I enjoy a good mystery novel, and this one certainly pays off with lots of twists and turns, but it just wasn't as engaging as I would have liked.
A mysterious man, Sam Westing, who is also the man behind the Westing Paper fortune, returns from his self-imposed exile only to be killed on the night he returns.
The next day a group of 16 people are assembled to hear the will of Sam Westing. What's most strange about these 16 people is that they recently moved into a new apartment complex called Sunset Towers. In fact, it seems that they were specifically chosen and enticed to rent the apartments where they live. This group of heirs is very diverse and don't seem to have many connections, but they are now a part of the Westing Game.
The 16 people are broken into pairs and given a check for $10,000, but it is only valid if each person partakes in the game. The goal of the game is to find the man or woman that killed Sam Westing. They are given clues that are part of a complete clue that is broken up. The winners of the game will inherit the complete $200 million dollar fortune, and the Paper Factory.
There are plenty of twists and misdirections, but it really didn't draw me into the mystery. Sure we are told that Westing was killed and that the killer may kill all of the heirs, but I never felt that anyone's life was in danger. The characters, and the interactions are very good though, and the ending is worth reading the entire book.
How can you use it in your classroom?
You can talk about how to solve a mystery/riddle/challenge.
You can explore how the characters interact in the story.
You can ask about the whys of the story. (Why does this happen or that?)
If you're looking for a good book, this is a good place to look. Don't be worried about it not catching my attention as much as I would have liked. It's still a great read.
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