victim?

From a luxurious Fifth Avenue apartment to famous midtown auction houses to the avant-garde galleries of Chelsea, Alex, Mike, and Mercer hunt for a killer in a very special world where priceless art meets big money in a lethal mix. Whether it's a missing Rembrandt, a Vermeer in need of authentication, or doors paneled with precious amber and missing since the great Nazi art thefts, the stakes are high, the consequences potentially fatal.

Illuminating and inspiring, Cold Hit takes us from the paint-chipped offices of cops and D.A.s to the elegant restaurants of Alex's privileged Upper East Side life. The contrast is striking, but it's all part of the extraordinary world that author Linda Fairstein has brought so vividly to life in this magnificent novel of suspense.

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Customer Reviews:

Not Bad.......2006-10-08

This is the first book by Ms. Fairstein that I've read. It was enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the art history in the books. I'm not into art that much so it was fascinating to me. It was something different for me. I did however like the mystery itself. Author had some good plot twists in there. I liked the characters interplay with each other and how you could see their bonds. I think I made the mistake of reading the third book first however. They speak of other cases which I'm assuming are in the first books. I plan on picking those up soon. It's not early Cornwell or Sandford but I would still highly recommend this book to others looking for a murder mystery.

Edward George Bulwer-Lytton would be ever so proud!.......2006-06-25

If you enjoyed Paul Clifford, you'll love this. Here's the first sentence for you: "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents--except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness." Linda Fairstein has taken the master's style and run with it.
Not in my recent reading have I seen a book so in need of slash and burn editing. It is said that smarter people write longer sentences, but this book bludgeons you with excess words on every page.

Not an Enjoyable Read.......2005-06-20

Linda Fairstein's 3rd novel in the Alexandra Cooper mystery series, "Cold Hit," follows Alex and her team as they track the killer of a victim who washed ashore in Northern Manhatten, strapped to a ladder. Her connections to the flashy art world add plenty of glitz and suspects for Alex, Mike Chapman, and Mercer Wallace to investigate before the killer strikes again.

I used to read alot of Patricia Cornwell and I had to stop because I realized I was reading the same novel over and over again. Now, you can say that of pretty much any mystery author, I realize. Most of them do a really good job of masking it though. I am hoping that Fairstein is able to do the same. Cornwell's character Kay Scarpetta is not likeable and always is attacked by the vicious killer. Fairstein's Cooper is likeable, but the reader sorta has to work at it and she is always attacked by the vicious killer. Authors need to realize that readers catch on to these sort of canned plots. We're not stupid, dearest authors, really we're not.

I did find the plot of "Cold Hit" to be a bit tedious. Fairstein can be overly wordy sometimes. 50 pages could easily be shaved off of each of her books and they wouldn't be any different.

Cold Hit....A Hit With Me.......2004-07-21

This was the first in the Alexandra Cooper series I read and I really enjoyed it so I will be adding the rest of the series to my TBR pile. The characters are appealing, the story extremely well written and Linda Fairstein really knows her stuff! The story involved the art word and the Gardener Museum heist and being an Art History major I found it all exceedingly fascinating. A joy to read and it really should be in your must read pile!

Alex Cooper keeps going like the Energizer Bunny.......2004-03-08

This lady goes from strength to strength. Once again we see Alexandra Cooper, the Assistant District Attorney for the Sex Crimes Unit of Manhattan. Only this time she finds herself with a body being pulled out of the river, but the woman is expensively dressed and tied to a ladder, with no identification.

It is not the easiest of cases, we find all kinds of skullduggery in the genteel art world, with forgery and faked provenance and Alex gets a bit too close to the murderer in this one, only narrowly escaping being shot, although unfortunately Mercer Wallace is hit, which is all rather too real.

I never imagined Art Galleries to inspire the kind of passions that abound in this book, I know that money will drive people to extremes and this is well illustrated here, but this really is the ugly side to beautiful artworks.

Nevertheless, as a subject for murder, it is a gripping plot. I know that sidekicks are not as immune as central characters, but Mercer and Mike are too central to be the victim of homicidal lunatics, but here we see that they can have a little scare, just to remind us that it is a terrible place for the good guys.

Average customer rating:

Classical gas

I never read her books

Please Kill Off Annabell Lee

trip down memory lane

My least favorite MT novel, but still not bad

Murder at the Opera: A Capital Crimes Novel (Capital Crimes)
Margaret Truman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0345478215
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Book Description

Margaret Truman, who knows where all the bodies are buried inside the Beltway, has written her most thrilling novel of suspense yet. Murder at the Opera features the popular crime-fighting couple Mac Smith and his wife, Annabel Reed-Smith, as they navigate the glitz, glamour, and grime that is Washington, D.C.

It ain’t over till the fat lady sings . . . but the show hasn’t even started yet when a diva is found dead. The soprano in question, a petite young Asian Canadian named Charise Lee, was scarcely a star at the Washington National Opera. But when the aspiring singer is stabbed in the heart backstage during rehearsals, she suddenly takes center stage.

Georgetown law professor Mac Smith thought he’d just be carrying a rapier in Tosca as a favor for his beloved Annabel, but now they’re both being pressured by the panicked theater board to unmask a killer. Providing accompaniment will be former homicide detective, current P.I., and eternal opera fan Raymond Pawkins.

Soon the Smiths find themselves dangerously improvising among an expanding cast of suspects with all sorts of scores to settle. What they uncover is an increasingly complex case reaching far beyond Washington to a dark world of informers and terror alerts in Iraq, and climaxing on a fateful night at the opera attended by none other than the President himself.

Customer Reviews:

Classical gas.......2007-05-24

One thing about this book-the plot of Tosca is fully revealed. When nothing exciting is happening, Margaret Truman explains Pucini to the uninitiated-myself included.

The other thing about this book is that the plot structure is closely modeled on those from Italian opera. This means in practicality that the real villain must be someone we would find villainous today. That means Middle Eastern terrorists. That the terrorist plot subplot seems contrived escapes Ms Truman. In modern thrillers the chase is the thing, but in this book the terrorists come and go in clouds of dust and mystery, and nobody you find interesting even knows about them.

I particularly found the continuation of the Opera Ball after an assassination attempt to be laughable. Remember 9/11? Everyone wanted to get out of any possible line of fire and hurried home. In Washington society they dance the night away.

If the DVD is broken and the cable out, you might pick up this book. Otherwise look for the new Michael Connelly or Robert Parker.

I never read her books.......2007-05-13

I liked her father! I don't care for her books but my daughter-in-law does and I bought it as a gift for her.

Please Kill Off Annabell Lee.......2007-03-19

I have read that Margaret Truman does not write these books. It is hard to believe that a woman would write a character such as Mac's "beautiful"
wife. She is nothing but irritating; almost as irritating as Susan Silverman. However, I've tolerated Susan over the years because I love Hawk. Unfortunately, these books don't have enough Rufus to justify tolerating the beautiful wife, but they do have great info on Washington and for that reason I read them and give this one 4 stars.

trip down memory lane.......2007-02-09

love her mysteries---- i love the intrique and background of Washington D.C. which i knew some time ago

My least favorite MT novel, but still not bad.......2007-01-17

I seem to be the only person (so far) who thought this novel was thin and somewhat uninteresting, despite my interest in opera. You know who one of the bad guys are from the beginning since the author gives it away, and the rest just seemed to stretch out a story that should have been half this size. It's a good thing Mac lusts after his wife, because that allowed the author to stretch the story out a bit more. (many references to this in the book.)
So, although I was looking forward to reading this book, it was just okay, and very "put-downable". (I used to enjoy reading Ms. Truman's books cover to cover, but this one was no problem to put down while I walked the dog.)
Summary: not a bad read, but not a great one. One other comment: according to Olivia Goldsmith's book "Bestseller", Margaret Truman doesn't write her own books. I've always wondered if that was true. According to rumors on the 'net, Donald Bain is her ghostwriter. Not that this affects the quality of the books; it's just interesting.

Average customer rating:

For Pendergast fans
How to read Preston/Child
Good But Tangled
Another Triumph for Preston and Child
Excellent

Brimstone
Douglas Preston , and Lincoln Child
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 044653143X
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Book Description

Agent Pendergast returns in a new suspense thriller from New YorkTimes bestselling authors Douglas Preston and LincolnChild. Art critic JeremyGrove is found dead, his face frozen in a mask of terror. His body temperature is grotesquely high; he is discovered in a room barricaded from the inside; the smell ofbrimstone is everywhere....and the unmistakable imprint of a claw is burned into the wall. As more bodies are discovered-their only connection the bizarre but identical manner of death-the world begins to wonder if the Devil has, in fact, come to collect his due. Teaming with Police Officer Vincent D'Agosta (The Relic), Agent Pendergast is determined to solve this case that appears to defy everything except supernatural logic. Their investigation takes them from the luxury estates of LongIsland to the crumbling, legend-shrouded castles of the Italian countryside, where Pendergast faces the most treacherous and dangerous adversary of his career.

Customer Reviews:

For Pendergast fans.......2007-09-24

Our inscrutable FBI agent takes on a worthy adversary in this mind bending whodunit wrought with occult images and religious uncertainties. Hateable bad guys, exotic locales, and believable supporting characters are crafted into a chilling and irresistable murder mystery.

Another Preston & Child MUST READ!

How to read Preston/Child.......2007-09-15

Preston/Child are such marvelous writers, it's important to do them justice. You want to make sure you get the full effect of Diogenes' (dare I say it) diabolical plot.

Here's how it should go. Get "Brimstone", "Dance of Death", and "Book of the Dead". Put them by your reading chair, but do not open them.

Clear your calendar--call in sick, take vacation days, whatever you need to do. Check for sufficient provisions for several days--whatever your reading food of choice is. Make peace with your family, insure they have enough food and clean laundry to tide them over, (does not work with young children) and explain that you will be incommunicado for a while. If necessary, go shopping. Have a talk with your pets (does not work with cats) and make arrangements to have them fed and watered.

Now, with a clear conscience, open "Brimstone". Enjoy

Good But Tangled.......2007-09-06

This book had alot of promise with a great story line but it just did not flow from begining to end. Too many lose ends and not clear on how the main detectives came to their conclusions.

Another Triumph for Preston and Child.......2007-08-08

I have read following novels by Preston and Child. They include: RELIC, MOUNT DRAGON, RELIQUARY, THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, STILL LIFE WITH CROWS and THE BOOK OF THE DEAD. BRIMSTONE is the first in the series of a trilogy ending with BOOK OF THE DEAD. I, of course, read BOOK OF THE DEAD first. Big mistake! I knew who wasn't going to die - which spoiled BRIMSTONE. Publishers need to include warning labels on trilogies.

There is an advantage to reading the last book first. Normally, I would have quickly read through chapter 43. It is slow moving. However, since I read the last book first, I immediately was alerted to the fact that chapter 43 lays the foundation for an important dimension of the storyline in the second and third novel.

Like Detective D'Agosta, I am a first generation American whose parents came from Italy prior to World War II. In chapter 50 (hilarious), D'Agosta speaks Italian that no Italian can understand. He, as I have learned, is speaking a dialect that no longer exists. The authors explain the death of Italian dialects by the influence of Italian TV. That is, Italians slowly evolved into speaking a unified language as a consequence of needing to follow TV programs. However, I understand the Mussolini was responsible. On many occasions, I have been told that Mussolini's contribution to Italy was twofold. First, he made the trains run on time (however, they didn't when I was in Italy); and second, he demanded a unified Italian language. Perhaps, TV had an influence, but clearly Mussolini was the catalyst. TV sustained a unified Italian language, but nothing was able to nurture the trains to continue to be on time.

Preston and Child write GREAT stories. They are vivid and force me to lose track of time. When I finish writing review, I will begin to read the second novel in this trilogy -- THE DANCE OF THE DEAD. There is no greater compliment to an author.

Excellent.......2007-06-20

The character of Pendergast is a calm, collected, masterful character such as is rarely seen in literature or movies these days. He is the sort of hero that it is a delight to identify with. Make no mistake- he struggles with the adversities he faces, but no matter how insurmountable the obstacles he keeps a "cool head." He is reminisent of the classic James Bond, Superman, or Phileas Fogg.
The story is intruiging and the characters are extremely well done. Preston and Child blend mystery/supernatural with modern concepts and technology brilliantly.The same holds true for all of their works that I have had the pleasure to read. Bravo, gentlemen!

The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

Just an Average Read
Less than the sum of its parts
Kate Martinelli meets Sherlock Holmes
Quite possibly King's best book
Good Read Until The End

The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli Mysteries)
Laurie R. King
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0553804537
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Book Description

In this thrilling new crime novel that ingeniously bridges Laurie R. King’s Edgar and Creasey Awards—winning Kate Martinelli series and her bestselling series starring Mary Russell, San Francisco homicide detective Kate Martinelli crosses paths with Sherlock Holmes–in a spellbinding dual mystery that could come only from the “intelligent, witty, and complex” mind of New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King….

Kate Martinelli has seen her share of peculiar things as a San Francisco cop, but never anything quite like this: an ornate Victorian sitting room straight out of a Sherlock Holmes story–complete with violin, tobacco-filled Persian slipper, and gunshots in the wallpaper that spell out the initials of the late queen.

Philip Gilbert was a true Holmes fanatic, from his antiquated décor to his vintage wardrobe. And no mere fan of fiction’s great detective, but a leading expert with a collection of priceless memorabilia–a collection some would kill for.

And perhaps someone did: In his collection is a century-old manuscript purportedly written by Holmes himself–a manuscript that eerily echoes details of Gilbert’s own murder.

Now, with the help of her partner, Al Hawkin, Kate must follow the convoluted trail of a killer–one who may have trained at the feet of the greatest mind of all times.

Customer Reviews:

Just an Average Read.......2007-09-26

I've read several of Laurie King's books over the years. With the exception of A Grave Talent which was quite good, most of her books are just average, this one included. She is NOT a master of plotting. Her books meander here and there and eventually reach a conclusion that may be less than satisfying. So it is with The Art of Detection. The supporting characters are only vaguely drawn. Her protagonist, Kate Martinelli, is not that interesting. Now I'm a liberal Californian, but I could hardly stand to read one more line about the cultural rainbow of San Francisco, and all the OVERT EXAMPLES of what constitutes a "family" there. All right already. We get it. King's books are not terrible, just way back in the middle of the pack of mystery writers.

Less than the sum of its parts.......2007-09-02

I love Laurie King's Mary Russell novels, and I really like her Kate Martinelli mysteries, so I was very much looking forward to this meshing of those two worlds. But after reading it, I was left thinking, "Why bother?" Going back over it, I really can't find any one part of the book that was particularly bad, but it just didn't draw me in. The descriptions of the landscape in and around San Francisco are vivid; the details of the lives of the Sherlockian characters are fascinating (and it was amusing to see Kate wrestling with the concept of their dedication to their hobby); and the Holmes story-within-a-story was quite entertaining. But there seemed to be a lack of excitement throughout--a sense of apathy about the case and it's connections to the mysterious rediscovered manuscript which made the sudden violence of the ending seem completely out of place and the sudden happiness following that even more disconcerting. And I have to admit, that as a fan of both series, I was really hoping for at least some reaction from any of the characters when they discovered what the manuscript could really be. A quick reference in the last sentence frankly was not enough for me. I'm glad I waited until it was in paperback to buy it.

Kate Martinelli meets Sherlock Holmes.......2007-08-30

Kate and Al are investigating a murder on the old gun emplacements outside of San Francisco. The victim is a fan of Sherlock Holmes, even going so far as to dress as he did and to decorate part of his home according to the description of Holmes' study. The investigation hinges on the question of a manuscript the victim supposedly purchased, said to be a long lost work of Conon-Doyle. Kate is especially interested in this as her partner is a Holmes fan. The ending was a surprise for me and I read all of Laurie Kings's work. A rousing good read.

Quite possibly King's best book.......2007-08-27

I was looking forward to reading a Kate Martinelli/Sherlock Holmes novel, since I've enjoyed King's Martinelli and Mary Russell novels equally (for those who aren't familiar with her Mary Russell books, Sherlock Holmes is a major character in the series). _The Art of Detection_ was even better than I expected! What I liked best were the several threads that tie this novel together with some of her others; in particular, you might want to also read _Locked Rooms_ as it's a Russell/Holmes book set in San Francisco.

Good Read Until The End.......2007-08-26

This is a generally solid, enjoyable book. However, I thought the end detracted from the story and trivialized the overall work. The story line itself - its twists and turns - resulted in an excellent work overall. Had I been the editor, I would have left out the too-pat ending that demonstrates the triumph of the indomitable lesbionic will (aided by the abnegation of law by an arbitrary act of a city functionary), or whatever point Ms. King clumsily tried to make.

I thoroughly enjoy her works; and frankly am puzzled by this apparent pandering postscript appended to the work. Perhaps she's trying to bring a fairy tale (pardon the gay pun) ending to a character she's finally finished with.

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