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Cover of YOU ARE THE DETECTIVE
3.78

Based on 198 Goodreads ratings

YOU ARE THE DETECTIVE

by threatening anonymous letters to 19 Tootley Row, the Mayfair house of “artist and sometimes poet” Ambrose Belvoir, another letter urges a neighboring tailor to summon the police immediately to a murder scene. That’s quite a surprise to Belvoir and his guests, who suddenly realize that one of their number, American novelist Roy Peterson, hasn’t just dropped off to sleep\u003B he’s been stabbed to death by an icepick. But every one of the remaining guests—actress Vita Simpson, naturalist Lord Alfred Chomley, race car driver Felix Darlington, telephone operator Mabel Hickney, and cook Cloris Adder—swears that they didn’t approach the famously antisocial Peterson and that they didn’t see anyone else approach him, either. If no one laid a hand on him, how did he meet his end, and why? The novelty here is that instead of unfolding their whodunit in straightforward prose, the authors present a scrapbook of floor plans, black\u002Dand\u002Dred drawings of the crime scene and the suspects, newspaper clippings, transcripts of interviews with DCI Harold Jensen, and a climactic confession that makes the impossible murder look so easy that readers who haven’t figured it out already are likely to feel cheated. The forgettable characters are little more than cartoon types, but that’s entirely appropriate to their mode of presentation. A more serious criticism is that all those pictures contain remarkably few clues."

Book Details

Publisher:November
Published:1933-01-01
Pages:145
Format:paperback
Language:English
ISBN:9780593836

Reading Info

Age Range:12-18

About This Book

This interactive mystery book plunges young readers directly into the action, casting them as the primary investigator tasked with solving a series of cleverly constructed cases. Each puzzling scenar...

Our Review

This interactive mystery book plunges young readers directly into the action, casting them as the primary investigator tasked with solving a series of cleverly constructed cases. Each puzzling scenario, from a missing artifact to a suspicious alibi, is presented with all the necessary clues, witness statements, and crime scene details laid out for the amateur sleuth to scrutinize. The format brilliantly mimics the experience of a real detective, demanding careful observation and logical deduction to separate red herrings from genuine evidence and identify the culprit from a lineup of potential suspects.

What sets this investigative adventure apart is its empowering, choose-your-own-path structure that makes critical thinking an exhilarating game. Budding crime-solvers will relish the authority to question characters, analyze clues, and ultimately make the final accusation, with the satisfying payoff of checking their solution against the answer key. This book is a masterclass in engaging reluctant readers and nurturing problem-solving skills, turning every child into the hero of their own thrilling whodunit.

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